Working with a race engineer is just one of the topics that you will find covered in this week’s Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. I also have tips on conquering street circuits, how to deal with fear and self-doubt and why Canada’s Sentra Cup should come to America. All this and much more!
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
On-Track
What difference (if any) could a professional Race Engineer make to your race weekend? Join Samir Abid of Your Data Driven for this behind the scenes, warts, wind and all, video where he shares his approaches and ideas to inspire you.
Speaking of working with race engineers, Andrew Marangoni, Technical Director and Lead Motorsport Engineer at Pfaff Motorsports explains the importance of a strong driver engineer relationship.
“The relationship between driver and engineer extends far beyond tire pressures and lap charts; at least, it should. The ‘work’ (technical faculties such as vehicle setup) constitutes only a small percentage of the engineer’s role, with everything from psychologist to translator to mediator filling the remainder of the spectrum. In many cases, there is more left in the person sitting in the seat than there is in the car, and it is up to the engineer to extract as much potential as possible, while facilitating a symbiotic relationship between the driver and their mechanical cocoon. After all, if the driver is not comfortable with their tools, they will never be capable of “leaving it all on track”.”
Ross Bentley of Speed Secrets explains why you need to be like Dory from Finding Nemo. “You can’t go back and fix a missed apex or a less-than-ideal pass. This, to me, is perhaps the most important thing we learn from our time on track. Make note of a mistake, file it away so you learn from it and don’t repeat it, and get back to what’s important right now. Focus on the solution, not the problem.”
Grassroots Motorsports asked some of the best for their tips to conquer street circuits including Trans Am Series TA2 drivers Brent Crews, Rafa Matos, Thomas Merrill, Connor Zilisch and GT America Series driver Robb Holland.
“Street courses is 80% the driver. Road courses is maybe 50% to 60%,” Rafa says. “[Street courses are] very technical. I believe that the drivers with more skills are able to make a difference at a [street course].”
Off-Track
In the video above, Enzo Mucci explains how to build yourself into a champion. “To achieve your goals and dreams in life, you must be the kind of person who can actually achieve them. This is where you focus must be. Build that person!”
In this edition of the Performance Formula Podcast, Dr.Jacques Dallaire explains to host Jody Martins the cure for fear and self-doubt.
In this conversation, Jacques and Jody talk about:
- Deployment of attention.
- Fear is the core of understanding performance.
- How worry about outcomes affects performance.
- Being confident in skill and yourself.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Episode 36 of the Motorsport Sponsorship Podcast features psychologist and Olympian Caroline Anderson who explains how to deal with performance anxiety. In this episode:
- Explore the high cognitive demands of motorsport and how to manage external influences.
- Learn from the experiences of top athletes like Lydia Lassela and Scott McLaughlin.
- Discover strategies to manage and normalize performance anxiety, focusing on the “what if,” fear of judgment, and self-doubt thoughts.
- Understand the body’s flight or fight response and its connection to anxiety in young athletes.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Race Car & Series Developments
With Ollie Bearman’s success putting the series in the spotlight, Feeder Series looks at whether this success will translate into the GB3 Championship finding a stable identity as a go-to series to help young drivers to get to Formula 1.
“As was announced last month, GB3 is introducing a new car for the 2025 season. The Tatuus MSV GB3-025 conforms to the new Formula Regional technical requirements and takes inspiration from the current generation of F1 cars. It is part of the series’ goal to become the leading series on the rung of the ladder below F3 alongside an even more international calendar. With it could come more cameos from drivers looking for direct preparation for F3.”
Organizers of the TOCA Junior Championship have announced the venue and date for its official launch, as well as where fans will be able to get a first look at the car that will be competing in the new 2025 one-make category.
With the build process of the car approaching its conclusion and an extensive testing program scheduled to begin in the coming weeks, a strictly invite-only event will be held at the Mercure Daventry Court Hotel on the evening of Tuesday 13th August.
Prospective teams and drivers, as well as media and partners, will be invited to attend as the covers come off the machine – which bares the Chevron name – that drivers aged 14 to 17 will compete against each other in next year.
Information on the championship will also be provided to those in attendance before the registration process formerly opens two days later on Thursday 15th August, with teams and drivers that have legitimate interest to join the series can secure their spot on the entry list.
For the inaugural season of the TOCA Junior Championship, the size of the grid will be capped to a maximum of 26 cars. Spaces will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
More information can be found here.
With its ability to attract former Formula One drivers and a multitude of brands, Rodolpho Siqueira, head of communications at Stock Car Brasil, explains to BlackBook Motorsport why the series has the potential to grow both at home and internationally.
With races broadcast to more than 150 countries in five languages, Stock Car is currently the main B2B and B2C relationship and experience hub for the entire South American sporting ecosystem.
This reach is made possible through an agreement with Motorsport.tv, but local coverage is also broad. In Brazil, races are broadcast by Band TV, which also shows Formula One. Other options for fans include subscription network SporTV and national TV channel Estadão. Plus, the series’ main events gather over 300 media professionals from all over the country.
