I should call this week’s edition of Racecraft & Driver Development News, Tips & Techniques Motorsport Prospects TV as it contains some informative and inspirational video as you work to develop your racecraft. This week I go from drafting an MX-5 Cup car on the banks of Daytona International Speedway to how a number of drivers have overcome their physical disabilities to compete on track. As usual, there is something here for everyone no matter what type of race driver you are. As usual, the passion for motorsport cannot be denied.
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
- After another brilliant weekend of racing at Daytona International Speedway, Racer.com looks at the art of Daytona drafting, MX-5 Cup-style.
- Via Grassroots Motorsports, “Honda Racing pro race car driver, multi-time SCCA Solo Champ and all-around cool guy Tom O’Gorman took some time at the Roar before the Rolex 24 to show us how he watches cars on track. From the infield fence line at Daytona International Speedway, he shows us how watching the pros can make you a better driver.” You can watch the video below.
- In the latest Ask Ross over at Speed Secrets, Ross Bentley answers the question: How should I break in new tires on the track to make them last longer?
- Speaking of Speed Secrets, they have an excellent video on the Racer’s Mindset: How to Pass, Be Passed & Race Wheel-to-Wheel. You can watch it below.
- Racers360 has recently rebranded to Blayze as they expand their coaching services to other sports but they are still heavily involved in motorsport. They have posted an informative article on How to Easily Master the Skill of Rev Matching – A Quick Guide on Why Rev Matching is Important to Your Lap Speed.
- Safe is Fast looks at the fastest (and safest) way through traffic in the video below.
- I have talked about the incredible comeback of Robert Wickens to racing with his return to racing in 2022 after his horrific Indycar crash. As Marchall Pruett points out, he is as hungry to win as ever. Many of you may be curious as to how the hand controls in his Hyundai TCR race car work, especially as he is running with a co-driver who does not use them. In the video below, he explains how it all works.
- Finally, don’t forget that the deadline to sign up for the Speed Secrets Improve Your Racecraft Webinar is February 7th, with the actual webinar taking place on February 9th, 2022.
Driver Development News & Views
- With the W Series Arizona Test taking place this week, Racing Director Dave Ryan gives readers at their website the inside track on the Arizona test and what they are looking for from the drivers.
- Mental health is an important topic regardless of whether you are a race car driver or not and should never be neglected. Lando Norris explains why he’s ‘happy and confident’ to be a mental health pioneer in Formula 1.
- UK-based organization Racing Pride, which aims to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion through motorsport, has expanded into North America with a series of new ambassadors and partners across the sport. The Race explains why they have done so and how.
- If you are somebody who has been bitten by the racing bug at a later stage in your life, there are still plenty of opportunities to race! Randy Russell of Polo America Racing / Polo America explores the world of “gentleman drivers” in the Winter 2021 edition of Polo America Racing.
- Finally, the Formula 1 website looks at what it’s really like to be in an F1 team’s driver academy. It covers the recruitment process, the pressure to perform and more.
Driver Snapshots
Learning from the experience of others is key to succeeding in any walk of life and racing is no different. In Driver Snapshots, I feature the experiences of various drivers from which you can gain some perspective on what they have gone through (and continue to go through) as they work to make their motorsport careers happen. From this I hope that you can take some lessons from these experiences and apply them to your own motorsport careers.
Dealing with Adversity
A cancer diagnosis is something that nobody would ever want to experience, especially when you are young with a promising motorsport career ahead of you. This is what Joel Pearson experienced and how he deals with this reality while making his F4 test return as he continues cancer recovery is a lesson in dealing with adversity.
A Disability Will Only Limit You if You Let It
Dealing with a disability, whether it is something you are born with or something that happens to you later in life, is as much a mental issue as it is a physical one. Overcoming your disability and pursuing your dreams is something exemplified not only by Robert Wickens who I mentioned above, but by race drivers Nigel Bailly and Michael Johnson.
- While Wickens is racing in TCR in America, paraplegic racer Nigel Bailly is set to drive a CMR Bentley in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup this year. Belgian Bailly, who was injured in a motorcycle accident at age 14, will use hand controls to pilot a Bentley Continental GT3 during the five-round Endurance Cup season which includes the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa in late July.
- Racing in some form of motorsport since 2005, Michael Johnson has never let the results of a motorcycle accident at the age of 12 limit him in pursuing his motorsport passion. In Journey of Triumph, Annie Leibovitz tells his story in the video below.
That is it for this week’s Racecraft & Driver Development News, Tips & Techniques. I hope you have found this articles, webinars and videos informative and helpful. Stay safe and I will see you at the track!
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.