How to improve driver feedback is just one of the racecraft tips featured in this week’s Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup. You will also go inside the cockpit with Robert Wickens, learn how drivers prepare for the Indy 500 and why Jzilla Track Days are different. All this and much more!
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
On-Track
Grassroots Motorsports magazine has some great articles on racecraft that I often post links to. Here are just three recent articles covering all kinds of racing.
- Left-foot braking: Your mileage may vary | BimmerWorld’s James Clay
- How a proper game plan can help deliver time trial success
- Every racer’s worst enemy? A lack of awareness
Samir Abid of Your Data Driven provides three simple questions to improve driver feedback. “If you give driver feedback (formally or not), it’s easy to fall into the habit of saying what you think needs fixing — or what others seem to be doing differently. What’s usually missing is the bit that matters most: what the car felt like to you.”
Robert Wickens is a paraplegic race car driver in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and currently drives with DXDT in their Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. He uses a custom hand control system that Bosch, Pratt Miller Motorsports, GM, and DXDT developed.
Wes McDougall from The Complete Race Driver explains why the data doesn’t lie. “In motorsport, laptime is everything—but the story behind the lap time is where the real gains live. If you’re still relying solely on seat-of-the-pants feel and the occasional GoPro replay to guide your development as a driver, you’re leaving serious performance on the table. These days, the quickest drivers are the ones who combine intuition with data-driven feedback.”
Off-Track
Jonathan M. Gitlin of Ars Technica talked to a few drivers in the days leading up to last weekend’s Indy 500 to find out how they prepare for the big race. “When we get here to the month of May, it’s just such a busy month. So you’ve got to be prepared mentally—and basically before you get to the month of May because if you start doing it now, it’s too late.” You can read the full article here.
Here are five small habits sports psychologists wish everyone did according to The Athletic.
Race Car & Series Developments
The format for the inaugural FIA TCR World Ranking Final at Vallelunga on November 21-23 has been revealed, featuring a qualifying race with a mandatory pit stop and a main race of 65km. Touring Car Times has all the details.
In the second year of its revival, the AU4 championship returns with a new name, a new promoter, and an updated format. Now led by AGI Sport, who take over from former promoters Top Speed, the series introduces a new multi-class structure to offer a more varied and competitive field.
While no longer FIA certified because of the changes in class structure and lower minimum age of 14, the championship continues to position itself as a valuable proving ground for junior drivers in Australia. Feeder Series looks ahead at what to expect from the 2025 season.
Mazda Motorsport has announced that a brand-new shopping experience is on the way! Launching June 2025, their redesigned eCommerce Motorsports Parts Store will offer a new and improved experience. Here is what you can expect.
Toyota Motor Philippines president Masando Hashimoto envisions building a car race culture in the Philippines, allowing car enthusiasts to thrive. “I don’t think it’s difficult. Having a Philippine Cup, and the track, or on a street race. This is really contributing to the motorsports hub. We have many car guys coming in, and this is really our objective,” Hashimoto told The Manila Times.
From the Sim Racing Roundup
How sim racing is launching women’s racing careers is just some of what is covered in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup. I also look at Max Verstappen’s extensive work developing simulator software used by Formula 2 and Formula 3 teams, how Extended Reality and sim racing are transforming motorsports in the United States plus much more!
Track Days
From the moment you head into the paddock at a Jzilla event–the group currently hits Atlanta Motorsports Park, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Barber Motorsports Park and Virginia International Raceway–it’s clear this isn’t your average cutthroat HPDE scene. The energy is chill, the people are welcoming, and there’s a sense of community that makes it feel more like a car club cookout than a high-stakes race weekend–except, you know, with helmets on and apexes being clipped.
Read more about Jzilla Track Days at Grassroots Motorsports here and on their site here.
Has Nissan finally made a worthy Z-car with the Z Nismo? Grassroots Motorsports takes one to the track to find out. “On paper, the Nismo version of Nissan’s newest Z looks like it should compete against some of the top performance sports cars in its class, like the Supra and Cayman. But like so many things that look good on paper, in the harsh light of the real world, Nissan may still have some work to do.”
Owners of the Ford GT Mk IV enjoy an exclusive opportunity to test the limits of performance with ‘Multimatic On Track.’
Providing a safe, controlled, and social environment to explore the GT Mk IV’s capabilities. Before every event, each Mk IV undergoes a thorough track shakedown—driven by development driver Scott Maxwell—and is meticulously prepared for the day on track. On the day of the event, owners receive one-on-one coaching and technical insights from professional racing drivers and technicians, ensuring they maximize their time on the track, which has been exclusively booked for them.
You can find out more here.
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.
