Adam Sinclair

 South Florida Motorsports (SFM), the organizers of the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX can today announce details of their huge investment into the Miami International Autodrome ahead of the 2023 race on May 5-7th. A series of exciting upgrades include a brand-new premium hospitality Paddock Club building and the creation of the Formula 1® Team Village on the football field in the center of Hard Rock Stadium.

Following on from the success of the first-ever FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX, organizers have made a significant investment ahead of the 2023 edition of the race. In consultation with the teams, FIA and Formula 1®, SFM have spent the past six months constructing the new permanent 190,000 square foot Paddock Club building that will house over 6,000 guests in premium suites and a luxury rooftop club. 

The new three-tiered Paddock Club structure has been built above the existing team pit garages and overlooks the pitlane and start/finish straight. For the 2023 edition of the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX, SFM have appointed global catering experts DO & CO to provide a premium hospitality experience for this exclusive area. There are also additional hospitality experiences at Miami International Autodrome for 2023 which include new spaces The Vista at Turn 1 and The Boathouse at MIA Marina.

One of the major updates for 2023 will see the Formula 1® paddock expanded onto the Miami Dolphins football field in the center of Hard Rock Stadium. The all-new Team Village will house the hospitality units of the ten F1® teams where the drivers will be based across the weekend. Organizers have worked closely with Formula 1® on creating this new expanded paddock to create a truly unique experience for the teams as well as the benefit of this increased paddock space. For the first time ever fans will also have an exclusive insight into the behind-the-scenes working of a Formula 1® paddock as all general admission Campus Pass ticket holders will be able to access the 300 level of Hard Rock Stadium and look directly into the Team Village from above. These tickets will go on sale from January 23^rd.

Organizers of the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2023 have also appointed renown track designers TILKE to oversee a repaving of the entire 3.36-mile race track which will increase the spectacle of this year’s race by assisting the opportunity for drivers to overtake one another. While there were officially 45 overtakes across last year’s 57 laps, the improved grip levels should lead to an increase in that number in 2023. TILKE are the leading circuit designers having designed and constructed the majority of new circuits in Formula 1® and with wider experience of hundreds of motorsport projects around the world.

“After an incredible debut race, we have been working flat-out to ensure the 2023 event is an even greater experience for everyone visiting the Miami International Autodrome,” said Tyler Epp, President of FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX. “Stephen Ross and Tom Garfinkel are committed to making May’s event a best-in-class  experience that is unlike any other Formula 1 race in the world. With new and enhanced hospitality experiences, the creation of the F1 Team Village directly on the football field and increased capacity we are expecting our second race to be even bigger and better for the fans, the teams, drivers, partners and everyone in South Florida.”

The first-ever FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX last May was a sell-out success in which 242,955 spectators visited the Miami International Autodrome over the three-days, making it the most attended event in the history of Hard Rock Stadium. With its luxury hospitality, exciting racing and fan-focused experience, the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX set a new standard for viewers of a US Formula 1® race and was quickly recognized as one of the highlights on the F1 schedule. Sports Business Journal named FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX the Best New Event of 2022.

 In a partnership primed for racing greatness, Island Brands USA (islandbrandsusa.com) has proudly signed on as primary sponsor of star driver Kaz Grala and the Sam Hunt Racing team’s No. 26 Toyota GR Supra throughout the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

Kaz and Island Brands USA have similar origin stories in that they’re both young disruptors in their industries but have already demonstrated excellence by winning major awards. Island Brands, a lifestyle company that produces premium products across multiple segments in the adult beverage space, recently ranked on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. Kaz became the youngest NASCAR winner in the history of Daytona International Speedway when he was just 18. 

Island Brands will have primary branding in 16 races (see schedule below), including separate Island Coastal Lager and CRUSH paint schemes on the team’s No. 26 Toyota GR Supra. The partnership also includes branded firesuits, and helmet designs. 

Through the sponsorship, Island Brands will reach NASCAR’s 80 million fans, turbocharging the company’s global awareness. Island Brands brought on Hilary Johnson, an expert in the brand sponsorship space with experience at MolsonCoors and Penske Racing, as Director of Sports Marketing to oversee this and other initiatives. 

“We couldn’t be more stoked about teaming up with Kaz at this pivotal moment in his career as he joins the crew at Sam Hunt Racing,” said Scott Hansen, CEO, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Island Brands USA. “As a fast-growing lifestyle brand that caters to active and socially conscious consumers, Island Brands knows that NASCAR is a perfect place to expand our company’s reach and recognition throughout the world, and Kaz is the perfect partner for us.”

“This partnership with Island Brands is a match made in heaven for me,” said Kaz Grala, 24-year-old driver of Sam Hunt Racing’s No. 26 machine. “They’re a cool, young brand with clean beverages that fit my lifestyle perfectly. I know our fanbase is going to absolutely love each one of their products. Together, we’re going to help everyone find their island this year, and CRUSH the competition. See you in Daytona!”

For more on Island Brands, including a product locator, visit islandbrandsusa.com.

2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Schedule — Island Coastal Lager and CRUSH Race Days 

February 18: Daytona International Speedway — Island Coastal Lager

March 18: Atlanta Motor Speedway — CRUSH

April 1: Richmond Raceway — Island Coastal Lager

April 15: Martinsville Speedway — Island Coastal Lager

April 22: Talladega Superspeedway — CRUSH

April 29: Dover Motor Speedway — Island Coastal Lager

June 24: Nashville Superspeedway — Island Coastal Lager

July 8: Atlanta Motor Speedway — CRUSH

July 15: New Hampshire Motor Speedway — Island Coastal Lager

August 19: Watkins Glen International — Island Coastal Lager

August 25: Daytona International Speedway — Island Coastal Lager

September 2: Darlington Raceway — CRUSH

September 15: Bristol Motor Speedway — CRUSH

October 7: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL — Island Coastal Lager

October 21: Homestead Miami Speedway — Island Coastal Lager

October 28: Martinsville Speedway — Island Coastal Lager

Click here for additional information, including full season schedule, how to tune in, and where to buy tickets. 

Grammy Award-nominated musician Kaskade will headline a star-studded lineup of global electronic music artists at the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light on Sunday, May 28 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Subtronics, John Summit, DJ Diesel (aka Shaquille O’Neal) and Jauz also will perform at the Race Day concert during the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Performances begin early in the morning on the stage located in the infield adjacent to Turn 3 of the IMS oval, with specific set times to be announced.

“One of the biggest parties of Race Weekend is the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The always unforgettable and epic party in the Snake Pit is a May highlight for many of our fans and an experience like no other. Music fans won’t want to miss this incredible lineup.”

General admission and VIP tickets for the Snake Pit are on sale for $50 and $155 at www.ims.com. VIP amenities will include access to a raised viewing platform located beside the stage, a private cash bar and private air-conditioned restrooms.

All Snake Pit ticketholders must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid Indy 500 general admission or reserved seat ticket. Ticket holders should be prepared to show proper identification to enter the concert.

Packages that include Race Day general admission tickets are available. A package featuring general admission to the Indianapolis 500 and Snake Pit is $90, while a race general admission and Snake Pit VIP package is $195.

Snake Pit concertgoers are encouraged to buy tickets now, as prices will increase as May approaches and limited quantities of admission wristbands are available.

Ryan Raddon, known as Kaskade, is a household name in electronic music with many impressive firsts credited to his name. He was the first solo electronic dance artist to sell out both Navy Pier in Chicago (his hometown) and the Staples Center in Los Angeles (his home now). Kaskade was also the first DJ to secure a Las Vegas residency, creating the landscape for the city’s future entertainment structure. He was the first electronic artist to headline Coachella. In July 2021, Kaskade came out of quarantine swinging as the first ever solo headlining musician to sell out and perform for a public event at LA’s SoFi Stadium.

This will be Kaskade’s second performance in the Snake Pit, as he also provided the Snake Pit’s soundtrack during the 99th Indianapolis 500 in 2015.

Kaskade has recorded 12 studio albums and received seven Grammy nominations. With collaborations under his belt with heavy hitters Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani and Meghan Trainor, he has the unique talent of creating his signature sound in any genre. Most recently Kaskade has teamed up with fellow producer and Snake Pit artist deadmau5 to form Kx5. Their debut single “Escape” has cracked the Top 40 and soared to the No. 1 Dance single on Mediabase charts.

