SALEM, N.H. - With his drive at New Jersey Motorsports Park to win the 2016 Atlantic Championship Series title, K-Hill Motorsports driver Ryan Norman has earned himself a spot at the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout. The winner will receive a $200,000 reward to join the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda in 2017.
The 18-year-old clinched the 2016 Atlantic title in round 12 of the 14-race season after putting together a dominating year of victories and podium finishes in the No. 48 Swift 016/Mazda Atlantic entry in his debut Atlantic season.
"The plan from the beginning was to make a run for the championship. I knew we had the team and car to do it and I just had to give it everything I had," said Norman, who also graduated high school between races earlier in the year.
In 12 starts, Norman took seven victories for K-Hill, and rarely finished off the podium. The inaugural Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout will be held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, December 6-7.
Norman got his start in the Skip Barber Racing School, initially taking a three-day driving school and then competing in the school's series program.
From there, Norman moved into the Formula Enterprise class in SCCA, winning races and finishing second the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. It was a natural step for Norman to move from there into the high-downforce Atlantic car.
"It was a fast car with a small budget," said Norman. "We could test and race a lot, and I spent as much time in the car I could this year to take that next step in my career.
"My main mechanic, Miles, became a good friend over the course of the year, and was someone I could always count on to give me a good car," Norman continued. "I also need to thank my coach and engineer, Tonis Kasemets, who has taught me so much over the last year on driving and setting up cars. I need to thank my parents who have supported me since day one. And a huge shout out to my trainer and fitness coach, Marvell Wring, who helped me get mentally and psychically prepared for every race."
As Norman progresses up the racing ladder, he said his goal is to become a driver in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
About Formula Race Promotions:
Formula Race Promotions (FRP) operates the F1600, F2000 and Atlantic Championship Series. Starting with F2000 in 2006, FRP added F1600 in 2011 and Atlantic in 2012. The Series' philosophy is to offer a vertical integration between club and professional racing, while offering some of the best race tracks and significant amounts of track time in single-class running. The 2016 schedule is composed of two winter events and seven-points paying weekends. FRP is privately owned and sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing.