New Dakar winners crowned, Rossi to race in WEC and the Earnhardt name returns to Daytona

Welcome to Draft Line Digest, your weekly racing newsletter for the latest motorsport news! From the track to the garage and beyond, we’ve got you covered, whether you're a die-hard Formula 1 fan or a rookie regarding anything with four wheels and an engine.

In this issue: The 2025 Dakar Rally has new winners, Valentino Rossi returns to the World Endurance Championship and JR Motorsports finally enters the Daytona 500. Rev it up and let’s go!

Starting Grid

• 🇸🇦The Dakar Rally got new winners !

• 🇮🇹Valentino Rossi will race in WEC this year

• 🔥JR Motorsports to enter Daytona 500

• 📺NASCAR to launch its own TV Channel

• 📹ICYMI : The IndyCar Season Trailer on FOX

• 🎙️SPEEDY WISDOM

🇸🇦The Dakar Rally got new winners !

The Dakar Rally is over. On Friday, January 17, the Dakar Rally came to an end, and new champions were crowned.

In the car category, Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Timo Gottschalk (Overdrive Racing) claimed victory. This marks the first time a Saudi driver has won the Dakar Rally. A win happening on home soil. The win comes in Al-Rajhi’s 11th participation, with his previous best result being a 3rd place finish in 2022.

In the motorcycle category, Australian Daniel Sanders (KTM) became the second Australian to win the event, following Toby Price (2016; 2019). This victory marks KTM’s 20th win, achieved in dominant fashion. Sanders led the event from the start, mirroring Marc Coma’s commanding performance in 2009.

Check out the best images from the 2025 Dakar Rally below⬇️

🇮🇹Valentino Rossi will race in WEC this year

Seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi is back on four wheels! He will be part of the WRT BMW Team and will compete in the LMGT3 class of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2025. Rossi will team up with Ahmad Al Harthy and Kelvin van der Linde and will race with his iconic number 46.

The Italian made his WEC debut last year with WRT, achieving notable results including second place at the 6 Hours of Imola and third place at the 6 Hours of Fuji. In a statement, the Tavullia native said: "Very happy to continue my experience in the FIA WEC, as last year was a strong debut season. (...) We had some good races including two podiums and we want to try to be stronger and faster." The WEC season will kick off on March 2 with the Qatar 1812 km.

🔥JR Motorsports to enter Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back at Daytona! After days of growing speculation, JR Motorsports will enter the NASCAR Cup Series for the Daytona 500. The team of the two-time Daytona winner (2004; 2014) is partnering with country singer Chris Stapleton to field Justin Allgaier (2024 Xfinity Series Champion) in a car, a Chevrolet, of course, adorned with the #40 and sponsored by Stapleton’s brand: Stapleton’s Traveller Whiskey.

In a statement, Dale Jr. expressed his excitement about his team’s participation:
"We’ve been waiting for the right moment for JR Motorsports. (…) With Justin winning the Xfinity Series Championship and Chris Stapleton’s undeniable star power, the planets aligned for this perfect opportunity to enter this year’s Daytona 500."

JR Motorsports is a well-established team in the Xfinity Series, the second tier of NASCAR. To date, the team owned by former driver #8 and #88, Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, and Rick Hendrick (who knows a thing or two about winning at Daytona), has amassed 88 victories and four championships.

Justin Allgaier has previous experience in the Cup Series, including full-time stints with HScott Motorsports in 2014 and 2015. His best Daytona 500 finish came in his first appearance when he placed 27th. Reflecting on the opportunity, Allgaier told Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports "When we sat down in the office, and they started describing what the plan was and what they were going to do, I didn’t expect to be the one they asked to drive it."

Dale Jr. has never hidden his desire to bring his team to the Cup Series. However, the financial resources and commitment required to achieve competitive results seemed to have held back the Kannapolis, North Carolina, native. That hesitation now appears to be a thing of the past. 2025 is off to a fantastic start. Bring on February 16!

Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. has also announced his return to Daytona with Tricon Motorsports.

📺NASCAR to launch its own TV Channel

What was once a dream for many fans is now a reality: NASCAR is getting its very own free television channel!

The NASCAR Channel is set to debut on the Tubi streaming service on January 29, a highly anticipated moment for those who fondly remember watching SPEED Channel on cable during the 2000s.

The NASCAR Channel will air 2025 races on delay, classic races, documentaries, original content from NASCAR Studios original content and video podcasts. The announcement has surprised many, especially due to its free accessibility.

There will still be advertisements between programs, but isn’t that just how TV used to work anyway?

"We’re thrilled to welcome NASCAR fans to Tubi where they’ll soon find the ultimate immersive experience with the first official NASCAR FAST Channel exclusively on our service," said Samuel Harowitz, SVP of Content Acquisitions and Partnerships at Tubi.

To kick things off, the channel will broadcast the Cook Out Madhouse Classic from Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on February 7.

📹ICYMI : The IndyCar Season Trailer on FOX

FOX, historically known as a NASCAR broadcaster, has added IndyCar to its lineup for 2025. With the season set to kick off on March 2nd, the network has released a trailer featuring Josef Newgarden.

We'll let you decide, but I found it hilarious, and it gets even better with appearances from Tom Brady and Álex Palou!

Excitement is building as FOX prepares to bring both NASCAR and IndyCar to fans, making 2025 a thrilling year for motorsports on the network.

🎙️SPEEDY WISDOM