Jesse Kardon, known as Subtronics, fuses his unique blend of cutting-edge sound design with hard-hitting bass to push the envelope with sound engineering.

In January 2022, Subtronics dropped his debut album “FRACTALS,” which charted at No. 4 on the Billboard Dance album chart and had a dedicated billboard in Times Square in New York. The album coincided with his massive 50-plus date, sellout national headline bus tour, the FRACTAL Tour, which featured state-of-the-art production and visuals. The tour traveled with a custom-built stage, including a floating DJ table within a reflective black hole dubbed The Wormhole.

Subtronics dropped his “ANTIFRACTAL” album in December 2022, featuring exclusive VIPs and remixes from himself and heavyweights including Virtual Riot, Wooli, Peekaboo, A Hundred Drums and more. He is gearing up for his 2023 ANTIFRACTUAL headline tour, which is a first of its kind touring deal across Live Nation, Insomniac Events and C3, along with their international properties.

Hailing from a city steeped in house culture, Chicago's John Summit has quickly become one of the hottest names in dance music worldwide. His feel-good floor-fillers take the pumping grooves of his hometown's classic house music, add a healthy dose of melody and top it off with 2020s studio polish.

Summit's prolific output has resulted in the accumulation of 5 million monthly Spotify listeners, the top-selling artist across all genres on Beatport in 2021 and a No. 1 track on U.S. dance radio with his record “Human.” In 2022, he toured across the globe with key festival plays at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Tomorrowland, Bonnaroo, Parklife and more. With the announcement of his new label/event brand Off The Grid, Summit is displaying no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

O'Neal is one of the most dominant basketball players in NBA history and is also one of the greatest entertainers on Earth as DJ Diesel. At 7-foot-1 and 325 pounds, Shaq's larger-than-life personality and powerful athleticism have resulted in worldwide admiration and one of the most passionate fan bases in sports and entertainment. The Hall of Famer first discovered electronic dance music after crashing the festival TomorrowWorld in 2014, a milestone event that changed his life forever after being exposed to DJs such as Steve Aoki and Skrillex. He made his performance debut at the same festival a year later.

DJ Diesel has been passionate about music from a very young age. At just 14 after O'Neal saw Public Enemy live for the first time, while sandwiched in a crowd of 5,000 people, he became fixated on DJing. He cut his neighbors' grass, walked dogs and scraped together any cash he could until he saved up $200 to buy his first set of turntables at a local pawn shop. Fast forward to 1993, O'Neal’s rap album, “Shaq Diesel,” did the unthinkable of selling over a million copies and peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 100, cementing him as the only athlete ever with a platinum-selling album.

Jauz, the project of Sam Vogel, a 26-year-old Los Angeles-based icon collective graduate, combines brilliant production, energetic sets and underground vibes that have captivated the hearts of the dance community. Jauz's release of the addictive mid-tempo original “Feel the Volume” earned him international recognition after its release. Gaining support early on from industry heavyweights like Zedd, Skrillex, Diplo and others, Jauz quickly became included on every major festival lineup. His euphoric originals and viral remixes seamlessly weave in and out of several musical categories.

Jauz has boasted two sell-out tours – “The Friendzy Tour” in 2016 and “The Bite America! Tour” in 2018 to launch his artist label “Bite This!” in 55 different cities across the U.S. and Canada. All while also releasing his debut album “The Wise & The Wicked” that reached No. 1 on the dance charts in under two hours and earned over 20 million streams in less than three weeks from its release.

Tickets for the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28 and the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 13 are available at www.ims.com.

Now that the provisional entry list for this month’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, North America’s most prestigious sports car race, has been released, it’s time for the return of the IMSA.com Team Tracker.

Introduced leading into the 2022 season, the Team Tracker compiles and updates official announcements teams have made for the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – be they declarations for the full season, IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) events or the Rolex 24 only.

