Radical Motorsport and Praga Cars have both teased new race cars for 2023 and that’s not all that is new in this week’s Motorsport Series News Roundup.
In addition to the new cars from Radical and Praga, a new Formula Regional series in the Middle East has been announced as well as a new F4 winter series in Spain.
I also include an introduction to historic sports car racing, the schedule for the Sports Prototype winter series in Spain and a look at the Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
All this and more in this week’s Motorsport Series News Roundup.
Sports Cars
Radical Motorsport has teased their brand new Project 25 race car that they have scheduled to be available in 2023. Racer.com has some more details: “‘Project 25’ has been designed to showcase the culmination of knowledge that Radical Motorsport has amassed through producing world-class racing cars from its UK premises for over a quarter of a century, currently present in 21 countries worldwide through its 33-strong dealer network. With exact specification details limited at the time of writing, the race car manufacturer can reveal that its all-new, track-only model will use the company’s signature spaceframe chassis to deliver outstanding driver engagement and feedback synonymous with the Radical brand. ‘Project 25’ is confirmed to be powered by Radical Performance Engine’s V6 bi-turbo motor, with an expected power output of 850 bhp.”
Not to be outdone, Praga Cars has teased the release of their all new, low volume, track-focused, high performance road-legal car. “Praga Cars, the specialist race and road car division of the 115-year-old Czech manufacturing and engineering brand, has confirmed that the name, price and full technical details of its all new road-legal car will be released on November 23rd at 17:00GMT. Track-focused and road-legal, it is planned for all major hypercar markets, hand-built and limited in number to ensure exclusivity. The car will be launched ready to order, and a maximum of just 12 cars will be scheduled in 2023, the first year of production.”
There are just six weeks to go before Sports Prototype Cup returns to Portimao, the location for their first F1 support race exactly two years ago. This time, they will present a multi-marque grid, sharing the track with the opening round of the Iberia LPC Championship winter series, bringing brands such as KTM and Ligier to race alongside their Revolution and Radical Trophy classes.
Format:
Monday 12th December: Open track day with at least two hours of free practice. Tuesday 13th December: Qualifying and 2×40 min races.
Entry fees:
Entries received before November 1st: 2495€ / £2295 + VAT (if applicable)
Entries received after 1st November are subject to a 5% surcharge
Race hire opportunities are available with both Revolution and Radical teams. Contact the organizers for more information. Also, the LPC championship has drivers seeking to rent cars, so any teams with a vacant car should share their details with the organizers. Click here for the online entry form.
What is historic sportscar racing and why should you go to one as a driver or spectator? Classic Motorsports talked to HSR President David Hinton to see what you can expect to see.
The FIA World Endurance Championship is set to close the pit lane during Full Course Yellow periods in an expected sporting regulation change for the 2023 season. “Sportscar365 understands that the series is planning to prohibit cars from entering the pits during an FCY, which is a speed-restricted period used in the event of an accident or debris on the track. When an FCY is called, drivers must reduce their speed to 80 km/h (49.7 mph) and refrain from overtaking. Unlike a safety car period, the gaps between cars are not reset.”
The 2023 schedule for the Sports Car Championship Canada has been released. The series will run as a twelve race season, now condensed into four weekends, each featuring three races. “The decision to condense the format came after several weeks of consideration, weighing different options, and discussing with the current teams of the SCCC,” said Jessica Benevides, Series Manager. “The big ticket weekends are essential for teams, fans, and sponsors and for continuing the growth of the series in Canada.”
MotorWeek’s Over the Edge gives a behind the scenes look at customer racing with the Porsche Carrera Cup North America in the video above.
Single-Seaters
Formula Regional Asian Championship promoter Top Speed has relaunched its plans for the 2023 season by creating a new championship called the Formula Regional Middle East Championship. The five-round series’ first official event will be a pre-season test at Dubai Autodrome on January 9/10, with the inaugural FRMEC races taking place at the track on January 13/14. “FRAC will resume in Southeast Asia when circumstances permit, and details of the venues and calendar will be announced at that time.”
Formula Scout reports that the central and eastern Europe-based ACCR Formula 4 has revealed the calendar for its full championship season in 2023, while a second F4 series has been launched in Spain. ACCR F4 has become an FIA-ceritified F4 series for 2023, meaning it will only cater for the Gen2 cars. There will be a junior classification for drivers aged under 22, and the six-round series will race in five countries.
“Over in Spain, trackday promoter Gedlich Racing has created the Formula Winter Series off the back of running a similar GT Winter Series in Iberia for the first time through the winter of 2021/22. The four-round series will race at Jerez (February 12), Valencia (February 19), Navarra (March 5) and Barcelona (March 12). Each event will include two qualifying sessions and two races, and there will be two pre-event test days at each track.”
S5000 engine builder Rogers Higgins says the current regulations aren’t showing the cars’ full potential according to Speed Cafe. “It’s the fastest circuit car in Australia at the moment. It’s got potential to go a lot faster, but it’s been set to be a driver’s car.”
Rally & Off-Road
Porsche is developing a 911 Dakar off-road sports car. “I knew what a 911 could do on the road, but I was absolutely stunned by how well the car performed here on the loose,” said Romain Dumas after testing the car in France. A Porsche factory driver, Dumas is more renowned for his sports car success but regularly dabbles in off-road, including racing a Toyota Hilux at the 2022 Dakar Rally.“
Drift
In announcing their 2023 schedule, Formula DRIFT has also announced some new initiatives. “One of the first significant changes is the removal of the 37 driver cap on both the PRO and PROSPEC Championships. This will allow more teams to enter the series but makes qualifying more crucial than ever, as only 32 drivers can compete in the head-to-head competition. The PRO Prize Purse has also been increased with the payout per round doubled from the 2022 numbers. The 2023 PRO Champion will also receive $50,000 for their win.”
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.