The Radical SR10 XXR and SR3 XXR have been updated for 2025 and in this week’s Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup I have all the details. I also have tips on using data acquisition to lower your lap times, advice on finding the limit at Mid-Ohio and a bunch of track day dates that you can use to hit the track in anger. All this plus much more.
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
On-Track
Grassroots Motorsports explains how they used data acquisition to find lost speed on track. “The data said it all: I was too slow down the straights. The likely culprit? I was also too slow through the turns.” Read more here.
Samir Abid of Your Data Driven explains how to how to cure understeer with tire pressures. “The surprising solution we found to cure understeer was to increase front stiffness. We did this over a couple of runs. Gradually increasing the tyre pressures, double checking the temperatures and then going again.” Read all the details here.
Paul Gerrard of The Optimum Drive talks about the 10 minutes that a driver coach has with their students where they can get the unfiltered truth about what is going on with their driving before their subconscious wall goes up.
“Therefore, I cherish the ten minutes, I realize it is because our sport is so intense that it gifts us this rare honest time together. Over my decades of coaching I have come to the conclusion that this ten minutes is where all of the concepts of Optimum Drive come from and also explains why greatness is so rare, we are so rarely honest and present enough to actually implement actual change and improvement, that wall hurts us, stifles us while it subconsciously thinks it only protects and helps us.”
Read the full article here.
Baseline Driver Training has announced a new partnership with iZone Driver Performance Center, one of the premier simulation centers in Europe, located at Silverstone. At iZone, aspiring racing drivers can now train using our advanced Baseline Driver Training software. Watch the video above for more. Tommy Schröter, founder and CEO Baseline Driver Training, is a regular contributor to News Racers Can Use.
Terence Dove of On Racing Drivers by Terence Dove explains how to overcome the brain’s safety filter in high-speed decision making.
“When danger is involved, as it always is in racing, processes we’re not absolutely certain about get held up by the thinking, conscious part of our brain. This part keeps you alive, but it’s not as fast, and it will hold you back from doing things or execute them in a more clumsy, deliberate way.” Read the full explanation here.
Ross Bentley of Speed Secrets explains how to find the limit at Mid-Ohio. “Green, green, green,” blasts into my earpieces. I stomp on the throttle, upshift to third, and tuck to the inside of the two cars in front of me going into the Carousel. I catch and pass another three cars this lap, then settle in to learn the car, a very-well-prepped Spec Miata. Also, a car I’d never driven until I pulled out to begin the pace lap a few minutes ago. It’s time for me to learn where the limit is, while working in and around sixty-four other cars.” Read his blog post for a complete breakdown of his approach.
Speaking of Speed Secrets, Ross is holding an online two-part Total Car Masterclass on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 and Thursday, October 17, 2024. “This 2-part Masterclass will provide both the knowledge and also the practical practice approaches to improve your ability to safely and consistently drive and control your car closer to its limits.” Registration deadline is October 13th. Full details can be found here.
Off-Track
Sensoria Fitness is selling a Renault Sport special edition smart T-shirt that features the following benefits:
- Embedded heart rate sensors
- Machine Washable
- Moisture-wicking and quick drying
- Anti-microbial
- Light
- Comfortable
You can check it out here.
Race Car & Series Developments
Radical Motorsport has engineered a number of upgrades for its model year 25 (MY25) race cars. This includes several new features and options for the SR XXR model range, allowing customers the opportunity to secure their 2025 season race car at 2024 pricing, for orders placed now for 2024 build.
These MY25 updates further enhance the ownership experience of the world’s best-selling purpose-built race cars. SR3 XXR and SR10 XXR share multiple common updates, along with model-specific features responding to worldwide customer feedback. As the seasons draw to a close for many of the worldwide Radical Cup championships, drivers can order cars to start preparing for 2025, while it’s possible for drivers commencing their seasons in the winter championships to upgrade now.
Full details can be found here and here and here.
The Ligier JS Cup France has unveiled the calendar for its seventh season. The program includes seven races of four to six hours each in France and Europe, for a total of more than 70 hours of driving over the season (40 hours of racing and 3 hours of private testing, 1 hour of free practice and 30 minutes of qualifying per meeting).
Full details can be found here.
In the video above, Hailie Deegan tests an F3 car for the first time. “In this video we went to Putnam Park with Toney Driver Development to drive an F3 car for the first time. It was an awesome experience and would love to do it again!”
Formula 3 CEO Bruno Michel has insisted it was “completely impossible” for the series to race at this year’s Macau Grand Prix and has explained why Formula Regional is the series to fill the void.
“Macau used to be a Formula 3 World Cup. Why? Because there were Formula 3 championships all over the world and it was good because they would all come in to race together in Macau. Formula Regional, where they have several championships around the world, does make more sense for Macau to have because it is going to be a real-world championship of drivers coming from different Formula Regional championships,” added Michel.
