We’re now more than a week into 2023, that time of year when we all have to face the hard truth about those New Year’s resolutions we were all so staunchly dedicated to not so long ago. The gym is already a lot less crowded than it was on Jan. 2, our swear jars already have cash in them and our liquor cabinets are already emptier.
For those who have yet to really get their new year going, though — say, our friends in the mainstream motorsports world — there is still plenty of time to identify a need and dedicate themselves to ensuring that need is met. Or, at the very least, an attempt to ensure that need is met, as opposed to that new stationary bike that’s still in the box and shaming me from the other side of the family room.
We’ve even gone ahead and identified one big new season’s resolution for each of those racing series in 2023. Why? Because that’s always our resolution: helping people whether they want it or not.
NASCAR: Get those Next Gen safety concerns sorted out
It is difficult to recall a NASCAR Cup Series season that began with as much enthusiasm as 2022 and impossible to think of a year that managed to keep that momentum going all the way into autumn. The catalyst for those good vibes and that historically great competition was the long-awaited Next Gen race car.
The one-size-fits-all machines looked unbreakable. Literally. Unfortunately, it proved a little too tough, as the same rigidness that made it so versatile and indestructible surfaced as the cause of season-derailing injuries to some of the sport’s biggest names and drawing criticism for causing everything from concussions to fire hazards. It also caused a rift between NASCAR and its drivers, exposing communication issues that sanctioning body now admits caught them entirely off guard.
The result has been a series of regular meetings with NASCAR executives and the racers. Those discussions spurred an aggressive offseason of R&D work, redesigning the rear clip and bumper to shift the transfer of crash-related violent energy away from the cockpit. Those safety talks have also covered better seats and those fires that seemed to be fueled by large pockets of air within the car.
“When we get to the LA Coliseum (for the Feb. 5 Busch Light Clash) we’re in a much better spot,” NASCAR president Steve Phelps explained in mid-December. “But it goes past the car itself. The communication that has to these changes, fixing those lines of communication, in the long run I think that could prove to be the most valuable aspect of this experience. We just need to keep that going.”
As I write this, a copy of the January 2023 issue of GQ is on my desk (because I’m stylish like that) and the always-intense eyes of Max Verstappen are staring at me from the cover as if to say, “Lewis? Really?” Make no mistake, this is the Verstappen era of F1. No one disputes that. Just as no one dares argue that he hasn’t already made a case as one of the all-time greatest Grand Prix drivers.
There is only one greatest all-time driver, though, and his name is (sorry, Max) Lewis Hamilton. No matter which F1 team or racer is your favorite, we all have to admit that something was missing from the energy of the 2022 season, and that was the fact that Hamilton was never able to fully engage in the title fight, held winless for the first time since his incomparable career began way back in 2007.
Amid ceaseless chatter about his retirement (he says he has a few more years left), how amazing would the soap opera that is the paddock become if the 38-year-old won a race early and kick-started some buzz about another run at that elusive eighth title, especially if he once again battled with Max to earn it?
IndyCar: Finally get that Indy 500 legacy winner
Father Time remains undefeated, and we are reminded of that fact every spring as the checkered flag is waved over another Month of May and Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal have still not won the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Last year the grandson of Mario and son of Michael finished 22nd to reach 0-for-17 at the place that made his family famous. Meanwhile, the son of Bobby finished 14th to hit 0-for-15.
Andretti is 35. Rahal is 34. A lot of legends, from Foyt and Johncock to Rutherford and Unser Sr., have won this race in their 40s. The IndyCar paddock gets younger each season, and more often than not, we have surprise winners kissing the bricks. Why not a surprise that will send the grandstand into a total meltdown of joy? Not to mention ease the pain for a couple of really good guys who love Indy like few ever will.
NHRA: Write up those wonderful women!
While every other racing series fights and scraps and often has to come up with a list of excuses why there are practically no women behind the wheel at their highest levels, the NHRA had not one but two women among their four 2022 national champions. Erica Enders won her fifth Pro Stock title while Brittany Force won her second Top Fuel championship, while also making the fastest run in Top Fuel history at a mind-bending 338.48 mph.
They are only the tip of the iceberg in a Nitro Alley that has long been big on success by racers from all walks of life while other racing paddocks have had settle for lip service when it comes to diversity. It is to the NHRA’s credit that they have created an environment where, internally, it’s no longer newsworthy that accomplishments are made by those of different races and genders, but it would behoove them to realize that’s a much bigger deal out here than it is in there, and they should be shouting it into the world with a megaphone.
