Junior Open Wheel Talent

Team owner Willy T. Ribbs debriefs with driver Chase Austin during the duo's first test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 13. (Photo: Chris Jones/IndyCar.com)

Old news by now, but certainly worth mentioning.

Chase Austin, a 21-year-old driver from Kansas, has announced his intention to run the 2011 Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway aboard the No. 75 Willy T. Ribbs car on May 27.

Ribbs, a two-time entrant in the Indianapolis 500 ( as a driver), has developed his own Indy Lights team with the assistance of Starting Grid Inc. principal Chris Miles and Brooks Associates Racing — the team which won the 2008 Atlantic Championship.

Austin, the squad’s driver, who has a fairly diverse background in fender racing, will make his open-wheel racing debut on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Just ten days into the month of May, he strapped into a Lights car at Chicagoland Speedway attaining his oval rookie license. Three days later, he was lapping the No. 75 car around the famed Indy circuit preparing for the upcoming race.

While his pace indicated just how big of a leap this transition is, Austin’s excitement for this new style of racing — and willingness to learn — likely topped the charts.

Austin spent the last two season’s working to break into the NASCAR scene making starts in both the Nationwide Series and the Truck Series. Last fall he had high hopes of a ride in the ARCA Series. It was not to be.

As the options dwindled, he began to look at other options; namely Indy Lights.

On March 19, he tweeted:

Still working on a Nationwide deal but it is a struggle. I have a potential ride in another series (not stock cars) so I’m keepin the faith!

Then on April 5, …another hint on Twitter:

Check out the Firestone Indy Lites race this weekend on Versus. I’m kinda getting interested in Indy cars. :)

It’s unknown if Ribbs, Miles, Austin and Brooks Associates will reunite for a follow-up race, or if this weekend’s Freedom 100 will be a one-off event.

Drivers will take to the track Thursday for practice and qualifying. The Freedom 100 is set for Friday.

Flat-footing Turn 1 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is intimidating.

The overwhelming notion to lift is difficult to overcome.

Rusty Mitchell wasn’t rushing the process, but he carved his way through the famed oval without the slightest lift aboard the No. 17 Team E Indy Lights car in his third practice session Friday at IMS.

“I was flat about one hour into the day,” Mitchell said.  “Turn 1 being the [corner] holding me back to that point. With it being a test day I just wanted to build up to it, but the car was capable the entire time.”

While Mitchell is quick to credit his team for providing a solid car. Team E owner Neil Enerson is equally quick to praise Mitchell’s prowess behind-the-wheel.

“Rusty was a wonderful surprise for Team E during our first time on ovals with him,” Enerson said.

Mitchell’s second-ever oval experience in a Lights car came just a few days earlier when he and Team E completed a test at Chicagoland Speedway in order to attain an oval license for the upcoming Freedom 100 at IMS on May 27.

Prior to that, the speedy 28-year-old completed an Indy Lights test at Phoenix International Raceway and logged four oval-race starts in a Star Mazda machine.

“Rusty showed a lot of maturity and was very disciplined in his approach to getting up to speed,” Enerson continued.

Mitchell was quite enamored with IMS, as were the other 17 drivers who found themselves powering around the narrow oval for Friday’s open test. His response when asked about the experience was exactly what one would expect.

“Driving Indy was really cool,” he said. “There is more driver input [at IMS] than most of the ovals I’ve been on. Other than the Milwaukee [Mile], this oval is the most challenging track to drive side-by-side on. Passing is not as easy as it looks.

“Running in traffic here is all about timing and judging your passes correctly. If you don’t, it will kill your momentum for up to two laps.”

After Mitchell found his footing and adapted to the car he quickly vaulted into the top-five. By session’s end, he was bumped to sixth overall averaging 189.183 miles per hour on lap 84.

Stefan Wilson set the fastest time of the day, touring the course with an average speed of 190.571 mph.

Mitchell is hoping to put together enough funding for several more races this season, but for now his focus is on the May 27th Freedom 100. His first-ever Series’ start occurred on April 17 at Long Beach where he finished 11th narrowly missing a top-ten in his debut.

Team E holds the Indy Lights’  track record at Indy — set by Bobby Wilson in ’08 — averaging 191.412 mph. Mitchell will look to add to the team’s success at Indy when the green flag is waved in late-May.

One thing is certain, he won’t be lifting in Turn 1 no matter how intimidating it is.

American Joel Miller has inked a one-off deal with Neil Enerson and Team E Racing for the upcoming Indy Lights race on the Streets of St. Petersburg.

