Team USA Scholarship

Team USA Scholarship

Company type	Motorsport development program
Industry	Auto racing
Founded	1990
Founder	Jeremy Shaw
Area served	United States, Europe, New Zealand
Website	teamusascholarship.org

The Team USA Scholarship is an initiative designed to provide promising young American racecar drivers with opportunities to compete on the international stage. Each year, the program selects the most talented up-and-coming American drivers through a competitive process, enabling them to participate in high-level racing events predominantly held in Europe.

Formula Ford Festival (part 1)

Established in late 1990 by motorsport journalist Jeremy Shaw, the Scholarship received its initial support from IndyCar team owner Rick Galles, driver and entrepreneur Jonathan Holtzman, as well as Ford Special Vehicle Operations.

Among the first chosen competitors were Canadian Formula Ford 2000 alumnus Jimmy Vasser and USAC Sprint Car champion Jeff Gordon. However, only Vasser was able to attend the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch due to scheduling conflicts; he raced a Lanan 1604 chassis but his event ended prematurely after a crash. The subsequent year, with renewed collaboration with Lanan Racing and driving a Reynard chassis, Bryan Herta secured a 15th place qualifying position and ultimately finished 11th in the final race.

In 1992, following tests at Snetterton Circuit, drivers Tony Ave and Ashton Lewis were chosen. Represented by Primus Racing/John Village Automotive with three Van Diemen RF92 vehicles, Lewis emerged as the highest-placed Team USA driver, finishing 15th. Guest competitor Geoff Boss qualified fourth but was relegated to the back of the grid due to technical complications; Ave was unable to complete the race after being involved in a collision.

The 1993 event saw sole entrant Jerry Nadeau dominate his heat race with a margin exceeding 26 seconds and finish fourth overall in the final, competing against future notable racers such as Craig Lowndes. The following year, Mike Borkwoski and Clay Collier took part in the Formula Ford Festival’s Zetec category but did not advance to the final round.

International F3 Trophy

In 1995, Team USA Scholarship collaborated with Dick Bennetts of West Surrey Racing to enter a Mugen-Honda powered Dallara F395 in the International Formula 3 Trophy held at Donington Park. Selected driver Memo Gidley qualified 16th and concluded the event in 11th place after competitive racing. The race was won by Owen McAuley, while podium positions were completed by Jason Elliott and Scott Lakin.

EFDA Nations Cup

Due to the considerable expenses associated with Formula 3 racing, Team USA Scholarship redirected its efforts towards the more cost-effective one-make series, the EFDA Nations Cup, which features identical-specification Reynard Formula Opel Lotus cars. In 1996, among six finalists, Tony Renna was chosen alongside returning driver Jerry Nadeau, who also competed in the European Formula Opel Lotus championship. The team achieved an overall second-place finish in that year’s EFDA Nations Cup.

The following year, Team USA Scholarship entered drivers Buddy Rice and Matt Sielsky, with Paul Edwards participating as a third driver in the Formula Ford Festival. Edwards demonstrated promising pace before retiring due to contact with competitor Robert Lechner. Rice and Sielsky encountered difficulties optimizing their qualifying setups, culminating in a fifth-place team result.

In 1998, Team USA Scholarship supported Paul Edwards through the final three rounds of the Formula Opel Euroseries as well as the EFDA Formula Opel Lotus Winter Series. Edwards recorded his best finish of fifth place at Nürburgring while driving for Team USA-backed Motaworld Racing. During the Winter Series campaign with Team Meritus, he secured victory at Donington Park and finished runner-up at the Hockenheimring. Heading into what would be the final round at Hockenheimring, Edwards clinched the championship after severe weather forced cancellation of the event, outperforming rivals such as Richard Lyons and Takuma Sato.

