New race series and race cars dominate this week’s edition of the Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup. Four new series and three new race cars are featured in addition to some great racecraft advice, tips on dealing with mental fatigue and much more.
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
On-Track
In the video above, Samir Abid of Your Data Driven looks to answer the question, is testing on old tires worth it? “Many will tell you testing on old tyres is a waste of time. Is that true? And if not then how will that effect the balance of your car when you finally bolt on new tyres. Some tips and suggestions for me on what the variables are and how you can approach this – specifically around the balance.”
In the second installment of Safe Is Fast‘s RRDC Legends series, David Donohue recalls fending off Juan Pablo Montoya to win the 2009 Daytona 24 Hours by just 0.167 seconds – the closest finish in the race’s history. Sharing the Brumos Racing Porsche with Buddy Rice, Antonio Garcia and Darren Law, David also emulated his late father Mark’s victory at Daytona 40 years prior. You can watch it above.
Peter Krause in Grassroots Motorsports explains how to shorten lap times–one section of track at a time. “Improving lap times when self-coaching is kind of like eating an elephant. You have to start small. Without a detailed plan, that goal is going to be really hard to achieve.” Read more here.
Off-Track
Soma Technologies goes into detail on Understanding Mental Fatigue and Its Impact on Athletic Performance.
Mental fatigue (MF) is more than just feeling tired; it’s a state that can significantly impair both cognitive and physical performance. For athletes, this can mean the difference between winning and losing. Understanding how different cognitive tasks contribute to MF is crucial for optimizing training and performance.
Recent research has highlighted how various mental tasks affect MF and subsequent performance. This blog explores a study comparing two cognitive tasks: the classic Stroop task and a new adaptive Time Load Dual Back (TLDB) task. By examining their impacts, we aim to provide insights into how you can enhance your athletes’ training regimen and achieve peak performance.
Read more here.
Race Car & Series Developments
The 750 Motor Club announced the Swift Sport Challenge; a new entry-level formula for 2025 that brings with it the next generation of technical and sporting cost control, as part of the 85-year old club’s continual drive to maintain low-cost circuit racing in an ever more challenging economic climate.
At the core of the Swift Sport Challenge are various new concepts that aim to reduce the ‘cost to be competitive,’ with regulations set to include details such as incentivising road-going cars, disincentivising spending on pre-race test days and removing the ability to use costly performance-enhancing data logging equipment.
Other concepts set to feature include a variation in the length of the sprint races involved, plus morning sessions that roll an inclusive untimed practice directly into a shorter timed qualifying to allow testing and novice familiarisation without funding unnecessary downtime in-between sessions.
You can read more about the series here.
The bespoke Chevron B1417 designed for the new TOCA Junior category that will support the British Touring Car Championship from 2025 has been unveiled at a launch.
The B1417 – so designated because TOCA Junior is for drivers aged between 14 and 17 – is a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive saloon that has been designed to meet the highest safety standards.
A total of 26 cars will be available for teams to buy for the inaugural season next year, with outfits able to formally register for the championship from Thursday. The cost of one of the new cars is £78,500 without VAT, or £94,200 once VAT is factored in.
You can get more details on the championship here.
McLaren Motorsport has revealed the new Artura Trophy EVO, which is set to increase levels of performance and excitement in the McLaren Trophy from 2025 with additional levels of power, grip, and driver engagement, while a new Pro category and McLaren Trophy Academy Program will bring additional energy to the championships.
Eligible for entry to the McLaren Trophy championships from the 2025 season – which includes the new McLaren Trophy, America – the Artura Trophy EVO takes the unrestricted power of its predecessor to new levels. Drivers will now benefit from a ‘Push to Pass’ button that increases the 585PS available from the 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine to 620PS. Deployment of this system will be regulated to increase strategy options available to the competitors.
You can find more information here. Check also Racing Opportunities below if you are interested in racing in the championship.
Ford Performance will expand its portfolio of racing platforms for the Mustang Dark Horse R next year with the launch of the Mustang Cup. The USAC-sanctioned series will serve as an entry point into racing for Mustang enthusiasts, sitting below Mustang Challenge, which kicked off this year and will continue under IMSA sanctioning.
Ford Performance global motorsports director Mark Rushbrook said the addition of Mustang Cup completes the brand’s ladder system, from the Ford Performance Racing School to club racing and Cup and Challenge competition with the Dark Horse R, to the Mustang GT4 and Mustang GT3, which was also introduced this year.
Read more at Sportscar365.
Europe’s premier winter racing series, proving that racing has no off-season. The Gedlich racing winter series delivers the very best racing at the most beautiful locations in Europe. No other region on earth offers such a high density of FIA-grade race tracks with outstanding weather. FF Corse offer test and race support for this fantastic series, which is perfect for some winter sun and pre-season testing.
