Racing in the heat is just one of the racecraft tips you’ll learn in this week’s Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup. I also have details on how the FIA plans to support and invest in grassroots rallying, a closer look at the Ferrari 296 GT Modificata, and much more.
Overview
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
Finding Tenths
The ability to find time can be the difference between starting on pole and in the mid-pack. Learn from top drivers in this latest tutorial on where to find extra tenths.
How to Maximize Your Cooldown Lap–and Not Screw Up Others’ Flyers
A cooldown lap may not make you any faster, but doing it properly is an important part of being a considerate and competent track driver. Grassroots Motorsports explains how drivers in time trials and track-day sessions can safely get off the racing line, communicate their intentions and avoid interfering with competitors still chasing fast laps. It’s a deceptively simple skill that comes down to situational awareness, communication and understanding what the drivers around you are trying to accomplish—all essential elements of good track etiquette.
Racing in the Heat
The Lone Star Le Mans exposed one of the defining challenges of modern endurance racing: heat management is as much a strategic problem as a physical one. In Austin, extreme temperatures put drivers, cars and teams under intense pressure, making cooling, tire management, driver changes and preparation critical to surviving a six-hour race. The weekend also highlighted how endurance racing continues to push teams toward increasingly sophisticated approaches to managing the human and mechanical limits of performance. The Athletic has their full analysis here.
The Limits of Driver Cooling
The physical and mental demands of racing in extreme heat can be easy to underestimate—until the heat starts affecting performance. This post from Dan Wells draws on first-hand experience to explain why heat acclimatization, hydration, pre-cooling and mental preparation should be treated as essential parts of a driver’s race preparation rather than last-minute considerations. With cockpit temperatures potentially becoming extreme in hot-climate events, the message is particularly relevant as more racing takes place in challenging conditions: fitness alone is not enough. Drivers need a deliberate heat-management strategy to maintain concentration, decision-making and consistency throughout a stint.
Jasraj Singh Sidhu on High-Performance Motorsport
Elite performance starts long before the lights go out. Jasraj Singh Sidhu explains to The Hairpin why habits, recovery and preparation shape successful racing careers. “Build the Athlete before the driver.” Read the full interview here.
Future Lap: How Analytics Identifies Driver Talent
Last week on the Motorsport Prospects Podcast I interviewed Liselott Lading of Future Lap who explains the importance of analytics in identifying driver talent and how Future Lap is democratizing this data.
Listen to the full episode here!
How We Go Racing at a New Track by Former F1 Strategist Ruth Buscombe
Racing at a brand-new circuit is a strategy challenge unlike almost anything else in Formula 1: there is little historical data, countless unknowns and almost no margin for error. In this three-part series, former F1 strategist Ruth Buscombe takes readers inside the process of preparing for a new track, from gathering basic circuit information and identifying potential strategic advantages to interpreting Friday running, tire behavior and degradation. She also revisits a costly mistake from her own career and explains what it taught her about decision-making under uncertainty. Together, the pieces offer a fascinating look at how F1 teams turn limited information into race-winning decisions—and why, at a new circuit, finding just one advantage the competition has missed can make all the difference.
Read all 3 parts of the article through the links below:
- How we go racing at a new track, part 1
- How we go racing at a new track, part 2
- How we go racing at a new track, part 2.5: the error that haunts me
Race Car & Series Developments
How the FIA Plans to Support and Invest in Grassroots Rallying
Talent finding initiatives such as FIA Rally Star could be set for a revival as part of the FIA’s plan to inject funding back into the World Rally Championship and grassroots rallying.
“This doesn’t work anymore. So we improved it. We improved the Formula E [agreement]. But rallying is so important. It’s not about the money. It’s about working together with the promoter as one body, injecting [funding] back into the sport, making it much better with all of the challenges, listening to the teams, listening to the driver, listening to the fans, and listening to the media.”
Autosport has the details here.
British GT Legend Andrew Howard Announces Retirement
British GT’s most successful Am driver, Andrew Howard, will retire from full-time modern motorsport at the end of 2026. A career spanning 27 years, 13 British GT wins across all classes and two overall GT3 drivers’ titles comes to a close at Brands Hatch on September 27 when he is due to start his 157th and final British GT race. That’s 43% of the championship’s 362 races (as it will be at that point).
The reason he is retiring? “In short, despite the competitive fires burning in me just as intensely as 10 or 15 years ago, I just don’t have the time and energy to commit myself 100 per cent to racing any more. The game has moved on over the past decade and it’s clear that younger Am drivers, who can race weekend after weekend in a variety of series, train in the gym every day and spend lots of time on the simulator, are at a big advantage. If you can’t do all that, your performance suffers, and when that happens, it’s harder to enjoy it.”
Read his full interview here.
