Racing is hard so put in the work! That is the lesson that Enzo Mucci shares in today’s Driver Development Roundup.
In addition to the advice to not being lazy, the Elite Motorsport Academy of New Zealand has revealed their 2023 class, the new Porsche Deluxe Female Driver Development Program has been launched and a look at how the lines between the physical and digital worlds are blurring leading to more opportunity in motorsport.
All this and more in this week’s Driver Development Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. Its news aspiring race drivers can use.
Racing is hard work. As Enzo Mucci explains in the video above, “If you are lazy, YOU WILL FAIL”
Motorsport UK Magazine Revolution explains how to get a racing license in the UK.
You have heard the saying “you’re only as old as you feel” and that is exactly the attitude that 40 year old race driver Mark Wilkins embraces. “I’m more disciplined,” Wilkins said. “I know with experience and racing for so long, I just know what needs to happen.”
The class of 2023 for the Elite Motorsport Academy of New Zealand has been revealed at the MotorSport New Zealand Awards Evening last week. Eight young motorsport competitors from across New Zealand will head to Dunedin for the Elite Motorsport Academy camp from 2-8 July. Race drivers Clay Osborne, Dion Pitt, Tom Bewley, Ayrton Hodson, Bailey Cruse, and Blake Knowles will join rally drivers Ari Pettigrew and Zeal Jones.
Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) and Deluxe Corporation have announced the creation of the Porsche Deluxe Female Driver Development Program. The new initiative will provide a further opportunity to female race car drivers participating in the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid North America.
In addition to its title partnership in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America, as previously announced, Deluxe joins with PMNA to further promote the participation of female race car drivers across all levels of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid North America. The Minnesota-based financial leader will back the Kellymoss prepared Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car that Cook will drive in the Pro class of the 2023 one-make race series. Further, both Cook and the Kellymoss organization become official representatives of Deluxe throughout the race season and in promotional events. Beyond backing by Deluxe, PMNA will assist Cook with event entry fees and one-on-one mentoring with Porsche Motorsport legend Patrick Long.
More on Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama can be found at www.PorscheSprint.com.
WISH TV explains how the Della Penna Foundation works to get more women in motorsports.
“Women make up half of the population and motorsports is an amazing sport that is a microcosm of the entire world,” Della Penna said. “Everything from engineering to mechanics to development to marketing to public relations to finance, there is all of that within motorsports and women are hugely underrepresented. Not to mention the actual driving component where, at the Indy 500, there is one woman on a grid of 30 people.”
In May 2023, Spinal Track, the charity dedicated to giving track and rally experiences to disabled drivers, hosted its first ever all-female rally experience day at the Bill Gwynne Rally School. Watch the video above for more.
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has opened up about what he sees as a “disaster” for motorsport in his homeland of Germany. “We’ve abolished ourselves from the world in terms of motorsport – and with our eyes open. I pointed this out several times, but obviously it wasn’t wanted.”
As the line between the physical and digital worlds blur, so does the line between real-world and virtual sports. Reframing our understanding of competition, in his Ted Talk, data-driven technologist James Hodge explains how far esports (like virtual Formula 1 race car driving) have come in replicating the conditions of physical sports, making elite competition more accessible than ever before. “This really is the new era for play — and it’s open to everyone,” he says.
“Play gives us new possibilities. The technology is closing the gap between our aspirations and our access to that opportunity. It’s closing down barriers, geographic barriers, social barriers, economic barriers. It enabled Rudy to go and live his dream. We all have dreams and this is allowing us to go and fulfill our dreams.”