Race Format
- Each Event 4 Days
- 2 Test Days / 2 Qualifying Sessions
- 2 x 30 minute Races / 1 x 55 minute Race
- Participation is possible with a National Race Licence, gaining signatures to upgrade to an International C Race Licence
- Drive solo, or as a pair
- Livestream and highlights video for all races
- Full Season Entry Fee only €23,000, including the test days! That’s 20 days on track!
2025 Calendar
- Estoril, Portugal – 16-19 January
- Portimao, Portugal – 23-26 January
- Valencia, Spain – 13-16 February
- Aragon, Spain – 27 February – 2 March
- Barcelona, Spain – 6-9 March
Full details can be found here and you can download the series brochure here.
A new era for NACAM Formula 4 is moving closer to reality, as a season launch was held at Puebla’s Autodromo Miguel E. Abed.
The championship announced in mid-November last year that it would retire its first-generation Mygale chassis (that had been in use since 2015) to switch to second-generation, halo-shod F4 cars for its 2024 season.
Three days later a seven-round calendar running from June to December and including the now-traditional Formula 1 support slot at the Mexico City Grand Prix was revealed, as was the information that the Tatuus T-421 would succeed the Mygale and be fitted with a 1.4-litre Abarth engine.
Read more about the series launch at Formula Scout.
Lamborghini has unveiled the new super sportscar on which its next-generation GT3 racer will be based. The Lamborghini Temerario, launched on Friday in Monterey California, is the replacement in the Italian manufacturer’s range for the Huracan road and race cars. Racing versions will supersede the Huracan GT3 EVO2 in 2026 and the one-make Super Trofeo EVO2 car the year after. Autosport has more details.
BMW M Motorsport has revealed that it is developing a brand new entry-level racer that will complete its portfolio of customer racing cars and serve as the successor to the BMW M235i Racing, BMW M240i Racing and BMW M2 CS Racing. This car will be sub-GT4 and GT3 in performance terms, act as a stepping stone for customers to its flagship models and is expected to debut in the 2026 season. Read more at the BMW website.
The SCCA National Championship Runoffs is headed to Road America on Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024, and this 60th anniversary celebration promises to be spectacular.
This fall, 26 drivers will be crowned National Champions and hundreds more drivers, volunteer workers, family, and crew will be there to witness it all. Fueled officially by Sunoco and unofficially by cheese and bratwurst, it’s going to be an event to attend no matter your role.
To get there, though, there are numerous important dates to be aware of. Check out the SCCA website here for all the details.
As for 2025, the SCCA website also has some details on what is to come for 2025.
TC America presented by Skip Barber Racing School will remain a standalone series next year despite an initial proposal from SRO America to have it be absorbed within GT America powered by AWS races. Meanwhile, the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS will retain its existing race format, while introducing a ban on tire warmers for the 2025 season.
The Real Way to Dakar is a race that hoped to loosely mirror the former route of the legendary Paris–Dakar Rally, running from Europe to the capital of Senegal. After fourteen years, however, the race and its organizing body Intercontinental Rally have shut down. The Checkered Flag explains why.
Starting in the 2025 season, the FIA European Hill Climb Championship (EHCC) will categorize Category 2 cars into one of four groups based on their performance, using a Performance Factor (Pf) system. This system, already in use for Category 1, is undergoing testing in Category 2 during the 2024 season to ensure the accuracy of performance calculations before it becomes fully operational next year. PMW has all the details.
Michelin has released the Michelin Pilot Sport Gravel tire in North America, following its successful launch in Europe. This tire is now available for competitors in the American Rally Association and the Canadian Rally Championship, and other series. PMW has the details.
(Press Release) Autobahn Country Club has announced its strategic partnership with Exclusive Autosport (EA), marking a significant milestone in the world of driver development. This collaboration will see EA joining Autobahn’s esteemed Driver Academy and becoming the exclusive provider of open-wheel racing instruction at Autobahn’s premier racing facility.
As part of this exciting partnership, EA will play a pivotal role in nurturing and developing the next generation of open-wheel racing talent. By integrating their extensive expertise with Autobahn’s world-class infrastructure, EA is set to provide an unparalleled platform for young drivers transitioning from karting to open-wheel racing.
More details can be found here.
Track Days
Mercedes-AMG has unveiled a limited edition customer version of its modified GT3 car that broke the Mount Panorama lap record in the hands of Jules Gounon earlier this year. Named the ‘Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 130Y Motorsport,’ the car was created as part of the brand’s celebrations of its 130-year presence in motorsport. Sportscar365 has more details.
Racing Opportunities
Team Principle and managing partner of Orlando Motorsports Services, essentially the race team arm of McLaren Orlando, Eric Burch, has informed me that they will be fielding multiple cars in the new McLaren Trophy Series, and already fulfilling orders of those cars for clients. They also have a few brand-new Artura GT-4’s in stock that are able to be run as-is in either IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge or SRO GT4 America. The GT4 is also able to be converted to full Trophy EVO spec for the 2025 series.
If you are interested in racing in either the GT4 or Trophy for 2025, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Eric can be reached at eric@p1groupe.com.
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.