This will be the third Indy Lights start for Miller, who finished ninth at Infineon last August. Miller has been fast at every level, winning the 2007 Skip Barber National Championship with five wins and 10 podiums. The following year, 2008, he finished runner-up in the Star Mazda Championship, scoring one win and seven podiums. He was also a Team USA Scholarship recipient in 2007.

For more on Miller, make sure to read his driver profile here.

This is an excellent pairing and hopefully the necessary funding will come together and see these two run a full season together.

The GP3 Series has had several commits for 2011 since my last update. Here’s the latest…

António Félix da Costa – Status Grand Prix: Status GP added Félix da Costa to its lineup in mid February. The talented Portuguese driver will join Alexander Sims in 2011, adding incredible depth to the team’s roster. Félix da Costa had a solid career in karting before making a successful transition to cars. In 2009, he won the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Championship (9 wins, 11 podiums). Last season, competing in the F3 Euro Series, he secured three wins and four podiums. He also completed a successful Formula One test with Force India. The 19-year-old sampled GP3 as well, earning a best finish of sixth in four starts, while driving for Carlin. During the off season, he topped the GP3 time charts at both the Jerez and Estoril tests — illustrating his skill behind the wheel. Watch for great things from Status GP this season with the combination of Félix da Costa and Alexander Sims.

Doru Sechelariu – Tech 1: Romanian driver Sechelariu will join Aaro Vainio this season at Tech 1. The 18-year-old pilot spent the 2010 season in the GP3 Series with Tech 1 and will look to improve on his rookie season in 2011. He scored three top-10 finishes last season, including back-to-back ninth-place finishes at Istanbul. He struggled with consistency last year, but showed promise. Teaming with a familiar group and Vainio will definitely help Sechelariu in 2011. Watch for a much improved season. By all reports, Sechelariu has been working extremely hard this winter – focusing on his overall fitness. His improved fitness level should help consistency behind-the-wheel.

Mitch Evans – MW Arden: Mitchell Evans will be one of the youngest drivers in the field this season at just 16-years old. But his age shouldn’t be a factor. The young New Zealand driver has already proved himself plenty capable of steering a formula car around a curvy circuit. In 2009, he finished runner-up in the Australian Formula Ford Championship with six wins and 15 podiums. Last year, he made the jump to cars with downforce winning the Toyota Racing Series three wins, eight pole positions and 10 podiums. Additionally, he finished second in the Australian F3 Gold Championship with eight wins and 16 podiums. He tested with MW Arden at Estoril during the 2010 post-season tests. I’m excited to watch Evans this year, he is an excellent find for Julian Rouse, Arden’s team manager.

Lewis Williamson – MW Arden: Rouse picked up another solid recruit in 21-year-old British driver Lewis Williamson. The talented driver was awarded the BRDC Young Driver of the Year award in December and proved exceptionally quick in a GP3 car during the GP3 postseason test at Estoril. In 2010, he finished runner-up in the Formula Renault UK Championship, logging five wins five pole positions and nine podiums. In 20 starts, he finished inside the top-ten 18 times.

Maxim Zimin – Jenzer Motorsport: Russian driver Maxim Zimin will join the GP3 Series in 2011 with a familiar support staff around him. The 16-year-old pilot, who boasts a fairly diverse karting background, will rejoin Jenzer Motosport after spending the past two seasons with the team in both the Italian Formula Abarth series and the Swiss Formula Renault 2.0 series. In 2009, he ran two races in both the FR 2.0 Italian series and the Eurocup. This will likely be a challenging jump for the young driver but remaining with Jenzer will certainly increase his chance for success. This will likely be a two-year program for Zimin.

Rio Haryanto – Manor Racing: Indonesian driver Haryanto will rejoin Manor Racing in 2011 for his sophomore season in the GP3 Series. Haryanto, who showed strong flashes of speed and skill last season, will look to build some consistency this season. He earned a pole position and a win at Istanbul last year, while also grabbing two more podiums with a second at Silverstone and a third at Monza en route to fifth in the drivers’ standings. If the 18-year-old driver is able to up his consistency in 2011, he will likely be near the top of the final standings once again.

Matias Lane – Manor Racing: Lane will join the Manor Racing team this season after a fairly mediocre year in the F3 Euro Series in 2010. The 20-year-old Finnish driver secured 11 top-10 finishes last season with a best result of sixth at Brands Hatch in September. Lane was always impressive in the karting ranks, but has really moved up the car ranks quickly. If he’s able to make this a two year stop, he should produce some really solid results. Teaming up with Manor Racing and having both Haryanto and Quaife-Hobbs as mentors will definitely help. Watch for good things from Lane as he adapts to the nuances of the GP3 Dallara.