Autosport has the full story.
FEL Motorsports has introduced a GT3 Cup class to the Sports Car Championship Canada (SCCC) presented by Michelin. The GT3 Cup class will become the fastest form of sports car racing in Canada. Details about the GT3 Cup class will follow. Currently, FEL Motorsports is working on firming up the 2025 schedule. Event and schedule announcements will be released in the coming weeks.
“I am excited to announce the addition of a GT3 Cup class to the SCCC presented by Michelin in 2025,” said Chris Bye, President of FEL Motorsports. “As we seek ways to expand the sports car field and the ladder system of Canadian professional Sports Car racing, we will keep our foot on the gas to feature exciting and competitive racing for our community.”
Track Days
Dragon Racing is organizing an exclusive and intensive 2-day driving course at Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. Over the two days, you will complete an advanced race license course with a multi-choice test, followed by a practical assessment on the racetrack and ten races in your own race car or a hired race car provided by Dragon Racing. The course is designed to take you from a novice driver to someone who can safely navigate a race circuit and start on any National or International race grid.
The course takes place October 24 & 25, 2024 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Get more details here and watch highlights from the 2023 session in the video above.
Dragon Racing has also released their Dragon Test Days (DTD) schedule that allows suitably experienced drivers and newcomers with professional Instructors to enjoy premier track sessions at world-renowned circuits like Yas Marina and Dubai Autodrome. These events, designed specifically for race and high-performance GT / Hyper road cars, offer a refined and exclusive alternative to crowded public track days.
Race: Race Cars Only
Race & Hyper: Fast GT and Hyper cars included
- 26 Sept – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race & Hyper
- 10 Oct – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race
- 24 Oct – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race
- 31 Oct – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race
- 31 Oct – 20:45 to 24:00 – Abu Dhabi – Race
- 7 Nov – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race
- 7 Nov – 20:45 to 24:00 – Abu Dhabi – Race
- 14 Nov – 13:30 to 17:00 – Kuwait – Race & Hyper
- 21 Nov – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race
- 5 Dec – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race & Hyper
- 19 Dec – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race & Hyper
- 15 Jan – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race*
- 16 Jan – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race*
- 16 Jan – 20:45 to 24:00 – Abu Dhabi – Race*
- 23 Jan – 17:00 to 20:30 – Qatar – Race & Hyper
- 30 Jan – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race
- 30 Jan – 20:45 to 24:00 – Abu Dhabi – Race
- 13 Feb – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race*
- 20 Feb – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race
- 27 Feb – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race & Hyper
- 6 Mar – 18:00 to 21:30 – Dubai – Race
- 20 Mar – 18:00 to 21:30 – Abu Dhabi – WET Training
- 27 Mar – 18:00 to 21:30 – Dubai – Race & Hyper
- 3 Apr – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race
- 17 April – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race
- 1 May – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race & Hyper
- 15 May – 09:00 to 12:30 – Dubai – Race & Hyper
- 22 May – 17:00 to 20:30 – Abu Dhabi – Race & Hyper
- 29 May – 18:00 to 21:30 – Dubai – Race & Hyper
*Endurance Testing Only
More details can be found here.
Ligier Automotive North America is organizing two days of testing at Carolina Motorsports Park in South Carolina on October 1 and 2. This event represents a valuable opportunity for young drivers, coming from Europe, South America, Asia and else to discover the Ligier JS F422, the manufacturer’s latest-generation F4 and exclusive chassis for the F4 U.S. Championship, to meet the teams and explore their options to join the series. Other Ligier models will also be available for test drives (Ligier JS F4, Ligier JS F3, Ligier JS2 R, Ligier JS P320).
More details can be found here.
Experience the fascination of the legendary Nordschleife at the Nurburgring in your own car for four whole days in a row at the Green Hell Driving Days from 3-6 October 2024. Autosport has all the details.
MSVT have a ‘premium’ unsilenced trackday at Donington Park on the 1st October. The only one this year. This Premium Track day is ‘unsilenced’ and has an Open Pit Lane format enabling you to go out on the circuit as you choose. Bookings will be limited to guarantee quality space on track and no chance of queues.
A garage is available to add to your booking free of charge online, subject to availability on a first booked basis. A free breakfast voucher is included for each ‘main’ driver booked. Registration and sighting laps will be available all day if you are arriving a little later. Up to 4 free passengers can be booked online. Full details here.
Circuito de Navarra reopened its gates last week following the completion of a multi-million Euro redevelopment by MotorSport Vision (MSV). The extensive alterations made this year are the most significant in the venue’s history, and have culminated in a much faster, more flowing layout with a completely new 650 metre extension. More details can be found here.
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.
