NASCAR & Motorsports Legends We Lost in 2023

2023 ended up being a sad year for racing enthusiasts considering the many icons we lost. With the year behind and the hope of goodness ahead, let’s take a look at some of the heroes who shouldered and helped build racing into what it is today before they left us.

The death of Hall of Fame announcer Ken Squier in November was one of the ones that hit NASCAR the hardest. The 88-year-old was a key person during the promotion’s formative years and is remembered as the one who made live racing broadcast possible. His naming of the Daytona 500 as ‘The Great American Race’ and his calling of the 1979 Daytona 500 will forever echo in NASCAR.

Don Schumacher was an NHRA legend who passed away in December. He began his career as a match-racer in the 1960s and became a team owner with 7 entries that won 367 “Wally” trophies and 19 championships. Schumacher left the motorsports community not only as one of the strongest team owners in NHRA but also as a strong advocate for safety in racing.

Kyle LeDuc, one of the world’s top short-course off-road racers, died in November suffering from head and neck cancer. The 42-year-old most recently drove for Chip Ganassi Racing last year and was very active on social media in the days leading up to his death. Just when it seemed like he might be out of the red zone, the devastating news of his passing hit us. LeDuc won seven Pro 4 championships in the Championship Off-Road Series.

The deaths of icons Gil de Ferran and Cale Yarborough that shut the doors on 2023

The year ended with the deaths of Indy500 winner Gil de Ferran and NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough. De Ferran was serving as McLaren’s sporting director after an illustrious career spanning continents and multiple racing disciplines when he passed. He won the Indy500 in 2003 and was one of Team Penske’s star drivers. His qualifying lap speed of 241.428 mph at the California Speedway remains the fastest in closed circuits. Several icons of Formula 1, IndyCar, and NASCAR mourned the death of this legend.

Cale Yarborough, a driver who paved the way for modern NASCAR, passed away on Sunday. His death was the last of many painful ones in 2023. Yarborough is the only driver apart from Jimmie Johnson to have won 3 consecutive Cup Series championships. His name and speed will be sorely missed on NASCAR tracks.

The many other icons and youngsters we lost this year have without a doubt made racing a stronger field with their contributions. Hopefully, 2024 will prove to be a more joyous one for motorsports.