Young New Yorker completes the driver lineup for the reigning champs
BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Reigning Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship title winners Cape Motorsports are pleased to confirm their fourth and final driver for the 2020 Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.
American Michael d’Orlando will complete the team’s quartet, returning to the Road to Indy’s first rung after competing in four F4 races in 2019. A 12th grader at the Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle, New York, d’Orlando will turn 18 just before the official Road to Indy Spring Training test in Homestead this coming weekend. Michael competed in four USF2000 events in 2018 with a best finish of sixth among three top-10s.
“We are really excited to have Michael as one of our drivers for the 2020 campaign,” enthused Nicholas and Dominic Cape. "It has been a long time coming since we first contacted the d’Orlando's over two years ago. Michael has exactly what we look for in one of our drivers; a good karting background, which is essential, he has the pace we look for and will only strengthen our line-up. Michael has done really well in testing and works really well in our environment."
The Hartsdale, NY student capped a successful 10-year karting career in 2017, having racked up multiple victories and championships. Michael scored a US Rotax national championship in 2013 in the MiniMax category, and followed this by earning the vice-champion honors in 2014 and vice-champion in the Junior Max category in 2015.
As part of this success, Michael competed for Team USA at the Rotax Grand Finals on two occasions. He also won the Rotax Junior title in 2016 in the Florida Winter Tour, as well as the vice-champion title in Junior Rok. Michael ended his karting career as a factory team driver for BirelART in the WSK Super Master Series and the CIK FIA European Championship series for two years (2016-2017).
Moving into cars in 2018, Michael competed in four USF2000 events during his car racing debut season. In only four events and with very limited experience, he showed in the top-six at Mid-Ohio. In 2019, Michael took most of the year off due to budget restrictions until he moved to F4 for the last four races of the season. He completed the year at the Circuit of the Americas with a top-three qualifying effort and a podium result. d’Orlando’s primary sponsors include Focused Project Management, DB Collaborative, UFC Gym - Mamaroneck and Iona Preparatory School.
"I’ve been itching to get back in the seat again as soon as possible and I’m so excited to get this year started with Cape Motorsports,” offered d’Orlando. “Dominic and Nicholas (Cape) have been great with helping me prepare for the season and I’m looking forward to getting back in the USF car. I can’t wait to see what this year brings and I’m sure it will be a good one.”
With four drivers now locked in for the 2020 season - d’Orlando will join the previously-announced Reece Gold, Josh Green and Kyle Dupell - and having completed their move to their new shop in Brownsburg, Indiana - Cape Motorsports will head to official Spring Training test at Homestead-Miami Speedway this week before loading in at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 13-15 to start the 2020 season.