Adrian Quaife-Hobbs – Manor Racing: Quaife-Hobbs is another driver who proved his car control and speed, but struggled with consistency. It’s nice to see him returning for a sophomore campaign in the GP3 Series, especially with a familiar team in Manor Racing. The 20-year-old British driver opened the 2010 season with four-straight F3 Euro Series top-10 finishes, but struggled in the GP3 ranks. By season’s end, he logged four top-10 results, including a third at Spa-Francorchamps. I’m not really sure what to expect from him this season, but he will be fun to watch and is capable of surprising onlookers.

Tom Dillmann – Carlin: Frenchman Tom Dillmann has signed with Carlin for the 2011 season and will team with American Conor Daly for the upcoming season. Dillmann won the 2010 German F3 Championship with six wins and nine podiums. The 21-year-old driver has flown under the radar of some due to funding woes and that could be the case again this year. But, he’s a talented driver and it’s nice to see him getting a shot in GP3. He struggled in his F3 Euro Series starts with the exception of a third and fifth at the Nürburgring in 2008. I expect we’ll see him getting quicker throughout the 2011 season.

Zoel Amberg – Atech CRS – Swiss driver Zoel Amberg has signed on for a two-year deal with Atech CRS. Amberg has been relatively quick in cars, but he’s moved up fast and hasn’t exactly faced top-of-the-line competition. This will undoubtedly be a learning year for the 18-year-old driver, but I’m expecting him to improve as the season wears on. Amberg didn’t having a very good showing during his test at Paul Ricard, but this is an insanely big jump and it’s going to take time. He will join Nick Yelloly and Marlon Stockinger at Atech CRS this season.

Vittorio Ghirelli – Jenzer Motorsport: Vittorio Ghirelli completed the Jenzer Motorsport lineup over the weekend by committing to the 2011 GP3 Series. Italian racer Ghirelli is returning to the GP3 Series for his sophomore campaign after running with Atech CRS in 2010. Last year was a huge jump (probably one he shouldn’t have made so soon), but it’s nice to see him return for another year of development. His best finish last season was 15th (both Hockenheim and the Hungaroring). He’s young and if he makes GP3 a multi-year stop, his results will improve. Watch for race-by-race improvement in 2011.

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Related Reading:

• Jan. 21 – GP3 Signings
  Dec. 8- GP3 Driver Announcements for 2011
  GP3 Archive

Stefan Wilson has signed with Andretti Autosport for the upcoming 2011 Indy Lights season.

The 21-year-old British driver ran a partial Indy Lights season in 2009 and 11 events last year, compiling three top-5 finishes — including a third-place podium finish at St. Petersburg after starting 14th.

“I’m really excited to race with Andretti Autosport this year in Firestone Indy Lights,” Wilson said. “I have two years of experience in the series behind me, and I think this year I will have the right resources and the skills necessary to put myself out front. I’m looking forward to getting out there with the team in St. Petersburg for our first race.”

Timmy Megenbier is the latest addition to the 2011 USF2000 National Championship. The talented up-and-comer will add some depth to the field this season.

Tim Megenbier Sr. and Patrick Burke have formed their own team — Sick Tea Racing — for 2011, which will see Timmy pilot the No. 17 Van Diemen with engineering help and guidance from John Walko.

Timmy, who had a tremendous karting career, brings both open-wheel and sports car experience to the Sick Tea program for 2011. Megenbier spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons in the Skip Barber National Championship, compiling one win and two podiums. Following his open-wheel endeavors he graduated to a two-year Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup regimen, winning the 2009 championship with three wins and eight podiums. He moved to Germany last year for the Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup — earning one pole position and three podiums — en route to a fourth place finish in the Pro Cup.

He will be fun to watch this season. It might (emphasis on might) take him a bit to get used to piloting a light weight open-wheel car around again and for the Sick Tea Program to establish itself. But once they do, watch out… Megenbier could easily be a force to reckon with in 2011.

The 19-year-old was eighth-quick in the first session at Sebring yesterday, recording a 2:09.265. In the second session, he was sixth-quick with a 2:07.567. Official practice gets underway today (March 16) with qualifying and Race One set for March 17.

American Josef Newgarden and Argentinian Esteban Guerrieri have signed with Sam Schmidt Motorsports for the 2011 Indy Lights series.

