Team USA's Neil Alberico leads Kenneth Thirlwall at Brands Hatch during the 40th running of the Formula Ford Festival with Team Canada's Xavier Coupal close behind in the No. 23 car. (Photo: Jeff Bloxham)
F2000 Championship Series
- Kyle Connery swept the competition at Watkins Glen; bumping his win total to six while claiming Rookie of the Year honors.
- Remy Audette picked up two more podiums securing the 2011 championship, continuing his consistency. The talented Canadian finished all but one race inside the top five this season.
- Chris Livengood wrapped up a solid season with a fourth and seventh-place finish en route to third overall in the points championship.
F1600 Championship Series
- Wyatt Gooden is still looking for competition. The up-and-comer remained undefeated in F1600 competition; going 4-for-4 this season behind the wheel.
- Bill Valet won the 2011 championship with a pair of third-place finishes during the season finale.
- Ryan Leach put together a solid outing with two podiums.
- Several other up-and-coming drivers joined the fray this weekend and showed promise.
Indy Lights
- Following up on the F2000 recap, the 2010 F2000 Champion Victor Carbone found his way to victory lane in the Indy Lights season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
- Series champion Josef Newgarden led laps 4-66, but fell to ninth on the final lap when his tire went down following contact with teammate Carbone’s wing.
- Stefan Wilson set the fastest lap of the race, clocking a 28.32227 while hitting 196.252 miles per hour down the straight.
- Jorge Goncalvez put together another solid race by finishing third behind Carbone and Esteban Guerrieri — his fourth top-five finish on an oval this season.
Team USA and Canada at the Formula Ford Festival
- Neil Alberico led the way for the North American contingent competing at the 40th Annual Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch by finishing third in the 20-lap “Kent” final.
- USA’s Trent Hindman and Alberico both won heat races over the weekend and Team Canada’s Xavier Coupal was equally quick finishing runner-up in his heat. In addition, Coupal earned the pole position for the final with his semi-final speed.
- Spencer Pigot struggled with tire issues and contact throughout the weekend, but held his head high and worked through adversity for a 16th-place finish in the “Duratec” final.
- Despite contact Hindman put in several impressive “through the field” drives en route to a ninth in the final (he started 22nd).
- Ivor McCullough won the Kent final and Scott Malvern won the Duratec Final at Brands Hatch.
I was away on vacation when the big announcement was made — without cell service — but did manage to sneak away from the camp site to Tweet the news: Neil Alberico and Trent Hindman earned the traditional Team USA Scholarship to compete in the “Kent Class” at the Formula Ford Festival (Brands Hatch) and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone. Spencer Pigot, who was awarded the prestigious prize in 2010, will return in 2011 for a shot at the Festival title in the Duratec class.
Congratulations to the three winners and all 14 drivers who were nominated. Make sure to follow the Team USA coverage this fall right here on JOWT. If you missed any of the candidate profiles, I’ve linked to all of them here (simply click on the drivers name). Enjoy.
Dennis Trebing
2011 Team USA Scholarship Nominee
Dennis Trebing, 19, — Cape Coral, Fla.
Current Season: Trebing took a big step in his burgeoning career this season by moving to Europe in an effort to further develop his racing skills. Enrolled in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup in Germany, Trebing has two top-10 finishes in five starts with a best result of third. In early March, he finished 8th in his first-ever Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Previous Experience:
- Karting
- Skip Barber National
- Mazda MX-5 Cup
- Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup
Why he would be a good selection for the Team USA Scholarship: Trebing’s development as a race driver has been fun to watch. During his first season in the Skip Barber National Championship (2009), he had just one top-five in his first 11 starts, but he finished the year with three straight, including a pole position at Road Atlanta. He started 2010 off with a bang, winning the opening race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At season’s end, Trebing compiled three wins, five podiums, three pole positions and four fast laps en route to fourth-place in the ’10 final standings. With European experience — albeit sports car experience — Trebing should be able to comfortably make the transition back to the open-wheel ranks for the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy.
Related Reading: Team USA Scholarship: 2011 Nominees
Zach Veach
2011 Team USA Scholarship Nominee
Zach Veach, 16, — Stockdale, Ohio
Current Season: Veach is currently ranked third in the USF2000 National Championship point standings. In 10 races, he has one win, three pole positions, five podiums and eight top-five finishes. He recently made his Star Mazda debut at Infineon Raceway, finishing seventh.
