RACER Magazine Excerpts – Syndication Server

RACER October/November 2023: The Great Cars Issue

We’ve assembled an eclectic mix of machinery for RACER magazine’s annual Great Cars Issue. And, yes, we admit that for at least one of them our editorial brain trust’s definition of “great” is highly subjective, to say the least. That would be the …

That would be the Group C Lancia LC2, a prototype sports car that utterly failed in its mission to match Porsche’s mighty 956, then 962. The LC2 won only three races in 34 starts for the Turin factory between 1983 and ’86, and was consigned to history when its already miniscule budget was absorbed by Lancia’s infinitely more successful WRC campaign.

So why do we think it’s great? Because of what it meant to us, rather than what it achieved, and the memories that it etched in our minds. David vs. Goliath; Italian cool and bravado; the sense of anticipation for those high-boosted, all-or-nothing pole runs at Le Mans and, yes, the iconic Martini stripes. Sometimes, a great car is more than just its accumulated stats.

Although stats can obviously build a case, too. Take our cover star, the McLaren MP4/2, which earned five out of a possible six Formula 1 titles between 1984 and ’86 (three drivers’ crowns and two constructors’). But what makes that car so fascinating to us are the singular focus of chief designer John Barnard in getting Porsche to build the engine he wanted, rather than accept any compromise, and then the sizable curveball thrown at his quest for perfection when F1 banned ground-effect aerodynamics before the MP4/2 even left his drawing board.

Barnard believes the only current F1 designer allowed anything approaching the level of conceptual control he enjoyed at McLaren is Red Bull Racing’s Adrian Newey. And when your cars are as great as 2023’s record-breakingly dominant RB19, why change that? But will we look back on RB19 for anything more than the stats it produces, or because it leaves us with indelible memories? Only time will tell.

We’re not sure what the collective noun is for great cars, but two others being viewed through RACER’s prism of greatness in this issue are A.J. Foyt’s Coyote IV Indy car and a rallying icon, the Ford Escort Mk2.

In an era when putting a deposit down on a McLaren or Eagle was the turn-key solution to being somewhere in the mix, Foyt plowed his own furrow with a series of in-house Coyotes – and increasingly Foyt-ized Ford engines – culminating in the Coyote IV. It was far from the path of least resistance, but the results speak for themselves. The IV made its debut in 1973, was still winning races in ’79, and earned A.J. his ’75 USAC title and a record-setting fourth Indianapolis 500 win in ’77.

The Escort Mk2 is a classic example of an ordinary car – in this case, Ford of Europe’s ubiquitous small family sedan – doing extraordinary things. Introduced into international rallying in 1975, the simple, rear-wheel-drive Mk2 won two World Rally Championship drivers’ titles, the last one coming in 1981, when the all-wheel-drive Audi quattro was taking traction to new levels and (theoretically) obsoleting cars like the Escort overnight. Not that ’81 champ Ari Vatanen was taking any notice, with the Finn’s sideways style and maximum-attack mindset leaving indelible memories on anyone who saw it.

Beyond the great cars, bringing us back into the present are some must-read stories including an interview with newly-crowned NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou (or should that be “not so newly-crowned,” given that the Spaniard clinched with a race to spare – first time that’s been done since 2005); a look at how the McLaren Formula 1 team turned its 2023 season around in going from backmarkers to best of the rest in the space of a couple of update packages on its MCL60, and insight on the increasingly potent Porsche Penske Motorsport partnership in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s new-for-2023 GTP class.

Add in stories on 23XI Racing as it got into a NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs state of mind, Formula Drift’s RTR Motorsports, and the latest on the Formula 1 and IndyCar driver silly seasons, and we know that it’s an issue you’ll enjoy.

CLICK HERE to purchase the new issue of RACER. Interested in having RACER delivered to your mailbox? CLICK HERE to find out more about print and digital subscriptions.

RACER June/July 2023: The Legendary Races Issue

The Legendary Races Issue? It’s a pretty subjective thing, what it is that constitutes a legendary race, but for us it’s an event that, through its history, its challenge, its scale, its profile, or even its notoriety, gives it a presence and …

You don’t have to be a motorsports fan to have heard of the Indianapolis 500, Monaco Grand Prix, or 24 Hours of Le Mans. Maybe the Isle of Man TT, too. Whether a non-motorsports fan knows Josef Newgarden won Indy, or that the first Ferrari factory program at Le Mans in 50 years took the victory in the centenary running of the French enduro, well, that’s perhaps more of a stretch…

Thing is, for Newgarden, or Ferrari AF Corse, or even for TT serial winner Peter Hickman, the fact that their event somehow resonates beyond the world of racing gives it elevated meaning, and winning, while not the end of a racing journey, is still some kind of end in itself.

