New on Motorsport Prospects This Week
This week the Debrief is positively brimming with motorsport goodness but before we get to that I just wanted to remind you of the week that was on Motorsport Prospects.
We kicked off the week with the now regular Sustainable Motorsport Round-Up. While the technology is fascinating, you will find some actionable initiatives you can engage in as a race driver that will incorporate sustainability in your life and your racing career.
I’m Batman.
Well you may not be in fact the Caped Crusader but you will feel like you are racing the Batmobile if you buy the KTM X-Bow GT4 race car that I featured this week in the Motorsport Prospects Marketplace. An absolutely unique race car.
Now on to the this week’s Motorsport Prospects Weekly Debrief.
Driver Development News, Tips & Techniques
The need for diversity in motorsport has refreshingly been discussed more openly recently and for good reason. For the sport to grow it needs to be open to all particpants regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, race or socioeconomic status. Being an inclusive AND affordable sport (relatively speaking as motorsport will always be more expensive than a typical stick and ball sport) is not only the right thing to do but imperative for the sport’s future and I find it astonishing that in 2021 anything but performance and hard work should be a barrier to someone participating in motorsport.
Here are a few articles which I urge you to read so that you and I can better understand the issues and therefore implement the solutions needed. Understanding what athletes from a diverse background are confronted with is the first step to being able to start to solve the problem, something that my interview with Carol Glenn was clear on.
Speaking about diversity in motorsport, the W Series has announced details of their new Driver Development Academy which should give selected drivers an opportunity to build both their skill set and visibility as they work to climb the motorsport ladder.
Feed Racing runs a yearly driver shootout where the winner is placed in a fully funded Formula 4 seat in Europe and this year’s winner is Ginetta Junior Robert De Haan. You can get more information on the Shootout and how to participate here.
Speaking of Shootouts, just a reminder that the Lucas Oil School of Racing Shoot Out takes place on December 14-16, 2021 in Sebring Florida. Full details and the online application form can be found here.
Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand have announced pre-season testing opportunities for potential Toyota Racing Series drivers. Set to take place July 21-22, 2021 at Hampton Downs. The testing sessions will involve six 30 minute sessions, driver coaching, data analysis and lunch will be provided. Email nicolas.caillol@toyotaracing.co.nz for more information. If you want to know about what one TRS graduate is up to, check out TRS – a route to Supercars and much more besides.
Staying in New Zealand, a new driver development initiative has been launched for Kiwi drivers. You can read more in Tony Quinn launches foundation to support promising Kiwi drivers.
Meanwhile, sportscar manufacturer Praga is set to announce their new Supercar Race Academy which according to the company the program will be a “comprehensive programme with race-winning credentials (that) is aimed predominantly at supercar and hypercar-owning motorsport enthusiasts wanting to take to the track.” Full details can be found here.
Porsche North America have finally brought North America inline with the rest of the world and introduced a North American Carrera Cup and with that they have “renovated” their Junior Driver program. Sportscar 365 goes inside the program to discuss what has changed and what has stayed the same.
So you have been bitten by the motorsport bug and you are looking at building up your racecraft and are wondering how and to pick out a driver coach? Ross Bentley has you covered in How do I find & select a driver coach? Once you have selected and worked with your coach you might then want to consult his article Five Strategies For Finding the Limit for your next steps.
Trying to get a handle on Data Acquisition? Tech Explained: Data Acquisition might help.
The demands on an F1 driver are extreme and this applies in equal measure to all drivers as they race. As a matter of fact in this article from Hintsa Performance they describe it as akin to “Playing Chess while Running a Marathon.” An apt description that most race drivers would agree with.
Speaking of Hinsta Performance, they have an extensive collection of helpful articles like the above that you can read for free. Their full and ever expanding content library can be accessed here.
Simon Hayes of Performance Physixx recently posted on LinkedIn a fascinating article entitled What Is Heart Rate Variability (HRV) & Why Does It Matter for Cognitive Training? An informative read for all high performance athletes.
Recovering from injury, especially an injury as devastating as that suffered by Juan Manuel Correa can be extremely hard not only physically but mentally as well. INSIGHT: Correa’s long road back to racing looks into his road to recovery and how he has worked hard to get himself back into the cockpit.
Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo is not only a fun loving joker but a serious and intense driver on the track and I would urge every driver to follow him on social media as he has some great tips for drivers. Here is a quote from a recent posting on LinkedIn which is good to keep in mind.
Before any big race, I always make room for some ‘me-time’ and self-reflection. It’s so important to review our own performance, think about what we’ve been doing well and where we could improve. It keeps us driven and focused on the next goal. If you can, set aside ten minutes today for your own self-reflection.
Daniel Ricciardo
All drivers and riders take physical and mental preparation seriously so it was fascinating to get a glimpse of two MotoGP drivers training at at the Lamborghini Drivers Lab. A nice glimpse into professional driver conditioning. Zarco and Pirro of Pramac Ducati train with the Lamborghini Squadra Corse drivers at the Drivers Lab in Sant’Agata Bolognese.