SRX: Own the summer
In case you missed it while you were busy holiday shopping and throwing down on turkey legs, Tony Stewart’s grassroots short track stock car fistfight known as the Superstar Racing Experience will return for its third season this summer, and will do so right here on the Worldwide Leader in Sports. Thanks to an all-star roster hailing from every American series and era you can think of (Marco Andretti! Scott Bloomquist! Helio Castroneves! Bill Elliott?!), the six-race July-August schedule has captured the imagination of the hardcore racing world.
Now, with a new platform that is already drawing throwbacks to the old ESPN2 “Thursday Night Thunder” shows that first introduced the world to the likes of Stewart and Jeff Gordon, SRX has a chance to do what many have long asked of NASCAR, IndyCar and other American racing series. Why not stop trying to fight football every fall and own the midweek summer nights?
Sports cars: Continue to simplify
The world of sports car racing has long been a confusing alphabet soup of sanctioning bodies, divisions, rulebooks and prestigious events that seemed designed to keep the biggest names and coolest cars divided up and scattered across the globe. But at last spring’s 12 Hour of Sebring, we caught a glimpse of what the future of sports cars could look like, and it was glorious.
The stateside cars of IMSA shared the weekend in south central Florida with the FIA World Endurance Championship, and both garages seemed genuinely excited about a 2023 convergence of rules that could finally allow the top machines from IMSA and WEC to compete head to head. A lot of cooperation has to happen across both series and between manufacturers, but as Jim France, chairman of IMSA and CEO of NASCAR has stated, the opportunity is now there. It wasn’t before.
“The proof will be when we have a car that wins Daytona and wins Le Mans in the same year,” France said when the new IMSA prototype was announced in 2021. “That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Us, too, Mr. France.
Everyone else: Go fast, be safe, stay awesome
And when we say “everyone else,” we don’t just mean racing series other than the ones listed above. We mean everyone else and all the time, not just New Year’s.
Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.
Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.
If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.
“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”
Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.
“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”
The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.
“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”
Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.
The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”
Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.
San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.
NEW YORK — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn’t sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again.
“I didn’t know at first,” he said. “For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.”
Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won five straight games following a a six-game losing streak.
Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP.
He spent 2023 and 2024 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million.
He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multihomer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall.
“I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,” Bellinger said. “But it was a good catch.”
“Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,” Bellinger added.
A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder’s glove.
“I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they’d probably look at it and get it overturned,” Tucker said. “I’ve probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone’s hand or whatever but I don’t know if anyone’s ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.”
Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row.
“The fan just beat to the spot,” Crow-Armstrong said. “He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.”
Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3.
“Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,” said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. “I’ve seen PCA rob so many homers. He’s a freak athlete out there.”
Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.
He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice.
“No, no, no revenge,” he said. “Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn’t seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call.
“He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger” over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it,” Boone said. “Belly’s loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood.”
Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse.
He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger’s teammates could sense the significance.
“It’s always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,” Boone said. “To perform right away against them I’m sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.”
DETROIT — Cal Raleigh hit his 37th and 38th home runs in Seattle‘s 12-3 victory over Detroit on Friday night to move within one of Barry Bonds’ 2001 major league record for homers before the All-Star break.
Raleigh hit a solo homer off former teammate Tyler Holton in the eighth to tie the American League record of 37 before the All-Star break set by Reggie Jackson in 1969 and matched by Chris Davis in 2013.
“[Holton] and I are really good friends, and I’ve caught a lot of his pitches,” said Raleigh, who was in the lineup as the designated hitter instead of at catcher. “I don’t think that helped much, but I’m sure he’s not very happy with me.”
Raleigh hit a grand slam off Brant Hurter in the ninth.
“I didn’t even know it was a record until just now,” Raleigh said. “I don’t have words for it, I guess. I’m just very grateful and thankful.”
It was Raleigh’s eighth multihomer game this season, tying Jackson (also in 1969) for the most such games before the All-Star break in MLB history, according to ESPN Research. He also tied Ken Griffey Jr. for the most multihomer games in Mariners franchise history.
Seattle has two games left in Detroit before the break.
“Cal Raleigh … this is just unbelievable,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “He’s already set the AL record and now he’s only one short of Barry. There are two games, so who knows?”
Raleigh hit 10 homers in March and April, 12 in May, 11 in June and has five in July.
“This is a very boring comment, but baseball is all about consistency,” Wilson said. “This hasn’t been one hot streak, he’s doing this month after month. That says everything.”