As Newgarden told RACER after winning the 107^th Indianapolis 500 – his 12^th start in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – “You get a weight lifted. Everybody just changes their tone as soon as something like this happens.”

For a driver such as Max Verstappen, who won 15 Formula 1 grands prix in 2022 with Red Bull Racing, and had already stood on the top step of the podium eight times in ’23, including a second Monaco GP win, as this issue of RACER went to press – make that nine now – the weight lifted a long time ago, but the desire to win remains just as strong.

No doubt, that’s exactly the case for Josef Newgarden. A first Indy win is a box ticked, a mission accomplished, but two, three, or the four 500 wins earned by just four drivers are rarefied air and the stuff of legend from a legendary race. Will the Team Penske driver be as motivated and focused come next year’s 108^th running? You bet he will.

You can read our exclusive interview with 2023 Indy 500 winner Newgarden in RACER No. 323, which is mailing to subscribers right now, as well as enjoy some fascinating insight on Ferrari’s winning 24 Hours of Le Mans return and on the continuing dominance of Verstappen and Red Bull Racing in F1.

The F1 theme continues with a look at the art and science of a grand prix start, and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it choreography of a pit stop. And over in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, we check in with Paul Miller Racing as it targets a second title in the close-fought GTD class.

And there’s more, with rising rally star Oliver Solberg taking us inside his WRC journey and, switching to two wheels, Isle of Man TT racer Peter Hickman explaining the difference between calculated risk and utter craziness.

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Speed degree: Purdue University’s Motorsports Engineering Program

Doctors go to medical school; lawyers go to law school; motorsports engineers go to? Most engineers of the past and present earned generalized degrees in mechanical engineering, aerospace or applied physics and then put that broad-based background …

Doctors go to medical school; lawyers go to law school; motorsports engineers go to?

Most engineers of the past and present earned generalized degrees in mechanical engineering, aerospace or applied physics and then put that broad-based background to work in racing. It’s a scenario that by and large has worked well. But times are changing.

Today, motorsports engineering is either operating within a very restrictive ruleset where gains can only be found at the very edges of the margins. Or, in a series where the rulebook is more open in limited areas or where new technologies like electrification are taking hold.

Whether it’s the former or the latter, racing organizations are looking for specific expertise. That is where the Motorsports Engineering Program at Purdue University in Indianapolis begins to fill the void.

“I tell the students, ‘You’ve been trained through your whole education for me to ask you questions. As soon as you graduate from this program, no one’s going to ask you questions. You have to ask the questions,’” says Christopher Finch, the program’s director and veteran engineer of the IndyCar and IMSA paddocks. “When I look at it from a race engineering standpoint, I’m constantly asking the ‘what if’ question: ‘What if it rains? What if the ambient is 90 and the track temp is 130 degrees (which is different than earlier in the month)? What if it’s cloudy with the wind gusting out of the east?”

Not your typical dorm room driving game. Simcrafts SIM Rig is vital to student’s foundational understanding of vehicle dynamics.

When a graduate of the program shows up for their first day on the job at the race shop, they’re ready to get to work.

The Motorsports Engineering Program began in 2008 as a joint project between Indiana University and Purdue University Indianapolis (commonly known as IUPUI). The program evolved over time and when the two universities separated, the motorsports side of it fell under the control of Purdue. Presently, the program typically sees around 120 students entering the freshman class, from which around 30 will typically graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Motorsports Engineering. It is the only ABET- (a nonprofit, ISO 9001 certified organization that accredits college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology) accredited program in the U.S. and one of three in the world that awards degrees with a specificity in motorsport.

It’s not all fun with racecars. Students spend the first couple of years studying the theory of standard STEM classes like calculus, chemistry and physics. The second half of the program gets into the practical side of motorsports engineering.

“By their junior year, they’re really starting to get into the heart of the program,” Finch explains. “The first stepping stone for them is vehicle dynamics. That’s the grandfather of all things vehicles, all things racing. They do systems engineering, or what we call data acquisition, during the junior year. We lay a little more foundational work in control theory, or what you might call vibrations. From there, we get into motorsports design, which teaches core design principles utilizing motorsports vehicles as the foundational topic.

Practical experience in vehicle dynamics comes through taking part in events like the SCCA runoffs.

