From the Offices
of Maxim Sports Management
Contact: Maria Jannace
Tel: 212.337.0003
Email: maria@maxim-online.com
Red Bull Driver
Search Names First Six Run Off Winners
East Bridgewater,
MA (5 August 04)—Six young drivers have taken their first step
in the long journey to the cockpit of a Formula 1 race car after
emerging atop a field of 112 fellow Formula 1 aspirants in the
first of two Run Offs for the Red Bull Driver Search.
The Red Bull
Driver Search gives young American talent the chance to compete
for the opportunity of a lifetime and scholarships worth over a
half million dollars. Red Bull’s long term goal of finding the
future Formula 1 champion might just be satisfied by one of the
six drivers selected this week.
Casey Neal (16) –
Middletown, OH
Justin Larson (16) – Safety Harbor, FL
Jeremy Warren (17) – Noblesville, IN
Chase Stroschein (16) – Shoreview, MN
Joey King (16) – Silvis, OH
Mathew Jordan (17) – Punxsutawney, PA
The drivers who
participated were treated to extensive running at the F1
Outdoors facility, with a day of practice and qualifying
preceding two rounds of racing on the second day.
The final day saw
the final 47 racing (63 were eliminated on day 2) for one of six
coveted invitations to the Semi Final, which will be held at
Sebring International Raceway in September.
Former Formula 1
racer and Indianapolis 500 champion Danny Sullivan led the panel
of judges, who were not just watching lap times, as they also
took into consideration the progress, willingness to learn,
composure, behavior and fitness level of the Formula 1
aspirants.
With so many
drivers shooting for so few positions, Sullivan also found
himself playing the role of counselor for those who didn’t make
the cut or who struggled on-track, often giving
The selected
drivers earned this opportunity by performing well in the Open
Qualifying phase of the Driver Search, which allowed any racer
between the ages of 13 and 17 to set a fast time at one of 56
karting centers nationwide. The East Coast event will be
followed by the West Coast Run Off, 24-26 August at Infineon
Raceway in Sonoma, CA.
The winners from
this event will move forward to the Semi Final, one step closer
to a Red Bull Racing scholarship as they will once again have to
prove they have what it takes to make it to the top and earn a
spot on the Red Bull Junior Team to race and represent America
in Junior Formulae, both in Europe and the US.
The 2004 Red Bull
Driver Search program aims to discover and support the "diamond
in the rough," lacking the knowledge and contacts needed to
embark on a career in racing, as well as talented young drivers
already in racing. The long-term goal is to have a steady group
of three to six American drivers racing in Europe, groomed to
break into Formula 1 and compete for the World Championship.
Please contact:
Maxim Sports
Management, Inc.
Maria Jannace
18 West 21
Street, 6 Floor
New York, NY 10010
Tel. 212.337.0003
Fax: 212.337.1206
Website:
www.redbulldriversearch.com
Junior Team Website: www.redbull-juniorteam.com