IndyCar’s New Licensing Standards Solve a Minor Problem – But Risk Creating a Lot of New Major Ones
IndyCar wants to put greater emphasis on driver talent, but its new licensing standards could have unintended consequences. This analysis from Marshall Pruett at RACER looks at how tighter requirements—particularly for Indy NXT graduates—could affect drivers, teams and the financial model that has long helped keep some IndyCar entries on the grid.
Read the full article at RACER.
Motorsport Australia Removes Historic Tobacco Livery Exemptions
Motorsport Australia has removed the exemptions that allowed some historic racecars to compete in period tobacco sponsorship, replacing them with a requirement for every car to comply with current federal tobacco advertising laws. Already, a petition has been launched in opposition to the move.
The Nürburgring 24 Hours is Finally Getting the Hype it Deserves
The article from Mike Channell on the Top Gear website argues that the Nürburgring 24 Hours is finally receiving the attention it deserves, helped significantly by Max Verstappen’s participation. It explores what makes the race so compelling—not just the spectacle, but its unique combination of endurance, difficult weather, a huge and varied field, and its importance as a real-world development laboratory for manufacturers and suppliers. The author also highlights how Verstappen’s involvement through sim racing helped bring a new audience to the event.
Ferrari Challenge To Introduce Endurance Format In ’27
Ferrari has announced that in its Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli one-make series will debut a new endurance format in 2027 for three of the seven rounds on the European-based calendar, as well as in the North American series.
In Europe, the events at Misano, Hockenheim and Valencia will feature two races of 40 minutes plus one lap, with a mandatory pit stop window between minutes 15 and 25, allowing for driver changes.
Check out all the details at Dailysportscar.
Entries Open for 2027 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America Season
Entries are now open for the expanded 2027 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama season, featuring eight events, 16 races and the series debuts of the Porsche 911 Cup (Type 992.2) and new Porsche 911 Challenge.
Full details can be found here.
FIA President Targeting GT1 Revival With Halo Brands
A story strand circulating over the past couple of weeks was that a potential program is looming to resurrect GT1, featuring some of the halo brands and models from the current marketplace for road-going and/or track-focused cars of stratospheric performance levels.
The suggested involvement of the FIA in discussions with relevant manufacturers led DSC to seek clarification, and the answers to some polite questions have proved interesting.
FIA Motorsport Funding Programs
Don’t let a great idea stall because of budget constraints. The FIA is committed to supporting our Member Clubs in developing accessible, inclusive motorsport at every level.
They’ve simplified the funding grant application process and have a dedicated team ready to guide you every step of the way. Watch the video here to here from FIA Secretary General for Sport, Valerio Iachizzi, to learn more, and explore the opportunities available before take the next step in bringing your project to life.
2027 Calendar News
- F4 Germany announces provisional calendar (F4 Germany)
- Legends of Le Mans – A 2027 calendar with four meetings including the 24 Hours of Le Mans (Legends of Le Mans)
- 2027 GT Cup Championship calendar announced ahead of 20th Anniversary (GT Cup Championship)
- Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East will suspend its activities for the 2026 season (PCCME)
From the Sim Racing Roundup
How Simulators Prepare Trans Am Drivers
How simulators prepare Trans Am drivers is just some of what you will learn in last week’s Sim Racing Roundup. I also have the answer to whether sim racing can actually prepare you for real racing and much more!
Track Days
Meet the 296 GT Modificata: Ferrari’s Latest Track Special
Ferrari has unveiled the 296 GT Modificata, a track-only two-seater derived from the 296 GT3 Evo and designed exclusively for non-competitive events in the manufacturer’s Club Competizioni GT program. Ferrari presented the new model digitally during the Ferrari Racing Days event in Budapest.
The 296 GT Modificata takes technology and experience from the 296 GT3 Evo, and combines it with developments from Ferrari’s sports car range and racing programs. It follows the 488 GT Modificata, introduced in 2020, as a model intended to deliver maximum track performance without being constrained by technical or motorsport regulations.
At its heart is a rear-mid-mounted 2,992cc 120-degree V6 engine producing 730 cv (537 kW) at 7,500rpm. That is 130 cv more than the brand’s current flagship customer racing model, the 296 GT3 Evo, which restricted by Balance of Performance regulations.
How the Singer Drivers Club Is Reimagining the Longest Continuously Running Racetrack in the U.S.
Willow Springs Raceway earned a new lease on life when it became acquired by private equity firm CrossHarbor Capital Partners in 2025. Yet transforming the longest continually running racetrack in the U.S. into a genuine motorsports destination takes more than simply writing a fat check. Among the considerable track enhancements, existing structure renovations, and forthcoming amenities, one of CrossHarbor’s reimaginings is the Singer Drivers Club.
Robb Report has all the details.
