California native ready to begin his second year on the USF Pro Championships ladder

BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Carson Etter looks to capitalize on the lessons learned in his first season on the vaunted ladder system, as he prepares for a full season campaign in the USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire series with DC Autosport.

“We're really looking forward to 2024,” said DC Autosport team principal Don Conner. “Carson showed great progress through 2023 and we're looking to build on that. We've had some promising off-season tests already, getting used to the new Continental tires!”

Etter, 19, from Villa Park, Calif., began his racing career in a very different arena, joining his father and older brother behind the wheel of dirt trophy karts. Soon, he was off-road racing on desert short courses, earning the 2017 Challenge Cup title in the Junior 2 Kart class and placed third in the 2020 Lucas Oil Off-Road Regional Challenge.  

But open-wheel racing soon beckoned, and Etter finished second in the 2022 Formula Pro USA Western Championships in the F4 category with five victories and 12 podium finishes. With the new Tatuus JR-23 chassis in place for the 2023 USF Juniors season, Etter felt the time was right to join the premier driver development ladder system. He signed with DC Autosport last year and contested the full series schedule, with a season-high finish of sixth at Road America.

“Racing in the Juniors series was so much more competitive than anything I’d raced before,” said Etter. “It gave me a great baseline to build from, especially in developing my racecraft. It was a good first step.”

With the 2024 season in mind, the Boise State sophomore also competed in the Mid-Ohio and Portland tripleheaders in the USF2000 series, gaining valuable knowledge for future use.

“It was good for me to try USF2000, since that’s what I’ll be doing next year. Now, I know what to expect in terms of competition, how the car drives, how the series works. I’m ahead of where I would be had I come into USF2000 from another series.”

Etter looks forward to returning to the DC Autosport team in 2024, and the continuity involved. As the team prepares to announce additional drivers, he believes the team is ready to make its mark.

“I feel as though this is going to be a good year for the entire DCA team. I think we’ll be competing for top fives and podiums, and I know the team will make a name for itself. For me, the goal is to be consistently in the top five and show we belong up there. Based on my rookie season, I don’t think people are looking at me as a threat, so I want to show people that I’m here to compete, to go for wins and keep improving. I’m happy with my times in testing so far and feel more at home – more capable getting up to speed quickly and pushing the limits harder. I know most of the tracks and I know what the car can handle, especially with the new tires.”

Speaking of tires – the entire USF Pro Championships ladder has moved to Continental Tire, which brings another layer of education for Etter. In two YACademy tests (at NOLA and Barber Motorsports Park), Etter has been able to thoroughly assess tire performance and – despite cool temperatures and more than a small amount of rain at both venues – he likes what he sees and feels.

“Once you break the tire in, the amount of time that the tire remains in optimal condition is quite long. You can just keep going faster and faster, so I feel as though we’ll get more prime tire condition laps in qualifying and in the race and that’s going to make for good racing.”

As he prepares for the new season, Etter appreciates the support he has received over the past year from the partner names on the No. 57 Tatuus, primary sponsor Priority Workforce and GATC Health, as both return with him next season.

“Huge credit to Priority Workforce for sticking with us. They’ve kept me on the racetrack, simple as that. They’re awesome to work with, I enjoy working with everyone. GATC Health was on the car this year but they’re stepping it up next year, I can’t thank them enough.”

The 2024 USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire season gets underway in February with the official series test at NOLA Motorsports Park. The season takes the green flag March 8-10 with the doubleheader weekend alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. All races will be broadcast live at USF2000.com.