PSSA partners with Hankook for new contingency program
'I have to thank Hankook for their continued support of PSSA,' said Rob Elson, PSSA Series Manager. 'They're a class act partner, and are always looking for ways to support and grow the series. Since PSSA's first season in 2023, there has been a lot of interest around the series, with new drivers and cars looking to get involved. We have some great year-end prizes, but this contingency program will be a great weekly incentive to reward our top-performing drivers.'
'We're thrilled to support PSSA and its growth through a new contingency program,' said Danny van Dongen, President of Hankook Tire America Corp. 'We're proud to have everyone racing on Hankook tires, and hope that this program, with the opportunity to earn free or discounted tires, gives competitors that much more incentive to come race with us.'
Hosting prototype racecars in a sprint race format at some of the most iconic road courses in America, PSSA welcomes more than 30 eligible chassis to compete in one of four different classes. Drivers contend for regional titles with champions crowned in both PSSA East and PSSA West, while manufacturers go head to head for the annual Constructors Championship. All competitors are mandated to use Hankook racing tires.
With between two and three races each weekend, contingency prizes will be awarded for the top finishers in each eligible class during PSSA's Feature Race 2. To be eligible, there must be a minimum of six cars entered in the class, and all cars must compete on Hankook racing tires and have the prescribed Hankook identification present on their cars. Further rules can be found in the 2025 PSSA rulebook.
PSSA East will kick off its six-race 2025 season at Sebring International Raceway for the Sebring SpeedTour, Feb. 20-23. Just a few weeks later, PSSA West will kick off its seven-race campaign with the Buttonwillow SpeedTour at California's Buttonwillow Raceway Park, March 14-16. To learn more about PSSA, visit prototypesprint.com.
Story originally appeared on Racer
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New York Times
2 days ago
- New York Times
‘No superstars' and the power of anxiety: How McLaren is building the next F1 dynasty
When Zak Brown sold his marketing company in 2013, its new owners brought in someone he calls 'a shrink dude' to analyze his leadership style. He told Brown there were two types of successful people in the world: those who are motivated by the thrill of victory and those motivated by the fear of defeat. Advertisement 'I'm motivated by the fear of defeat,' Brown told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix in July. 'The unhealthier and more stressful version.' While standing on the podium at last season's Formula One season finale in Abu Dhabi, where McLaren clinched its first constructors' championship for 26 years, defeat will have been the furthest thing from Brown's mind. Since taking the reins as the CEO of its racing division in late 2016, Brown has overseen McLaren's evolution from a team stuck in the shadow of past glories to one that now sits atop the F1 world once more. The 2024 constructors' title win came after a remarkable turnaround both on and off the track for McLaren, led by Brown and team principal Andrea Stella. Retaining that championship already appears inevitable as we sit here in F1's summer hiatus, given the current 299-point buffer to second-place Ferrari. The greater unknown is which McLaren driver, Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri, will win his first F1 crown in 2025. They're separated by just eight points with 10 races to go. The team itself isn't ruling out its rivals (reigning champion Max Verstappen sits 97 points behind Piastri, with over 250 points still available) but, barring a shock turnaround, McLaren will have its first drivers' champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. The good times have returned. But to Brown and his leadership team, this isn't about building an organization that can win one championship; it's about creating a dynasty and staving off future defeat for as long as possible. 'Where we are today is not going to continue forever, right? That scares me,' Brown said. 'So I wake up every day with a certain amount of anxiety, which propels me forward. That drives us. And that's where I'm going to continue putting my energy. I want to prolong, and delay the inevitable.' Two years ago, McLaren was just starting to see the green shoots of recovery. Its 2022 campaign was derailed by aerodynamics flaws and reliability issues with the car, which left Brown concerned with the direction in which the team was heading. McLaren then missed offseason car-development targets going into the following season, but an upgrade package at that year's Austrian Grand Prix started a lift in performance that shows no sign of slowing. Advertisement 'It's easy to be good once you get good,' Brown told The Athletic in an interview earlier this year. 'It's harder to be bad and to come out of bad. That's when it tests you. It just made us a lot stronger as a team.' The one thing Brown and his leadership team did not force was change. There was trust in McLaren's new infrastructure, such as its wind tunnel, that was coming online thanks to fresh investment. This was aimed at enabling the team to compete with better-resourced rivals. But crucially, there was also trust in the workforce at the team headquarters in Woking, on London's southwestern outskirts. Some tweaks, not a total overhaul, in McLaren's technical leadership and structure were viewed as the key to progress. 