A non-profit race team that is focused on nurturing driver talent is just part of what you will find in this week’s edition of the Driver Development Roundup.
I also take you behind the scenes of the recent Porsche North America Junior Program boot camp, details on the new Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship and the deadline for applying to the Team Porsche New Zealand scholarship.
All this and much more in this week’s Driver Development Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. Its news aspiring race drivers can use.
The young stars of the Porsche Motorsport North America Junior Program hit the weights and were pushed to the limit at Georgia State University this year as part of their 2023 Junior Workshop. 12 racers from the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America and the Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama took part and you can see what they were up to in the video above.
Team Porsche New Zealand (TPNZ) is also opening the application process for its scholarship program to support a young Kiwi motorsport talent to drive in the 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia series.
This will be the fourth year that Porsche New Zealand is running the scholarship program, after the success of Matthew Payne in 2021 and Callum Hedge and Ryan Wood in 2022. In 2023, Zac Stichbury has been driving in the Sprint Challenge scholarship seat, however, it has been announced in 2024 he will be graduating into the Carrera Cup seat, which has been held by Callum Hedge for his second year in 2023.
Applications are open until 30th September 2023. To apply for this scholarship, candidates will need to attach a CV as well as a 300-word summary of why they should be the next Team Porsche New Zealand Driver. A short list of applicants will then be chosen for interviews and assessments before a final selection will be made.
More details can be found here.
Time Attack Manila reports that 10 drivers are to represent the Philippines in the Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship 2023.
“Organized with the collaboration of the regional ASNs, the APMC was designed to allow countries to compete against each other at a lower cost. Itβs also envisioned to be a stepping stone to help participants, teams, and drivers who aim to compete on an international level as it provides valuable exposure and experience that only an event of this scale can offer. The APMC follows regulations set by the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) and aligned with the FIA International Sporting Code. The inaugural event will take place at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) from the 30th of September to the 1st of October and run 5 disciplines simultaneously.”
The Motorsport UK Academy has announced the drivers who have been awarded a place on the Enhanced Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) program for the 2023 / 2024 academic year, that started this month. Delivered in collaboration with Loughborough College, the Enhanced DiSE programme gives talented young drivers and co-drivers, who are serious about a career in motorsport, the opportunity to gain academic qualifications while competing.
Daily Sportscar reports that Saxony-based team AiM GT is set to enter the DTM championship in 2024 with Honda for what would be the Japanese marqueβs first full-season entry into the German championship, should the teamβs entries be accepted. The interesting part of the announcement is that the team is a non-profit.
The team describes itself as a non-profit racing team where βbudgets do not count in the cockpit allocation, only driving talentβ. It will hand opportunities to drivers who cannot bring significant sums of money to race programmes.
Frizzi Arnold plans to use AiM GT to take the promotion of young talent to a new level. At talent scouting sessions this autumn, the team wants to put together the team for the upcoming 2024 DTM season.
In addition to Arnold, who in addition to managing the team also looks after its marketing, BjΓΆrn Friedrich and Klaus Peter Melchiori form part of AiM GTβs management.
AiM GT To Enter DTM With Honda
Motorsport Week asks the question, is Formula E becoming a more attractive option for young drivers? “In many ways, FE can actually open more doors and opportunities than F1, with several current FE drivers competing in the World Endurance Championship alongside their FE commitments. This isnβt possible in F1 and highlights why the current FE calendar works so well for those competing in the sport.”
Whether you are a seasoned professional race car driver or an aspiring driver looking to break into motorsports, there are more factors to consider than just getting a shot and a seat. In the video above, Racing Prodigy CEO, David Cook, breaks down the biggest barrier to overcome for a long and sustainable racing career.
The Leaders Performance Institute has released an excellent special report on the challenges facing disabled individuals who may be discouraged from participating in sport.
‘You can’t be what you can’t see’ may be a clichΓ©, but when it comes to participation in sport it’s true, and especially so for disabled individuals who might think it’s physically impossible to take part in a certain sport.
Performance Special Report: Breaking Down the Barriers
Disabled fans seeing themselves represented at live sport is key for boosting participation, and one of the reasons why Team BRIT’s Chris Overend believes accessibility at race circuits need to be improved, as he explains in our latest Performance Special Report.
Download your (free) copy of ‘ππ«πππ€π’π§π ππ¨π°π§ ππ‘π πππ«π«π’ππ«π¬’ here: https://leadersinsport.com/performance-institute/reports/performance-special-report-breaking-down-the-barriers/
Finally, if you have not been reading my Sim Racing Roundup column, you are missing out on some great information. Last week I looked at how Max Esterson is transitioning from iRacing to real-world racing and the challenges and opportunities it presents. I also feature an opportunity for some sim racing training for those planning to compete for the Ginetta Junior Scholarship, the truth behind Jann Mardenboroughβs secret racing lines and understanding understeer and oversteer. You can read the post here.
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.
