US round final picks
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The search for America's finest racing talent continued this week in
Sebring, FL as 24 hopefuls contested for a spot in the Red Bull Driver
Search Final in Europe and a seat in the Red Bull Junior Team for 2004.
Two days of intense testing in Skip Barber Formula Dodge race cars
culminated in the selection of 6 drivers to move forward in the program. 2003 Red Bull Driver Search Finalists: (In alphabetical order) Dominique Claessens, Rolling Hills, CA Danny Sullivan, head of the program led a panel of judges, made up of cadre of acclaimed European racing experts. |
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"Judging an event of this nature was very tough" commented Sullivan, "there were so many factors to take into consideration - levels of experience, age, amount of time on this track, progress in each session, innate racing talent and how they approached the job at hand. We had to determine if they have the desire in their hearts to succeed with the Red Bull Junior Team in Europe, and ultimately fill the void of American presence at the pinnacle of world motorsport Formula 1."
In October, the Final Event of the 2003 Red Bull Driver Search will take place at the former Formula 1 circuit at Estoril in Portugal. The 6 finalists will be assessed in F3 race cars and the chosen winners will earn a seat with a leading team racing in a European junior-series championship, for 2004.
The Red Bull Driver Search program aims to discover and support highly talented young drivers already in racing, as well as the "diamond in the rough," lacking the knowledge and contacts needed to embark on a career in racing. The long term goal is to have a steady group of 4 to 6 American drivers racing in Europe, groomed to break into Formula 1 and compete for the World Championship.