Roger Diez: 2023 racing schedule set

Happy New Year to everyone. To finish off 2022, I want to congratulate all of the major racing series’ 2022 champions and wish them well for the coming season.

NASCAR champions are Joey Logano (NASCAR Cup), Ty Gibbs (Xfinity), Zane Smith (Camping World Trucks).

In the NHRA ranks, we have champions Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock), Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Will Power won the NTT IndyCar title, and Max Verstappen is the Formula 1 World Driving Champion.

And a special mention to team owner Roger Penske, who owns both Power’s and Logano’s cars.

•••

Racing for 2023 will begin soon. In fact, in just a little over a week the annual Chili Bowl Midget racing classic will be underway. As of Dec. 26 there were 355 entries for the event with more expected, Including our own Tanner Thorson of Minden, the defending champion. The action starts on Monday, Jan. 9 with practice, qualifying, and heat races and continues to Saturday night’s final main event to determine the 2023 Golden Driller champion. Television coverage is only available through FloRacing.com and requires a subscription.

•••

Next up is the Roar Before the 24 Jan. 20-22, featuring practice and qualifying for the January 28/29 Rolex 24 Hour endurance race. The Roar is available on IMSA TV with select portions on Peacock. Qualifying is important this year because only 60 starters will be allowed out of 70 or so entries. Race coverage will be on NBC and Peacock.

February brings us NASCAR’s Busch Lite Clash on Feb. 4-5, at the L.A. Coliseum for the second year. This year’s field is 27 entries, four more than last season. Saturday will see practice and qualifying with heats, last chance, and mains on Sunday. Fox will broadcast all the action.

NASCAR moves to Daytona for the start of the regular season with the NASCAR Cup Duel qualifying races on Feb. 16, the Camping World Truck race on the Feb. 17, Xfinity on the Feb. 18, and the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 9. Expect a full 40-car field for the 500, with some entries not making the race. FOX will provide TV coverage for the first half of the season.

The NTT IndyCar kicks off their 2023 season on March 5 at the St. Petersburg, Fla., street race. There will be 17 races for the series, ending Sept. 10 at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, which has been completely repaved. NBC and Peacock will air the series’ events.

Also on March 5, Formula 1 begins its 23-race season in Bahrain. There were originally 24 races scheduled, but the April 16 Chinese Grand Prix has been canceled. No alternative venue has yet been identified. ESPN will carry F1 races in the U.S.

The National Hot Rod Association will be the latest racing series to begin their 2023 season with the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Florida scheduled for March 10-12. ESPN is the broadcast partner for the series.

And finally, did you think the Wynn’s Las Vegas $1 million F1 race package I wrote about a couple of weeks ago was extravagantly expensive? Well, Caesar’s Entertainment just said, “Hold my beer,” and announced a five-night Emperor’s Package, an “extravagant, one-of-a-kind VIP offering unlike anything else” in their words. It features accommodations at the Nobu Sky Villa, 12 tickets to the Paddock Club (F1’s premier hospitality product), a Rolls Royce with personal driver, a personal VIP host for an array of “experiences” and tickets for two to “Weekends with Adele” at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace. All this for only $5 million (cryptocurrency not accepted). Get yours while they last!