This week it’s all about the perfect lap and more racecraft tips to improve your consistency and pace.
You will also find details on physical and mental conditioning as well as tips on becoming a driver coach.
All this plus the latest race series news and what makes the Green Hell so special in this week’s edition of the Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
On-Track
Last week on Motorsport Prospects, Tommy Schröter, CEO of Baseline Driver Training discussed the importance of taking responsibility for your own learning. “The only one who can influence how you learn and how fast you can achieve the results you dream about is you.” You can read his post, Taking Responsibility for My Own Learning here.
Motorsport UK’s magazine Revolution has a great racecraft article in the September issue called Racing Lines (How to Get the Perfect Lap). “The core challenge for any racing driver is to master a fast lap then repeat it time and again. In September’s edition of Revolution, Will Gray spoke to some expert instructors and data engineers, for tips on how to improve your pace and consistency.”
Revolution is available online, as a PDF download and on the Revolution app (for both iOS and Android devices).
Here are two articles on braking worth checking out.
- Become a Freak on the Brakes (On Racing Drivers by Terence Dove)
- How to Manage Brake Fade (Speed Secrets)
The Driver’s Eye this week is onboard a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup during the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux Race 2 during the FIA WEC at Spa-Francorchamps with Dirk Schouten. Enjoy the battles driving the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992). You can watch it here.
Grassroots Motorsports looks at how to methodically find more speed at the track. “When we talk about “improving,” which of those metrics really matters? Which should we focus on, and what path should we take to hone our skills? That’s a tall order, so let’s discuss.”
Optimum G received many interesting questions that you most likely have questioned yourself once. In their brand-new Q&A video above, Bruno Finco tackles all the questions with all his knowledge, “since knowledge shared is knowledge squared, as we always say!” These are the questions covered in this video:
- Do stiffer springs decrease total lateral load transfer?
- How can you read a vehicle’s behavior from the steering wheel angle profile?
- Why does adding ballast to the front of the car make it more understeer?
- Why is peak grip achieved when Mx (moment about the x-axis) equals 0?
- How do you evaluate the influence of damper settings on vehicle grip and stability?
- What’s the best way to use the damping speed histogram to optimize a vehicle’s on-track performance?
- Does changing the RH (Ride Height) of the car affect the balance, and is this due to weight distribution?
New Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar signing Kyffin Simpson says his experience of racing sportscars in LMP2 will ease the Indy NXT graduate’s adaption to US open wheel’s top tier.
“I think it’s helped me in a lot of ways doing all these different series,” Simpson said. “Racing sportscars has helped a lot with my fuel saving and pit stops. Obviously, we don’t do that in Indy NXT, you’re just pushing flat out for 35 laps or however long the race is. I think doing all that this year was very helpful, but also just general racecraft, being in close races with other drivers has been very helpful, just doing lots of racing this year.”
Off-Track
In the latest edition of Enzo Mucci’s The Race Driver Coach Show, amongst the questions he answers from viewers is how to become a race driver coach. If you have been thinking along those lines, you should watch this.
Episode 29 of the Your Data Driven podcast features Tal Ziv On Helping You Drive Faster By Applying The Science Of Human Behaviour.
“Tal Ziv, a performance psychologist who has worked with some of the best pro drivers and engineers in the business. Tal comes highly recommend to the show by previous guest Jorge Segers [Ep.26/27]. But what is really the contribution of psychology in racing? Where is the link to lap time on the track? The motorsports community has long survived without this kind of expertise so where is the gap now and how can it really help your performance?“
I have posted this before but it bears repeating. Simon Hayes has posted an excellent series on Race Driver Fitness Training (With Workout Exercise Plans) on Flow Racers.
“We will explain the need for fitness training for racing drivers and go through the different types of exercises that can be used. Then, we will give a few example workouts too, to give you an idea of what is expected of some of the world’s top racing drivers in terms of fitness training.”
Race Car & Series Developments
Not only is Canada’s Nissan Sentra Cup extended for the 2024 and 2025 seasons on Canadian tracks, journalist Stephanie Wallcraft has reported from the season finale last weekend at Mont Tremblant that the series will race in the United States for the first time.
“Lime Rock Park is being added to the 2024 Sentra Cup calendar in a joint race weekend with SVRA on July 19 and 20. On top of that, $30,000 in cash purses will be added next season. This fund will pay out $10,000 to the 2024 champion! The Nissan Grand Prix at ICAR will return next season as well, with the rest of the schedule to be confirmed at a later date.”
Auto Action has confirmed that plans are underway to take a round of the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia offshore to Suzuka in Japan. “It is believed the event in Japan which will be held in the first part of the season will coincide with a round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series and will be run as a combined event.”
Track Days
The Khaleej Times has the lowdown on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. “Nestled in the picturesque Eifel Mountains of western Germany lies a mecca, for both motorsport enthusiasts and automotive aficionados, called the Nürburgring Nordschleife. This iconic race circuit has earned a legendary status over the years and the rightful nickname ‘Green Hell’, thanks to its challenging layout, rich motoring heritage, and its notorious ability to test the mettle of both drivers and their wheeled machines. Let us delve into the storied history, unique characteristics, and enduring allure of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.”
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.
