Big development and big challenges for Nicholas d’Orlando in 2022. Since his record breaking year in 2021, claiming the Formula Race Promotions F1600 series championship in record-breaking fashion, and moving up to Road To Indy’s pre-step earlier this year, d’Orlando proves to be ready to take another step up.

With the success in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks ago, VRD Racing has added Nikita Johnson to their growing program.

Now, fully recovered and with a successful test at Autobahn in Joliet, Ill., last week, Papasavvas is set to return to the track this weekend with the Jay Howard Driver Development program.

Building on his consistency of his performances in the opening rounds so far this year, and similarly to his performance at the same circuit in 2021, d'Orlando garnered his first victory of the 2022 season and did it in dominating fashion.

It was the most looked forward to weekend in Indianapolis all year, the famed Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A short 10 miles from the famed 2.5-mile oval speedway was the 7/10-mile Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, where Joe Dooling Autosports - Curb/Agajanian driver Trey Burke would compete in the Carb Night Classic and the Cooper Tires Freedom 75 in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.