'We had a thousand people. I changed three,' Brown said. 'So, the same 997 that gave us the car at the beginning of 2023 are the same 997 people that gave us the car that just won the world championship. I changed three. Yes, I added (chief designer) Rob Marshall. But 98 percent of the same racing team that gave us the ninth-place car gave us the championship car. That's the power of teamwork and culture.' Stella, McLaren team principal since the start of 2024, told The Athletic that the team never had a 'deficit of talent'. He insists it was 'much more about unleashing, recognizing and empowering this talent. For me, as a team principal, I'm a lucky team principal. I inherited a team that was already quite capable.' The McLaren 'way' of going racing while fostering a healthy culture has been a cornerstone of the Brown-Stella era. Team members are encouraged to be open and honest, taking part in regular staff surveys so those at the top can take the temperature of the team. 'Culture is a way of pursuing performance,' Stella said. 'But hopefully it's also a way of creating an environment that people want to be part of. Because if somebody doesn't want to stay, you're not going to be (able to keep them). And we also don't want to retain people that don't want to stay. Advertisement 'I certainly don't want to have the responsibility of having made a decision that goes against people's genuine interests. You want to make the team interest and the personal interest match, but this cannot only be created on the grounds of remuneration or a benefit or perks.' The team culture had to be authentic. A certain bond and togetherness is to be expected of a group that's risen from point-scrapers to serial winners, but McLaren says its highs are never taken for granted. After McLaren won the 2024 constructors' championship, the Crown Prince of Bahrain arranged for the entire team to be flown from that race in Abu Dhabi to his nearby homeland to party through the night (McLaren Group is owned by Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund). The team went back again in the morning to either catch pre-booked flights home or stay on for a post-season test. It gave the traveling team members the chance to soak in their achievements together after the season's ups and downs – one where Norris lost an outside shot at toppling Verstappen for the drivers' title, too. Peering from plane windows approaching Manama, Bahrain's capital, team members watched the city turn the orange of McLaren's car livery as authorities changed the color of its street lights in recognition of the title win. Reaching the summit in F1 is one thing. Staying up there is an entirely different question. McLaren only won last year's title by 14 points over Ferrari. Verstappen still retained the drivers' crown. And Mercedes had ended the year strongly, too. With a lot of attention rightly going to the new regulations coming in 2026, this season had the potential to be very open. The result of all that was McLaren got aggressive, adopting what Stella referred to as an 'innovative' car design that looked to capitalize on the base established the previous year. While its rivals made progress, it wasn't anywhere near enough to keep up with the champions' papaya-colored cars, setting Norris and Piastri up to win 11 of the first 14 races this season. Advertisement What changed to turn a strong team into a dominant one? Well, in fact, it's what didn't change that was so powerful for both Stella and Brown. Winning a championship meant, yes, some practical conversations were required around team racing rules between the two drivers. But the core values at McLaren remained unchanged. The focus was stability. 'Despite the team having changed the status, way, ethos and culture that we used to actually get out of the mud, somehow that is what we wanted to retain,' Stella said. 'We didn't want to change who we are. We actually talked a lot internally about almost recognizing how we made this possible and what elements, therefore, we needed to protect from changing.' Piastri told The Athletic earlier this year he was always struck by McLaren's 'desire to win, leaving no stone unturned at certain points, especially when we were struggling'. The Australian had joined the team for his F1 debut when it was at its unexpected low ebb early in the 2023 season. But Piastri found it hard to identify an exact catalyst or reason why McLaren has since grown so strong. Like many, he is full of praise for Stella's influence, but said there was 'not one single thing that you can pick out that is special or makes the team so good. It's a combination of so many things. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what it is, but there's just a great sense of teamwork, leadership, dedication'. For Norris, who has raced for the team since his 2019 rookie season, the only thing that changed between 2024 and 2025 was the spotlight McLaren faced, especially from its rivals. This makes any mistake all the more costly, but he felt the team had handled the pressure perfectly. 