LMP2 faces a pivotal moment as teams are waiting on when the next rules cycle takes effect and what the implications are for the grid. Full details in this week’s Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup. I also have a video on the importance of race drivers delivering on demand, how to make sense of your data and new life for old racing cars in this week’s edition of the Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
On-Track
Some wise words from Enzo Mucci in the video above. “Obviously a pro racing driver is a person who can drive quickly, but just as importanly they can also perform on demand and maximise themselves every time they hit the track. Make sure you can do this.”
In their first Racing Line Fundamentals series, Paradigm Shift Driver Development looks at the ideal racing line in Learn Why the Ideal Acceleration Point is at the Apex of a Corner and Why Straightaway Length Doesn’t Affect the Ideal Racing Line.
“Determining the correct acceleration point is a key part of optimizing a racing line, so in this lesson, we’ll go over a simple way to visualize and understand why the ideal acceleration point is at the apex and why straightaway length doesn’t affect the ideal line through a corner. This doesn’t mean that every driver should accelerate at the apex every time however, so make sure to read through to the end of the lesson to find out why.”
Off-Track
Grassroots Motorsports explains how to decipher on-track data. “So let’s talk about turning those squiggles into speed. What, exactly, should you pay attention to, even if you have just minutes or even seconds to review your data in between sessions?”
Race Car & Series Developments
What’s next for the LMP2 class? Well, as Stephen Kilbey of Daily Sportscar explains, it’s complicated. “This consensus though, appeared to have changed by the week of the ELMS opener in Barcelona a month later. One source told DSC that “a total delay to 2027 or beyond seemed almost inevitable”, with an announcement regarding the timeline expected ahead of Round 2 in Paul Ricard.”
The remaining races on the 2024 Nürburgring Endurance Series calendar have been cancelled, as the organizers shift their focus to the 2025 season. A statement from the organizers in part read:
“Despite sufficient sponsors, intensive efforts and numerous conversations regarding the organisation of the races, the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NES) is cancelling all race events scheduled for 2024. At the same time, the NES will be focussing immediately on preparations for the 2025 racing season. In order to enable the teams to have a perfect 2025 racing season with ideal conditions, the NES will cancel the remaining race dates for 2024 and use the capacity to train additional neutral marshals. The first dates of the training, which is free of charge for participants, will be announced shortly on the nes.de website.”
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand has confirmed that it will launch a new winter series for its older generation Toyota 86 cars next season. The new Toyota 86 Trophy Series will begin in May 2025 and will run exclusively over the winter months.
“Motorsport is a feature of our wider strategy here in New Zealand,” he explained. “In the case of the new Toyota 86 Trophy Series it is a reflection not only of our passion for supporting the sport at grassroots level but to also find a sustainable solution for the earlier generation car. That passion is actually part of our core corporate values.”
PRI looks at the pivotal roles that data acquisition, wind tunnel testing, and simulation have taken in dirt late model racing. “I think that if you look at a 10-year-old car compared to today’s car, the chassis are very similar,” explained Aaron Lambert of Penske Racing Shocks, Reading, Pennsylvania. “The bigger changes are happening in the technologies that are being used—how data is collected, and how we do testing. As more folks come in with experience from NASCAR, and other forms of racing where aerodynamics plays a big role, it has definitely affected where dirt late model teams are focusing their efforts.”
Racing Opportunities
The P1 Groupe has some drives available. Contact them here for further information.
2024 drives available in SRO GT America for Bronze rated drivers or in SRO GT4 America for Pro/Am, Silver or Am driving lineups in the McLaren Artura GT4. Cars and drives will be available for the 2025 Artura Trophy America championship. Contact for details on any of these opportunities that are of interest.
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.