The Rolex 24 At DAYTONA is the ultimate test of endurance, speed, and skill for world-class competition at the World Center of Racing. The world-wide “twice-around-the-clock” iconic event will open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with a 1:40 p.m. ET start. The event will mark the debut of the much-anticipated Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class on the 3.56-mile road course. The GTP class combines internal combustion engines with cutting-edge technology in an electrical support powertrain.

Fans are encouraged to reserve their place in history at The Rolex 24 At DAYTONA by logging onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.  New in 2023, garage access will now be included for all 2-day infield and single-day customers, enhancing the experience for guests by providing close access to the incredible cars and teams. Kids 12 and under are admitted FREE to the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA.

With the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at the World Center of Racing just three weeks away, here’s the first installment of the 2023 season Team Tracker, broken down by class and listing known drivers.

Grand Touring Prototype (GTP)

• No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-LMDh: Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande for full season, Scott Dixon for Rolex 24.

• No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-LMDh: A Rolex 24-only entry with Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook.

• Nos. 6 and 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963s: The team is running two full-season cars each in the WeatherTech Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Specific driver assignments haven’t been set but those already named to the program are Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell, Michael Christensen, Kevin Estre, Mathieu Jaminet, Andre Lotterer, Fred Makowiecki, Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor.

• No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06: Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor for full season, Louis Deletraz for IMEC and Brendon Hartley for Rolex 24.

• Nos. 24 and 25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8s: Specific assignments are to be set but full-season drivers are Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly piloting one car and Philipp Eng and Augusto Farfus paired up in the other. They will be joined at the Rolex 24 by Colton Herta, with Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann on board for Daytona and Sebring.

• No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-LMDh: Returning with Whelen Engineering Racing sponsorship, Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims are in for the full season, with Jack Aitken on board for the Rolex 24.

• No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06: Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun for full season, Helio Castroneves for IMEC and Simon Pagenaud for Rolex 24.

Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2)

• No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07: Entered for IMEC rounds only with Ben Hanley, George Kurtz and Matt McMurry, along with Esteban Gutierrez for Rolex 24.

• No. 8 Tower Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07: Entered for the Rolex 24 only with drivers John Farano, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden and Kyffin Simpson.

• No. 20 High Class Racing ORECA LMP2 07: Dennis Anderson and Ed Jones for full season, Anders Fjordbach for IMEC rounds and Raffaele Marciello for Rolex 24.

Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3)

• No. 33 Sean Creech Motorsports Ligier JS P320: Joao Barbosa and Lance Willsey for full season.

GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO)

• No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD: Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor for full season with Tommy Milner for IMEC rounds.

• No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet for full season with Laurens Vanthoor for IMEC rounds.

• No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth for full season.

• No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3: Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas for full season with David Pittard for Rolex 24.

• No. 63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Joining IMSA for the IMEC rounds with Romain Grosjean, Andrea Caldarelli and Mirko Bortolotti.

• No. 64 TGM/TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage GT3: Ted Giovanis, Hugh Plumb, Matt Plumb and Owen Trinkler for Rolex 24 only.

• No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella for full season, Maro Engel for IMEC rounds and Cooper MacNeil for Rolex 24.

GT Daytona (GTD)

• No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Frankie Montecalvo and Aaron Telitz for full season.

• No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen and Zacharie Robichon for IMEC rounds, with Dennis Olsen joining for the Rolex 24.

• No. 19 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Car will compete in the Rolex 24 with drivers to be named.

• No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3: Roman De Angelis and Marco Sorensen for full season with Ian James and Darren Turner joining for the Rolex 24.

• Mo. 53 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R: Mark Kvamme and Jan Magnussen for the IMEC rounds, with Kevin Magnussen joining for the Rolex 24.

• No. 70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3: Brendan Iribe and Frederik Schandorff for full season, Ollie Millroy for IMEC rounds and Marvin Kirchhofer for Rolex 24.

• No. 77 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman for full season, Max Root for IMEC rounds and Kevin Estre for Rolex 24.

• No. 80 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): PJ Hyett and Seb Priaulx for full season, Gunnar Jeannette for IMEC rounds and Harry Tincknell for Rolex 24.

• No. 83 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Car will compete in IMEC rounds with drivers to be named.

