Mundelein, Ill. – Rising formula car racer Christian Weir of Naperville, Illinois will once again team up with Turn 3 Motorsport for the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship in 2022. The 15-year-old karting champion had a breakout season this year in his car racing debut, competing in multiple series to gain experience and sharpen his skills in preparation for his first championship campaign in the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.
Weir got his first taste of success earlier this year when he was crowned the FRP Eastern Pro 4 Challenge champion with a total of six wins, two second place finishes, and seven pole positions. He also raced a Pro 1340 Radical SR3 at Road America with the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America series, bringing home two wins and three pole positions, making him the youngest race winner in Radical Cup history.
Once Weir turned 15 in September, he became eligible to compete in the final two events of the F4 U.S. Championship where he earned a podium finish at both Virginia International Raceway and Circuit of the Americas, the latter of which was run alongside the Formula One World Championship.
With a slew of accolades and experience added to his resume, Weir entered the final three events of the 2021 USF2000 season with Turn 3 Motorsport to get a taste of the series before going all in next year. The rookie earned three top ten finishes in his series premiere and was awarded the 2021 AiM Move of the Year for passing five cars in the last lap of Race 2 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, setting a strong foundation for his return to USF2000 in 2022.
“I’m thrilled to be announcing my first full season in USF2000 continuing with Turn 3 Motorsport,” said Christian Weir. “Last year, Turn 3 gave me my first taste of car racing in the FRP Eastern Pro 4 Challenge, and together we were able to win the championship. I also had strong results in the F4 U.S. Championship which gave me the confidence to go after USF2000 at the end of this year. The USF2000 field was so strong, but we were able to score a fastest lap and a string of top ten finishes even without having the level of experience as the seasoned drivers.”
“Continuing with Turn 3 Motorsport was my priority, as Peter Dempsey and his team have always given me a super-fast and reliable car,” continued Weir. “The atmosphere in the team is awesome, giving us drivers confidence and guidance to be the best we can. I’m already preparing for the season ahead with daily sim sessions while my new car is being built for pre-season testing. I know it’s going to be a competitive year with so many good drivers, but my target is to hit the ground running and fight for the championship from the get-go."
“It’s great to have Christian returning with us for a second year,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “We’ve brought Christian into our program from karting, and he’s someone that fits in very well with our team. Being able to work with a driver in the early days of their career is huge, and we feel that Turn 3 Motorsport can really help him develop his skills throughout the 2022 USF2000 season. We’re very excited to get Christian back in the race car in January once he’s fully recovered from the back injury he sustained at the COTA F4 race in October. I believe Christian is extremely determined to prove himself as a front runner and championship contender, and I’m confident that he is going to be a fierce competitor in the 2022 USF2000 Championship.”
Weir will pilot the #32 Power Equipment Direct / eComfort USF2000 car in 2022. With the introduction of a new chassis for both the USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 series in 2022, Turn 3 Motorsport will be hard at work in the coming months building and testing the upgraded cars in preparation for the opening race. The Tatuus IP-22 and USF-22 will include a new, wider monocoque with the addition of a Halo device as well as new sidepods, underfloors, engine covers, air ducts, damper covers and fuel cells.
The first event of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires season will take place on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida from February 25-27, 2022.