Tuesday, November 30, 2010

2010-2011 Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-Out at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Preview
Lakeville, Connecticut (Nov. 30, 2010). In an age where aspiring race
car drivers have to work harder than ever to find adequate financial support,
Skip Barber Racing School has consistently provided scholarships over
the years to assist young drivers in pursuing their dreams. In its 14th year,
the Annual Skip Barber Karting Shootout is a four day event that allows
young karters to strap into a Formula Skip Barber open wheel race car and
compete for $200,000 in scholarships. Judged by a panel of 12
motorsports experts including Tommy Fogarty, Bob Varsha, and Jeremy
Shaw, these karters will go through a series of tests both on and off the race
track. The expert panel will evaluate each driver on their on-track performance
as well as how they present themselves and effectively listen to and apply
feedback.

In an interview last spring, IZOD IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay
discussed his experience at the Skip Barber Karting Shootout. When I was with
Skip Barber,” said Hunter-Reay, “they really helped me understand that what you
do off the race track is just as important as what your able to do on the race
track. Certainly, you have to be fast on the track but just as importantly you
have to learn how to represent your sponsors and supporters in the proper way.
Skip Barber was a big help in making me understand all that, and it definitely
made an impression on me.”

In 1998, 17 year old Hunter-Reay and became the one of the first winners
of the Skip Barber Racing School Karting Shootout Scholarship. With the
financial support to continue his career, Hunter-Reay went on to compete in
the Barber Dodge Two Liter and the Barber Dodge Pro Series, then on to
Formula Atlantic, and ultimately IndyCar, where he now has a two year
contract with Andretti Autosport. “It was an easy choice, really,” said Hunger-
Reay when discussing his choice to participate in the Karting Shootout,
“because you’re able to compete against the best drivers in equal equipment. Then
when you added in all the coaching, and track time it’s a no brainer. For those
that could prove they had the skills and were committed it only got better from
there. My prize for winning the inaugural Barber Dodge
National Championship was a scholarship of a year in the Barber Dodge Pro
Series. Skippy constantly helped and rewarded you that way. If you do well in Skip
Barber, it’s going to build a strong foundation to build on for the rest of your career.”

Last year, thirty-six drivers gathered to compete at Sebring International
Raceway in the 13th Annual Skip Barber Karting Shootout. Florida teens
Spencer Pigot and Felix Serralles went home with the biggest prizes of the
event, both winning scholarships to compete for the entire 2010 season of
the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda. Pigot went on to not only win the Skip
Barber National Rookie of the Year title, but he clinched the points championship as well, receiving a
MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development scholarship to compete in the USF2000 2011 season.
Both he and Serralles were also selected as recipients of the Team USA Scholarship, which allowed
them compete at the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy event.

In just four days, forty-four young, aspiring
race car drivers will follow in Ryan Hunter-
Reay’s and Spencer Pigot’s footsteps to
gather at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and
compete for $200,000 in 2011 race season
scholarships, courtesy of MAZDASPEED
Motorsports Development and the FIA
Motor Sport Safety Development Fund. The
two biggest prizes will be funding to compete
in the entire 2011 race season of the
BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National presented
by Mazda. Other prizes will consist of half
seasons in the Skip Barber National and full
seasons in the Skip Barber Regional Race
Series.

The competition for the 14th Annual Skip Barber
Racing Karting Shootout begins at
8:00am Friday, December 3rd and concludes
the afternoon of Monday, December 6th.
This year, stay up to date on all the action by
visiting  www.twitter.com/SkipBarberNatl.
Through twitter, LIVE photos and updates
will be available throughout the entire event,
keeping followers, fans and sponsors more involved and informed than before.

Confirmed Entries for the 2010-2011 Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-Out
Name, Age, Hometown, Most Recent Karting
Neil Alberico, 18, Monte Sereno, CA, CKI National Championship Series

Franco Aragones, 14, Cancun, Rotax Southeast Series
Nick Arrotta, 25, Greenacres, WA, National Karting Alliance
Courtney Atkinson, 17, Franklin, WI, World Karting Association
Sam Beasley, 16, Painesville, OH, Florida Winter Tour, World Karting Association
Nova Brown, 15, Venura, CA, Los Angeles Kart Club
Jorge Cevallos, Coronado, CA
Sabre Cook, 16, Grand Junction, CO, CKI National Championship Series
Ian Costa, 21, Pleasanton, CA, Kinsmen Kart Club
Nicolas Costa, 19, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janerio, Florida Winter Tour
Logan Downing, 18, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Western Rotax
Mark Draghicescu, 18, Beaverton, OR
Jake Eidson, 15, Littleton, CO, SKUSA
RC Enerson , 14, New Port Richey, FL, CKI National Championship Series
Danilo Estrela, 15, Long Branch, NJ
Gregory Evans, 20, Walnut Creek, CA, Jim Russell
Patrick Gallagher, 18, Thornville, OH, World Karting Association
Michael Grijalva, 19, Rough and Ready, CA, International Kart Federation, Northern California Karters
Garett Grist, 15, Brimsby, Ontario, Canadian National Karting Championship
Scott Hargrove, 15, Surrey, British Columbia
Trent Hindman, 15, Wayside, NJ, Florida Winter Tour
Andrew Hobbs, 16, Glendale, WI, TAG World Championships
Devin Jones, 15, Mooresville, NC, International Kart Federation, World Karting Association
Kyle Kaiser, 14, Santa Clara, CA, International Kart Federation
Kenton Koch, 16, Glendora, CA, International Kart Federation, So-Cal Sprinters Kart Club
Dillon Kranz, 23, Columbus, WI, Badger Kart Club
Kyle Kuntze, 21, Poway, CA, International Kart Federation, NCK Karting
Nicholas Latifi, 15, Toronto, Ontario, ASN Canada FIA Canadian National Karting Championship
Mason Marotta, 16, Carmel, CA, CKI National Championship Series
Shinya Michimi, 17, Mason, OH, World Karting Association
Jack Mitchell, 14, Clarendon Hills, IL, Rotax Junior
Sarah Montgomery, 16, Lafayette, LA, Firestone Tri-State Series
Gregory Muender, 23, San Diego, CA, Jim Hall Kart Racing
Tristan Nunez, 15, Boca Raton, Florida Winter Tour
Sebastian Ordonez, 15, Deerfield Beach, FL, Florida Winter Tour
Remo Ruscitti, 16, Burnaby, British Columbia, Stars of Karting, WSK
Stefan Rzadzinski, 17, Edmonton, Alberta, CKI National Championship Series
Austin Self, 14, Austin, TX, KartSport, Florida Winter Tour
Shawn Sharkey, 16, Middletown NJ, Championship Karting International, Florida Winter Tour
Zachary Silver, 14, Hinsdale, IL, SKUSA SuperNationals
Aaron Telitz, 18, Birchwood, WI, CIK, TAG
Colin Thompson, 16, Perkaise, PA, East Coast Endurance Championship Karting
Alec Udell, 14, The Woodlands, TX, Team USA Jr. Rotax
Jason Wolfe, 16, Mount Vernon, OH, Midstate Ohio Kart Club

 

Kelly Brouillet