'It's the external stuff that changes,' Norris said earlier this year in Miami. 'But that's out of your control. The team is doing a very good job of dealing with that and carrying on with what they've got.' Stella knows what it is like to be part of one of F1's greatest teams. He worked directly with the great Michael Schumacher at Ferrari through that team's sustained successful run in the early 2000s. One parallel he draws, in a news conference at the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month, between Ferrari then and McLaren now was: 'There are no superstars. It's like a proper team journey, and this includes the drivers.' Advertisement Balancing the desires of two young, hungry drivers such as Piastri and Norris, both seeking their first individual world championship, with the success of a team is tricky. The issue flared on occasion last year. In Hungary, Norris had to give up the win to Piastri. At Monza, Piastri hurt his teammate's title chances with a fierce Lap 1 pass. At times, Piastri was asked to help Norris' long-shot bid. But managing a season-long title fight between its drivers is a new challenge for McLaren. And yet, again, nothing has changed. McLaren enforces the same team rules as last year, telling its drivers they are free to race, so long as it stays fair and doesn't jeopardize the team's overall result. In the past, famous teams have given one driver priority in a title fight. This included Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at McLaren in the 1980s. Hamilton and Fernando Alonso for McLaren in 2007. Or Hamilton and Nico Rosberg with Mercedes in the 2010s. These were explosive affairs that risked fracturing those teams. But McLaren saw no need to prioritize. Piastri's step forward in one-lap pace in 2025 has left him and Norris trading wins back and forth through the season, regularly sharing the same few meters of track. 'Our drivers are treated equally and fairly,' Brown said at Spa last month. 'There's nothing in their contract that gives one priority over the other, nor have they ever asked for that. They just want fair and equal treatment.' The policy has worked. The one moment of contact between the team's two cars so far, when Norris ran into Piastri's rear in Canada, was handled immediately: Norris took full blame. McLaren feels it emerged stronger as a team after that incident. Subsequent close, hard but fair battles in Austria and Hungary were both encouraged and allowed to play out free of interference, bar team radio reminders to keep things contactless. Advertisement The drivers have welcomed this approach. While both are fiercely determined to win this year's title, their relationship has remained very friendly. Brown says it is 'the best it's ever been'. He believes the ability to keep peace within a season-long title fight is not only down to McLaren's culture, but also the individual characters of Norris and Piastri. 'They're going to be racing against each other for a long time in the same team,' Brown said. Indeed, both are on long-term contracts, with Piastri having renewed his ahead of the current season. 'So it's important that the relationship continues to grow, because the relationship is not just about this year, but it bleeds into next year,' Brown added. 'They're going to be together for a long time. 'That's our greatest strength in McLaren. What's producing the on-track results in the car is the entire culture inside McLaren, the way of working, which is set from the highest levels.' The greatest tests of that strength may still be to come. Once the constructors' title is sewn up, potentially as early as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a month's time, McLaren's drivers will have just one championship to go for: their own. However that plays out, there is likely to be one winner reveling in his first crown, having achieved the ultimate goal in their sport, and a crestfallen loser, knowing perhaps his best chance has passed by, both in the same McLaren garage. These figures will, almost certainly, be teammates wearing papaya race suits. Brown said at Spa that McLaren would deal with this potentially awkward dynamic just like any other issue. It will focus on communication and discuss with both drivers how they want to handle each scenario. 'We'll just sit down, actually have a conversation,' Brown said, 'and go, 'One of you is going to win; it's going to be the best day of your life. One of you is going to lose; you're going to be (down). How do you want us to handle it? Do you want us to jump up and down and celebrate this guy won?' Advertisement 'So we're fully aware and sensitive of: how do you celebrate that situation? The way we think (about) it comes back to thinking about our people.' Pulling off a cordial, fair championship fight between such evenly-matched teammates across the course of a whole season would be an impressive achievement. But as much as Norris and Piastri have raced so far with McLaren's bigger picture in mind, they must do so through to the end of the season in Abu Dhabi on the first weekend of December. If they want to create and keep a dynasty, having the best drivers — Brown is adamant he has F1's top line-up — will be an integral part. The 2026 season will change the F1 picture again, as the sport's new car-design regulations arrive. For the first time in over a decade, McLaren won't be playing catch-up after a rule change. It'll be the team that the others have their sights on beating. This means, just as it has done in 2025, it will need another step forward. But for Stella, so long as McLaren retains the approach that has got it this far, and keeps understanding what it can do better, that will put the team in a good place — regardless of where it stands compared to its rivals. 