Bringing together more than 200 national and international brands, the series is breaking records with its advertising return and brand exposure year after year. It also generates millions of dollars in economic impact for the cities in which its races are held.
Why the Stock Car Pro Series is South American motorsport’s toughest test
Brazil’s Stock Car Pro Series has pulled the covers off its new platform that is set to race in 2025. Next year will be the first that the stock car series does not feature sedans, marking a 45-year first for the category. Instead, Stock Car’s three manufacturers – Chevrolet, Toyota, and Mitsubishi – will field compact SUVs. In line with the move away from sedans, the Stock Car Pro Series has ditched its 6.8-litre V8 powerplant for a turbocharged 2.1-litre four-cylinder engine. Read the full story at SpeedCafe.
Mercedes‑AMG has announced that it has strategically reorganized its motorsport division to meet future requirements and plans. The suite of changes includes the creation of a new subsidiary under the name “Affalterbach Racing GmbH”. This company will be responsible for all conceptual and technical customer sport activities of AMG, including the development of the new Mercedes‑AMG GT3.
In addition, Mercedes‑AMG GmbH plans to acquire part of its long-standing partner HWA AG. Both companies have signed a letter of intent to this effect. With this reorganization, AMG is reaffirming its commitment to GT racing. Daily Sportscar has all the details.
Road & Track feels that Canadian series The Nissan Sentra Cup needs to come to the United States after their recent one-off at Lime Rock Park.
“With amateur and professional drivers alike sharing the track and contender ages ranging from just out of their teen years to more than 60 years old, the Sentra Cup series is about as egalitarian as racing gets. At 20 years old, Quebec’s Marie-Soleil Labelle is the youngest competitor in the series — although, with almost a decade of racing history, she’s hardly a novice. Labelle says that driving first in the Micra Cup and now in the Sentra series has been a great opportunity to develop her driving skills and confidence.”
The Indian Formula 4 championship has revived its plan to run a night race on the city streets of Chennai, and it will take place in a month’s time. At an announcement event in Chennai this morning, it was revealed that the Indian Racing Festival (which contains the open-wheel Indian Racing League sportscar series and Indian F4) will be visiting the city on August 30-September 1 for the country’s first ever night races on a street circuit. That means it will be round two of the F4 season. Read the full story at Formula Scout.
MotorSport New Zealand has appointed National Racing Group Promotions (NRG) as the official promoter of its Premier Race Championship. The company, part of the Tony Quinn stable of motorsport and entertainment companies in Australasia, brings a wealth of expertise, strategic resources, commitment and enthusiasm to the series.
“We are excited to partner with NRG,” said Deborah Day, President of MotorSport New Zealand. “Their experience and vision align with our goals for the Premier Race Championship, and we are confident that this collaboration will lead the championship to new heights.”
“We are really honoured to be appointed as the promotor of the strongest development Championship series in the world,” said Josie Spillane, Group CEO, NZ. “We are full speed ahead with appointing a team to help us deliver a new generation of motorsport entertainment and experiences in NZ. I’m delighted to share that Paul Fallon is joining our NRG team as GM of Operations, he is the best in the business.
Read the full story at Velocity News.
Track Days
The Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport is built for the track, but does it deliver? Grassroots Motorsports test driver J.G. Pasterjak took one around the Grassroots Motorsports official test track, the Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park (FIRM), to find out. Watch his review in the video above.
Racing Opportunities
Calling all women who want to experience driving on a racetrack. VIRginia International Raceway and Women in Motorsports North America are hosting a 2-day event on October 8th and 9th. COME OUT AND PLAY!
“Join us for the WIMNA Drives – VIR: Women’s Track Day, a premier event for women interested in motorsports held at the VIRginia International Raceway on October 8th and 9th, 2024. This exclusive track day experience offers a unique opportunity to drive exotic cars, enhance driving skills, and connect with influential women in motorsports.”
REGISTER HERE: https://lnkd.in/eAp_a9W3
Eurasia Motorsport is entering a Ligier JSP 320 LMP3 in this year’s Asian Le Mans Series marking a return to the Championship for the team. Eurasia was a previous LMP3 Champion under the DC Racing banner and they bring years of experience with the Ligier LMP3. The team has competed five times in the Le Mans 24 Hours and this combined with their global experience in LMP and GT makes a seat in the car an attractive proposition.
The car is based at Sepang allowing drivers to test at the venue of the first event in the months leading up to the races which start this December. Two x four hour races at Sepang in Malaysia are followed by Dubai and Yas Marina in February 2025 both also with two x 4 hour races. This provides drivers the same racing mileage as a full season in European Le Mans.
The team’s guide can be downloaded from their website: www.eurasiamotorsport.com
Interested drivers should contact us at:
Email: mark@eurasiamotorsport.com
Facebook: EurasiaMotorsport
Instagram: eurasiaracing
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.
