The month of December does not contain much in the way of motorsports. If it wasn’t for Christmas, the diehard race fan may not survive the 36 days between the end of the 2010 race season and the beginning of the 2011 season. The anticipation of the new season and a few test outings is all a race fan has to talk about. Some race fans keep themselves busy finding a speed buzz on a snowboard, or on the way to the ski resort.  (i.e. snow donuts)

 There is just a hand full of indoor racing series across the country that run races in the idle month of December.  One Northern California Series is the Red Bluff Outlaws.  The 10 race indoor Outlaw Kart Series begins in October and ends in January with a short break for Christmas and New Years.

Lucky for every racer and race fan in the world, January begins a month of high stakes races that will get you warmed up for the 2011 racing season. Mark your calendars for the start of race season 2011 with these special dates.

The Dakar Rally

When: January 1^st through January 16^th

^{Where: Argentina and Chile (South America)}

^{The Info: The 15 day rally will cover 9500km with 5000km of racing stages in 4 classes with only one day of rest. Top drivers and riders include: Robby Gordon-NASCAR/Off Road, Carlos Sainz-WRC Champion, many time Dakar class winners, Vladimir Chagin,  Marc Coma, and Cyril Despres. There are 430 entries from 51 different countries, including 64 first time entrants. 40% of the field will likely fall out before they reach the destination January 16th.}

^{When: January 9th through January 15th}

^{Where: Tulsa Expo Center Tulsa Oklahoma}

^{The Info: A record 240 entries have been received for the 2011 edition of this race. The drivers from many different racing disciplines will try to make the 25 car A-main event on January 15. 22 U.S States are represented as well as New Zealand.  There is 4 nights of qualifying races before the main on night #5. Sammy Swindell will be looking for win #6 in this historic event.}

^{When: January 28 and 29th}

^{Where: Toyota Speedway Irwindale, California}

^{The Daytona 500 of short track racing features the best regional and local racers in the U.S all at one track at the same time. Three separate classes compete for the top honors in their divisions. All 2010 Regional Champions and winners are locked into the main event of 250 laps for the K&N Pro Series. Champions from K&N West Series, K&N East Series, NASCAR Canada, and NASCAR Mexico will represent their series in this battle for short track supremacy. Travis Pastrana will also make his NASCAR debut attempting to race his way into the main event as he will not be locked into the main event.}

^{When: January 8, 2011}

^{Where: Anaheim, California}

^{The 2011 Supercross Series could be the most interesting racing series of the year. 2010’s double Champion Ryan Dungey will defend his crown against a healthy James Stewart, Chad Reed, and Ryan Villapoto. The Rookie of the Year and Champion from 2010 maybe the underdog for 2011. Can Dungey repeat with the added competition? The 17 race series will be one to watch.}