After starting my road-racing career in November of 2018, my current progression in this industry from knowing very little to leading points in the 2019 Lucas Oil Formula Car Series is surreal to me. After learning so many things in the past few months in and out of the car, I now have the opportunity to show it. I was recently contacted by Jeremy Shaw from the Team USA Scholarship about being a contender in this year’s scholarship program. Many notable drivers like Bryan Herta, Josef Newgarden, Spencer Pigot, Kyle Kirkwood, Oliver Askew, and many more have come from this program and followed up with a successful racing career.

The 2019 Team USA Scholarship allows aspiring drivers the chance to accelerate their racing careers and go overseas to compete in the notable Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy with Cliff Dempsey Racing. Only two out of the nine selected contenders will be granted this opportunity, so even just being a candidate holds much honor.

Before the two drivers are selected to go overseas and compete, the judges must have some information to stand on. That is why an interview process takes place at Mid-Ohio during the IndyCar and Road to Indy racing event and an in-car shootout is held before the selection is made. Only six out of the nine contenders will be selected to advance to the in-car shootout, but after that, the two scholarship winners will be selected.

This past weekend, I attended the IndyCar Honda 200 with Team USA for the interview stage. During this time, I was able to meet many incredible figures in the motorsports industry and spend time with multiple IndyCar teams during the practice sessions. Being able to meet Conor Daly, Zach Veach, Josef Newgarden, Jimmy Vasser, Mike Hull “Chip Ganassi Racing Teams Manager”, Jay Frye “IndyCar President”, and many others were great as they all had unique advice to apply to my future career in motorsports. Spending time with IndyCar teams Carlin, Rahal Letterman, and Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan during practice was very educational as I was able to grasp a better understanding of how IndyCar teams communicate during a session. We also had the opportunity of a Q/A session on the Road to Indy stage presented by Cooper Tires for a little bit of public speaking.

Last but not least, watching the races in Road to Indy and IndyCar is always a blast. Being at the track is always better than watching it on TV, but it would always be better if I were in the racecar.

It is exciting being part of the Team USA Scholarship and is an amazing opportunity. No matter if I win or not, it will be an honor being a contender of the historical scholarship that many successful drivers arose from. I am thrilled to see how my career unfolds in the upcoming months as it has been a great journey so far.