Race Driver Development Programs and Racecraft Tips You Can Use

F1600 Caras at Canadian Grand Prix
Photo: Motorsport Prospects

This week I feature my usual assortment of race driver development programs and racecraft tips that you can use as you work to achieve your motorsport goals.

From passing tips on track to retaining focus in an endurance race, there is something for all racers in this week’s racecraft tips.

In race driver development news, I bring you details of the new prize structure for Indy NXT, the partnership between Indy Pro 2000 and the Dallara Research Center, More Than Equal’s new global survey into female participation in elite motorsport, 25 tips to better enjoy motorsport and much more.

All this in this week’s edition of the Driver Development News & Racecraft Tips & Techniques Roundup. Its news racers can use.

Racecraft Tips & Techniques

Race Driver Development Programs and Racecraft Tips You Can Use

The video above is a great illustration of passing techniques on track in a Formula Ford race car.


In one of their “”Racing Skills In 60 Seconds” segments, Blayze’s Dion von Moltke explains the safest way to find the limit of your car. “When I am trying to find the limit safely, I focus on two types of things. First my initial brake application spot and second, in the long duration corners.”


Ross Bentley of Speed Secrets answers the question, how do I retain focus in an endurance race?


Race Driver Development News & Resources

INDY NXT Logo

In an apparent response to criticism of the 2022 prize fund, Penske Entertainment has made a number of improvements to benefit its next title winner, those who fill out the championship podium, and the series’ winning team. They have added $350,000 to the champion’s advancement prize, bringing it to $850,000.

With the 2023 Indy NXT champion’s $850,000 in hand, the series says the funds can “be applied to an oval test at Texas Motor Speedway, IMS Open Test/ROP, the Indy 500 and an additional 2024 NTT IndyCar Series event,” and “the champion will also receive an IndyCar test on the IMS road course.”

Indy NXT’s runner-up will take home $125,000 and the third-place driver is due to earn $65,000. The champion’s team is set to collect $35,000, and purses for each race will have teams taking home $15,000 to win, $5000 for finishing second, and $2500 for third. Penske Entertainment says the total prize fund for the season has increased to $1.4 million.


Andersen Promotions has announced a multi-year partnership with the Dallara Research Center to further prepare drivers on their rise through the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires ranks. The final step on the ladder, USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires, will now offer the top-three finishers in the championship simulator time at the renowned Speedway, Ind.-based facility. “We have had a great working relationship with Dallara for many years including developing the Dallara IL-15,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “I want to thank Bryce Moore (Dallara Commercial and Business Development) and his team for reaching out to us and offering this great award package to assist our drivers in taking their next steps.”


Driver Development News & Racecraft Tips & Techniques for January 16, 2023

Courtney Crone is the winner of IMSA’s Diverse Driver Development Scholarship for the 2023 season, the series announced last Tuesday. Crone, a 21-year-old from Corona, California will be racing in the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge with Forty7 Motorsports in a Duqueine D08 LMP3.


More than Equal, the global initiative committed to crowning the first female Formula 1 drivers’ world champion, has launched a global survey into female participation in elite motorsport. “The initiative, founded by 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard and entrepreneur Karel Komarek in June 2022, is committed to investigating the issues impacting female participation and progression to elite-level motorsport. As part of its research, it has launched a Global Attitude Survey designed to explore the opinions, perceptions, and challenges which women face.”


The European Truck Racing Association (ETRA) announced the introduction of a new category in the ETRC. The Goodyear FIA ETRC Young Drivers Champion Category aims to boost the prospects of young truck racing drivers and to find the next European Truck Racing Champion. Drivers younger than 30 will be able to enter the new category, and points will be allocated in an independent classification and according to the same scales of points as for the Drivers’ classifications. “There is a pool of young truck racers in Europe and we wanted to create a category to make racing on European level more appealing for them,” said Rolf Werner, managing director of ETRA Promotion. Full details of the framework will be announced in due course.


Race Driver Development Programs and Racecraft Tips You Can Use

FIA Girls On Track with Formula E Sustainability Director Julia Pallé in the video above as they discuss women getting involved in motorsport.


The IMSA website highlights the host of rising racers that have climbed the IMSA ranks to the top-tier class. Drivers for the new Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class provide the perfect example. While there are a number of established prototype aces on the list, there’s also an impressive roster of rising stars making their initial forays into the top-level class. “You can have a kid with some talent but in the best equipment and he does fine, but the people you’ve got to look for is people that may not be in the best equipment … but they’re figuring out how to take that equipment and win races. Those have been the most successful drivers that we’ve had here.”


Feeder Series explains how Franco Colapinto’s signing shows Williams’ commitment to their future. “The Williams Driver Academy’s signing of Franco Colapinto was one that was met with praise and excitement when it was announced on Monday. The move was seen as legitimising Williams’ position within the junior driver market as a team willing to back young drivers with promise and potential. Feeder Series explores how Colapinto’s signing shows Williams’ commitment to building a homegrown talent pool for their future Formula One driver line-ups.”


Meanwhile Formula Scout looks at five young drivers that Aston Martin should support with its new young driver development program.


Grassroots Motorsports gives you 25 tips to better enjoy motorsports. “Experience is what causes a person to make new mistakes instead of old ones.” We don’t know who first uttered that phrase, but it rings strongly through our heads.


The 2023 SCCA Convention is taking place Jan. 19-27 and the virtual SCCA National Convention is completely and utterly free to attend because it takes place online. Convention sessions ranging from keynote speakers to how-tos to “office hours” gatherings will take place. This year’s theme is “Engage,” meaning there will be ample opportunities to listen, speak, and be heard, giving you the power to improve the already fantastic events you help host in your Region.

Those who register for this year’s virtual SCCA National Convention by 11:59 p.m. CST on Monday, Jan. 16, and attend at least one session during the Jan. 19-27 event, will have their names placed in an equally virtual hat. Two members will then be chosen for one trip each to the SCCA Prize Closet. What’s in the Prize Closet? The list contains everything from Hawk brakes to Braille batteries, Summit Racing Equipment canopies, coolers from Hagerty, iRacing memberships, and more!

You can get more information and register here.


Red Bull has some great fitness tips based on their extensive experience in all types of motorsport. Whether it’s rally driving, karting or racing at the dizzy speeds in a single seater, every racing driver worth their salt knows the stress that the sport puts on the body. It’s small wonder that the scientific journal Sports Medicine recommends that racers ‘develop training programs that more accurately apply to drivers and the stresses experienced’.


Race Driver Development Programs and Racecraft Tips You Can Use

Burnout is a real problem in today’s fast-paced work environment. Want to know how Formula 1 drivers sustain high performance in high-pressure situations and avoid burnout? Watch Hintsa CEO Annastiina Hintsa’s keynote at the FII Priority Summit in NYC and find out in the video above.


Mark Boudreau
Author: Mark Boudreau

Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.