The two will join teammate Victor Carbone and part-timers Bryan Clauson (ovals) and Conor Daly (road courses) in the SSM camp this season. The new additions add to an already deep, but young, roster. Schmidt has done a nice job recruiting this off-season and will likely add another extremely successful season to the squad’s impressive resume at the end of the 2011 calendar.

Guerrieri, the oldest driver on the team (at 26), wrapped up a solid 2010 season by finishing third in the competitive World Series by Renault championship. He concluded the year with six wins, eight podiums and three pole positions in 14 starts. Guerrieri brings a ton of experience to SSM and will likely have little trouble adapting to the FIL car. That said, he has zero oval experience heading into the season.

Newgarden’s signing isn’t surprising. Most knew he would be returning to the American racing scene and joining the Indy Lights championship for 2011. This all but guaranteed it.

While Josef still maintains his ultimate goal is Formula One, he decided to return to North America this year after spending the previous two seasons in Europe. In 2009, he finished second in the British Formula Ford Championship, logging nine wins and 16 podiums in 25 starts. Additionally, he won two Formula Palmer Audi races in three starts. Last season, the talented up-and-comer made the jump to GP3 where he scored a pole position at Hockenheim and finished inside the top-five in his final start (Monza). Moving to a Indy Lights car will be another big change for the Tennessee native, but one Newgarden is more than capable of making.

Josef tested with Sam Schmidt Motorsports in November and will return to the cockpit — along with the rest of the team — for the upcoming spring testing at Barber Motorsports Park on March 16.

Watch for good things from the SSM squad in 2011.

Belardi Auto Racing has signed American Cole Morgan and British standout Wayne Boyd to pilot its two USF2000 cars in the 2011 National Championship.

Both drivers are a solid addition to, both, the team and the USF2000 field.

Morgan won the 2007 F2000 Championship Series and finished runner-up in 2010 with two wins (VIR and LRP) and eight podiums. Morgan, who is scheduled to pilot the squad’s No. 9 entry, has signed for a limited schedule at this point, but hopes to gather enough funding for a full campaign.

Boyd brings a ton of European experience to the Indianapolis-based team. The 20-year-old, who currently resides in Northern Ireland, won the Formula Ford Festival and the ultra-competitive British Formula Ford Championship in 2008. He was also nominated for the BRDC Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award following the ’08 season. Boyd sat out most of the season in 2010, but added a pole position and third-place podium finish at the Walter Hayes Trophy to his resume. Watch for big things from this talented driver in 2011.

Over the last week, there has been a few USF2000 signings. In case you haven’t heard, here’s an update on the latest…

Australian Luke Ellery and Colombian Juan Piedrahita have signed with JDC MotorSports for the upcoming 2011 USF2000 National Championship.

Ellery, 21, made his debut last season during the final stop of the 2010 calendar (take a ride with him at Road Atlanta), where he made a splash finishing third in the season-finale. It will be good to see him back in the car this season with a full-time ride lined up. Ellery has a strong background in Formula Ford competition.

Piedrahita will be a driver to watch in 2011. The 18-year-old, who currently resides in Mexico, made his North American debut with Team Apex in last year’s Star Mazda Championship. He scored a top-five finish at Laguna Seca, just his third race in the Series.  This season, he’ll take a slight step back on the ladder, competing in the USF2000 National Championship. In the long run, it should prove to be a good move. Watch for Piedrahita to surprise a few people this season.

Primus Racing, managed by Jon Baytos, has inked Australian Nathan Morcom for 2011. Morcom, 18, picked up a lot of seat time last year competing in the Australian Formula Ford Championship full-time, while also making a few stops in the Toyota Racing Series and Australian F3. He finished 10th in the AFFC, driving for Synergy Motorsports. He should be fun to watch this season as he adapts to the USF2000 car.

Alegra Motorsports will look to defend its F2000 Championship Series title in 2011 after signing two South American drivers for the upcoming season.

Brazilian Gustavo Rizzo, 19, and Venezuelan Angel Benitez, 21, have inked contracts with the defending champions — who won the 2010 crown with Victor Carbone behind-the-wheel.

Both Rizzo and Benitez have relocated to Florida in anticipation of the upcoming season, which kicks off with a double-header at Virginia International Raceway on April 8-10.

I’m not very familiar with either driver, but according to the press release Rizzo began karting six years ago and has, more recently, been competing in Brazilian Formula Ford and Stock Car Jr. Benitez won the 2005 Venezuelan F1600 Championship and the Venezuelan FF2000 Championship during both the ’07 and ’08 season.

The two drivers recently sampled their Alegra cars at Palm Beach International Raceway.