Lexington, Ohio., August 13 – Jonatan Jorge had himself a pretty good weekend last weekend at Mid-Ohio Sport Car Course. Even before one of his drivers, Scott Anderson, crossed the finish line Sunday morning to take his first career Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda victory, Jorge was celebrating the announcement that three Jonatan Jorge Racing Development drivers were among the group of 14 named as finalists for the prestigious Team USA Scholarship competition.
Tristan Nunez; Cooper Tires IMSA Prototype Lites championship leader with seven pole positions and six wins, Jake Eidson; Skip Barber Winter Race Series Champion and Summer Race Series championship leader, and Colin Thompson; Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda competitor and F1600 race winner, were selected by a panel led by Team USA Scholarship founder Jeremy Shaw and featuring a who’s who of U.S. racing leadership as well as several Team USA Scholarship alumni.
From the group of 14, three drivers will be selected as Team USA Scholarship drivers; two drivers will be entered under the Team USA Scholarship/Cliff Dempsey Racing banner in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch on October 27-28 and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on November 3-4, while a third, more experienced driver will be invited to contest the final two rounds of the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Silverstone on October 6-7.
“We are really proud of our drivers”, said Jorge from the paddock at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where he is coaching several drivers in this weekend’s rounds of the 2012 USF2000 Championship.“Jake, Colin and Tristan have each proven themselves to be among an elite group of American junior racers. Their selection is a tribute to their hard work.”
Nunez, Thompson and Eidson join Spencer Pigot (2010), Scott Anderson and Trent Hindman (2011) as JJRD coached drivers who have been selected as Team USA Scholarship finalists.
The growth of Jonatan Jorge Racing Development continues at a pace rivaled only by the pace of JJRD’s drivers. While Jorge was in Ohio coaching the Belardi Auto Racing line up of drivers and National class competitor R.C. Enerson, business partner Phil Lombardi is at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California, coaching ABK Sports driver Ayla Agrenand newcomer Clark Toppe at the Skip Barber Race Series weekend. After a rare weekend at home, Jorge will pull double duty in Wisconsin as USF2000 and Prototype Lites share the support bill at the American Le Mans Series Road Race Showcase at Road America.
“We’ve been extremely busy. I miss being at home, but in this business, busy is good."
