BORN IN THE USA BUT RACING IN THE UK
It’s 30 years since journalist Jeremy Shaw started the famed Team USA Scholarship, which has an illustrious list of alumni. While there have been spells in the interim where the destination has been races in Formula Opel, Formula Renault and Formula Palmer Audi machinery, the focus has predominantly been on the end-of-season FF1600 events.
This year’s duo, Bryce Aron and Jackson Lee, were selected via an interview process, with the usual shootout in the US not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Aron has contested the full British Racing & Sports Car Club National FF1600 Championship with Low Dempsey Racing, placing fifth overall, Lee had to quarantine before he could join up with the squad for an outing at Silverstone earlier this month.
Seventeen-year-old Aron, competing in his second Festival, impressed by claiming fourth place in a tough heat and improving to third in his semi-final with a confident pass on Jordan Dempsey into Druids. Fifth on the grid for the final, Aron ran third after the safety car but was shuffled back by a robust move from Ross Martin, eventually finishing fifth in the constantly evolving conditions.
“It was really challenging,” he said. “We were up there so I think overall
I’m pretty happy with it.”
Lee, 18, who races in US F1600, was 10th in the final having finished third in his heat and eighth in the semi. “I can see why Team USA sends their drivers over here to improve,” he said. “It’s another level. It’s been quite an experience.”
Although not part of the scholarship, fellow American Maxwell Esterson was also among the Low Dempsey Racing line-up and managed sixth overall, third in his heat being his first ever wet race.
There was no accompanying Canadian scholarship this year, but Megan Gilkes may have been a recipient if there had been, following her run to second in Canadian F1600. The former W Series racer lined up for Kevin Mills Racing regardless, having tested with the squad earlier this year.
“They’re really fun [cars] to drive,” she said. “They’re a lot different to the ones in Canada – a little bit less horsepower but they move around a bit more, which is really fun. Paddock Hill Bend is quite exciting!” After finishing fifth in her heat, a trip through the gravel spoilt her semi but she recovered to 12th, and then finished 20th in the final.
Now the quartet move on to Silverstone for this weekend’s Walter Hayes Trophy, intent on following in the footsteps of their distinguished predecessors.
“Big names – Josef Newgarden, Spencer Pigot, Conor Daly, the names just go on and on, but I’m really honoured to be part of it,” said Aron. “It’s really great | to see the programme’s still alive even through these times, and it’s still helping young drivers like myself and Jackson.”