How champions are built is one of the topics in this week’s Driver Development Roundup as you will uncover the passion, precision, and people driving success in grassroots racing. I also have Champions of the Future news, the power of perseverance and more!
Overview
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
Berg Racing Expands Operations to Join USF Juniors in 2026
Berg Racing has announce its expansion into the very competitive USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire championship for the 2026 season. This strategic move marks an exciting new chapter for the team, strengthening its commitment to driver development and competitive excellence.
USF Juniors represents the first step in the USF Pro Championships driver development system, a scholarship-funded pathway that ultimately leads to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500. The series provides young drivers with valuable experience and structured competition, preparing them for advancement to the next level—USF2000—within a professional and well-organized championship environment.
Get more details on the program here.
“Building resilience in the face of challenges…”
Emmanuel Brads has raced and volunteered at various Race for Diversity events… he shares his experience of building resilience and confidence within motorsport.
“Motorsport is one of the most competitive and financially demanding sports in the world. As a 19-year-old driver myself, I have come to know that progress often relies on more than just talent and hard work — it requires resilience, confidence, and the right support network. Communities such as Race for Diversity play a crucial role in strengthening these qualities by ensuring opportunities are accessible to people from all backgrounds.”
Read more at the Motorsport UK site here.
What Really Keeps Champions Coming Back to the SCCA Runoffs?
Go behind the scenes with 7-time National Champion Jesse Prather and Mazda Motorsports’ Senior Manager Jonathan Applegate as we uncover the passion, precision, and people driving success in grassroots racing. From one-man engine shops to 100+ Mazdas storming Road America, this episode dives into:
- How Jesse Prather builds championship-winning engines with unmatched attention to detail
- Why Mazda Motorsports invests so heavily in grassroots racing
- The evolution from rotary legends to Spec MX-5 dominance
- What’s next for Mazda’s racing future — and how competitors are welcome to join
If you love Miata racing, SCCA Runoffs, and Mazda’s motorsports legacy, this one’s for you.
Truly Adams Becomes First American Finalist And Podium Finisher At FEED Racing Finals
At just 15 years old, Truly Adams has already etched his name in the history books. The young American from Riverside, California, became the first-ever U.S. finalist and podium finisher at the prestigious FEED Racing Volant F4 Finals in France. Competing against a global roster of rising stars, Adams’ performance at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours marked a defining moment, not just in his young career, but for American drivers looking to break into the European open-wheel scene.
From an initial pool of 62 international competitors, Adams was one of six selected to advance to the Grand Final. Racing under wet and dry conditions, he showcased both precision and composure, placing third overall in the “Finale Blanche” session with a 3-lap average of 1:52.297 in the rain. Earlier in the week, he dominated “Battle 2” with a best average time of 1:47.714 on a dry track.
Read more about his experience at The Gentleman Racer here.
Devon Hagelen Wins 2026 Ginetta Junior Scholarship
Devon Hagelen has made history as the youngest ever winner of the coveted Ginetta Junior Scholarship, with the 13-year-old talent securing himself a fully-funded season in the Ginetta Junior Championship next year.
A talented group of 50 young drivers battled it out to secure one of the biggest prizes in UK motorsport. The entrants’ driving skills were assessed on-track by an elite judging panel; Charlie Robertson, Adam Smalley, Sennan Fielding, Aston Millar, Max Coates, James Gornall, Josh Steed, Sean Doyle and Ryan Harper Ellam.
Check out all the details here.
FIA President Ben Sulayem Says Milestone Karting Event Will Provide Opportunities for Region’s Talent
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, founder of the MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup, says the competition will bring new opportunities for karting talent in the region as this year’s event prepares to get underway in Qatar.
“A range of karting categories will allow drivers at different stages of their early racing careers to prove themselves around the twists and turns of the Lusail Circuit, with six Rotax Max Challenge categories for drivers aged 8 and over and the R390 Sprint and R390 Endurance categories for ages 15 and above.”
ECR Teams With Cape For Indy NXT Effort
Ed Carpenter Racing has created a partnership with Cape Motorsports to join the Indy NXT field in 2026.
Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR will field two entries in Indy NXT, the developmental series of IndyCar. The teams will collaborate to provide technical support, testing opportunities for emerging drivers, and career development for engineers and mechanics. The Indy NXT entries will carry ECR’s team colors of Carpenter Blue and Indiana Gold, mirroring ECR’s NTT IndyCar Series Chevrolets.
In addition, ECR will partner with Jay Howard Driver Development in the USF Pro Championships (USF Juniors, USF2000, and USF Pro 2000).
Similar to the entries in Indy NXT, the Jay Howard Driver Development cars will also race in ECR’s team colors and carry the Powered by ECR moniker. The new ladder of Jay Howard Driver Development, Cape Motorsports, and ECR establishes a direct pathway to IndyCar.
