The path you need to take to race Supercars is just part of this week’s Driver Development Roundup. I also have news on Mazda’s two driver development shootouts, a new program supporting young New Zealand race drivers and a look at the varied development pathways of four race drivers. All this and more!
Becoming a Professional Race Driver
The Complete Race Driver has put together “So, You Want To Be A Supercar Driver?“, an in-depth look at two differing ways to climb the Australian Motorsport Ladder. The first involves the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia GR Cup and the second involves Formula Ford Australia. You can read the full article here.
As part of the recent Formula 1 rule changes announced by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council, they have approved plans to double the amount of free practice time reserved for young drivers as reported by Autosport. From 2025, teams will now have to hand a Friday first practice session to a rookie driver on two weekends per car, up from one session per car. The move comes in the wake of plans for a rookie sprint race at Abu Dhabi’s post-season test being called off for 2024, with F1 set to revisit the idea for 2025 instead.
Driver Development Program News
Mazda Motorsports has announced that the nominees for both the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout and the Spec MX-5 Shootout have been selected. In a change from previous years, the list of drivers invited to this prestigious event will remain confidential, emphasizing Mazda’s focus on a more intimate evaluation process.
Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout
Nominees for the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout are selected through a combination of automatic and at-large nominations. Automatic nominees are drivers who have clinched national championships in Mazda-powered vehicles, such as those in NASA and SCCA. Meanwhile, at-large nominees include talented racers who have demonstrated exceptional skills, with many of these drivers being selected from the Spec MX-5 talent pool.
The selection process for the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout goes beyond just fast lap times. Mazda focuses on drivers who show potential to succeed both on and off the track, requiring each nominee to submit a video application detailing their career plans, sponsorship strategies, and long-term vision for their racing journey. Finalists from this process will compete for the coveted scholarships and a chance to take a significant step toward a professional racing career.
Mazda Spec MX-5 Shootout
Now entering its fifth year, the Mazda Spec MX-5 Shootout remains a crucial part of Mazda’s mission to identify and develop future stars in sports car racing. One of the highlights for the 2024 Spec MX-5 Shootout is the inclusion of 10 female nominees, representing over 20% of the total candidate list—a new record for the program. This milestone underscores Mazda’s commitment to fostering greater diversity and creating opportunities for female racers in motorsports.
The Spec MX-5 Shootout offers two standout drivers the opportunity to join the Mazda Factory Club Racing Team, competing in select SCCA Super Tour events in the Spec MX-5 presented by Toyo Tires class. The winners will receive a complete arrive-and-drive season package, covering race entry fees, travel expenses, testing, and participation in the SCCA Runoffs.
More details can be found here.
Rodin Cars and MotorSport New Zealand have partnered to establish a new pathway to Formula 1 for aspiring Kiwi drivers through the NZ Formula Ford Championship. This initiative is designed to promote diversity, inclusion, and opportunity in motorsport by providing a clear route to the pinnacle of motorsport.
The NZ Formula Ford Championship winner will receive a fully funded opportunity from Rodin Cars, including an all-expenses-paid, three-day testing and evaluation program. Exceptional drivers will have the chance to further their development with Rodin Motorsport in the United Kingdom. This could lead to a position in a Formula 4 team competing in either the British or Spanish Championships.
MotorSport New Zealand’s President, Deborah Day, said: “We are incredibly proud to partner with Rodin Cars to offer this truly life-changing opportunity to our aspiring drivers. New Zealand has a remarkable history of producing world-class driving talent, and Formula Ford has played a crucial role in that for over 50 years. The list of New Zealand’s Formula Ford graduates who have excelled internationally is a testament to its success as a development formula.”
Rodin Cars supports drivers like Liam Lawson and Louis Sharp, graduates of New Zealand’s Formula Ford, who have advanced through international motorsport. This initiative continues the legacy of nurturing diverse, emerging talent, contributing to a more inclusive and accessible future for global motorsport.
ROK Cup USA has announced a new partnership with Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.), Omologato and Radford Racing School. The multifaceted partnership not only provides various brand exposure opportunities, but will also provide one ROK Cup karter with a unique opportunity to advance his or her racing career. The partnership will kick off at ROK Cup’s largest event in the western hemisphere, ROK Vegas, where approximately 300 karters — affectionately known as “ROKKERS” — will race to determine who is the best of the best.
Check out RACER for all the details.
Driver Development Pathways
There are many driver development paths to follow on your motorsport journey. Here are three drivers that have taken their own particular paths to get where they ultimately want to be.
Ryan Shehan
Feeder Series looks at the path taken by Formula Regional Americas runner-up Ryan Shehan, a season that has taken in racing in North America and Europe while struggling with raising the budget to race. “Going from karts to F4 is a lot harder than probably any other move,” he said. “The car is so much heavier. That’s the first thing you notice. Moving up from F4 to FR was pretty simple, and it’s a much smaller jump than go-karts to a car, so I feel like I got used to that pretty quickly,” Read the full article here.
Jak Crawford
Planet F1 looks at the development of American racer Jak Crawford, whose dreams have evolved from racing in NASCAR to racing in Formula 1. “What started as a hobby for the boy quickly evolved into something more serious. By age nine, Crawford was good enough behind the wheel to begin racing at a national level. At the time, though, karting was just one of several sports Crawford was dabbling in.” Read the full article here.
Oscar Piastri
Autosport looks at the talent spotters that molded Oscar Piastri into an F1 winner. “Piastri is an undeniable talent and one that those who know him best saw at an early age when he raced radio-controlled cars in Australia, winning the second class and progressing to the top level when he was nine years old. It was then, around 2011, when he first met James Sera having been sought out by Piastri’s father, Chris, to help with his fledgling career.” Read the full article here.
Hailie Deegan
RACER looks at the evolution of Hailie Deegan‘s driver development path, from racing off-road and stock car racing to debuting in Indy NXT in 2025. “The Xfinity-to-NXT move is a new one, and with experience gained in vehicles that are nothing like the low, light and powerful Dallara IL15-AERs that come with knife-edge handling, Deegan’s learning curve in IndyCar’s open-wheel equivalent of the Xfinity Series means she’s effectively starting over.” Read the full article here.
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a 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.