Previous Experience:
- Karting
- Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shootout
- Atlantic/Formula BMW testing
- Midget
- USF2000 WinterFest
Why he would be a good selection for the Team USA Scholarship: Veach has done a nice job developing his craft. He started in go-karts and began testing a Formula BMW racecar shortly thereafter. In addition to the BMW laps, he sampled an Atlantic Championship machine with the intention of leaping straight to the top-level of junior formula racing in North America. That jump never happened. The Atlantic Championship folded and Veach decided to enter the USF2000 National Championship rather than rush his development. It was the right choice. He’s done an excellent job adapting to the USF2000 car; winning the 2011 USF2000 WinterFest. He opened his sophomore campaign in the USF2000 National Championship with a pole position and a win at Sebring International Raceway. Since that time, he’s continued to develop and work hard. Veach is a truly nice young man and is determined to get the best out of his machine every time he gets behind-the-wheel.
Related Reading: Team USA Scholarship: 2011 Nominees
Colin Thompson
2011 Team USA Scholarship Nominee
Colin Thompson, 17, — Perkasie, Pa.
Current Season: Thompson is currently competing in the F1600 Formula F Championship Series via a family-owned entry. In four races, he has three top-10 finishes with a best result of third at Watkins Glen. He started that race sixth.
Previous Experience:
- Karting
- Quarter midgets
- Skip Barber regional
- Bertil Roos regional
- Autocross (GTI and Mini)
- VW Jetta TDI
- F1600 Formula F Championship
Why he would be a good selection for the Team USA Scholarship: Thompson has a diverse background in racing. He started in quarter midgets, moved to karts, moved back to quarter midgets (even sampled them on dirt), jumped in open-wheel cars, tried his hand at sports car racing and has now moved back to the open-wheel ranks. The variety of machinery in his development should help him if he’s chosen for a scholarship. He posted a sixth-place finish in just his second F1600 Championship Series race and finished on the podium in his third start. He’s a quick learner and has shown excellent potential behind the wheel.
Related Reading: Team USA Scholarship: 2011 Nominees
Spencer Pigot
2011 Team USA Scholarship Nominee
Spencer Pigot, 17, — Windermere, Fla.
Current Season: Pigot made the jump to the USF2000 National Championship this season after winning the 2010 Skip Barber National Championship. He has two wins, seven podiums, nine top-fives and three pole positions in 10 starts, placing him second overall in the title fight heading into the final round on the Streets of Baltimore.
Previous Experience:
- Karting
- Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shootout
- Formula Ford Festival (’10 Team USA recipient)
- Walter Hayes Trophy (’10 Team USA recipient)
- Mazda MX-5 Cup
- USF2000 Winterfest
- Indy Lights test (BHA)
Why he would be a good selection for the Team USA Scholarship: Pigot, known for his smooth driving style, would be an excellent choice for the Duratec scholarship at the Formula Ford Festival after winning the 2010 Team USA Scholarship and competing in the Kent Class. He finished fourth in the Festival and seventh in the Walter Hayes Trophy, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He qualified on pole at Brands Hatch and was second quick at Silverstone. In addition to being smooth, he’s fast. Pigot has added a lot of seat time since competing in Europe last fall and knows exactly what to expect in the fierce European racing environment. Bottom line: he is a true talent who deserves a shot at the outright Duratec win in the 2011 Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch.
Related Reading: Team USA Scholarship: 2011 Nominees
Sebastian Ordonez
2011 Team USA Scholarship Nominee
Sebastian Ordonez, 16, — Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Current Season: Ordonez is currently fourth in the Skip Barber National point standings. He has flown under the radar a bit this season, but recently claimed a break-through win in Round 11 of the championship. Through 12 races, he has one win, four podium finishes and three pole positions.
Previous Experience:
- Karting
- Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shootout
- Skip Barber Regional
Why he would be a good selection for the Team USA Scholarship: Ordonez is a great example of a kid who successfully came up through karting, earned a Skip Barber regional scholarship, developed his craft, and is now beginning to shine at the National level. He is aggressive, but smooth and his decision making has steadily improved this season. With three poles under his belt, it’s obvious the speed is there and now that he’s found victory lane, I’m confident we will see him win some more races. Ordonez has learned a lot about the draft this season and his racecraft is continuing to improve. A trip to Europe to represent the USA in the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy would be a tremendous experience for him, aiding his future development as a race car driver. We’ve only begun to see Ordonez’ potential.
