2022 ended by taking the life of two very important people, and while the first 72 hours of 2023 haven't yet passed we already have the first bit of sad news.

After selling his ownership in the company that gave him wealth and recognition, Block shifted his focus towards racing properly. He took on several off-road categories, both in two and four wheels, as well as other action sports like skate and snowboarding. His new company, Hoonigan Industries, was also a big success and he himself drove its machines for several purposes, including his all-famous Gymkhana series.

Sadly, a snowmobile accident on January 2 near Woodland, Utah, happened to claim his life too early. A year that looked promising, with the new partnership with auto maker Audi to create joint projects in the ever-expanding electric mobility field, was cut short by such an unfortunate event.

I had the privilege of seeing him live when he participated in the World Rallycross Championship round held in my country, in 2016 and 2017. Despite his modest origin, as he wasn't a true racing driver that had spent his life competing at increasing levels and categories, he was nonetheless a massive driver and a crowd favorite. He had previously showed his skills by winning his only entry in the European Rallycross Championship in 2014, defeating renowned racing drivers like Mattias Ekstrom (a future World Rallycross Champion) and Robin Larsson (two-time race winner and champion that year), between others.

The world of action sports will surely miss him, but his legacy will live on forever in our hearts. Race in peace, master.

Between him, Hamlin, and Renner, the first two days of 2023 have been brutal.

zanderlex : While those other two are "just" incidents so far, I do agree they're by no means minor incidents that will pass by even if the situation only improves from now on.

We're having all of this and yet many sports are either undergoing or about to start their longest seasons with the added risks it means. I'm starting to get an eerie feeling about this, and I don't like it in the slightest. I hope we can truly brush this off soon and see the best face of 2023.