Photo: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography
The 17 drivers that will compete for a?$200k scholarship prize for a season in USF2000 in this weekend?s Mazda Road to Indy Shootout have been announced.
Six of the drivers who will be are American, with 2017 Team USA Scholarship winners Jonathan Kotyk and Aaron Jeansonne heading the entry. Their predecessor Oliver Askew won the inaugural Shootout last year, and put the prize to good use to progress to Pro Mazda for 2018.
Great Britain has four entrants, including Oliver White, who finished second to Askew in the Shootout last year. He is joined by former British Formula 4 racer Ross Martin, who is the current Scottish Formula Ford champion, Jamie Thorburn, who won the preliminary FFord Super Series Shootout, and Matthew Cowley, who beat Kotyk to the F1600 Championship title this season.
Ireland also has two, with Niall Murray, who already has USF2000 and Shootout experience, and Keith Donegan.
Two car racing rookies will be entering the Shootout, with Olin Galli and Jake Craig stepping up from karting.
Highly rated Australian F4 race-winner and NZ FF1600 champion Liam Lawson will be representing New Zealand, while Australian FFord champion Max Viadau will be representing Australia.
19 drivers were offered places, but BRSCC FF1600 National champion Luke Williams and?Konrad Czaczyk, winner of the Canada-based Formula Tour 1600 series, are unable to attend.
Most of the drivers come from Formula Ford 1600 championships across the globe, which have used their recently established links to the MRTI programme to attract young drivers.
The Shootout will be taking place over two days at?Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, with the winner being decided by a 45 minute race between six finalists.
MRTI Shootout entry list
Spencer Brockman – 21st in Atlantic Championship
Manuel Cabrera – Formula Panam champion, 9th in Formula Masters China
Matthew Cowley – F600 Championship champion, 6th in FFord Festival
Jake Craig -?eKartingnews.com selected driver
Keith Donegan – 2nd in FFord Festival,?16th in Walter Hayes Trophy
Mitch Egner – Pacific F2000 champion
Elliot Finlayson -?SCCA Runoffs Formula Enterprises winner
Olin Galli -?Seletiva de Kart Petrobras
Aaron Jeansomme – 13th in FFord Festival
Jonathan Kotyk – 2nd in F1600 Championship, 11th in FFord Festival, 6th in WHT
Liam Lawson – NZ FFord champion, 2nd in Australian F4, 15th in Victorian State Formula Vee
Ross Martin – Scottish FF1600 champion, 16th in FFord Festival
Niall Murray – Northern Ireland FF1600 champion, 34th in USF2000
Jamie Thorburn – 4th in BRSCC FF1600 National, FFord SuperSeries Shootout winner
Max Vidau – Australian FFord champion
Oliver White – WHT finalist
Carter Williams – Formula Car Challenge champion