Driver Development Program News & Resources
Champions of the Future Academy Program: A Springboard to Professional Motorsport
Karting has never been closer to the top tiers of motorsport. With the Champions of the Future Academy Program, the discipline now has a true talent accelerator designed to open the doors to professionalism for the next generation of drivers.
At the heart of the concept is an accessible, turnkey “arrive & drive” series, based on OK-N chassis and engines that are strictly identical to those used in FIA Karting. The idea is clear: pure driving skills take center stage, with no technical variables—allowing raw talent to shine and ensuring a level playing field rarely seen at this level. Here, there’s no race to the best equipment or astronomical budgets—only on-track performance counts.
Full details can be found here.
F1 ACADEMY Expands Support for Champions of the Future Academy for 2026
F1 ACADEMY has announced the renewal and expansion of its support for global karting series Champions of The Future Academy (COTFA), with up to twenty-seven young female drivers set to be supported by F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE in 2026.
As part of its continued global expansion, COTFA has introduced two new national initiatives, which will serve as regional feeder series to complement its international championship:
- The Champions of the Future Academy Program UAE, with select participants supported by F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE, a two-round national karting championship running across 2025–2026.
- The British Champions of the Future Academy Program, with select participants supported by F1 ACADEMY DISCOVER YOUR DRIVE, launching in 2026, which will run across four rounds.
Get more details on the programs here.
Toyota Australia partners with FIA Girls on Track
Motorsport Australia is pleased to announce Toyota Australia as an FIA Girls on Track partner, which sees the manufacturer use its global motorsport credentials to give more girls the opportunity to get involved in motorsport.
Kicking off the partnership at the Repco Bathurst 1000, the team at TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia gave one young girl the opportunity to work alongside Toyota’s Bathurst team: across events, sponsorships, PR and social properties.
More details on the initiative can be found here.
NXT Gen Cup Champion Lukas Stiefelhagen Handed BMW M Racing Academy Shootout Wildcard
BMW M Motorsport has awarded a coveted wildcard to 2025 NXT Gen Cup Champion Lukas Stiefelhagen, granting the 18-year-old Dutch driver a direct invitation to the official BMW M Racing Academy shootout this October.
Stiefelhagen claimed the all-electric junior touring car title after a standout season in the MINI Cooper SE-based LRT NXT1, taking seven wins across 14 races and securing the championship during the final round together with DTM at Sachsenring.
The wildcard secures Lukas a spot in the BMW M Racing Academy shootout in Munich on October 27–28 – and showcases the reputation NXT Gen Cup has built as a launchpad for young drivers with professional ambitions.
By awarding the wildcard, BMW M Motorsport highlights the potential of all-electric racing as a platform for developing racecraft and driver skills – and underlines how NXT Gen Cup is becoming a scouting ground for top-tier motorsport programs.
Last Week on The Business of Being a Race Driver
Motorsport Sponsorship Has Changed
Motorsport sponsorship has changed and it is up to you to understand how so that you can adapt. Last week’s Business of Being a Race Driver gives you more resources to help you take your sponsorship acquisition efforts up a notch.
From the Sim Racing Roundup
A Day in the Life of an F1 Test and Sim Driver
A day in the life of an F1 test and sim driver is just one of the topics covered in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup. You will learn the importance of the role and what it is like to work for an F1 team. I also have tips on how to become a faster sim racer and much more!
Driver Journeys
Dane Idelson: A Study in Perseverance
This is the story of Dane Idelson and his and his family’s story of survival from catastrophe this year.
Dane started racing at four years old. He’s a multi-time karting champion and he recently clinched his second Shifter Kart Championship of 2025. According to his dad How, “he’s as talented and focused as any young driver I’ve seen in my lifetime spent around motorsport.”
But talent and results alone don’t get you on to a professional grid anymore. Racing takes resources, connections, and opportunity, and right now, the family is out of all three.
In January, the Idelson family lost their home, its contents and all of their racing equipment in the Los Angeles fires. Dane’s school burned, his friends scattered, and everything familiar disappeared overnight. The family has been displaced ever since, moving from place to place just trying to stay on their feet.
Through all of it, racing has been the one constant.
It’s the only thing Dane hasn’t lost. It’s what gives him purpose, focus, and hope. Shortly after the fires, Dane won a scholarship shootout for a Formula 4 season, a huge opportunity, but he had to forfeit it because the family simply couldn’t raise the remaining funds that the scholarship didn’t cover. His father Howie is his mechanic, tuner, coach, and dad, and they’ve spent years traveling North America racing and winning on sheer grit and talent. According to Howie, “I’ve told Dane the truth: my lack of resources is the biggest obstacle between his ability and a pro career.”
Needless to say, Dane is looking for help, not sympathy but support. If you are able, you can connect with him here (add link).
The reason I am posting this in this week’s Driver’s Journey is to emphasize how much passion motorsport generates. Even when you have lost everything, the will to compete on track still shines through. Remember this when you are facing obstacles in your motorsport road ahead.
You can connect with Dane on Instagram at @daneidelson.
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a 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.
