What's Next in 2023: All Things Motorsport - Part Two

In our previous story, we started looking at some of the major, mostly-international, events scheduled to happen in 2023. And we instantly realized that even choosing a select few would take pages and pages of information to get through. So without further ado, let's have a look at part two of our What's Next in 2023: All Things Motorsport preview.

9. Drift Masters Grand Prix

There are over 40 different countries in Europe. With the rise of drifting, the continent has seen many organizers with international expansion in the back of their minds. So over the past 15 years, we've seen at least three different "European" Championships emerging from various parts of the continent.

Neither of them is still around or in any way successful today. But things are different with the Drift Masters Grand Prix, which originated in Poland. The team behind the series has access to all the resources required to take things to the next level, and driver skill is on par with those competing in the US or Japan. Piotr Wiecek and James Deane have dominated the scene for the past few years, but Naoki Nakamura is flying over this year to challenge the six-race calendar and anyone who dares to stand in his way.

10. D1GP

D1GP is to the world of professional drifting what groups like the Wu-Tang Clan or NWA were to rap music. D1GP drivers are the real OGs even to this day, reaching almost god-like levels of performance. This is also the oldest active drift series in the world, and the organizers have tried to expand to other countries as well albeit with little success. Plenty of international drivers have challenged D1GP in the past, but have almost always failed to either qualify or reach the podium.

Drivers like Yoichi Imamura, Masato Kawabata, and Daigo Saito have become global legends after winning multiple titles in D1. But it all feels slightly less accessible than FD due to the language barrier mostly. If Masashi Yokoi can win another title this year, he will become one of the all-time greatest in Japan alongside Imamura. But he'll first have to go through the 10-round calendar that starts in May and ends in November.

11. WRC

Drifting is a somewhat unconventional form of motorsport, as it needs judges for a winner to be decided. So let's go back to a more traditional type of racing, and one of the most popular ones on the planet at that. The World Rally Championship is where heroes are born, as often time drivers are speeding through dense patches of forest at speeds of almost 120 mph.

Driving on snow or dirt, with little room for error is not for the faint-hearted and that's just one of the reasons why millions of people follow WRC each year. In 2022, Finnish driver Kalle Rovanpera became the youngest World Champion at age 22, and it feels like he might be on to something here. 2023 marks the 51st season for the series, and the first two races were won by Sebastien Ogier and Ott Tanak. There are 11 more rounds to go, starting with Mexico in March and ending with Japan in November.

12. FIA World Rallycross Championship

The tricky part about rallying is that stages can be quite long, which means that it will be impossible for someone who's attending the event to see every single corner. Also, drivers aren't going head-to-head per se, as they're racing against the clock. That's different with the World Rallycross Championship. All the action goes down in a smaller arena, usually, a purpose-built race track. So you get to see most of what's going on, while drivers are constantly bumping into each other for a chance at winning the race.

The championship has been around for almost a decade now, and it also includes an all-electric class of cars. In a way, rallycross machines almost feel like the monsters of Group B, and going to one of these events is like watching gladiators in the arena. Johan Kristofferson has been dominating the top class for years now, and it's no surprise that most of the top drivers in the series are from the Scandinavian Peninsula. The tentative calendar for 2023, the tenth season of the World Rallycross Championship, features a total of 10 rounds. It all starts in Norway in June and should come to an end in November, somewhere in Asia.

13. American Rally Association

I have to admit that with so many international-level rally series, I used to pay little attention to the American Rally Association. But all that has changed after seeing Ken Block's 2022 season review earlier this year. Quite a few talented drivers are competing over in North America and the venues look equally as exciting.

Brandon Semenuk will be chasing another title this year, as the season has already started in Michigan. There are seven more events to go before the new champion is determined, and we'll also be following Lia and Lucy Block's evolution in the series from now on.

14. Dakar Rally

We're not quite done with rallying, even though we didn't include events like the ERC on this list. The most recent edition of the Dakar rally concluded over a month ago, with Kevin Benavides winning on two wheels and Nasser Al-Attiyah on four wheels. It still feels a bit strange that the rally doesn't run on the same route as it did back when it started in the late '70s.

And it will probably continue in Saudi Arabia for many years to come now. While waiting for the next edition, you can play the Dakar Rally game which we reviewed some time ago. But it's good to keep in mind that the action starts in the very last days of 2023, so keep an eye out for more information soon.

15. Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Some people might tell you that the biggest hill climbing scene is located in Europe, or perhaps in other parts of the world. But there's no denying that the most popular event of this kind on Earth is the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. It's one of the oldest motorsports events in history, having started in 1916. The track has changed considerably over the past century, and there are plenty of people who miss the days when the whole layout was covered in dirt.

Ken Block tackled the mountain in one of his movies, and some of the fastest and bravest drivers in the world gather in Colorado each year to charge to the summit. Romain Dumas still holds the record of 7:57.148, which he set using the Volkswagen I.D. R in 2018. Conditions on the mountain were less than ideal in 2022, and the King of the Hill needed just over 10 minutes to cross the finish line. Robin Shute drove a Wolf TSC-FS unlimited racer that looks more like an F1 machine than a normal vehicle. And we're all hoping that on June 25th this year someone will somehow beat the existing record if the weather allows it.

16. FIA World Endurance Championship

Once again we'd like to remind you about the "cheap, fast, reliable -pick only two" rule of thumb. Sprint racing requires maximum effort from both man and machine over a short period, say 30 minutes up to a few hours. But endurance racing is a completely different ball game. Running at full speed for up to 24 hours can be mind-numbingly difficult if only you'll do the math. Cars need to withstand a full day, so about 3,100 miles (5,000 km) to finish the race. So it's no wonder why so many people flock to the LeMans 24 Hours event in France each year.

Witnessing the fastest and most resilient drivers in the world as they try to win the World Endurance Championship is something you need to see with your own eyes, at least once during your lifetime. There are multiple classes involved, but most people are eager to see either the Hypercars or the GTE machines in action. Toyota Gazoo Racing won the first category, while AF Corse emerged victoriously in the latter one. The Prologue and first race will be taking place in Sebring, Florida, in March. And then there are six more events to go before the end of the season.