Casey Neal advances to Red Bull Driver
Search Finals
Casey Neal started the Red Bull Driver Search off
very well. During Tuesday’s driving exercises he completed the
wet skid pad, the autocross, the shifting and braking sessions
with no miscues. As the first day came to an end all the
competitors were put on the track for one session to familiarize
themselves with the track configuration. Casey Neal finished
that session over 4 seconds a lap faster than his nearest
competitor.
Wednesday morning the Red Bull Semi-Finalist started on the pole
as he took to the track for some very serious timed race
sessions. Casey immediately set the fastest laps with no other
drivers very close on the timing charts. Six sessions later the
young star had won all the morning races.
For the afternoon races Casey started off with the same results,
winning the first two sessions by over 6 seconds. The Red Bull
judges then decided to invert the field and with Casey starting
last, he won both of those sessions by over 4 seconds. For the
last few races the judges had the drivers change cars with Casey
being assigned the slowest car from the earlier races. Casey
then won that race from the pole and set an even faster lap
time. With the field now inverted again and Casey starting last
for the final race, he was in the lead by lap three and set his
fastest lap time of the entire event, winning by 8 seconds.
Amazing would be an understatement for what the young driver had
accomplished. Casey won every race session and was virtually
unchallenged through the entire event.
The decision was then made declaring him the winner of the Red
Bull Driver Search Semi-Finals. Asked about what had just
happened, Casey said “I came down here totally focused on what
needed to be done. I wanted this more than anything else. I knew
I could do it, if I was just given the chance. Dad and I have
worked really hard for three years to get in the position we
find ourselves now. The Red Bull Driver Search has been our true
long term goal all along. I can’t wait to get into the faster
cars”.
Now Casey is off to the Red Bull training facility in Austria
where his physical strength and abilities will be evaluated.
Then he will be off to Estoril Portugal for a final test in a
Formula Renault 2 liter and an F3 car. Scott Speed, Colin
Fleming and John Edwards will be there to give their input and
help ease the transition into the high down force cars.
Casey said afterwards “the most important thing right now is, I
would like to sincerely thank Red Bull, Danny Sullivan, Maxim
Sports Management and Skip Barber for the chance to show what I
have to offer the racing world. Without them, no one in America
would have much of a chance to enter into the European racing
scene. Thanks Red Bull.”
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