• No. 91 Kelly-Moss with Riley Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): A full-season entry with drivers to be announced.

• No. 92 Kelly-Moss with Riley Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): IMEC rounds only with Jeroen Bleekemolen, David Brule, Andrew Davis and Alec Udell.

• No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR Acura NSX GT3: Danny Formal, Ashton Harrison and Kyle Marcelli for IMEC rounds, joined by Ryan Briscoe for Rolex 24.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway via www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

Andretti Global and General Motors, two American powerhouses in the automotive and motorsport sectors, have announced their intent to pursue the opportunity to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship. GM would be represented by the Cadillac brand. The Andretti Cadillac team would be based in the U.S. with a support facility in the U.K. 

This reunites two iconic American companies with deep motorsports pedigrees and provides the opportunity to build on previous racing accomplishments while expanding international reach for both brands. F1 has seen consistent growth globally and most recently in the U.S. with 2023 races in Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. The Andretti Cadillac team is planning to submit an Expression of Interest when the FIA opens the formal process. If selected, the team is seeking to compete as soon as practical with at least one American driver.  

Cadillac V-Series has a legacy of success on the track in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Pirelli World Challenge. Since 2017, Cadillac has been competing at the forefront of American sports car racing in IMSA, achieving numerous wins, podiums, and championships with the Cadillac DPi-V.R. Cadillac will continue in sports car racing with the all-new hybrid Cadillac V-LMDh, which will compete globally in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship.  

Andretti Global is a global racing enterprise and parent company to Andretti Autosport and other Andretti racing ventures. Andretti racing teams currently compete in seven different top-tier series worldwide and have found success in each avenue of competition. Andretti and GM last paired for the return of Chevrolet to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012, together capturing nine wins across two seasons. The pairing additionally claimed the Driver, Team and Manufacturer titles in 2012.  

Michael Andretti, Chairman and CEO, Andretti Global:
“We are continuing to grow Andretti Global and its family of racing teams and always have our eyes on what’s next. I feel that we are well suited to be a new team for Formula One and can bring value to the series and our partners, and excitement for the fans. I’m proud to have GM and Cadillac alongside us as we pursue this goal. GM and Andretti share a legacy born out of the love of racing. We now have the opportunity to combine our motorsport passions and dedication to innovation to build a true American F1 bid.  

“Together, we will continue to follow procedures and steps put forth by the FIA during the evaluation process. In the meantime, we continue to optimistically prepare should we be fortunate enough to have Andretti Cadillac formally approved as a Formula One contender.” 

Mark Reuss, President, General Motors:
“General Motors is honored to team with Andretti Global on this historic moment in racing. We have a long, rich history in motorsports and engineering innovation, and we are thrilled with the prospect of pairing with Andretti Global to form an American F1 team that will help spur even more global interest in the series and the sport. 

“Cadillac and F1 both have growing global appeal. Our brand has a motorsports pedigree that’s more than a century in the making, and we would be proud to have the opportunity to bring our distinct American innovation and design to F1.” 

 The entry list for the 61st Rolex 24 At DAYTONA (Jan. 28-29), North America’s most prestigious sports car race, will include – appropriately enough – 61 cars.

IMSA officials today announced that the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG has been added to the entry list in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, bringing the class car count to 25. The car is also expected to compete in the full IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup season, which features an eye-popping 57 entries for the four-race season in 2023.

“Having 61 cars for the 61st running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona seems only natural,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “After we previously announced a 60-car capacity for the field last month – and knowing that we received more than 70 entries – our IMSA team regrouped and eventually determined that we could accommodate one more entry to match our field size from last year. This is shaping up to be a Rolex 24 and a 2023 IMSA season for the ages.”

With 25 entries from nine different manufacturers, the GTD field will be the largest of the five classes competing in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The race also features the much-heralded debut of the new Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) hybrid-powered prototype class, which will feature nine entries from four manufacturers.

The factory supported GTD PRO class will include eight entries from seven manufacturers, with 10 cars slated to compete in the LMP2 class and nine cars competing in the LMP3 class.

The full entry list of teams and cars is available HERE. An entry list that includes driver names is expected to be released next week.