Formula Palmer Audi (part 1)

In 1999, Team USA Scholarship concentrated on the Formula Palmer Audi Winter Series, established by former Formula 1 driver Jonathan Palmer. This series utilized a single-make Van Diemen chassis powered by 1.8L Audi engines. The team fielded three drivers: Paul Edwards, Andy Lally, and Jeff Simmons. Edwards dominated by winning three of the four races held at Snetterton and Brands Hatch, ultimately clinching the championship with an eight-point margin. Lally ended the season in fifth place, while Simmons finished eighth.

For the 2000 season, Team USA Scholarship was represented by Phil Giebler and Joey Hand. Giebler secured the championship title, achieving three podium finishes including a victory at Brands Hatch. Hand earned one podium appearance and concluded the series in sixth position overall.

New Zealand Formula Ford

In November 2001, a selection event featuring twelve drivers took place at the Jim Russell Racing Driver School, resulting in A. J. Allmendinger and Bryan Sellers being chosen for Team USA Scholarship. Due to their limited experience in single-seater racing, the program opted to compete in New Zealand's Formula Ford series. Sellers won two races at Timaru and finished ninth in the overall standings. At the New Zealand Grand Prix, Sellers and Allmendinger achieved second and third places respectively, behind winner Fabian Coulthard.

In 2003, Team USA Scholarship selected three drivers—Joe D'Agostino, Charlie Kimball, and Ryan Millen—to participate in the six-race New Zealand International Formula Ford Series. Notably, Millen is related to 1980 New Zealand Grand Prix champion Steve Millen.

Representatives (Scholarship Winners)

Year	Event(s)	Scholarship Winner(s)	Notes
1990	Formula Ford Festival	Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jimmy Vasser
1991		Template:Country data MichiganTemplate:Namespace detect showall Bryan Herta
1992		Template:Country data VirginiaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ashton Lewis Template:Country data IndianaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Tony Ave
1993		Template:Country data North CarolinaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jerry Nadeau
1994		Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Mike Borkowski Clay Collier
1995	F3 International Trophy	Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Memo Gidley
1996	EFDA Nations Cup	Template:Country data North CarolinaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jerry Nadeau Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Tony Renna
1997		Template:Country data IllinoisTemplate:Namespace detect showall Matt Sielsky Template:Country data ArizonaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Buddy Rice
1998		Template:Country data ColoradoTemplate:Namespace detect showall Paul Edwards
1999	Formula Palmer Audi Winter Series	Template:Country data ColoradoTemplate:Namespace detect showall Paul Edwards Template:Country data Georgia (U.S. state)Template:Namespace detect showall Andy Lally Template:Country data ConnecticutTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jeff Simmons	Edwards captured the 1999 Formula Palmer Audi Winter Series title
2000		Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Phil Giebler Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Joey Hand	Giebler secured the championship in the 2000 Formula Palmer Audi Winter Series
2001	New Zealand Formula Ford	Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall A. J. Allmendinger Template:Country data Georgia (U.S. state)Template:Namespace detect showall Bryan Sellers
2002
2003		Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Joe D'Agostino Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Charlie Kimball Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ryan Millen
2004		Template:Country data OklahomaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Slade Miller
2005		Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall J. R. Hildebrand
2006	Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy	Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Robert Podlesni Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Dane Cameron	Cameron won the 2006 Autumn Trophy event
2007		Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Joel Miller Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Patrick Barrett
2008	Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy	Template:Country data TennesseeTemplate:Namespace detect showall Josef Newgarden Template:Country data IndianaTemplate:Namespace detect showallConor Daly	Newgarden triumphed in the 2008 Formula Ford Festival ( Kent class) Daly claimed victory at the 2008 Walter Hayes Trophy
2009		Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallBrett Smrz Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallConnor De Phillippi	De Phillippi was winner of the 2009 Walter Hayes Trophy
2010		Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showallFelix Serralles Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showallSpencer Pigot
2011		Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showallSpencer Pigot Template:Country data New JerseyTemplate:Namespace detect showallTrent Hindman Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallNeil Alberico
2012		Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showallTristan Nunez Template:Country data IllinoisTemplate:Namespace detect showallJack Mitchell, Jr. Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showallMatthew Brabham	Nunez secured victory in the 2012 Walter Hayes Trophy
2013		Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallNeil Alberico Template:Country data ColoradoTemplate:Namespace detect showallJake Eidson Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallJoey Bickers
2014		Template:Country data WisconsinTemplate:Namespace detect showallAaron Telitz Template:Country data IllinoisTemplate:Namespace detect showallMichai Stephens
2015		Template:Country data IllinoisTemplate:Namespace detect showallMichai Stephens Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallDakota Dickerson
2016	Formula Ford Festival Walter Hayes Trophy (Mazda) Road to Indy Shootout	Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showallOliver Askew Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showallKyle Kirkwood Template:Country data ConnecticutTemplate:Namespace detect showallNeil Verhagen	Askew won the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout in 2016
2017		Template:Country data LouisianaTemplate:Namespace detect showallAaron Jeansonne Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showallJonathan Kotyk
2018		Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallJake Craig Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallColin Mullan	Braden Eves was initially selected but unable to participate due to surgery.		2019	Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy	Template:Country data New YorkTemplate:Namespace detect showallJosh Green Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallScott Huffaker
2020	Template:Country data IllinoisTemplate:Namespace detect showallBryce Aron Template:Country data IndianaTemplate:Namespace detect showallJackson Lee Template:Country data Georgia (U.S. state)Template:Namespace detect showallSimon Sikes
2021	Template:Country data New YorkTemplate:Namespace detect showallAndre Castro Template:Country data New YorkTemplate:Namespace detect showallMax Esterson	Esterson claimed victory at the 2021 Walter Hayes Trophy
2022	Template:Country data MichiganTemplate:Namespace detect showallElliott Budzinski Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showallWilliam Ferguson Template:Country data OhioTemplate:Namespace detect showallThomas Schrage
2023	Template:Country data IndianaTemplate:Namespace detect showallAyrton Houk Template:Country data OhioTemplate:Namespace detect showallJack Sullivan
2024	USF2000 Championship	Template:Country data IndianaTemplate:Namespace detect showallAyrton Houk Template:Country data OhioTemplate:Namespace detect showallThomas Schrage

