HOW TO GET STARTED
Thinking about going racing? Lotus Cup USA is the ultimate entry-level race series for drivers of any skill level. With a welcoming paddock, Lotus Cup USA features a racing school like atmosphere where safety and driver development is our highest priority. Our non-contact format allows for you to learn high performance driving and race craft with like-minded drivers looking to have a fun weekend experience at the racetrack. Plus, you're behind the wheel of a fun, lightweight Lotus racecar designed for the track through decades of motorsport history.
- Lotus Cup USA is excited to embark on its ninth season of competition in North America. Our 2019 schedule, run in conjunction with the United States Touring Car Championship, is below. ROUND 1 // LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY APRIL 20, 2019 - LAS VEGAS, NV.
- Lotus Cup USA is the ultimate entry-level race series for drivers of any skill level. With a welcoming paddock, Lotus Cup USA features a racing school like atmosphere where safety and driver development is our highest priority.
Lotus Cup Europe 2019 Lotus Exige Elise Evora V6 cup race car #spafrancorchamps #circuitdespafrancorchamps #circuitspafrancorchamps #circuitspa #racetrack #lotuscar #lotuscars #lotus #lotusclub #.
THE RACECAR
Already own a Lotus? Great... you can get started with Lotus Cup USA without any car modifications through our Time Attack group. This allows you to drive with Lotus Cup USA race drivers to gain experience and utilize the series driver coaches to accelerate your driving skills. Want to go wheel-to-wheel racing? There's a class for every late model Lotus. Our team will work with you to classify your car and detail the safety modifications necessary to go racing.
Don't own a Lotus? You're in luck... Lotus offers brand new factory-built racecars (learn more here) available for purchase through Lotus dealerships. Lotus Cup USA would be thrilled to match you with the right racecar. If car ownership is not what you're looking for, many Lotus Cup USA teams offer an Arrive & Drive program to rent a Lotus racecar with full trackside support. Just show up to the race track with your helmet and racing suit and go racing.
RACING LICENSE
All Race Group participants must hold a valid competition license to compete in our wheel-to-wheel race series. Lotus Cup USA will grant a competition license to those drivers holding another sanctioning bodies license including FIA, NASA, SCCA, IMSA, Skip Barber, and VARA. Other competition licenses may be eligible and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If you currently have no competition license or are new to racing, there are several ways to obtain a Lotus Cup USA competition license:
1) Attend the Lotus Cup USA Racing School
2) Attend a Skip Barber 3-Day Racing School or similar course
3) Send racing history to the Series Director for review for a provisional racing license
1) Attend the Lotus Cup USA Racing School
2) Attend a Skip Barber 3-Day Racing School or similar course
3) Send racing history to the Series Director for review for a provisional racing license
TEAM OR INDIE
Thinking about trackside support or doing your own wrenching? We highly recommend joining one of our teams, the top Lotus tuners in the country, to take care of your trackside needs. From swapping wheels to car setup and problem solving, joining a team allows you to focus just on your driving. When you don't have to worry about if you tightened your lugnuts, you'll naturally focus more on your driving and learn at a faster rate. But, if you're the kind of person that likes to spend time working on your own car, there are many drivers who currently support themselves each race weekend. Just know, there are plenty of helpful hands and brainpower to assist you in case you need it.
COACHING
In every sport, a good athlete relies on coaching to continue to improve at their craft. Racing is no different. The top drivers today still have a team of coaches and engineers who help them go faster. As a driver development series, Lotus Cup USA offers series driver coaches who work with each driver to offer feedback from various corners, debrief after on-track sessions, analyze video and data, and mentor you each race weekend. This method has allowed our drivers to improve not only lap times each event, but work on racecraft and other techniques. Our series coaches are seasoned racecar drivers with years of experience coaching at the top racing schools like Skip Barber or Sim Raceway. You can also bring your own private coach to work with you throughout the race weekend. This is a great way to have the personal attention to fast track your learning curve.
Lotus Cup Racing Onboard Videos Youtube
THE RACE WEEKEND
As the race weekend approaches, you'll begin to receive important weekend information from the series to get you up to speed. When you arrive at the race track, you'll want to follow the paddock diagrams to find the right area to park and setup for the weekend. At the Lotus Cup USA hospitality tent, a brief driver's meeting on Saturday morning will give you important procedural instructions and other information. The Lotus Cup USA hospitality tent offers a common area for you and your guests to take advantage of. Refreshments and snacks are available and during select events, social gatherings take place after racing is completed on Saturday afternoon.
A typical race weekend will feature four sessions per day. You'll have two practice sessions, one qualifying session, and a 30-min race each day. Plenty of on-track time to fine tune your racecar and work on each corner for the best lap time in Qualifying. Your fastest lap time from Qualifying will be your starting position for the race. For the race, a rolling start will release you to battle it out with your fellow competitors. Our unique ruleset allows you to experience competitive, wheel-to-wheel racing. To close out the weekend, a podium ceremony for each class and each race takes place to reward our podium finishers with a unique Lotus Cup USA trophy.
Lotus Cup Racing
THE RACE TRACKS
Lotus Cup USA visits an exciting mixture of circuits on the West Coast. We kick off the year at Willow Springs Raceway, the 'fastest road in the west' with NASA. The series heads North with a stop at the driver favorite Buttonwillow Raceway before an unlimited sound weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Thunderhill Raceway. Round 5 features a new venue to the championship - Inde Motorsports Ranch - to challenge the veterans of the series. We'll close out the season with a return to the beautiful wine country at Sonoma Raceway and finish out the year at The Thermal Club.