'You always need to acknowledge the gap between where you are and where you want to be, because only once you identify this gap can you actually do something about it,' Stella said. 'If you think you're already at the level, that there's no gap, then you're not going to have any incentive. You're not going to have any action defined in relation to the opportunity. 'For us, humility is a very fundamental component of our identity. It's one of the things that we should not change.' (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Dan Goldfarb) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Hypebeast
3 days ago
- Hypebeast
Hankook Is Leading the Pack Through Tech, Testing and Some Serious Track Time
25 drivers, all in 620 horsepower, V10 race cars, fighting across the globe in the most rigorous conditions, on the most demanding tracks. The weather is dynamic, the drivers' skill varies, but one thing ties everything together: Hankook tires. Since 2023, Hankook has been the exclusive global supplier for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, supplying every Huracán EVO2 on the grid with its tires, both slicks for dry and wet for rain. Working closely with Lamborghini's motorsport division, Squadra Corse, Hankook developed the tires not only for competition and performance, but within strict regulations and technical guidelines set within the one-make race. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hypedrive (@hypedrive) 'To be selected as the official tire for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, we conducted extensive real-vehicle testing under a variety of demanding conditions, including high-speed driving, high-speed cornering, and high-temperature environments,' admitted a Hankook representative when asked about the exclusive partnership. 'Evaluations were carried out on multiple circuits – such as Jerez, Vallelunga, Monza, and Sepang – tailored to the performance characteristics of the Lamborghini Huracán EVO2. In particular, to assess high-speed stability and durability, we adjusted the vehicle setup to even more extreme conditions in order to test the limits of the tire's performance. We also conducted thorough comparisons between prototype and mass-production products to ensure consistent quality.' This level of attention to detail reminds us of similar conditions you'd normally find in other high-demand, extremely low tolerance environments, namely tech industries and the medical field. So why does Hankook go to this extreme? To prove that its tires – including the all-new Ventus Evo Z – not only meets but far exceeds the demands of its sports car drivers, the conditions of your every day road, and the max performance required from your vehicle. 1 of 7 2 of 7 3 of 7 4 of 7 5 of 7 6 of 7 7 of 7 Testing at the Technoring Hankook invited us to its private testing facility – the aptly named Technoring – situated in Taean, South Korea, considerably far from Seoul. Once arriving and realizing the sheer size of it all – 1.26 million sq. meters, or 125 football fields – it was clear why Asia's largest testing track needed separation from the city. Nevertheless, each testing ground within the Technoring we experienced was more impressive than the next. Dry course. Wet course. High speed oval. Rough terrain simulation. The Technoring is meant to be an all-encompassing proving ground that allows absolute control and verification of what its tires can do, mimicking anything and everything the tires would happen to encounter on the road. There's even a patch of road with purposefully placed potholes and a municipal sewer cap, just like the one down the block from you. Alongside pro drivers and instructors, we were able to test Hankook's range of Ventus tires on a selection of these grounds, while fitted to the fastest, most extreme sports cars. We also got to try out the Ventus Evo Z model exclusively, prior to its global launch. 1 of 6 2 of 6 3 of 6 4 of 6 5 of 6 6 of 6 The Ferrari 488 Pista on Ventus tires allowed us to experience grip levels on the dry circuit, while the wet course gave us the chance to explore grip levels when the road gets slippery. Our high speed oval taxi ride put us shotgun in both a 660-hp Ford GT and a $3 million USD Bugatti Chiron. The Ventus tires explored the dichotomy between speed and stability and resulted in highly impressive performance in both regards. For its Gymkhana autocross handling track, we got behind the wheel of one of the best handling cars on the market, a Porsche 911 Targa 4S, on which the brand new flagship Ventus Evo Z gave us complete confidence around the tight hairpins and slaloms. And all of this during extreme near-100°F temperatures. All day. We were particularly impressed with the Ventus Evo Z, the brand's most hardcore model that's track-ready while still being streetable. According to the representative, the Evo Z represents a no-compromise approach to performance, factoring cornering, grip, braking and balance across its extreme tire pattern. From its asymmetrical in-out tread pattern to its race tire-originating solid resin compound with a high softening point, the Evo Z far exceeds the highest demands of today's modern sports cars, all while somehow still keeping with efforts towards environmental sustainability. Technology at the Technodome '[Our tires are] engineered to deliver optimal safety on both dry and wet surfaces, taking into account real-world driving conditions,' our representative stated, as we continued our Hankook tour. 