From racing Pragas and Radicals to ice racing in Andorra, this week’s Motorsport Series News Roundup is packed with all types of motorsport series news.

I have news on Radical North America test days, where to find pre-owned Praga race cars, ice racing, a new Rally 3 car from Renault, and the growing TCR World Tour calendar.

All this and much more on the Motorsport Series News Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.

Sportscars

NOLA Motorsports Park will host this year’s official Blue Marble Radical Cup North America pre-season test, January 28-29. Featuring numerous Radical only sessions each day, the event is open to all Radical drivers, including track day and prospective Cup racers who can apply for a single event license. Track day drivers may also participate by applying for a single event USAC license. All sessions will feature USAC timing and scoring. Radical technical staff will be onsite, along with Series officials and scales. Light hospitality will also be provided, including all day drinks and snacks.

You can submit your entry for the test days here.

If you are curious about the Radical Cup North America, Sportscar365 has an informative interview with Jeff Shafer of ONE Motorsports who talks about the series. “Besides the car which is an excellent platform for reliable, safe, and fair racing, the series hospitality, and ample track time make the Radical Cup very economical for this level of racing.”

The Lucky Dog Racing League has announced their 2023 racing schedule. New for this year? B-Spec race cars, as well as the NC-chassis Mazda Miata are now welcome. More information on the series can be found here.

The promoters of the National Trans Am Series and TA2 Muscle Car Series have agreed to a partnership extension. “The Australian Racing Group and PBR Distributions have shaken hands on a deal, that will see both categories run the same specification car and componentry for the next three years. It means that competitors will be able to continue driving the Howe Racing Enterprises-built Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger in both series, should they desire to.”

Looking to race a Praga R1 this season? There are used and new Praga R1 race cars available to purchase from Praga’s official R1 dealer, Praga Racing UK. Arrive and Drive packages for the Praga Cup 2023, which will run as part of the new Britcar Prototype Series, are also available with Idola Motorsport, Mittell Cars and Tim Gray Motorsport. Browse R1 cars for sale and available seats for the 2023 season on RaceCarsDirect.com. See upcoming test days and the 2023 racing calendar below. Full details here.

Thursday 2nd FebruaryDonington ParkPraga R1 Test Day with Mittell CarsContact Scott Mittell on scottmittell@gmail.com
Thursday 2nd February Silverstone Grand Prix Praga R1 Test Day with Idola Motorsport Contact Vincent Randall on vincent.randall@vrmotorsport.co.uk
Friday 28th FebruarySilverstone Grand PrixBritcar Official Pre-Season Test Day Contact Claire Hedley on claire@britcar-endurance.com

2023 Britcar Prototype Cup Calendar

Round One – Silverstone Grand Prix – 25/26 March
Round Two – Brands Hatch Indy – 22/23 April
Round Three – Oulton Park Circuit – 27/29 May
Round Four – Snetterton Circuit – 16/17 September
Round Five – Donington Park – 14/15 October

Want to go endurance racing? Grassroots Motorsports has what you need to know. “It’s a sentiment we repeat in this magazine over and over, and it always seems to be true: It’s simply never been easier to get on track and compete, wheel to wheel, with other enthusiasts.”

Mazda Motorsports has released an updated version of the Vehicle Technical Specifications & Technical Infraction Penalties Document for Spec-MX-5, where all changes are in RED (Section 3.m/n, Section 4.u, Section 5.12.d.l/lll, Section 16.m.lll.i, Section 19.a/b/c, and Section 21.a). You can see the details here.

The proposed Bahrain ProAm 1000 endurance race will not go ahead next weekend after promoter Driving Force Events elected to cancel the event for a second time. “Following discussions with teams, we have made the difficult, but necessary, decision to cancel the Bahrain ProAm 1000,” the statement read. “This is the consequence of multiple developments, many of which came about only after the original event was announced. The idea was widely appreciated, but this did not convert into enough confirmed entries, and we simply had to make a decision, out of fairness to the circuit and the entered teams/drivers.”

The planned debut of Master Class of Racing has been postponed until 2024 according to a posting on the series’ social media. “We regret to announce that Master Class of Racing will be put on hold until 2024. While we put together what we feel is one of the finest format in motorsport, we just could not get enough traction on entries. We had great interest from East to West, but it just didn’t meet the minimum to produce a good show. We will take the year to talk to you guys and tweak this program to make it the perfect series.”

Single-Seaters

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.”

The Formula Ford Association has appointed a new control engine builder for the Australian Formula Ford Series for 2023 and beyond. It comes after the category’s long-standing engine builder CHI decided that the growth of its core business meant that it was unable to continue with the Formula Ford engine-building program.

Touring Cars

Racing Pragas, Radicals and More Motorsport Series News

A fourth event on European soil has been added to the schedule for the inaugural TCR World Tour season after plans were confirmed for an event at Vallelunga. ACI Vallelunga and ACI Sport will organise and promote the event on 9/11 June, which will see those cars signed up for a full season of TCR World Tour competition joined by up to 18 regulars from the TCR Italy series. The Italian event will slot into the calendar after the opening rounds at Portimao and Spa, and is scheduled to run a week before the meeting at the Hungaroring.

