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The United States and Germany led the way for the Formula E World Championship's growth in 2023 where the series passed NASCAR to become the 4th fastest growing fandom in motorsports internationally.  Formula E, South Africa. Image: Formula E By: Tom Luttermoser Per the Press release from the FiA, Formula E’s international fanbase increased 17% year on year to 344m*, taking it past NASCAR to become the fourth-largest motorsport. Germany and the USA were the fastest-growing markets by fanbase, up 45% and 30% respectively.
In 2023, the series introduced their Gen 3 car which broke all of the previous speed and performance records of the series 10-year history. The Gen 3 car debuted in Mexico City for the season opener back in January with the season concluding in a double header event in London at the end of July covering a total of 16 races spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and North America. Audiences for Live events grew 4% from the 2022 with China & the US plus new markets such as Brazil, India and South Africa seeing massive growth for the sport in terms of live race views. That number exceeded 225 million viewers. “We are well on the way to establishing Formula E as the most exciting and innovative motorsport for fans, alongside being the world’s most sustainable sport. Our teams and drivers exceeded all expectations from a year ago to take the GEN3 car and push it beyond what we all thought was possible. As a result, the entertainment value of Formula E racing is off the scale, which is attracting more fans and TV viewers than ever before. We are committed to building on that momentum and developing new ways of presenting our race events to grow the fanbase and audiences even faster.” - Jeff Dodds, Formula E CEO The Series's 9th season also saw the return of Maserati to single seat world championship racing for the first time in over 60 years.
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In a incident following late race contact at the Talladega Truck race involving Matt Crafton and Nick Sanchez, there was a scuffle. Per Nick Sanchez, Matt Crafton came up behind him, tapped his shoulder and proceeded to sucker punch Nick in the face.
You can see in these X videos from Frontstrech.com the full details of everything that happened. 
Staff
"First of all, Kudos to him for being able to do that."  Kyle Busch backs his wounded No. 8 RCR Chevrolet to Pir Road at Texas Image: Fox Sports Staff 9/27/2023 After backing his No. 8 3Chi Chevrolet Camaro into the outside wall Sunday, Kyle Busch proceeded to drive his wounded car back to his pit box. Backwards. A potential safety issue, nonetheless, Busch drove his car from outside Turn 2 to his pit stall.
NASCAR Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer spoke with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio about the incident. "The drivers have learned, once I can get the cars driving in a direction.. I just keep going in that direction." "The optics of it looks a little funny, but as far as a safety standpoint... Looked fine and got in his pit box." "From a competitive standpoint, from a safety standpoint, we didn't see anything we needed to make changes on" William Byron locks himself into the Round of 8 after winning the Round of 12 opener at Texas.  Credit: FORT WORTH, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 24: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 McDonald's Toyota, and Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, lead the field to start the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on September 24, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) By: Tom Luttermoser Following the opener of the Round of 12 at Texas Motor Speedway, the only safe driver at Dega next weekend will be William Byron. Here are the Playoff Standings leaving the Auto Trader EcoPark Automotive 400.
William Byron led only 6 laps during Sunday's Auto trader EcoPark Automotive 400 at Texas. after taking the race on a late race restart from the dominant Bubba Wallace to score his 6th win of the 2023 season.  William Byron in victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway Image: Lionel Racing X By: Tom Luttermoser Byron seemed to dominate the regular season scoring a Series high 5 victories. He led a Series high 877 laps on top of scoring the most Stage Points during the regular season. But the Round of 16 was less than spectacular for the youngest Hendrick driver.
