Sir Jackie Stewart’s advice to young drivers kicks off this week’s edition of the Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup. You will also find out about the inaugural FW Nations Cup, get tips on improving your heel and toe technique as well as read a comparison between SCCA Club Spec Mustang vs. Miata. All this and much more!
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
The latest instalment of SafeisFast’s RRDC Legends series features the wisdom of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart. “In this video, we sat down with Sir Jackie who offered his thoughts on what qualities a young driver needs to be successful in motorsport. He emphasized the importance of mind management and mental discipline, skills he learned from his other career as a clay pigeon shooter.”
Samir Abid of Your Data Driven provides you with 2 easy tips to try to help perfect your heel and toe technique.
“Heel and Toe is a challenging driving technique that requires some fancy footwork, simultaneously pressing two pedals, all while hurtling into a braking zone. It’s not an easy technique to learn, and many drivers struggle with it. However, when executed correctly, it enables you to brake later and more effectively while also protecting your engine and giving you a more balanced car. So, how can you gain the confidence to perform heel and toe flawlessly every time?”
You can read his tips here.
In a recent column, Ross Bentley of Speed Secrets looks at an older column that examined what made Sebastian Vettel so fast at the time and he felt race drivers could learn from him. “Sebastian Vettel senses what the car needs slightly sooner than other drivers (specifically, Webber, since he’s the only one who can be compared on equal terms), and then adapts his driving to it. But how?”
You can read what Ross had to say here.
From their February 2024 issue. Grassroots Motorsports reviews the VBox HD Lite which they refer to as “big data power in a tiny, efficient package.”
“The overall form factor is one of the many huge pluses for the system. The head unit is compact enough to fit into tight spots as well as stay out of your sightline when it’s stuck to the windshield via a suction cup mount. The efficient size also means minimal hardware needed to mount and minimal bounce when mounted on an extended arm. Overall, the compactness is a huge strength of the system, making it easy to integrate into your track workflow.”
You can read their review here.
After a devastating accident, racing driver Robert Wickens is confined to a wheelchair, but that didn’t stop him. Now with Bosch Motorsport as his partner, Robert has a new hand control system, that was designed with racing in mind. This groundbreaking technology not only provides him a more robust solution powered electronically, but it also provides more consistency across break applies, faster response rate, and diagnostics for safety. Watch Breaking Barriers – Episode 01: Revolutionizing Hand Control Systems with Bosch in the video above.
Race Car & Series Developments
The SCCA website asks, Mustang vs. Miata, which Club Spec is right for you? SCCA Club Spec is designed to provide an affordable, stable set of rules that allow anyone to build a competitive and fun competition vehicle that can run in Solo, Time Trials, Track Night in America, and even HillClimbs with the same ruleset. As an added bonus, Club Spec cars can easily be used as daily drivers without suffering from an over-stiff suspension or climbing over a roll structure.
A 2005-’09 S197 Mustang GT or a 2006-’15 NC Miata might seem like opposite ends of the sports car spectrum – and in a way they are – but both platforms are widely available at affordable prices. That makes them perfect options that cover the motorsports dream of most people. But which one is right for you? We asked two SCCA members who built their own Club Spec cars to tell us what they wanted, what they experienced, and how it all turned out.
Read the full review here.
The first complete Tatuus MSV GB3-025 car has been rolled off the stands at the Tatuus headquarters in Lainate, and is now ready to commence a comprehensive testing program.
Boasting significant upgrades over the outgoing Tatuus MSV-022, the latest GB3 machine features a completely new chassis and a dramatically restyled F1-style aerodynamics package producing 35% more downforce. It’s also the first machine built by the Italian constructor to feature DRS and wheel rim covers.
The new normally aspirated, two litre, four-cylinder Mountune engine will deliver an improved 280bhp, whilst bigger Pirelli tyres will increase mechanical grip. Key safety improvements include new crash structures on the front and rear, enhanced anti-intrusion panels and a titanium halo.
You can see more photos of the car here.