'The key differentiator of the Ventus Evo is its outstanding performance without trade-offs.' Our visit behind the scenes continued to Daejeon, South Korea at Hankook's Technodome, a massive private facility that's home to the brand's design and development center. Designed by architecture firm Foster + Partners and measuring 96,347 sq. meters in size, the Technodome more resembled an isolated futuristic civilization than what most would call their office. Within the facility, there were dedicated labs organically arranged to the tire production process that focused on their individual duties – compound, design stations, testing zones and more. Each room's clear, visible glass allowed not only visitors to peer through and tour the facility, but staff to understand the unity between development and deployment – everything comes full circle at the end. 1 of 7 2 of 7 3 of 7 4 of 7 5 of 7 6 of 7 7 of 7 But Hankook wanted us to relate to the product and its development further, and gave us two very relatable examples. The first was the anechoic chamber – a noise isolation room completely filled with sound deadening materials, much like in a recording studio. The purpose of this room was to examine and record the noise each tire makes, down to individual decibels. Hankook explained that more than 17 separate microphones record the noise the tire and its tread makes on a rolling road, allowing engineers and developers to fine tune designs as needed to reach an optimal noise level. The second was the vehicle simulator room – a giant open floor with an actual 1:1 vehicle wrapped by a 180° digital screen that acts as an enormous sim setup. While it may seem like overkill to replicate a 1:1 driving simulator to this size, Hankook explained that it didn't want a compromise when it came to remote testing of its tires and the data it compiles. The simulator room is based on a racing track setup and gathers data from real-world race tracks, the tires it develops, and even auto manufacturers' cars to simulate driving, handling, acceleration and braking tests, all within the comfort of one room. The software is developed in-house at Hankook and showcases the high performance of Ventus tires, derived from motorsport technology. Hankook proudly confirms it is the only tire company in South Korea with this setup. All of this technology yields results: 46 global automotive manufacturers across 320 car models use Hankook tires as OEM (original manufacturer equipment, or the tires you find on the car straight from factory). And it isn't as simple as just fitting the right size; certain brands, like BMW, Audi, and Porsche, require specific parameters from Hankook on their tires in order for it to perform as expected. Tuning house BRABUS even commissions a custom Hankook tire design for its exorbitant, bespoke builds. '[Our tires are] engineered to deliver optimal safety on both dry and wet surfaces, taking into account real-world driving conditions.' Teamwork at the Technoplex Our last stop took us to Hankook's HQ, also known as the Technoplex. Similarly impressive in size and design and also designed by Foster + Partners, the Technoplex is where the minds within Hankook come together and create the business behind the tires. During our tour we encountered multiple key-words that explained why Hankook is a leader in the industry – 'cohesive,' 'transparent,' 'collaborative.' Much like industries that create world-changing products, Hankook's approach towards its business is very much towards a team effort where they work together as a whole rather than individually within their own silos. It's quite enviable, impressive, and simply awe inspiring. 1 of 6 2 of 6 3 of 6 4 of 6 5 of 6 6 of 6 Each department member is encouraged to mingle and mix with their coworkers, removing rigid guidelines and secrecy from the equation. Windows are transparent, seating plans are open, tables are communal. In a country where traditional hierarchical structures dictate how things are done with no deviation, the Hankook Technoplex stands alone and gives a bright future not only to the company's direction, but the products it develops. And in order for Hankook to create future-minded tires with innovative features like RFID embeds, eco-friendly tire compounds and sustainable business efforts, a proactiv and collaborative team mentality isn't just a good idea, it's vital. 'Today, cutting-edge technologies such as eco-friendly materials, fuel-efficient designs, and smart sensor-equipped tires are being actively integrated into modern tire development,' confirmed Hankook. 'The advancement of tire technology has progressed hand-in-hand with the evolution of automobiles.'