Byron only scored 16 Stage Points in the entire Round of 16 while scoring 7 alone at Texas. He had a led lap total of exactly zip during the Round of 16 while leading the last 6 at Texas. Most importantly, Byron won the 300th Cup Victory for Hendrick Motorsports at Texas, this win would net him 5 Playoff Points heading into the Round of 8. Sunday Marked Byron's 10th careere Cup Series victory and his 22nd overall. He also does not need to worry about Talladega next week or the Roval 2 weeks from now. It's sad, no, pathetic, that a certain (decent-sized) portion of our fanbase hates a man 3 1/2 years after a situation. The worst part is, 3 years later this sizable portion of the fanbase remains willfully ignorant as the entire investigation by the FBI as well as NASCAR has been public information as soon as the investigation ended Monday, just 2 days after the incident. It's also pathetic that I have to write this 3 1/2 years later to essentially re-educate some of you folks.  "The Dega Family" 2020 Spring Talladega Credit: Chris Graythen | Getty Images via Media.NASCAR By: Tom Luttermoser 9-21-2023 Pure, Unadulterated IgnoranceI've been running NASCAR Groups on Facebook since before the incident in question and our Page since the beginning of 2021. With that being said, I've seen tens of thousands of posts and comments on Facebook alone in the following days and now years, from people who just have no clue. In fact, just this morning (the reason I'm writing this) I had a gentleman a bit on the older side comment on a "Round of 12" Post on Facebook explaining to me that, "Bubba Wallace knew that it was a pull rope, yet he still went and told NASCAR. He did that because he knew that with all the race riots going on, he would get all of the media attention and new sponsors to help his career. He knew he was gona be fired from Pettys and sponsors would help with pay for all the reked race cars." Meanwhile, this comment had nothing to do with the post made several days prior, but you can see what Page admins like myself and many others have to deal with daily. It's sad thinking like this, and to a dozen + comments like this, we get a day that shows that some people just have 0 clue as to what happened. With the ease of getting free information, it tells me one thing. People are making a choice to remain ignorant instead of learning that their thoughts for the last 3 years have been wrong. I mean hell, some fan's entire personalities are based on hatred for Bubba Wallace. Could you imagine some of these people having to change their entire personalities? The Talladega Noose IncidentJune 21, 2020. It's been over 3 years since NASCAR went public with news that a noose was found hanging in the garage stall of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet of 3rd-year driver Bubba Wallace. Now keep in mind, this was a time during COVID protocols limiting the number of people, route, and the amount of time they could be in the garage area at each track. NASCAR reported the findings of an RPM (Richard Petty Motorsports) team member that in the garage stall, that individual had found what appeared to be a noose hanging in the stall. Within a short matter of time, NASCAR President Steve Phelps relayed that information to Bubba Wallace later that day which was the first time he had become aware of the situation. The sanctioning body consulted law enforcement, contacting the FBI to request investigation of a potential hate crime, who promptly showed up and conducted said investigation. Cause for ConcernWhy was it a cause for concern for NASCAR? Well, with the little information available, and, well, look below. It's pretty blatantly obviously tied like a noose. That means, guess what guys.. The Noose was real. At the time of the finding, Americans across the country were rioting following Police killings of several Black Americans, the biggest of which was George Floyd. Also at the time, Bubba Wallace along with several others within NASCAR was working to get the "Confederate Flag" banned from NASCAR events. Many fans, especially Southern fans HATED this idea as it took their "Heritage' or "History" from them for a short time a few weekends a year for those who actually attended.  Uncropped photo of the Garage door pull rope at Talladega Image: NASCAR. NASCAR and The FBI FindingsThe FBI promptly arrived on the scene with 15 agents to ensure a quick, yet very thorough investigation. NASCAR did the same. NASCAR sent officials to each one of the 29 Tracks on the NASCAR circuit and checked each one of the 1,684 garage stalls pull ropes.