“By senior year they’re in aerodynamics, motorsport powertrain, which includes topics in internal combustion engines, hybrid systems and electric motors,” he continues. “And then every engineering program requires a senior capstone design class. Senior capstone is the culmination of every engineering class as students are grouped in threes or fours and given a project. We’ve done all sorts of different things from upright dyno design to differential dyno design to full vehicle suspension design. The essence is getting them to understand how to draw upon the education they have just finished and apply it to a real-world problem.”

In this context, the only real-world problem they must solve is as eternal as time itself: how to go faster.

Where do they go?

Not every graduate goes into a motorsport role. Some have gone on to engineering jobs at companies like Caterpillar, Harley Davidson and Space X. But plenty more have fulfilled their destiny in the rarified air of the motorsports world.

Of the teams competing in the 107^th Indianapolis 500, well more than half employed at least one Purdue University Motorsports Engineering alumnus.

Beyond IndyCar, program grads can be found throughout IMSA and NASCAR, as well as at manufacturers like GM Motorsports, Honda Performance Development (HPD) Toyota Racing Development (TRD), specialists like Pratt & Miller and at suppliers like X-Trac.

“Our students can step into a team and be ready to work, but they face stiff competition from any good mechanical engineering program in the nation,” says Finch. “But I think what a lot of team managers are recognizing that our students can come in and understand the vehicles from the start.”

Learn more about the Motorsports Engineering program at Purdue University.

RACER June/July 2023: The Heroes Issue

There’s a theme running through the three drivers we’ve chosen to put in the spotlight for RACER magazine’s annual celebration of some of the heroes of racing. Fernando Alonso, Tony Kanaan and Bobby Rahal all tick the box on career longevity, but …

Kanaan led laps in his first Indianapolis 500 back in 2002. He led laps and finished third in his 21st start last year. And TK being TK — still driven, still focused, and loaded up with all the experience and smarts that so many Months of May bring — he’ll likely lead more laps, and maybe even provide racing’s feel-good story of the year, in what he definitely, absolutely promises will be his final Indy 500 start on May 28.

Alonso hasn’t hinted at any sort of end date for his Formula 1 career, and why should he? The soon-to-be-42-year-old Spaniard is having a standout season after moving to upwardly-mobile Aston Martin. While some regard it as a rebooting and re-energizing of the two-time world champion, he sees it differently. For Alonso, nothing’s changed within himself and what he brings; it’s just current circumstances allowing others to see that, too.

Speaking of feel-good stories of the year, what odds would you give on him winning a grand prix in 2023? It might take the perfect storm (literally), and a Red Bull Racing meltdown, but don’t rule it out.

Rahal made his CART debut in 1982 at the age of 29, winning two races and finishing second in points. Three championships and a 1986 Indy 500 win followed, and despite taking on the added responsibility and pressure of team ownership, the guy finished top 10 in points for 16 of his 17 seasons racing Indy cars. That’s staying power.

And speaking of staying power, it’s the centenary running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 10-11, and RACER’s taking a look at the world’s most famous endurance race, past and present.

For the present, we run the rule over a manufacturer-stacked Hypercar class and assess the chances of Cadillac, Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Porsche and Vanwall against serial winner Toyota and its tried-and-proven GR010 HYBRID package. Plus, we set the scene for some serious NASCAR rumble at La Sarthe when a lightly-modified Next Gen Chevy Camaro takes the Garage 56 slot.

And for the past, we count down the 24 Hours’ winningest marques (replete with some stunning illustrations by RACER’s in-house artist, Paul Laguette) and recall a few of the race’s greatest driver partnerships.

Add in a look back at NASCAR’s 1995 Cup Series season and a changing-of-the-guard duel between Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon, a head-to-head assessment of the World Rally Championship’s title-hogging Sebastiens — as in, Loeb and Ogier — some fascinating insight on what elevates an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver pairing from good to great, and a lot more, and we hope you enjoy reading RACER No. 322 as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

CLICK HERE to purchase the new issue of RACER. Interested in having RACER delivered to your mailbox? CLICK HERE to find out more about print and digital subscriptions.

The six times Ayrton Senna graced the cover of RACER magazine

On this day 29 years ago, Ayrton Senna succumbed to injuries sustained during the San Marino Grand Prix. In his memory, here’s a look at all of the times this racing legend appeared on the cover of RACER magazine.

On this day 29 years ago, Ayrton Senna succumbed to injuries sustained during the San Marino Grand Prix.

In his memory, here’s a look at all of the times this racing legend appeared on the cover of RACER magazine.

WeatherTech Raceway: Back-to-back action

Hot on the heels of celebrating its 65th anniversary, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca keeps the momentum rolling into the 2023. The venerable track, one of the jewels of the Monterey Bay area, will host an exciting lineup of events, capped off at …

Before we get there, back-to-back weekends of sports car racing are on tap.

