It is Christmas Eve and it is time to hand out some gifts. Drivers need things. Series need things. There is always something missing. Either it has been a vacancy for a while or it is something you realize is needed after all these years. There are plenty of things on everyone's wish list.
To IndyCar: A successful event at Circuit of the America.
Also to IndyCar: Race sponsorship for Austin, Long Beach, the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Iowa, Portland and Laguna Seca.
To Laguna Seca: The kind of enthusiastic crowd that Gateway and Portland got when IndyCar returned.
To Scott Dixon: I am out of ideas... socks? A new bicycle? How about a canoe?
To Alexander Rossi: A caution in his favor.
To Ryan Hunter-Reay: The little things going his way.
To Zach Veach: Less fires.
To Will Power: Some respect... motherfuckers... and a Bathurst 1000 entry with Simon Pagenaud (I know I said this last year but for some reason I think those two would make a really good pair).
To Simon Pagenaud: He needs more than a Bathurst entry. A new work shed.
To Josef Newgarden: A new dining room set.
To Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato: Better qualifying results.
To James Hinchcliffe: A clear day of qualifying at Indianapolis.
To Ed Jones: A seat for the additional ovals.
To Carlos Muñoz: People remembering he exists and how good he is.
To Patricio O'Ward: Tens of millions of Mexican fans in Mexico and the United States.
To Kyle Kaiser: A greater shot at IndyCar.
To Conor Daly: A full-time ride in a midget car with cameos in IndyCar, NASCAR and sports cars... and also a sponsor that won't leave him hanging.
To Juan Pablo Montoya: An Indianapolis 500 entry. He is too good not to be in that race... oh, and an entry in an LMP1 car at Le Mans, even if it isn't with Toyota.
To Fernando Alonso: An engine that will last 500 miles.
To Drew Feustal: A trip to every IndyCar race in 2019.
To Formula One: Common sense when it comes to scheduling and realizing when the limit is reached.
To Lewis Hamilton: Peace.
To Daniel Ricciardo: Patience.
To Robert Kubica: A respectable season.
To Kimi Räikkönen: A smooth transition into his retirement team.
To Pietro Fittipaldi: A race seat somewhere because he should be more than a reserve driver in 2019.
To Force India: Financial stability.
To Red Bull: Honda finally getting it to click.
To the Monaco Grand Prix: That race returning to 100 laps. Let's do something different and spice the race up.
To Silverstone: Security for the British Grand Prix.
To the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas: A better date because it is in the middle of football season and somehow clashes with the NASCAR race in Texas.
To Billy Monger: A seat in the Road to Indy.
To Ryan Tveter and Juan Manuel Correa: Seats in Indy Lights.
To the FIA World Endurance Championship: A successful weekend at Sebring.
To Toyota: A few competitors committing to the hypercar class.
To Dempsey-Proton Racing: New fuel nozzles.
To IMSA's Prototype class: Cadillac not dominating now that the cars will be unleashed.
To IMSA's LMP2 class: Another five entries.
To United Autosports: A full-time IMSA entry with Paul di Resta as one of its drivers.
To Colin Braun: Four IndyCar races with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
To Simona de Silvestro: Four IndyCar races as an additional entry for Meyer Shank Racing.
To Bob Pockrass: A great-paying job.
To Brendon Hartley: Something more than a Formula E seat.
To NASCAR: Some racing people in charge.
To NASCAR's second division: A revival of the Paul Revere 250 at Daytona.
To Indianapolis Motor Speedway: A clear weekend of the Brickyard 400 and moving that race to Saturday afternoon.
To Martin Truex, Jr.: A team that won't close on him.
To Darrell Wallace, Jr.: Brakes.
To NASCAR teams: Significant cuts to make it more affordable.
To Roush Fenway Racing: A preist, a rabbi, an iman and a monk to bless the #60 Ford in the Grand National Series because that car could not stay out of the wall in 2019.
To Nashville Fairgrounds: Safer barriers, modern lighting system, garage area, grandstand and pit road.
To Rockingham (North Carolina): A bit of hope.
To Rockingham (United Kingdom): Hope as well.
To the Truck Series: Races at Richmond, Milwaukee, Memphis, Indianapolis Raceway Park and Loudon.
To Chip Ganassi Racing: Some good sponsorship news.
To Jimmie Johnson: The ability to lose a battle in order t try and win the war.
To Chase Elliott: The NASCAR fan base have realistic expectations.
To Brett Moffitt: A paying gig in one of NASCAR's top two series.
To Kyle Larson: Books. I don't think he reads much.
To William Byron: Books as well. I don't how much he is reading either and he is a "college" student.
To Daniel Suárez: Revenge on Joe Gibbs Racing and winning two Cup races.
To Chris Buescher: A better Darlington throwback car than a car that was all-white.
To Christopher Bell: A pre-order on #11 merchandise because that is where he will be driving in 2020.
To Marc Márquez and Jorge Lorenzo: A couple's therapist on standby.
To Johann Zarco: A competitive KTM.
To the Dutch TT: A return to race day being on Saturday.
To MotoGP: A better television deal in the United States... as well as a race at Barber Motorsports Park.
To Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters: A fourth manufacture because apparently three is not enough.
To the Intercontinental GT Challenge: Full-time programs from Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini.
To Supercars: Less complicated rules that seem to decide every other race.
To Craig Lowndes: Attempts at Le Mans, Daytona, Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps and every other endurance race under the moon.
To Naoki Yamamoto: Honda giving him a few IndyCar races.
To Jenson Button: Some races in the United States. He leaves here after all. Acura, get him in an NSX or the DPi. He would never do an IndyCar oval race but Long Beach? That is practically in his backyard.
And finally, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. It is a wonderful time of the year even if it is without a race on the weekends but soon racing will resume and we will have plenty to keep us busy. Enjoy this time with friends, family and loved ones and end your year on a strong note.
Merry Christmas!
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
