2022 GTPlanet Fandom Series season

2022 GTPFS season

The **2022 GTPlanet Fandom Series season** is the third season of premier American stock car racing competition organized by Fantasy Promotions. It will be the first season of the seventh generation of stock cars, with the season's premier event being the 2022 Daytona 400.

Cearra Christensen enters the season as the defending Driver's Champion, while Kristina Ryan enters the season as the defending Daytona 400 winner.

## Background

Following the record-long 36 race season, it was announced that the 2022 season would trim to a calendar of 24 points-paying races. It is also the first season that will use the 7th-Generation stock car, developed and manufactured by series OEM's and drivers. It was also the first season in which the company Fandom would join GTPlanet as co-sponsors for the season. The 2022 season was the first of a major rebrand of the series.

### Introduction of 7th Generation Stock Cars

Fantasy Promotions unveiled plans in early 2021 to replace the existing generation of stock cars with a new, seventh generation of stock cars. The new stock cars featured a shorter body, a rear diffuser, a change from multi lug nut wheels to a single lug nut rim, and other internal changes. For the seventh generation, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Pontiac, SRT, and Toyota all confirmed they would produce cars for the new generation, while Audi would depart the series. Mercedes-Benz, who anticipated joining the series, would abandon those plans.

## 2022 Teams and Drivers

The following teams and drivers are scheduled to contest at least one race in the 2022 GTPlanet Fandom Series season. A maximum of five drivers are permitted to race as independent entries, per NAMRA stock car regulations. Teams are limited to no more than four entries for the season.

### Team Changes

* Audi makes its exit from GTPFS after its debut season in 2021.
* Pontiac remains, opting to update its old 6th-Generation cars to 7th-Generation spec, instead of building a new car due to budget constraints. fielding one full-time car through Phaesphoria Racing.
* KANS Autosport would rebrand after being reaching a partnership with Goodsmile Company. The rebrand saw a change from Chevrolet to Honda, and a renaming to Goodsmile-Razgriz Racing after a third investor, 2020 Indianapolis 500 Champion, Sebastian Devereux bought stake in the team.
* SRT expands to have two teams, Cherokee GP and Pantomime Racing, after surviving 2021 with only one car.
* Toyota Team Quatro would rebrand, becoming RG Racing, and still retaining a 4-car operation with Toyota.
* Furinkazen Autosport would dissolve, making Swift Autosport the new flagship team for Ford, returning with 4 cars.
* 2021 Regular Season Champion Felix Jackson would return with Honda in another 1-car operation in co-operation with Mobil 1
* Team Kate Upton returns as Chevrolet's flagship race team, fielding a 4-car effort, led by the crime-absolved Jesús Christobal
* Chinese outfit Red Arrow Racing enters as a new team with Honda, as does Pantomime Racing and Cherokee GP with SRT, and APEX Racing Team with Ford.
* Apex Racing Team enters the series as part of its expansion efforts. It also competes in the Nissan Atlantic Championship and the Microsoft IndyCar Series in 2022.
* The Greene House makes its GTPFS debut, entering a Honda Accord entry.
* Administrative Autosport underwent a makeover, including its new current name, entering with a next generation Toyota Camry.

### Driver Changes

* Kristina Ryan, Seth Smith, Jr., Edward Jackson, and Jesús Christobal all remain as team leaders for the 2022 season
* Gary Slater announced his retirement after a 1-year deal in car #43 for 2021, ending his career.
* Austin Welkins returns after his debut in the 2021 Mobil 1 Showdown at Eldora, racing full-time under Eastern Atlantic Motorsports.
* Nami Ishimoto would depart from KANS after 2021, finding a home in RG Racing for 2022
* Alan Herrera returns for the first time since his sabbatical at the end of 2020 after spending a year in the AT&T Champ Car World Series to race for RG Racing.
* Grant Tracer and Absolution Autosport would return once again in 2022, after satisfactory performance in their rookie season.
* Tyler Vickery would return once again, being one of only 8 drivers to compete in all 3 seasons. He would change from Chevy to Ford, joining Swift Autosport but retains the 19 for the third straight year.
	+ Kristina Ryan, Tyler Vickery, Jesús Christobal, Felipe Michelin, Seth Smith Jr., Michael White, Edward Jackson, and Evangeline Porter are the only 8 drivers to have participated in some capacity in all 3 seasons of GTPFS
* Felipe Michelin, younger cousin of open wheel racer, Matheus Michelin was left rideless after Furinkazen Autosport dissolved. After a 3-way contract negotiation between Kristina Ryan and the Michelins, Felipe was signed by Razgriz, retaining his 99, but changing to Honda. This would be unofficially referenced as one of the fastest contract signings in the sport's history, the meeting only lasting a few minutes before pen was put to paper, allowing Felipe a 3rd-straight season in the series.
* Marc Verin, Kent Blackmon, and Marius Cain made up an all-rookie team at Pantomime Racing.
* Paul Del Prete would return for a third season, departing from Team Kate Upton after a two year tenure, joining rookie Julia Cervone and sophmore Shawn Hardy at the newly created Cherokee GP.
* J.J. Rodgers returns to Swift Autosport for a second year running.
* Sonya Walker would again return to her single car outfit at Striker Motorsports after a stunning rookie season.
* Several rookies would enter for 2022, including Chris Swett, B Ward, Yuhang Zhao, Kent Blackmon, Marc Verin, Nathan Ormond, Aspasia Megalos, Austin Welkins\*, James Gutta, Victor Malarek, Julia Cervone, and Katelyn Heydt
	+ \*Austin Welkins competed in the 2021 Mobil 1 Showdown at Eldora, but is still considered a rookie and was eligible to race for Rookie of The Year as a result of not having 7 starts leading into the 2022 season.
* Cody Blackman will join the series with Apex Racing Team after two years in the AT&T Champ Car World Series. Blackman scored 1 podium in his Champ Car career (2020 New Hampshire) and finished a career best of 24th in the Indycar World Championship standings in 2020.
* Sakura Ishibashi announced on 2 December 2021 that she would be competing in the 2022 Daytona 400 for Striker Motorsports. Ishibashi competed in one prior GTPFS event, the Mobil 1 Showdown at Eldora, and the 2022 Daytona 400 will be her first race since suffering multiple injuries at the 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
* Camyron Jackson announced he would make his series debut as he contested the 2022 Daytona 400 as a one-off entry for Eastern Atlantic Motorsports. Jackson bought the team's Champ Car utilities in 2021 to create Dragon Motorsports while the team began full time competition in GTPFS.

## Schedule

The 2022 GTPlanet Fandom Series was confirmed by NAMRA on October 5, 2021. 24 points paying races held between the United States, China, and Japan are scheduled to take place between February and November of 2022. Additionally, two exhibition races bookmark the year in late January and mid December. For the first time since 2004, a post season chase format will not be used to determine the Driver's Champion.

## See Also

* nascarfan1400's YouTube Channel, the home of GTPFS on YouTube.
* 2022 AT&T Champ Car World Series season, the 23rd season of Indycar World Championship competition.