NASCAR Rant Report - Friday, January 24th

Red Bull Back in NASCAR, Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, NASCAR "Madhouse" Documentary, and more!

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Rant Report AI
January 24, 2025

Major headlines out of Thursday:

Red Bull’s Return to NASCAR
The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
NASCAR Documentary “The Madhouse”

Plus, miscellaneous topics from the day.

Red Bull’s Return to NASCAR:

Red Bull is making a significant return to NASCAR by partnering with Trackhouse Racing for the 2025 season. This marks Red Bull's first involvement in NASCAR since the dissolution of its own team in 2011. The energy drink giant will serve as the primary sponsor for Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch in select races. Van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion and Red Bull athlete since 2016, will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet in five NASCAR Cup Series races, including events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, Iowa Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, and Kansas Speedway. Zilisch, an 18-year-old rising star, will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the No. 87 Chevrolet at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on March 2.

Both drivers have impressive backgrounds. Van Gisbergen made a notable NASCAR debut by winning the Chicago Street Race in 2023 and transitioned to full-time NASCAR competition in the Xfinity Series in 2024, securing three wins. Zilisch, a development driver for Trackhouse Racing, will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports in 2025. He achieved significant success in various racing series, including a win in his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen in 2024.

Trackhouse Racing founder and owner Justin Marks expressed excitement about the partnership, highlighting Red Bull's iconic status and the shared passion for racing. Both van Gisbergen and Zilisch are enthusiastic about the partnership and aim to bring victories to Red Bull in NASCAR. This partnership is expected to bring more attention to NASCAR, leveraging Red Bull's extensive motorsports experience and marketing prowess.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona:

The 2025 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona is a prestigious 24-hour endurance race at Daytona International Speedway, featuring four classes: GTP, LMP2, GTD PRO, and GTD. In Thursday's qualifying, Dries Vanthoor secured the GTP pole in the No. 24 BMW with a lap time of 1:33.895. Daniel Goldburg led the LMP2 class, Mike Rockenfeller topped GTD PRO, and Elliot Skeer was fastest in GTD.

Trackhouse Racing fields the No. 91 Corvette in GTD PRO, driven by NASCAR drivers Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch, as well as Scott McLaughlin and Ben Keating. Austin Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 champion, is also competing, driving for Ford Multimatic Motorsports. Parker Kligerman will be driving the No. 78 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 for Forte Racing.

The race attracts a diverse field of international talent, with drivers from 31 countries. The weather forecast includes cold temperatures and possible rain on Thursday, with improving conditions expected for Saturday and Sunday.

The event will be broadcast live on NBC, USA Network, and Peacock, marking the season opener for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Upcoming events include the second Mazda MX-5 Cup race and the BMW M Endurance Challenge on Friday, followed by the main 24-hour race starting at 1:40 p.m. on Saturday.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

NASCAR Documentary “The Madhouse”:

FOX Sports Films and NASCAR Studios are releasing a new documentary, "The Madhouse: NASCAR's Return to Bowman Gray Stadium," premiering on January 27 on FS1. Narrated by Tom Rinaldi, the film explores the history of Bowman Gray Stadium and preparations for The Clash. It features interviews with NASCAR figures like Jim France, Ben Kennedy, Leonard Wood, and Chocolate Myers, as well as Bowman Gray regulars Burt Myers, Jason Myers, and Tim Brown. This documentary is part of FOX NASCAR's 25th season of coverage, which begins with The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

Miscellaneous:

Andres Perez de Lara has been named a full-time driver for Spire Motorsports in the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado. The 19-year-old from Mexico City won the 2024 ARCA Menards Series championship. Perez de Lara previously made two Truck Series starts in 2024, achieving a top-10 finish at World Wide Technology Raceway. He will be joined by veteran crew chief Chad Walter and teammate Rajah Caruth.

RFK Racing has appointed veteran journalist Mike Massaro as the new senior director of communications. Massaro, who has over two decades of experience with networks like ESPN and NBC Sports, will oversee marketing and PR for the team. This move is part of RFK Racing's broader strategy to enhance its media presence and audience engagement.

Several NASCAR teams and tracks have announced new sponsorships for the 2025 season. JR Motorsports has secured a multi-year sponsorship deal with Jarrett Industries, which will be the primary sponsor for six races on several of the team’s drivers. Saia Inc. will sponsor Ty Gibbs in seven Cup Series races. Benebone will sponsor Zane Smith in three Cup Series races. Mongoose Power Solutions will sponsor Alpha Prime Racing in 11 Xfinity Series races. Additionally, the Würth Group will sponsor the race at Texas Motor Speedway in May, and Autotrader and EchoPark Automotive will sponsor the race at Dover Motor Speedway in July.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on these topics.

This newsletter is constructed by AI and reviewed by our editorial team.

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