A new control tire supplier has been announced for the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series for 2023 and beyond. Kumho has inked a multi-year deal to supply tires for the national touring car racing category.

In addition to the tires, a new points system has also been announced. Australian Racing Group Head of Category Operations Ben McMellan said, “The change will put more emphasis on qualifying to ensure every driver has an extra incentive to go as hard as they can in that session.”

Rally & Raid

Motorsport Series & Track Day News For January 18, 2023

Renault has officially revealed its challenger to enter the Rally3 sphere of the FIA rally pyramid. The French manufacturer unveiled its all-new Clio Rally3 at the Pas de la Casa Circuit in Andorra today following an extensive 5,000 kilometer development program carried out since May last year. Powered by a 1.3-litre, 16-valve turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection and connected to a five-speed gearbox, the car can produce 260 horsepower. It is priced at €122,000 (excluding VAT).

Miscellaneous Racing Series

Episode 84 of the Inside the SCCA podcast is a preview of the 2023 Super Tour. “Eric Prill, SCCA VP of Road Racing gets us caught up on some changes for 2023. There’s a new coaching program, a new competitor driven one-tire rule in Spec Miata and the new live stream. Eric also gives us an update on the Green to Checker program.” You can listen here.

In addition to the podcast, the SCCA website explains the enhancements that will boost the 2023 Hoosier Super Tour experience. “In 2023, the Hoosier Super Tour enters its seventh season. With each event, organizers increase their knowledge on how to better deliver a safe, fun, and exciting motorsports experience. In an effort to meet the core mission established for the Hoosier Super Tour, the SCCA Road Racing Department has adopted new plans and services for the coming year. These changes are a result of member and Region feedback, as well as ongoing analysis through the Green-to-Checker (G2C) initiative.”

The dates for the 2023 FCP Euro Proving Grounds at Lime Rock Park have been announced. The schedule includes Autocross Lapping Days, Advanced Driver Coaching and Track Tapas. Autocross Lapping Days don’t involve cones in a parking lot, but instead a purpose-built facility that they say “put both driver and vehicle to the test” and “leave you smiling and tired” after a half day at the track. Track Tapas Day gives you a taste of motorsport. The “two-hour educational experience” uses your car, truck or SUV on the FCP Euro Proving Grounds and 1.5-mile road course. It includes expert coaching and is designed for beginner- or immediate-level track drivers.

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.

Renault has announced the return of the Clio Ice Trophy. “Building on the proven reliability and versatility of the Clio Rally5 and Clio RX, which have been technically equalled thanks to conversion kits designed by the Manufacture Alpine Dieppe Jean Rédélé, the Clio Ice Trophy retains the elements that have made it so successful. At each of the four rounds, all on different tracks on the Pas de la Casa Circuit, drivers will start with free practice before tackling the points-awarding qualifyings and finals. The main change is the time schedule, as the slightest mistake can now be costly with all the action taking place in just over two hours!“

Track Days

Cars

Looking for an inexpensive track machine? Grassroots Motorsports says why not a Rad-era race car? “You can race anything from a Pinto to a Porsche 962,” says Brian Walsh, head of the IMSA RS/SCCA 2.5 Challenge Reunion Races, an effort focused on door-slammers from the ’70s and ’80s. “GRM readers can relate because a 1990 Miata is now considered vintage.”

Texas, USA-based hypercar manufacturer Hennessey has unveiled the Venom F5 Revolution Coupe, the track-focused version of the Hennessey Venom F5. A host of revisions have been made to the vehicle to ensure it delivers increased agility, excellent handling and a high level of downforce. “I led engineering on some of the most extreme cars to come out of GM, including the Corvette Z06 and Cadillac CTS-V, but nothing compares to designing, developing and refining a race car for the road like the Venom F5 Revolution,” explained John Heinricy, Hennessey’s chief engineer. “From the outset, we designed the Venom F5 hypercar to be ultra-light and monstrously powerful, with dynamics to match. So, taking these ingredients and adding track-focused aerodynamics, suspension and gearing enabled us to create a machine that is the ultimate visceral and emotional driving experience.”

As this exceptional Ferrari 643 F1 racecar is coming up for sale with RM Sotheby’s, so Classic Driver asked themselves what it would take to actually own and drive it. Luckily, they knew who to call to find out. “To delve a little deeper into the ownership and maintenance of such a highly-strung, 13,800rpm revving monster, we sat down with the gentleman who, along with his team at Modena Motorsport, have personally cared for this very car, ensuring it is not only running as it should, but that it’s also competitive in historic races. Uwe Meissner is a man that truly has Ferrari in his blood. He founded Modena Motorsport when he was just 23 years old and has worked on almost every Formula One car that Ferrari raced from the 1970s, right up to the 2000s.”

Team News

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.