Aaron Telitz, Rookie of the Year in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda this season, and Michai Stephens have been selected Team USA Scholarship recipients.
They will compete in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch on Oct. 25-26 and Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on Nov. 1-2. The drivers were among six candidates who took part in a shootout aboard Allen Berg Racing Schools FR1600 cars at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on Sept. 8.
“It was a difficult decision and there were many factors which needed to be taken into account,” said Team USA Scholarship president Jeremy Shaw, who founded the program in 1990. “All of the six candidates can be proud of their efforts; each has what it takes to forge a successful career in this sport.”
Past Team USA Scholarship winners include Jimmy Vasser, who secured the first Team USA Scholarship in 1990, Bryan Herta (1991), Buddy Rice (1997), A.J. Allmendinger (2001), Charlie Kimball (2003), JR Hildebrand (2005), Josef Newgarden and Conor Daly (2008), Spencer Pigot (2010/2011) and Matthew Brabham (2012).
Telitz recorded one victory and eight top-five finishes in the 14 races this season.
“It is a huge honor and achievement to be chosen as a winner of the Team USA Scholarship,” said Telitz, 22, of Birchwood, Wis., who placed fourth in the series standings. “Not only do I now have the opportunity to race in Europe, I get to do it representing the United States of America. If you look at the history of previous winners of the Team USA Scholarship you’ll see there are some big shoes to fill. I look forward to the challenge and learning as much as I can during this awesome experience.”
Stephens, of Evanston, Ill., won the 2013 INDYCAR Academy Shootout, which earned a ride in the Skip Barber Racing School Summer Series. Earlier this month he participated in the Chris Griffis Memorial Test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, driving a USF2000 car for ArmsUp Motorsports.