This week in the Motorsport Series News Roundup has news on Ford’s new GT cars, a Po-Am race in Bahrain, a new incentive for Formula 4 at the Motorsport Games, news on the new Toyota GR Cup cars and more.
- Ford has revealed their new Mustang GT3 and GT4 race cars. “It was announced officially just before the 2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona that Ford was building and homologating its first GT3 version of the Mustang, and the first GT3 car produced by the company. Built in conjunction with Multimatic, it will be powered by a 5.4-liter Coyote-based V8 engine, although few other details have been revealed. Returning to factory-backed GT3 racing with an all-new Mustang GT3 (pictured above) that will also be available for customers, the car will make its debut at the Rolex 24 in 2024. In addition, Ford showed a new Mustang GT4 available for customers that will debut in the 2023 season. The car could see competition in IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge and SRO Pirelli GT4 America.”
- Lamborghini Squadra Corse has unveiled the first technical specifications of its LMDh project for its upcoming venture into the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the GTP class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. “In accordance with the LMDh regulations as issued by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the car will feature a hybrid power unit consisting of an internal combustion engine and an Energy Recovery System with a combined output of max 500 kw (681 hp). Alongside the single source ERS kit, Lamborghini has elected to use an 8-cylinder, 90-degree V-angle twin-turbo internal combustion engine developed by company’s motorsport department, Squadra Corse.”
- Bahrain International Circuit will host the inaugural Bahrain ProAm 1000 on January 28, 2023, in what’s being billed as a “ground-breaking” GT endurance race dedicated to gentlemen and semi-professional entrants. “The format will be open exclusively to Pro-Am and Am lineups, with Pro-Am featuring a combination of a FIA-rated Gold driver alongside Silver or Bronze co-drivers and the Am class dedicated to Silver and Bronze drivers only. In addition to a GT3 class, GT4 and Cup cars will also be eligible for the enduro.”
- The 2023 NASA Championships will be held at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania on September 7-10, 2023. “The moment you drive your first lap at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, you will fall in love with the track,” said NASA Chief Operating Officer, Jeremy Croiset. “The wooded and green rolling hills of western Pennsylvania create a stunning backdrop for the biggest race on our calendar. But it’s the challenging nature of the track, the elevation changes, off-camber turns, blind rises and fast straightaways that will make it an exciting venue for our 2023 NASA Championships, and we’re proud to partner with Pitt Race for this event.”
- The drivers competing in Formula 4 at this year’s FIA Motorsport Games will not only compete for a gold medal for their country but a bonus prize of €10,000 provided by chassis manufacturer, KCMG. “The bonus prize will assist the winning racer in the next step of their career. Of the 20 drivers that entered the F4 Cup in 2019, many have continued to move up the motorsport ladder, racing in a wide array of major events and championships, including FIA Formula 3, Super Formula, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
- A number of changes have been made to various dates on SRO Motorsports’ 2023 European calendars including:
- CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa moves to 1-2 July due to Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix taking over its traditional dates
- Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS calendar altered in line with marquee event
- Further changes to other SRO calendars confirmed for 2023
- The changes to the SRO Motorsports calendars has necessitated a change in the 2023 Intelligent Money British GT Championship calendar.
- As reported by Racer, Toyota’s new GR Cup Car is ready to race. “My first experience of the GR86 Cup car car was at Sebring, and I was thinking that driving a production-based car on a hot, slippery race track wouldn’t be much fun,” recalls Barnicoat. “But it turned out to be exactly the opposite. It felt like a proper racecar right away. We pushed it quite hard through its entire range of allowable setup changes, and every change made an effect on the car’s balance in the way you would expect.”
- New Zealand’s Toyota Racing Series has renewed its partnership with the Road to Indy program. “The pandemic impacted our initial partnership due to international travel restrictions, and we look forward to bringing this programme back online,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “TRS attracts drivers from around the globe and it’s an excellent training ground during our off-season with plenty of track time and great competition – a perfect precursor to our Spring Training and 2023 calendar kick-off. It also allows us to introduce drivers to the Road to Indy with two-day events at either our Fall Combine or Spring Training open tests on whichever level of the ladder is appropriate for them.”