Flatrock Motorsports Park, which features a 18-degree banked bend and could host IndyCar or MotoGP races in the future, officially opened last Thursday. The Tennessee venue has been constructed to the FIA’s Grade 2 standard, which means it is homologated to run any racing series outside of F1.
Autosport has more details on the track’s features.
A change to the qualifying format is among a raft of further small revisions to the FIA World Endurance Championship’s sporting regulations for 2025. For next season, LMGT3 teams will be required to use their Bronze-rated driver in first qualifying and their Silver-rated driver for Hyperpole. Sportscar365 has a summary of the rest of the changes.
JRP President Yoshihisa Ueno shares his thoughts about Super Formula’s vision for an expanded Asian footprint and their interest in foreign drivers in this interview with Jamie Klein of Japan Racing Insider.
There are many drivers from overseas who are interested, but there are just no seats for them. We want to increase the number of teams so there are more seats. So as well as increasing the number of races, we want to have more cars on the grid.
We want to create a series that drivers from all around the world feel is worth participating in. That’s one of the reasons we wanted to hold an overseas race and increase the number of races next year. More Super Licence points would be great, but that’s not the goal.
French tire constructor Michelin has worked up a new development and production timeline for its new Hypercar and GTP tire range, following the decision earlier this summer to push back its introduction by a year to the start of the 2026 season. This decision, which will see the new tires debut at the 2026 running of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, has bought Michelin sufficient time to refine its new compounds and produce enough stock in time for off-season testing next year.
Daily Sportscar has all the details.
2025 Series Calendars & News
- New F4 UAE series emerges as original becomes F4 Middle East (Formula Scout)
- World Racing League has unveiled their 2025 schedule (WRL)
- Ferrari Club Challenge UK Releases 2025 Schedule (FF Corse)
- Spring Mountain Race Series kicks off 24-25 season with new and familiar faces (RACER)
- 2025 Hoosier Super Tour Schedule Debuts, Featuring Notable Run Group Changes (SCCA)
- Skip Barber’s 2025 Calendar Available Now! (Skip Barber Racing School)
Track Days
Ever since its 1999 launch, the 911 GT3 has been beloved for mixing racing sensibilities with an everyday approachability – and to celebrate the model hitting the quarter-century mark, Porsche has disclosed two new versions: ‘a track-focused sports car’ complete with a rear wing; and one for the road, coming with a Touring package.
Both offerings, the brand says, feature a ‘sharpened’ shell, and the aerodynamics are brought right up to contemporary standards – notably, the re-contoured front diffuser helps to dial-up the downforce and maximize airflow; the rear lid, meanwhile, has been reimagined. The sports tires – 255/35 ZR 20 (front) and 315/30 ZR 21 (rear) – have improved wet grip, and, in its lightest configuration, the car weighs 1,420kg.
At the heart is a 4.0L naturally aspirated boxer engine, built with two particulate filters and four catalytic converters. In action, Porsche claims that the car can reach 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, with PDK, and hit a top speed of 311km/h (in manual, that’ll be 3.9 seconds, and 313km/h).
Gentleman’s Journal has more details.
Grassroots Motorsports looks at how to convert an autocross newbie into a lifelong autocrosser. “When I first sat behind the wheel of our Volkswagen Golf GTI, I didn’t think autocross could hook me more than it had. Boy, was I wrong.” Read the full article here.
Racing & Testing Opportunities
Fifty of the world’s best female drivers from 25 countries will battle it out in the first Formula Woman Global Nations Cup qualifying round at the Dubai Autodrome on Dec. 12. Each will be hoping to make it through to the inaugural Formula Woman Global Nations Cup, which will also be hosted by Dubai in May 2025. Additional races are also planned around the world next year.
Formula Woman, the world’s first all-female motorsport community and is already proving a great success. Its 5,000 members range from beginners with a passion for motorsport to seasoned racers, and it has attracted interest from the industry and global media.
The series aims to tap into the huge pool of talent and passion for motorsport among women, with the ultimate target being an all-female team in the world-famous 24-Hour Le Mans endurance race.
Get more details here, and 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.
