The new for 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT2 Race Car and more racecraft tips are just part of the Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup this week.
I also have data analysis tips to help you drive faster, the inspiration that is Robert Wickens and an opportunity for disabled drivers to race in America.
All this and much more in this week’s edition of the Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. Its news racers can use.
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
On-Track
Ross Bentley of Speed Secrets discusses the Rodney Dangerfield of Braking Techniques. “Most drivers (and many instructors and coaches), will tell you that the best way to get around a race track as fast as possible involves some form of threshold braking for practically all corners. Hey, it makes sense: at a gut level, spending less time slowing down seems to mean more time accelerating, and that should lead to a lower lap time. But there’s more to the story than meets the gut level.”
Ross also answers the question, how can I make my car rotate more into a corner?
In the video above, Samir Abid of Your Data Driven demonstrates how telemetry data can help you drive faster.
The Driver’s Eye this week is onboard a Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo at Road America as Ferrari Challenge driver Enzo Potolicchio explains the challenges of this historic 4-mile track.
Quick Racecraft Tips
- Terence Dove explains how to get super refined on the brakes.
- Grassroots Motorsports has 10 lessons to keep your race effort disciplined.
- Street circuit pros offer speed tips for any racer.
Off-Track
Robert Wickens is the perfect example of a driver who set his mind to race no matter what the obstacles.
“I don’t know if it’s the nature of an athlete, or maybe it’s just me always trying to seek the next thing,” Wickens told CTV News in Canada recently. “After the race when I was talking to media, between questions I was already thinking: ‘What’s next? How can we be better than this?’ Even when I was laid up in a hospital bed in a full body cast, it was always: ‘How can I get better, get back and constantly work forward?’”
MotiV8 Training has announced the availability of their annual pre-season program. “This comprehensive package includes motorsport-specific fitness training, personalized workout plans suitable for both home and gym environments, nutritional guidelines, and mindset training.”
Learn more here.
Feeder Series has a look at how the rookie F3 drivers prepared for the recent Macau Grand Prix.
“A couple of popular names will be back on the Asian streets, too, with Sophia Floersch and IndyCar star Marcus Armstrong eager to make an impact. However, there will also be some new names looking to make their mark on this year’s edition. Euro4 champion Ugo Ugochukwu will line up with Trident in his first race in an FIA F3 car. The same goes for GB3 runner-up Alex Dunne, who is set to race with Hitech Pulse-Eight. It will be a hard task for them to learn the car as well as the racetrack, and they will need to do it quickly with qualifying set to start on Thursday afternoon.”
Race Car & Series Developments
MotorTrend reviews the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT2 racer which they describe as quicker than the GT4 and less demanding than the GT3.
“The name surely says it all. The GT2 racer version of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT coupe must be edgier, meaner, and of course quicker than its GT3 sibling. After all, the AMG GT3 racer we drove back in 2019 represented a significant step over the GT4 version, with more power and more downforce and a purpose-built chassis and suspension that could be more finely tuned to deliver the ultimate lap time. The lower the number, the more serious the race car, right? Not so fast.”
If you are new to racing and considering racing a Revolution race car, or are not familiar with the brand, their website has a good introduction on their page “new to racing but interested in a Revolution?”
The Repco Supercars Championship will be updating licensing requirements for drivers wishing to join the category for 2024. You can get the full details at https://www.supercars.com/news/supercars-to-update-licensing-requirements-in-2024.
Radical Motorsport has introduced a new online Radical Parts Catalogue.
“In an exciting leap towards convenience and accessibility our fully revised and expanded parts catalogue is now openly available online. The catalogue currently includes parts listings for the past three generations of SR3; RSX, XX and XXR, plus the new SR10 XXR. With first generation SR10, SR1 and earlier models due to be added in the coming months, finding the right part has never been easier.”
In 2024 Team BRIT aim to compete for the first time in America. “We will leave the 2 race cars fitted with our hand controls so more disabled Americans can take up motorsport! We are enormously excited about sharing our knowledge and creating this long-term legacy. If you are interested in supporting this exciting project, drop us an email. Let’s have a chat and explore how we can create a long-term partnership.”
Read the full story here.
Racing Series Quick Takes
- Why Asian junior single-seater racing remains ‘a big growth market’ despite recent upheaval (Feeder Series)
- AOE Pro Series debut delayed (The Checkered Flag)
- SCCA bans Vitour Tempesta P1 | Tire deemed not eligible for 2024 (Grassroots Motorsports)
- Cebu’s racing prodigy triumphs in Vios Cup debut (The Manila Times)
Michael Fassbender had dreamed of racing since childhood. Born in Heidelberg, the 46-year-old takes the first steps towards fulfilling this wish in 2018. The American actor Patrick Dempsey, who himself has tackled Le Mans three times at the wheel of a Porsche, puts him in contact with Porsche. Supported by the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer, the Oscar-nominated film star learns how to handle the race car in the Porsche Racing Experience, the Porsche Sports Cup and ultimately the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). At these training camps, a Porsche coach is constantly at his side. Right from the start, cameras record his journey. The countless YouTube fans cheer him on in the documentary series “Road to Le Mans” and – in the case of inevitable setbacks – also sympathise with him.
“We were eager to share his motorsport journey with the world. So we created a content series around Michael’s dream from the very first second,” explains Oliver Hoffmann, Director Marketing Communications at Porsche. “It was obvious to us how big and powerful his dream is. It takes hard work to fulfil it. We supported and accompanied Michael at every step. You can feel the passion and determination in every episode of ‘Road to Le Mans’.”
For more information and to watch the film, click here.
Track Days Racing Opportunities
In the video above watch the new Ferrari 499P Modificata in action at Mugello.
As Grassroots Motorsport says, want to get on track? The first step is just taking that first step. “We hear a lot of questions involving the future. How to become a professional race car driver. How to get more involved in the sport. Or, God forbid, how to become a magazine editor. The short answer: Do it.”
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.