The US Motorsport Club Market – Part 3
A compelling vision is where every great driving resort begins. Turning it into an investable reality requires disciplined execution. Read Part 3 of Mücke Roth & Company US Motorsport Club Market series and explore the broader market outlook.
A Day Inside Porsche’s $100M Playground: Porsche Experience Center Atlanta
In the automotive industry, experiential marketing has become the ultimate benchmark for luxury brand building. What began at Porsche’s Leipzig factory as a “window into the workshop” has expanded into 10 global destinations designed to immerse enthusiasts, buyers, and executives directly into the Porsche lifestyle.
Forbes Contributor Scotty Reiss travels to the Porsche Experience Center (PEC) in Atlanta—located directly adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport—for a full day exploring how this flagship facility functions as both an adrenaline playground and a brilliant brand engine. The track program centers on 1-on-1 instruction across the newly expanded West Track, where professional drive coaches guide visitors through technical handling modules.
The experience includes high-stakes driver aids like the hydraulic Kick Plate—a random flush-mounted plate that abruptly kicks the car sideways to simulate unexpected traction loss—alongside high-speed telemetry testing, launch control dynamics, and more under the shadows of incoming commercial airliners.
Beyond the track, PEC Atlanta fuses culinary arts with rich motorsport heritage. Visitors dine trackside at Restaurant 356—named after the brand’s very first sports car—where Chef Kristol Bryant delivers a technique-driven seasonal menu with panoramic views of the circuit. To cap off the day, Porsche executive Michelle Rainey tours the rotating Heritage Gallery, highlighting rare historical icons including a pre-badge 1948 model built before the famous Porsche crest existed, alongside a legendarily customized Arena Red 911 inspired by the iconic 1996 “Kills Bugs Fast” campaign.
Inside the Thunderhill Repave: The Engineering Behind the New Surface
If you’ve been following the Thunderhill repave, you’ve seen the old surface come up, and the new one begin to take shape. But some of the most important work happening on the East Course will never be visible once the project is complete. A racetrack isn’t just a road with curbing. From the asphalt mix and soil underneath it to drainage, temperature, compaction, and even the shape of individual curbs, there’s a tremendous amount of engineering behind building a surface designed specifically for racing. Here’s a deeper look at what’s going into the new Thunderhill East Course.
The Rise of Racing Country Clubs
The latest trend in members-only clubs isn’t padel or pickleball, it’s racing. Motorsport country clubs are popping up around the country, from @thethermalclub in Palm Springs to Monticello Motor Club in the Catskills. The entry fees aren’t cheap, but they might be worth the luxury of a racetrack outside your front door.
In her latest for Esses, Olivia Hicks dives into the rise of the racing country club. Read online at the link in bio, and online at Esses.com
DSC Racing Spa Experience is Ready for May 14–18, 2027
The DSC.RACING Spa experience is ready for May 14–18, 2027, for five drivers and their accompanying guests only. Saturday includes WEC hospitality, paddock access, pit walks, and a grid walk. Monday is a full day of GT4RS driving at Spa, with 400 km per car, an instructor, and fuel included.
Package pricing includes an accompanying guest for each driver, hotel accommodations, group dinners, and private transfers. Sunday offers sightseeing and shopping in Maastricht, or an optional Nürburgring driving experience at an additional cost.
Contact DSC.Racing here for more details.
LE FILM | Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique 2026
Kateyama Updates Their 2026 Professional Track Days Calendar
There’s an update to Kateyama’s 2026 Professional Track Days calendar. “This November, we’re heading back to the Hungaroring. After our Professional Track Days there in 2019, the iconic Hungarian circuit returns to the Kateyama calendar with a newly added date..“
Full details can be found at the Kateyama website here.
Racing & Testing Opportunities
Ligier Test Days at Magny-Cours 27- 28 October 2026
Discover the Ligier JS2R and join the SRT team during a pair of testing days at Magny-Cours on the 27th and 28th of October. Coaching, data analysis & support is by the SRT Racing Team.
Get more details on their Instagram post here.
Unmuffled HPD at Lime Rock
NEGT invites you to join them at Lime Rock Park for some real clean racing at their fourth event of 2026!
New teams and sprint drivers race for free: Use the code “NEW-TEAM-LRP” or “NEW-SPRINT-LRP” when registering on MSR. Links and more info on the NEGT website.
Schedule
Thursday (muffled)
Practice sessions (separate registration with MassTuning)
Race and Time Attack School
“Fun Race” The last session of the race school, all racers are invited.
Friday
Time Attack (can use as optional race practice sessions)
Race qualifying
PM 3 Hour Endurance race w/ 30 minute Sprint race
Mass Tuning HPDE
Saturday
Time Attack
AM 3 Hour Endurance race w/ 30 minute Sprint race
Mass Tuning HPDE
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. As a 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.