Representatives by State

No.	State
22	Template:Country data CaliforniaTemplate:Namespace detect showall California
11	Template:Country data FloridaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Florida
5	Template:Country data IllinoisTemplate:Namespace detect showall Illinois
3	Template:Country data ColoradoTemplate:Namespace detect showall Colorado Template:Country data IndianaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Indiana Template:Country data New YorkTemplate:Namespace detect showall New York
2	Template:Country data ConnecticutTemplate:Namespace detect showall Connecticut Template:Country data Georgia (U.S. state)Template:Namespace detect showall Georgia Template:Country data MichiganTemplate:Namespace detect showall Michigan Template:Country data North CarolinaTemplate:Namespace detect showall North Carolina Template:Country data OhioTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ohio
1	Template:Country data ArizonaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Arizona Template:Country data LouisianaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Louisiana Template:Country data New JerseyTemplate:Namespace detect showall New Jersey Template:Country data OklahomaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Oklahoma Template:Country data TennesseeTemplate:Namespace detect showall Tennessee Texas Template:Country data VirginiaTemplate:Namespace detect showall Virginia Template:Country data WisconsinTemplate:Namespace detect showall Wisconsin

Notes

States are listed as per the Team USA Scholarship official website.

Additional Finalists

Year	Driver
1992	Greg Tracy
1992	Chris Simmons
1992	Geoff Boss
1992	Ernest Sikes
1996	Alex Barron
1996	Derek Hill
1996	Steve Knapp
1996	Allen May
1996	Bryan Selby
1997	Jeff Shafer
1997	Rocky Moran Jr.
1997	Chris Menninga
1997	Mikel Miller
1999	Aaron Justus
2000	Tom Dyer
2000	Ryan Hunter-Reay

• It is noteworthy that Danica Patrick and Patrick Long opted not to participate in the competition for the Team USA Scholarship in 2000.

External links

• Official website