Strategy is a cornerstone of any race. Red Bull offer a peak of how they approach it in Making The Call – Shining A Light On Strategy.
Finally, driving a race car should be fun. Sounds obvious right? Too often, especially with young drivers we as parents, team members and the media put unbearable pressure on drivers to perform at their peak and attack them when they don’t. We often forget that young drivers are just that, young. They are not yet fully-formed as individuals both physically and mentally and yet we often treat them as if they are. I bring this up after reading that Thomas ten Brinke had quit racing with immediate effect. Pressure, excellence and the will to win are all vital for success in motorsport as well as life but let’s not forget that this is a sport and if you are not taking joy from competing on the track then you should really dig deep to understand why and confront any external pressure before taking this drastic step. The last thing any sport needs is to lose competitors because undue pressure is taking all the fun out of competing.
The Business of Being a Race Driver
Ikoniqa has just released their brand new Motorsport Deck Digital Download and have made it available to all drivers. According to Ikoniqa:
This deck is meant to be used as an informational deck, not a tailored proposal piece. That being said, users can certainly modify this deck to create a proper proposal piece if they know how to go about that, but the default set up we’ve created is meant to act as a way for you to simply provide useful information and convey your value in a professional manner to prospective sponsors and partners. The desired outcome we hope users can achieve through this deck is an ability to then initiate much more in-depth conversations with your prospect as you work out a deal. Sponsorship proposals, and pitching, is a completely separate topic worth diving deeper on in a future blog post.
https://www.ikoniqa.com/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-our-motorsports-deck-digital-product-including-why-its-pay-what-you-want-and-more
You can get all the details at All You Need to Know About Our Motorsports Deck Digital Product – Including Why it’s Pay What You Want, and More… and download the actual deck here.
I keep encouraging you to subscribe to Enzo Mucci’s YouTube channel and this week I have not one but two excellent videos that should help you as you work hard generating sponsorship off the track.
I have mentioned more than once the importance of understanding why a company would want to get involved in motorsport generally and sponsor you in particular. Articles like the following help you to understand their perspective and are important for tailoring your pitch to them. They may also be instructive in sharing with potential sponsors as a way to educate them on sponsorship and motorsport. Knowledge is power on both sides of the cockpit.
Series News
The buzz is getting stronger surrounding the new LMDh category set to race in the WEC and IMSA. Sportscar 365 has a great round-up on the current and potential manufacturer commitments, including that of who will be selling customer cars. Meanwhile Porsche has released new information on their plans going forward which in and of itself is exciting as we should be seeing a late 2021 rollout of their IMSA challenger.
In addition to their new driver academy I mentioned above, the W Series has announced that they are switching to a team-based championship starting next year with Puma W Series Team, Racing X, Veloce Racing Sirin Racing, Bunker Racing and M. Forbes Motorsport announcing their participation. Defying their critics, the W Series has definitely shown that they are here to stay and are a legitimate development opportunity for female racers globally.
The Business of Motorsport
There have been a lot if interesting developments in the greater world of motorsport related to new sponsorship initiatives with CBD and Cryptocurrency companies, private venture capital and NFTs. Here is just a taste of the recent news.
In motorsport legislative news, two important issues are moving to a (hopeful) conclusion. In the United States the RPM Act is picking up steam and support in Congress while the EU is finally going to deal with the unintended consequences of the 2014 Vnuk decision by making motorsport exempt from the new EU Motor Insurance Directive.
In Australia it looks like their SuperCars series will be changing hands soon. According to Supercars acquisition plans surface, two rival groups are bidding to buy the series.
Finally the always excellent LawinSport has a great summary of the regulatory issues in motorsport. A good read for the motorsport lawyers out there.
From the Motorsport Prospects Archives
Racing is expensive, that is something everyone reading this can agree on. So what are the options for somebody that wants to race but on a limited budget? That is exactly the question I posed to Jim Tramontano of No Money Motorsport. Check out What Are My Options of Racing on a Limited Budget? for his advice.
Coming Up on Motorsport Prospects
Next week you can look forward to an excellent interview I did with Paul Charsley of Speed Club and the Heart of Racing. We discuss his racing background, why he is such a fan of sportscar racing and some solid advice for both young and “gentleman” drivers. The interview will be published on Monday July 5th.
The Last Lap
The SCCA Foundation has announced their new Runoffs Sweepstakes with some pretty awesome prizes. Full details can be found here.
Sadly Aston Martin canceled their Valkyrie Hypercar that was intended for the WEC but they have announced a limited variant for the track only. It still would have been nice seeing one of these beasts battling it out on the track with Peugeot, Ferrari, Toyota and Glickenhaus.
Finally, everybody loves the rebel, the rule breaker, the contrarian. Heck just being a race driver means you are one if not all of these. The fine folks at Goodwood have put together a great video of 8 cars that have been banned that have made an appearance at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed. Awesomeness.
Stay safe and I will see you at the track!
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.