Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
Velocity Racing Development has entered a partnership with rival Road to Indy team Pole Position Motorsports.
The two compete against each other in USF Juniors, where VRD ran four cars last year while PPM fielded one. Joao Vergara delivered two wins to VRD and came third in the standings, following up the team’s double title in 2024.
“It is great to have support from PPM,” said Dan Mitchell, VRD’s team principal. “While VRD brings its experience and expertise trackside, it is important to have a reliable source to help drive our VRD Academy and USF Juniors team. Yannick [Rolland] and his team are the perfect candidates, providing us with that support and a much-needed presence in South Florida.”
PPM’s driver Connor Aspley came 13th in the 2025 USF Juniors standings with a best finish of fifth place.
“Partnering with VRD allows us to combine their proven technical excellence and track record with our operational strength, creating a strong foundation for success in the USF Juniors championship,” said PPM’s team principal Yannick Rolland. “Our combined operations will help develop junior drivers into the VRD Academy through our strong Florida-based testing programme.”
VRD competes in third-tier single-seaters, with a GB3 squad in Britain and USF Pro 2000 squad in the USA, and at the two rungs below in USF2000 and USF Juniors. Its USF Juniors cars also run in the YACademy Winter Series, and it fields Formula 4 cars in Formula Fara.
Teddy Musella was USF2000 runner-up with VRD last year, and will now step up to USFP2000 with the team. The 16-year-old took two wins, seven other podiums and two poles in 2025, and in F4 was Ligier Junior Formula champion in 2024.
Ryan Giannetta was one of Musella’s team-mates in USF2000, and after coming 18th in his incomplete rookie campaign with a best finish of eighth the 15-year-old will embark on a sophomore campaign that will include his oval racing debut. He also raced in the YACademy WS for VRD at the start of 2025, and the year before fourth in the F4-spec Skip Barber Formula Race Series.
Brazilian racer Vergara is graduating into VRD’s USF2000 line-up. The 18-year-old was runner-up in Lucas Oil School of Racing’s Formula Car Race Series in 2023, fifth in the YACademy WS and eight in USF Juniors in 2024, and fourth in the YACademy WS in 2025.
Making the same move is Colin Aitken, who contested the last two rounds of the 2025 USF Juniors season with VRD. He finished seventh on debut, and came 21st in the standings. His single-seater career began with the 2023 SBFRS season.
Jack Mohrhardt brings VRD’s USF2000 line-up to four cars, which is the size it has operated at for the last two years.
The 18-year-old was ninth in the 2024 SBFRS points table, then gained further experience of F4 cars last year by joining VRD’s Formula Fara squad.