The BAC Mono Cup has been introduced with the manufacturer behind the series calling it “the world’s fastest one-make championship” when it starts racing later this year. I have the details as well as some great racecraft tips, a review of the AIM Formula Steering Wheel 4 and much more in this week’s edition of the Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup.
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Racecraft Tips & Techniques
On-Track
Ross Bentley of Speed Secrets explains how to rotate your car. “Over the past few months, I’ve written a lot about braking into a corner in a way that helps you rotate the car, but it seems I haven’t explicitly explained how to do that. So, here goes: how to deliberately practice and develop your car rotation skills.”
Ross also answers the question: What are the 3 most important things to focus on for a relatively new HPDE driver?
Endurance Races can last up to 24 hours at some events in both IMSA and WEC, and to power the exciting on-track action, you’re going to need some serious tech. Not only that, but the governing bodies need to police the racing, and with 59 cars running at 2024’s Daytona 24, that could easily be a daunting task. In the video above, Autosport sent Blake Hinsey / @brrrake, former Formula 1 Performance Engineer, to chat with the teams, drivers, IMSA’s team and @boschmobility, who supply a huge amount of tech and data to the race series, to find out more on the tech powering Endurance Racing.
Samir Abid of Your Data Driven is holding a 2-part live workshop called the Aim Solo Cookbook on interpreting your AIM Solo data. “Your AiM Solo data can tell you how to improve your driving. If only you knew– or could remember– how. A special 2-part live workshop to get you from icon to insights– quickly.”
Over two 45-minute live sessions, I’ll show you exactly what buttons to press – in what order. Using nothing more than AiM Solo data you’ll discover what happened, where and why– so you can improve your driving for next time. You’ll discover 7 of my favourite go-to approaches.
Full details and how to sign up can be found here.
Last year AiM discontinued the production of the popular Formula Wheel 3 and replaced it with a brand new, all in one unit called the SW4 (or Formula Steering Wheel 4). Packed with the latest technology, a full colour screen and more buttons than ever, is this new wheel any good? Even more important, is it applicable for people with older cars that have no ECU stream or very basic information? The video above by James Colborn attempts to find out.
Off-Track
IMSA racer Mark Kvamme and his wife Meg are taking a big step forward in bringing drivers into a large brain health and benchmarking study, which complements IMSA’s benchmarking efforts through its IMPACT testing. Check out the video above for all the details.
Becoming a championship racer isn’t just about having the fastest car or the most advanced equipment; it’s about mastering the mental game. In this blog post from MotiV8 Training, they explore the essential elements of the championship racer mindset and provide practical tips for developing it.
In the video above, Daniel Morad goes over everything he packs for his race weekends.
Dion von Moltke of Blayze explains the Free Hang off Bench Neck Flexion to Neutral Hold exercise which will help with developing your neck muscles.
Race Car & Series Developments
British car manufacturer Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has announced the Mono Cup, a new racing series set to take place in the Middle East. In collaboration with BAC Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF), Mono Cup will operate on an ‘arrive-and-drive’ basis and will be coordinated by the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC).
The Mono Cup will commence in winter 2024/25 and run for six months. Jeddah Corniche will serve as the home circuit for the series, with Middle Eastern tracks in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates featuring. The championship is open to competitors who hold an International C race license, with car setup, management and logistics taken care of by BAC Motorsport and its partners.
More details can be found here.
Track Days
Men’s Journal has reviewed the 2024 Nissan Z NISMO which they describe as track-ready right out of the box. “The latest, 7th generation of the Nissan Z—which was launched as an all-new 2023 model—is already offered in Sport and Performance versions. But for 2024, it’s now also available as a NISMO (Nissan Motorsports) version. This edition’s 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo puts out 420 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque—and peak torque is delivered from 2,000 rpm all the way through 5,200 rpm.”
MotorTrend has also reviewed the 2024 Nissan Z NISMO but are not completely convinced. “NISMO” is derived from Nissan Motorsports, and although the acronym represents the pinnacle of performance for Nissan, the Z Nismo leaves us wanting a bit more. Sure, it’s a fun car on the road and it will please many enthusiasts with its driving dynamics, growling engine, and plentiful punch, but the objective performance that results is too similar to that of the regular Z, which makes us wonder if the $13,000 difference is worth such negligible enhancements and the NISMO’s red-colored details and somewhat cooler appearance.”
Laps for Laguna, a Benefit for the Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation, is looking for drivers for their event taking place from May 31 – June 2.
“An event created by CSRG and the Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation to raise money for LSRF. You will be walking on some hallowed ground. Names like Moss, Clark, Surtees, Gurney, McLaren, Hulme have graced the track & now you will get a chance to race where the greats have run & benefit a charity at the same time. A complimentary Saturday morning track breakfast before the drivers’ meeting is included. A great racing experience is our aim—plus you will have Monterey and Carmel at your doorstep!”
Full details can be found 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.