The Crew USA Scholarship will allow a pair of promising younger American drivers, Ayrton Houk and Thomas Schrage, to contest this weekend’s USF2000 Offered by Continental Tire tripleheader season finale at Portland Worldwide Raceway. The pair will stay with their present groups, Houk at DC Autosport and Schrage at VRD Racing. Each have beforehand represented the Crew USA Scholarship in England.
USF2000 is the center step on the USF Professional Championships ladder, which, uniquely on this planet of motorsports, gives drivers with scholarships and awards to make sure commencement onto the subsequent stage as their aspire towards a profession within the NTT IndyCar Sequence. All three ranges of the ladder — USF Professional 2000, USF2000 and USF Juniors — might be in motion this weekend, alongside each IndyCar and Indy NXT. Former Crew USA Scholarship winners Josef Newgarden, Kyle Kirkwood and Conor Daly will compete within the Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland headline occasion on Sunday.
Budgetary constraints in any other case would have prevented Houk, 21, and Schrage, 19, from making the journey to the West Coast, though each have displayed their skills each on and off the monitor throughout their first seasons of competitors on the center step of the USF Professional Championship’s open-wheel ladder.
“This represents a change in emphasis for our program, which has proudly been supporting deserving younger American drivers since 1990,” mentioned Crew USA Scholarship founder and president Jeremy Shaw. “Historically, now we have supplied a chance for some drivers to compete abroad, usually for the primary time. We’ve entered no less than two drivers within the System Ford Competition and the Walter Hayes Trophy in England annually since 2008.
“Although I stay agency in my perception that System Ford continues to supply a powerful first step for younger drivers, the truth is that essentially the most efficacious means ahead for drivers who’re searching for a future within the NTT IndyCar Sequence is through the USF Professional Championships ladder, and after session with all our companions and constituents, I’m delighted to have the ability to be sure that Ayrton and Thomas will be capable of end their seasons and construct towards full championship challenges in 2025.
“Elevating the financing for racing as of late is a large problem for a lot of younger drivers however I’ve been impressed by the efforts put forth this season by each Ayrton and Thomas. They’ve labored laborious to make new connections and open doorways for themselves with a view to proceed in pursuit of their desires.”
Houk stays within the prime 10 within the USF2000 factors desk regardless of minimal testing and skipping the latest rounds on the streets of Toronto. He has claimed eight top-10 finishes, highlighted by a fourth place on his house monitor, the Indianapolis Grand Prix circuit, and a entrance row qualifying run on the one oval occasion of the season at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
“This USF2000 season has been race by race and I’m happy to announce a partnership with the Crew USA Scholarship to assist me end off my season in Portland,” mentioned Houk, who traveled to England final fall as a staff USA Scholarship winner. “The Crew USA Scholarship has been monumental in my improvement as a driver. From my time racing in England, to the entire superb those that I’ve been granted alternatives to fulfill by way of Jeremy, I’ve realized and developed my abilities each on and off of the monitor. I’m extraordinarily honored to proceed my partnership with the Crew USA Scholarship and fly the American coloured driver swimsuit once more. I can’t thank Jeremy and the entire Crew USA supporters sufficient for all of their assist over the previous few years.”
Schrage was obliged to overlook the lone oval race and the next weekend at Street America, however has showcased his skills with a pole place and a second-place end at his house monitor of Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course in July.
“I’m very grateful to have the ability to compete within the USF2000 Offered by Continental Tire championship finale at Portland Worldwide Raceway,” mentioned Schrage, who carried the Crew USA Scholarship colours to a fourth-place end on the 2022 System Ford Competition. “I’ve excessive hopes to finish my season on word, as that is considered one of two tracks I get to return to from final season. This occasion wouldn’t be doable with out Jeremy Shaw, the Crew USA Scholarship and its supporters in addition to Airport Electrical Service and the Boys & Women Golf equipment of Higher Cincinnati.”