The Rolex 24 At DAYTONA on the 3.56-mile road course is the ultimate test of endurance, speed, and skill for world-class competition at the World Center of Racing. The world-wide “twice-around-the-clock” iconic event will open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with a 1:40 p.m. ET start.

Fans are encouraged to reserve their place in history at The Rolex 24 At DAYTONA by logging onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.  New in 2023, garage access will now be included for all 2-day infield and single-day customers, enhancing the experience for guests by providing close access to the incredible cars and teams. Kids 12 and under are admitted FREE to the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway via www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

The Formula & Automobile Racing Association (FARA) announced today its new ownership structure and new executive management team as a sure sign the championship will retain its innovative and competitive foundation for the foreseeable future.

The new ownership structure composed of Jose De las Casas & TLM Racing have appointed as Chief Race Director, renown professional race car driver, racing instructor and coach, Gerardo Bonilla, who will be supported by a team of Competition Directors formed by David Leira, Paul Ronie, and Derek Granison. Bob Ricker will take the role of Deputy Race director working alongside Gerardo during race weekends.

Gerardo Bonilla has been a master instructor and director of operations for premier race schools and served as series driver coach and race steward for the USF2000 National Championship (more info below). The Competition Directors joining him, David Leira (TLM Racing), Paul Ronie (RSR Racing), and Derek Granison (Extreme Velocity) add their decades of race experience and knowledge across several organizations. 

Mario Cader-Frech, through KC Social Impact Lab LLC, has been hired to act as role of Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships. Increasing fan engagement and experiences with the brand on and off track, taking FARA to new and more diverse audiences, and bringing exciting new opportunities to competitors and spectators alike.  

With the new ownership and management changes in place, FARA plans to keep improving driving conditions to continue offering a safe, exciting, competitive environment for everyone. Additional changes will be announced at the organizational and operational levels to enhance efficiency, promote innovative learning & development experiences, increase the number of events, improve turnout, elevate sponsorship opportunities, and encourage participation at the highest possible level. 

After five incredible seasons building its partnership with Team Honda HRC, Wiseco Performance Products is proud to expand its relationship to include collaboration with Honda’s 250SX program in addition to its existing 450SX relationship. This technical partnership focuses on piston development for the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship seasons, which have joined forces to create the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship.

With over eight decades of performance and racing experience, Wiseco’s first-hand knowledge designing, developing, and manufacturing USA-made performance is a powerful complement to Team Honda HRC’s elite legacy in Supercross and Motocross racing. Wiseco will continue to work closely with the team on piston and engine package research and development services, now expanded to both the Honda CRF450RWE and CRF250R platforms for 2023.

“Team Honda HRC are very excited and proud to have Wiseco become a ‘complete’ team sponsor to include the 250 program as well the 450. Together we have had many successful years already on the 450, and we are ready to take that same success to the 250 class, where a high-performance, high-quality piston is extremely important.”

Coming off a pair of 2022 championships in AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross, now three-time title earner Jett Lawrence is campaigning the 250SX West Class while his brother, Hunter Lawrence will be campaigning the 250SX East Class, where each will be hunting for number one plates aboard their CRF250R machines. Additionally, proven amateur rider, Chance Hymas, will be campaigning select AMA Supercross 250SX West region rounds before competing in his first AMA Pro Motocross season.

Team Honda HRC’s 450SX class efforts are led by Chase Sexton, who has entered his third AMA Supercross season aboard the CRF450RWE and is coming off a season filled with championship-contending performances, as well as riding for the winning Team USA effort in the 2022 Motocross of Nations. Also backed by Wiseco, alongside Sexton, will be 2021 250SX East Region Champion Colt Nichols, making his debut in the premier class aboard his number 45 Honda.

“Wiseco is thrilled to be evolving our relationship with Team Honda HRC entering the 2023 season,” explained Wiseco’s Director of Marketing, Scott Highland. “It’s an honor to combine resources for piston development with one of the most recognizable teams in the global powersports industry. Last season showed great success in mutual development with the CRF450R platform, and we are looking forward to building upon that with the CRF250R platform as well.”

Find the complete 2023 Supercross schedule here, and check out Team Honda HRC’s official announcement here.