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Yahoo
Fred Vasseur and Ferrari have a ‘clear target' for the 2025 F1 season
Ferrari rocked the Formula 1 world before the start of the 2024 season, reaching an agreement on a contract with seven-time Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton to begin driving for the team in 2025. But while Hamilton arrived in Maranello to much fanfare, the results have yet to follow. The living legend has yet to secure a grand prix podium this year, and aside from a win in the F1 Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix and a podium in the F1 Sprint at the Miami Grand Prix, the results have not matched the hype. Ferrari is locked in a tight battle with Mercedes, Hamilton's former team, for second in the Constructors' Championship race, but they are miles behind first-place McLaren. And last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix was a difficult result for the team. While Charles Leclerc started on pole, his pace in the later stages of the race faded as his SF-25 had suffered chassis damage, and he finished a frustrating fourth. As for Hamilton, he qualified 12th and finished 12th, and sounded like a driver who could not wait for the Summer Shutdown to arrive. In a video interview with the official F1 channel, Team Principal Frederic Vasseur addressed the team's present, and future. 'I'm really convinced that it takes time,' said Vasseur. 'It takes time, not just at Ferrari, but everywhere. 'If you look at any good story in F1 – when Christian [Horner] joined Red Bull or Jean [Todt] joined Ferrari before – all these good success stories took time before the first win. Also, because that resource system in the paddock, you need a couple of years to build up a team, to accrue people that you want to have with you. And then it also takes time to work together.' Vasseur's own tenure with the team came under pressure earlier this season, when reports in Italian media surfaced that his position was under threat at Ferrari. The team put those rumors to rest ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, as Vasseur put pen to paper on a new multi-year deal. Vasseur called the move a 'good step' for the 'stability' of the team. 'It's a good step,' he said. 'We had a couple of discussions. There were some rumors in the press, the last couple of weeks. I think it's not easy for the stability and mood of the team, but now it is behind us. 'It's important, it's a good step that we have to be ready for the last part of the season. That we are fighting for P2 in the championship with Mercedes and Red Bull and we want to win some races before the end.' Winning races in 2025, and starting 2026 on the front foot, is the target for the team. 'We want to be very agile in Formula 1, but the reality is that we have a lot of inertia. We are pushing for this. We have a clear target, a clear goal. Everybody in the company is aligned in this project and pushing in the same direction. This is probably the best feeling, when you have a goal and everybody is convinced we can achieve it,' described the Ferrari boss. 'As usual in a season, you have pros and cons. You can see the glass half-empty or half-full. 'It's true that in the championship, we are in front of Red Bull and we're in front of Mercedes, but we are also a bit far away off McLaren. But I think, overall, we're improving. Improving on the methodology, on the approach, on the process. Sometimes it's not visible on track, day-by-day, but I think overall we're making steps forward. It's important for us to remain P2 [in the Constructors' Championship] and to win more races until the end.' However, the incoming regulation change gives Ferrari a chance to begin next year at the front of the grid. 'The 2026 project, it's a huge challenge that we have to be all fully aligned together to manage it,' said Vasseur. 'It's not a secret that Ferrari want to win again. We have the target and the goal is very, very clear. We will do everything to achieve it. We all want to win the championship. We've made a decent step forward everywhere, but now we need perhaps a bit more time to put everything together. The 2026 challenge is a good opportunity. 'We made a step, probably, in Spa. Now, we have to understand a bit more the new suspension and to be able to fine-tune it. But we are now fully focused on 2026. That means we need to get the best from what we have. I still want to win races this season, but the main part of the focus is on 2026.'