Related Reading: Team USA Scholarship: 2011 Nominees
Austin Newmark
2011 Team USA Scholarship Nominee
Austin Newmark, 16, — Mesa, Ariz.
Current Season: Newmark spent the 2011 season in the Bondurant Championship Series piloting a Formula Mazda machine. Aside from the first weekend, Newmark put together a near-perfect season compiling 12 wins dominating the championship.
Previous Experience:
- Karting
- NASA Regional (Porsche 944)
- Daytona Prototype test at Infineon
- Bondurant Championship Series
Why he would be a good selection for the Team USA Scholarship: Newmark began karting when he was nine years-old and it was obvious then he had talent behind the wheel. He was strong at both the regional and national level in the junior ranks before making the transition to sports cars at age 13. His rookie season he finished third regionally driving a Porsche 944 in the NASA spec division and the following season he won the Arizona regional championship compiling eight wins. Newmark entered the Bondurant Driver Search in 2010 and finished third earning a $1500 credit toward a race weekend. While he didn’t win the top prize in the shootout, he certainly proved his potential this season in the championship logging 12 pole positions and 12 wins. Newmark drives with precision and rarely makes mistakes. He has slow hands and is very smooth behind the wheel which would help tremendously in a Formula Ford machine. According to those close to him, he’s adept at tire management and conservation which is unusual for a 16-year-old driver. Watch for continual improvement if he’s chosen for a scholarship.
Related Reading: Team USA Scholarship: 2011 Nominees
Brandon Newey
2011 Team USA Scholarship Nominee
Brandon Newey, 18, — Indianapolis, Ind.
Current Season: Newey is currently competing in his second season of the Skip Barber National Championship. Through 12 races, he has two wins, one pole position and nine podium finishes. With four races remaining on the 2011 calendar, Newey sits a slim nine points astray of championship leader Scott Anderson.
Previous Experience:
- Karting
- Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shootout
- Skip Barber regional
Why he would be a good selection for the Team USA Scholarship: Newey is the son of Bryan Herta Autosport co-owner Steve Newey, so he’s grown up around racing. Watching drivers interact with their engineers and observing team chemistry first hand has likely given Brandon a certain insight that his competition might not have. He understands technical feedback and is a good listener. Inside the car, Newey has made some big gains this season. Last year — his rookie year in the Skip Barber National program — Newey improved on his qualifying performance in just 35.7-percent of his races. In 2011, he has upped that statistic to 75-percent of his starts (to date), which includes maintaining a starting position at race’s end. That’s a big increase and illustrates just how much his race craft has improved, not to mention decision making. Both traits will be vital to whomever is chosen for the 2011 Team USA Scholarship and Newey has proven he has both in addition to outright speed.
Related Reading: Team USA Scholarship: 2011 Nominees
Michael Johnson
2011 Team USA Scholarship Nominee
Michael Johnson, 18, — Flint, Mich.
Current Season: Johnson — who was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle crash — is currently racing in the Skip Barber regional and national series utilizing hand controls. Additionally, he spends his weekend at the kart track competing in the Great Lakes Pro Series. In the Skip Barber Winter Series, Johnson had three top-five finishes in four races, logging a best finish of third at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His winter program really helped him adapt to the nuances of the Skip Barber car and the hand controls required for him to tour the track. His growth and comfort level inside the cockpit has become increasingly evident with each and every race in the 2011 Skip Barber Summer Series. He has two wins, one pole position and four podium finishes in six starts. Pretty impressive.
Previous Experience:
- Karting
- Motorcycle racing
- Star Mazda test
- Skip Barber Regional
Why he would be a good selection for the Team USA Scholarship: Johnson was an extremely talented motorcycle racer who suffered a severe crash in August 2005 while making a pass for the lead at Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia, Ontario. The incident left Johnson, who was only 12-years-old at the time, paralyzed from the waist down. Since that time, he has been devoted to making a comeback in motorsports via karting and car racing with hand controls. His story is truly incredible and his drive/devotion to self improvement indicates exactly why he’d be a good choice for the Team USA Scholarship. He boasts an incredible work-ethic and has proven that his injury won’t slow him down. Watch for great things from Johnson as he continually adapts to his hand controls and car racing. You can watch a short film on his website here, where he explains exactly how he uses his controls with finesse to extract every ounce of speed from his car.
Related Reading: Team USA Scholarship: 2011 Nominees