In the end, NASCAR found of the 1,684 stalls, only 11 had a knot of any sort tied with only a single 1 tied in the fashion of a noose. That being the stall of the No. 43 RPM Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway. The FBI's investigation ended the following Monday, the 23rd of June stating in layman's terms... The Rope was tied in the fashion of a noose, that much was obvious. The rope had been tied that way prior to the race weekend and photos from the previous race at the track in October 2019 showed (however out of focus) a loop of some sort tied on the same door pull. Those photos coming from the 21 team of Wood Brothers Racing. There appeared to be no malice or foul play involved, meaning, this was nothing more than a coincidence in a scary time for many. Phelps made a statement following the investigations, "In hindsight, we should have -- I should have -- used the word 'alleged' in our statement... As you can see from the photo, the noose was real, as was our concern for Bubba." Racing and Automotive mobile game developer Hutch Games teams up with NASCAR to create an all-new mobile racing experience for NASCAR fans. Hutch is the maker of games such as; Top Drives (Which I play frequently), F1 Clash, Hot Wheels Race Off, Racekings, Rebel Racing, and the MMX Series of games.  Hutch Games Logo By: Tom Luttermoser 9/20/2023 With a slogan such as, "Cars + Mobile = Hutch", you expect to see games developed by passionate car people. As someone who has played more than half of their titles... I can testify that they are just that. Since their inception in 2011, Hutch has entertained over 350 MILLION mobile game players thanks to their 120+ employees. Now, the experts will team up for NASCAR's 75th anniversary to create an all-new stand-alone title for the sport. The pair are working together to create the ultimate mobile racing experience for fans of America's #1 motorsport, calling it a fan's "dream game" on mobile. No ETA for the game's release has been mentioned, but this appears to be the first game release following the Motorsports Games disaster. The failure of Motorsports Games leaving a lot to be desired for NASCAR gamers in the Console, PC and Mobile gaming worlds. Directly from NASCAR's Press ReleasePeter Stott, Game Director at Hutch says: “The NASCAR brand is an ideal fit for Hutch. Our passion for motorsports and drive to create-genre defining experiences for mobile will enable us to deliver for the many global fans of the sport. That same passion forms the foundation of our relationship with NASCAR, which will fuel our ability to make another hit Hutch title. We’re proud to be able to work with another key automotive licensor, continuing our rich history of partnered game development.”
Nick Rend, Managing Director, Gaming and Esports at NASCAR says: “At NASCAR, our number one priority is engaging our fans and bringing them the best experiences possible whether they’re at the track or in digital spaces where they like to spend time. We want to deliver our fans around the world a unique, immersive mobile gaming experience. Hutch, with its expertise in the automotive genre and track record of creating fun and popular games, is the perfect partner to make this happen.” This teammate rivalry thing isn't new at Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson and Gordon are two of the best to have ever raced in this sport and they were VERY competitive teammates who butt heads multiple times over the years on the track, but the on-track issues between Larson and Elliott are getting a bit out of hand.  Credit: KANSAS CITY, KANSAS - SEPTEMBER 10: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Columbia Sportswear Company Toyota, Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Yahoo! Toyota, and Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Kubota Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on September 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) Chase Elliott is by in large the most popular driver in the Cup Series Garage and has been for several years now, but when Kyle Larson came off of his suspension and joined Elliott at Hendrick Motorsports, many thought the dream team was born. And, overall it was. 2 Titles in 2 years for HMS thanks to the duo and the numerous victories that have come. But the problem comes eventually, 2 superstars with immense amounts of talent competing to be number one at an organization is bound to cause an issue. In 2020 while Kyle Larson was out in an indefinite suspension, Chase Elliott joined his father, Bill Elliott as a NASCAR Cup Series Champion. He rode the highest of highs. Then in the off-season, Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon would sign Kyle Larson to drive the rebranded 48 car as the No. 5 team. Larson, who had spent his previous seven seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing scoring 6 Cup Series victories would now join the sport's most Elite Chevrolet team. 2021It would not take long for Larson to score his first victory with the team, race No. 4 on the season in 2021 at Las Vegas would check that box for both Kyle and HMS, starting off a firestorm. In 2021, Larson would more than double his career victories going from 6 to 15 in the No. 5 car. He would also net 24 Top-10 finishes and the Cup Series Championship in his first year with Hendrick. Elliott would have some success in 2021 as well, he would follow up his title with 2 victories netting 21 Top-10s and finishing 4th in the final standings. 