The objective of one-make championships, akin to Porsche Carrera Cup North America, is each for a driver to show his or her expertise in opposition to others in equal vehicles, and in addition to hone these expertise earlier than transferring to the following step of their racing profession.
The on-track proficiency – tempo, automobile management, racecraft – are key, however more and more, drivers are discovering skilled success hinges on the off-track expertise as properly. Enter Porsche’s Driver Improvement Workshop.
Held not too long ago on the headquarters of Crew Penske, the 2024 version supplied the invited drivers from Porsche EBOOST North American Junior program and Porsche Mobil 1 Feminine Driver Program North America not solely an inside have a look at the operations of Porsche Penske Motorsports however centered on off-track expertise as properly. Drivers acquired profession expertise each hands-on and in periods with consultants from the disciplines of bodily coaching, vitamin, expertise, media and profession planning.
“It was tremendous priceless,” stated Sabre Cook dinner, driver of the No. 37 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, now working out of the Period Motorsports steady. The 30-year-old racer and engineer from Colorado was attending her first Driver Improvement Workshop. “With the ability to do the pitstop apply with the crew is likely to be my favourite half. Then attending to work together and listen to from present sponsors of the sequence, what they’re in search of and listen to from different folks inside motorsports on completely different roles and the way they have a look at issues is all the time priceless, as a result of it provides us a broader perspective outdoors of ourselves – what’s necessary and how one can keep related, hold your model rising. So total I believe it was an superior two days and actually loved it.”
The Porsche Driver Improvement Workshop has developed because the launch of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, and the curriculum adjustments annually. However the focus doesn’t waver: provide Porsche one-make drivers the information to maximise their careers. Drivers acquired a behind-the-scenes look into the operations at Crew Penske and the Yokohama Improvement Middle, each in Mooresville, N.C. Parts of the workshop included dietary recommendation, media and social media instruction, bodily recommendation with PitFit Coaching, in addition to the chance to coach with the Porsche Penske Motorsport race staff that competes in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTP class in addition to because the World Endurance Championship. American Porsche manufacturing facility driver Dane Cameron and former worldwide Porsche one-make champion and present Porsche Penske driver Matt Campbell (Australia) have been additionally readily available to supply key insights on how one can navigate a profession in sports activities automobile racing.
“One factor that was actually priceless for me was listening to Dane Cameron communicate and get his perspective on what was necessary for his profession, how he manages troublesome conditions, whether or not that’s with the staff or profession development,” stated Cook dinner
“Understanding his perspective on the physicality of going from GT vehicles into prototype vehicles, and the variations in bodily calls for with that, was actually priceless. The vitamin was fairly priceless as a result of I really feel like that’s a component I haven’t actually tapped into as a lot as I may.”
Zach Vanier is presently fourth within the Carrera Cup North America standings driving the No. 9 JDX Racing GT3 Cup. A winner in a Carrera Cup race in Miami, Vanier received the 2023 Porsche Dash Problem North America title. As a Porsche Motorsport North America Junior Improvement Program driver, Vanier has now been via the workshop twice.
“Evaluating the 2 experiences for me, it was very eye opening, as a result of I really feel like they have been completely different, and so they have been completely different in very big selection of views,” Vanier stated. “I believe this 12 months was much more tailor-made to a racing program when it comes to our exercises, and even simply this system itself, you might actually see that they’d realized lots from final 12 months and actually carried out that into this 12 months.
“I may solely think about what subsequent 12 months’s program goes to look, like as properly. To see the 2 years and to essentially expertise these workshops was very eye opening. And there are issues I realized final 12 months that I didn’t study this 12 months. So basically, it was a really optimistic takeaway, and I believe it made me mature lots as a driver in in a really brief time span.”
For Vanier, the workshop had a direct impact on his journey as a racing driver as he appears to construct his identify within the sport.
“I simply launched my very own model in February. It’s one thing that I had wished to do for a couple of years now,” he stated. “Being a Canadian, there’s a couple of Canadian icons akin to Daniel Morad, who established Moradness, and has, for my part, constructed loads of his profession round that model. I grew up trying as much as guys like that, and also you all the time need to see how you are able to do it, however in your personal manner.
“As soon as I heard [about personal branding] on the workshop, it was very rewarding to know that the efforts that I had put into constructing it type of met what was anticipated out of it. However then it additionally type of provides you a components to grasp how I can perhaps take that to the following stage, and actually emphasize the areas of customers and partnerships, in addition to followers seeing my emblem and understanding that it’s not solely me, however my core values as properly.”
Along with Cook dinner and Vanier, different attendees on the 2024 workshop included Dash Problem racers Paul Bocuse, Loni Unser, Therese Lahlouh, Caroline Candas and Paige Morales; and Carrera Cup North America drivers Elias De La Torre IV, Jimmy Libre and Madeline Stewart.