First up is the Trans Am SpeedFest, May 5-7. Headlining the weekend will be the thundering TA class V8s in the Trans Am presented by Pirelli Western Championship, plus a roaring field in the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series. Those hankering for a dose of Trans Am history will also be treated to some action featuring old school American iron with the SVRA’s Historic Trans Am class, along with the SVRA collector car show to enjoy in between action on the track.

A week later, on May 12-14, the emphasis shifts from the unfettered rawness of Trans Am to the future forward high tech of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Motul Course de Monterey powered by Hyundai N leads with GTP class prototypes from Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche in all their high-power, hybrid glory followed by the delectable manufacturer array of GTD and GTD Pro cars going door-to-door with anyone’s guess as to who’ll win from one race to the next.

Underpinning the events are a number of facility improvements that began at the end of last year. Already in progress is the construction of a new bridge over the front straight that will enable a greater connection between the outfield spectator areas and the infield paddock.

The track itself is also slated for a major overhaul. Drivers from Trans Am and IMSA will be the first to take advantage of improved curbing around each of the track’s 11 turns. Following the Motul Course de Monterey, the entire circuit will be repaved in time to welcome the MotoAmerica Superbike SpeedFest at Monterey, July 7-9.

“We are thrilled to reopen WeatherTech Raceway to teams, our community and international visitors to experience the rebirth of Monterey County’s iconic track,” said John Narigi, the track’s president. “Trans Am and IMSA are ideal partners to lead us into an action-packed 2023 season.”

Springtime along California’s Central Coast can be one of remarkable contrasts. The sea cliffs and pines can be cloaked in a velvety morning fog that gives way to sunny skies and balmy afternoon temperatures. The changing conditions often make car setups tricky, but for spectators it doesn’t get much better. Add in the gamut of sports cars racing and the only difficult choice is which to attend.

Both seems like a great idea.

Advance tickets for the Trans Am SpeedFest, May 5-7, start as low as $10 for Friday General Admission, with a full three-day admission at just $55. On site camping and reserved parking packages are also available.

The Motul Course de Monterey, May 12-14, also has $10 Friday General Admission tickets available, while a three-day ticket starts at $90. Plus, there are a range of VIP Hospitality packages along with camping and reserved parking packages.

In addition to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Motul Course de Monterey also features the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo on a packed weekend bill.

RACER Spring 2023: The Season Preview Issue

Two championships, but two very different storylines. In the Formula 1 World Championship, the big question is whether anyone can take the fight to Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, following another dominant performance by the reigning world …

Two championships, but two very different storylines.

In the Formula 1 World Championship, the big question is whether anyone can take the fight to Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, following another dominant performance by the reigning world champions in the 2023 Bahrain opener?

In a 2023 NTT IndyCar Series that looks too close to call, it’s who out of a loaded field of contenders can somehow rise above it and find a title-winning edge? Based on St. Petersburg’s season-opening sample of one, that could be any of a dozen drivers.

For both series, RACER’s Season Preview Issue has you covered. Our comprehensive F1 guide looks at every team, and includes interviews with McLaren newcomer Oscar Piastri, as well as a re-energized Lewis Hamilton (who, based on Mercedes’ early form, will need every bit of that energy).

Over in IndyCar, we’re looking at Alexander Rossi’s fresh start with Arrow McLaren, Scott McLaughlin’s rapid rise to championship contention with Team Penske, and a new attitude and impetus at Andretti Autosport. Add in a look at the prospects for all five former champions in the 2023 field, and you’re primed to go racing.

But that’s only the start of issue No. 321. We’re also taking a look at how Meyer Shank Racing’s Acura ARX-06 took the opening win of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s new GTP era (somewhat controversially, it turns out…) and how Heart of Racing’s GTD class Aston Martin outgunned every all-pro GT entry at the Rolex 24.

In NASCAR, we’re checking in with 23XI Racing new addition Tyler Reddick, a driver who team co-owner Denny Hamlin feels has multiple Cup Series championships in his future. And switching to two wheels, Yamaha’s 2021 MotoGP champ Fabio Quartararo gives us the lowdown on how he’s going to take on the Ducati hordes.

With all that, and more, we hope you enjoy the latest issue of RACER — and we hope we see someone going wheel to wheel with that man Verstappen, too…

CLICK HERE to purchase the new issue of RACER. Interested in having RACER delivered to your mailbox? CLICK HERE to find out more about print and digital subscriptions.