This week’s Racecraft & Driver Development News, Tips & Techniques covers everything from deciphering data to tips for parents of young race drivers. There are also scholarship deadlines to consider, career guidance and so much more. Enjoy!
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
- You have all that data, now what do you do with it? Grassroots Motorsports looks at how to decipher all that data you logged. “The cool part about data collection for driver analysis is that the simplest outputs can provide a wealth of information. Even the most budget-friendly data-acquisition hardware and software can output a speed graph, and that one shot, even at a quick glance, can aid driver improvement.”
- Samir Abid of Your Data Driven has gives advice on How To Choose The Best Lap Timer. “The goal is to help you get the best lap timer if you are starting out – or upgrading – at the amateur level in motorsports. The primary focus of these systems is analysing your driving. As they say on TV, other systems are available…“
- Over at Speed Secrets, Ross Bentley answers the question, What does “In a spin, both feet in” mean, and does it apply to PDK and semi-automatic cars?
- In one of their regular Racing Skills In 60 Seconds, Blayze looks at racing in wet conditions. “The number one thing drivers have to know is to experiment. Try different lines to find where the grip is.”
- Check out the video above analyzing Michael Schumacher’s driving style.
Driver Development News & Resources
- IMSA is now taking applications for their 2023 Diverse Driver Development Scholarship. “From now through July 22, qualified drivers may submit their application to be considered for the scholarship. Included among the benefits is a prepaid full-season entry fee for the recipient into either the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge or IMSA Prototype Challenge for 2023 and 50 percent of the full-season entry fee into one of those series for 2024. Added benefits of the scholarship bring its value to more than $250,000. To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates must be female or a member of an ethnic minority classification with a strong desire to compete in IMSA, have outstanding previous race results and/or proven on-track potential in junior racing categories, and the ability to create a compelling strategy to compete in a full season of one of the three IMSA-sanctioned series mentioned above.”
- Grassroots Motorsports has a great article on Shift Up Now called Shift Up Now: Advocating for female athletes in motorsports. “This is not an us-against-them [organization],” Kehoe notes. “This is a ‘Let’s work together to raise the tide.’”
- During the famous 24 hours of Le Mans, the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission held its first ever networking event gathering women from the industry on site, chaired by Deborah Mayer, FIA Women in Motorsport Commission President, with the support of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). “This new initiative of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission aims to create new opportunities of collaboration between women working in the paddock and develop common projects to increase the participation of women at all levels of the sport.”
- Motorsport UK has opened applications for Team UK with the first eight drivers for 2022 FIA Motorsport Games now announced. Applications to represent Team UK in the remaining disciplines – Formula 4, Esports, Karting Endurance, Karting Slalom, Karting Sprint Jr & Sr, Rally4 and Touring Cars – are now open, and will close at 23:59 on Friday, 8 July 2022. To register interest, competitors should fill out the application form, which can be found here: https://forms.gle/7vEQdXeA3sfG8txb7
- When I first launched Motorsport Prospects, I used to publish an occasional column called Parents in the Pits that talked to parents of young racers (something I plan to resurrect). Enzo Mucci has put together a great video called 7 Top Tips For Parents of Racing Drivers that should be required viewing for parents. You can watch it above.
- Episode 42 of the Your Data Driven podcast features Andre Lafond on deciding to follow the dream to race Indycars. Interestingly, while host Samir Abid and Andre talk about the role of coaching and how to give the most useful driver feedback to your engineers and crew, the young driver “gives us some surprising tips about how he uses mountain biking to help with his mental, as well as physical, preparation.”
- Vroom Kart has a great interview with Sebastien Buemi as he demonstrates that his is proof that there is more than just Formula 1.
- In the video above from Grassroots Motorsports, IMSA President John Doonan explains how to start a career in motorsports. “We talk with IMSA President John Doonan to learn what options are available for enthusiasts–whether you have a race car or not.”
- Stuttcars has a great article on Porsche Club of America Club racing. “In PCA racing, you don’t just buy a car and hit the track; there are a number of levels you have to go through before you turn a wheel in anger.”
- Max Verstappen is one of many drivers that argue that any potential F1 salary cap is “completely wrong” and “hurts young drivers.” In a recent Green Notebook column, Joe Saward tackles the issue and argues that such a cap may in fact give young drivers even more commercial opportunities than today. The key is in them controlling their NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rights. “The key is that the stars can make money from endorsements and so investors who put money into youngsters will still get their share of the overall returns. They will not go hungry. These days driver may not be keen to run their own commercial operations but they can afford to pay people to do so, rather than relying on the teams. Drivers can thus earn a lot and if they want more than the salary cap allows them, they can work a little harder to get it. It is actually more of a free market than is currently the case… So what it really means is that that there would be a realignment of the money flows, rather than a loss of revenue. It will add more value to the teams because they will have to pay out less, but it will not impact on sponsorship revenues, as long as the sport remains popular…“