2022The 2022 season would see a flip-flop of the two drivers and also the public start of the pair's rivalry with the arrival of the NEXT GEN car. The pair would clash after a late block by Larson on Elliott at Auto Club causing Elliott to lose control of his car due to a broken toe link. Larson would go on to win and Elliott would finish 26th. The pair would later clash again at Watkins Glen as the duo would restart late on the front row, Larson would run Elliott VERY wide, again leading to a Larson win and Elliott to finish P. 4. Elliott won 5 times in the NEXT GEN car with 20 Top-10s and finished 4th in the standings for the second time in a row. Larson on the other hand would score 3 wins and net a total of 19 Top-10s while not even making the Final 4. Larson would finish 7th in the final standings. 20232023 will not be Elliott's year. So far in 2023, Elliott has missed 7 1/2 races. 6 due to injury, 1 to a Suspension, and the majority of the Coke 600 at Charlotte due to the unacceptable decision to intentionally right-hook Denny Hamlin into the front stretch outside wall. To Date (Kansas 2 being the most recent race) Chase Elliott has had a total of 12 Top-10 finishes in the 21 races he's competed in while only leading a total of 41 laps. Compare that to Kyle Larson's 3 wins, 14 Top-10s and 778 Laps led. The pair's most recent run in was simply a misunderstanding at Kansas on a late race pit stop. Larson had to move over on pit road to avoid hitting the 6 car leaving it's pit stall, he bumped Elliott slightly and that was it. Elliott however was not very happy with this, Elliott would come down and door slam the 5 of Larson after exiting pit road to show his displeasure. Comparing StatsTo Date Statistics 2021- Post Kansas 2, 2023 (Since Larson Joined Hendrick Motorsports) Kyle Larson:
By: Tom Luttermoser
Despite each of the 3 drivers' issues, all 3 had great days going for them this weekend at Kansas.  Wallace Following a Rear Tire Failure at Kansas. Image: NASCAR on FOX Before the last lap of the race, 10 of the 16 Playoff drivers had issues at Kansas on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, that number seems to be right on par despite drivers and teams needing to minimize mistakes in the Playoffs. Sadly, tires appeared to be an issue that bit 3 of the Playoff Championship 4 hopefuls that no one could foresee or really do much about. Regular Season Champion Martin Truex Jr. was the first to see the issue and his problems began on Lap 1. Truex had a fantastic day lined up, with a fast Camry and a P 3 starting spot. But as soon as the drop of the green flag, Truex lost spot after spot before on Lap 4 losing a Right Rear and sending him hard into the Turn 3 wall ending his day. This would net Truex a single point scored and a 36th-place finish. The next Playoff driver to see a tire issue was the feel-good story of defending race winner, Bubba Wallace. Wallace was Bad Fast all throughout Stage 1 even scoring 9 Stage Points. Wallace was the only car that could keep up with race leader Kyle Larson on both the short and long runs, even contending for the lead. Lap 109, the 23 would blow a right rear as well while running in the second position after closing into the 5 for the lead just moments before. This would end Wallace's day after contact with the wall would break the rear Toe-link. Wallace would end the race scoring 14 Points, 4 Laps down finishing 32nd. The last Playoff driver to have issues was Chris Buescher. Running Top-15 at the time, on Lap 262, Buecher would lose a right rear as well bringing out the last caution of the race. His tire going would send the 17 car into the wall as well bringing his day back to a 27th place finish 1 lap down. Buescher would only go on to score 12 points due to his lost tire. By: Tom Luttermoser
Martin Truex Jr was probably on everyone's Final 4 list, and for good reason. Truex came into the playoffs with the 15 extra Playoff Points and following the Playoff opener at Darlington sat in the 6th Playoff seed +25 Points to the good.  Martin Truex Jr at Kansas 2 in 2023. Image: Fox Sports. Martin Truex Jr started the Hollywood Casino 400 in the 3rd position, but that wouldn't last long as on lap 1 the 19 began immediately losing spot after spot. On lap 4, the 19 lost a tire sending the car into the entry of turn 3 at full speed.
The team brought the 19 car behind the wall after Truex reported the car as being way too tight before the issue. The spin caused race ending damage putting an end to Truex's day and sending him back to a 36th place finish where he will score 0 points. By: Tom Luttermoser |