If you open the dictionary and look up the definition of “racing enthusiast”, you would see a photo of Calvin de Groot. The 22-year-old is either behind the wheel himself or helping others improve their racing skills. In the 24 hours of Dubai, he pushed his team to secure a podium finish.

Last year, De Groot conquered the Nordschleife in his BMW 330i with a victory in NLS3 and  six additional podiums. It is no secret that racing—no matter the category—comes at a high cost. As a result, the Dutchman is constantly working on building his CV in order to invest more and more in his career every single day.

He coaches other drivers, and what he earns from that is important not only for the financial side of his career, but also for developing his own skills. “I was able to start the year in a great way with the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi and the 24 Hours of Dubai,” De Groot begins in an interview with GT REPORT.

“I did that together with SRS Sorg Rennsport. Not as a driver, but as a coach,” he explains. However, prior to the weekend he did get the chance to drive a few laps on both tracks: “In Dubai that was really fun, because I was two seconds quicker than the fastest GT4 at that moment,” De Groot says with a grin.

The 24 hours of Dubai is one of the endurance classics in the desert

The laps also served a purpose: reassuring the drivers that the car was alright. “Generally speaking, there were gentleman drivers and also some younger drivers. If they can’t extract everything from the car, they start doubting whether it’s the car or the team.” After De Groot’s laps, they knew for sure: there was nothing wrong with the car.

Coaching starts at breakfast

From that point on, the coaching could really begin, and Professor Calvin was brought in to seriously sharpen the lap times. “That also allowed me to confirm to the team that they had chosen the right person to bring along as a coach. And for the drivers, it was good to see that their coach can actually drive!” he laughs.

So, how does a day like that start when you’re a driver coach? “It often already begins at breakfast, when you discuss: what are the goals for the weekend? What are we going to do? After that, you start preparing for the sessions. For me, that starts extra early, because I have to create a run plan.”

A run plan is important for several reasons, De Groot explains. Every time the car leaves the pit lane, it has to be recorded how long the car will be on track. Data such as tire information, fuel load, which driver is in the car, who is doing what, and so on. “So you really have to think it through carefully, because running a car on a circuit is quite expensive,” he continues.

“Once that run plan is ready, you sit down with a driver: this is what’s expected, this is what we’re going to do,” says De Groot. During a test session, each driver gets in the car two or three times. Every time a driver gets out, he reports to De Groot, who then analyzes the data in detail.

There is an SD card in the car containing the data, which De Groot then presents to the driver. While he’s doing that, the other driver is already back in the car. 

How to tackle the analysis

He uses the approach that he himself appreciates as a driver: “I actually like going through the data until very late at night. That way I know what I need to improve. It’s nice to hear at the end of the day: this went well, that didn’t go so well, this is where we still need to focus. That’s how you can make progress the next day.”

De Groot leaves no detail unchecked. With today’s technology, he can present data on throttle input, brake input, and even how much force a driver applies when braking—“or how fast the left front tire is rotating, the lateral forces. Basically everything that happens in the car,” he explains.

The Nürburgring Nordschleife is Calvin de Groot’s second home

As a coach, he also helps with mental preparation. With more than sixty cars during the six hours of Abu Dhabi, chaos was to be expected. “There’s a reason only 48 cars made it to the finish. That’s something you mentally coach a driver for.”

The #427 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 of Sorg Rennsport unfortunately did not finish in Abu Dhabi, but two weeks later the hard work of both coach De Groot, the drivers, the mechanics and everyone else on the team, was rewarded with a podium finish in the 24 Hours of Dubai.

From 6 hours to 24 hours 

Going from a six-hour race to a 24-hour race also required some adjustment for De Groot. “That car obviously has to reach the end of the race. The coaching you give remains the same, but a 24-hour race starts from moment one, and it almost starts again four hours before the finish. You can’t afford to lose a single second, but you only know where you stand after 24 hours.”

During such a race, De Groot basically turns into of a jack-of-all-trades: “At one point a car came in and the starter was broken. The mechanics spent an hour working on it. As a coach, I help wherever I can. If I can hold a flashlight so someone can do their job better, then I’m useful,” he says.

“If I need to change a set of tires so they don’t have pickup and are warmed up, I’ll do that. You’re there with a team of fifteen people in total, with two cars in position for refuelling, two people working on strategy, two managing other things. That leaves six or seven of you. You have to work hard.”

After the finish there’s still plenty to do, so a nap in sunny Dubai weather isn’t an option. “We took a podium, so we were only back in the garage at three o’clock. By five the sea container was loaded, at seven we finally sat down for dinner, and at half past ten we went to bed. By then, you’ve been awake for close to forty hours!”

Racing goes beyond what happens on track

You can hear from the way De Groot talks about it that gasoline runs through his veins and that he can’t wait to get back behind the wheel himself. For outsiders, it often goes unnoticed just how many hours is put in the work off track.

“I’m currently busy looking for sponsors for my season. One hundred percent has to come from them. Everything I do now as a coach feeds directly into my own career. There is no rest. Not even when I was in Dubai. Alongside my coaching work, I took the time to welcome sponsors and discuss plans for 2026.”

The plan for 2026? “I want to make the step up to GT4,” De Groot confirms. And nothing can stop him from reaching that goal.