2022 scholarship winner will progress to next step on USF Pro Championships ladder in 2023
Mundelein, Ill. – 2022 USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires champion and scholarship winner Michael d’Orlando has signed with Turn 3 Motorsport for the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires season. The 20-year-old New York native is coming out of a standout year in USF2000, winning four races, five pole positions and eight podiums, and ultimately claiming the title of overall champion in a season that came down to a thrilling last race shootout at Portland International Raceway.
A veteran of the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires (formerly the Road to Indy), d’Orlando has three successful seasons of USF2000 under his belt, finishing fourth overall in his debut season and taking the vice champion title in 2021. In addition to his multiple poles, race wins and podiums last season, d’Orlando scored a series-high 14 top-five finishes, three fastest race laps, a tie for the most races led and the most laps led all season – including a weekend sweep of the Cooper Tires Freedom 75 oval race for the second year in a row – marking a truly incredible year for the young American.
A successful pre-season training program with Turn 3 Motorsport has shown d’Orlando quickly adapt to the Tatuus IP-22 car, proving the rookie will be a top competitor in 2023.
“I’m so excited to be back,” said d’Orlando. “Since the final USF2000 race in Portland last year, I’ve had very limited testing or any sort of driving time in general. I’m very appreciative of Turn 3 Motorsport’s support of me in the off-season, and I’ve absolutely loved working with them during pre-season testing. I’m confident that we can perform well together in my rookie year in the USF Pro 2000 series, especially in those beautiful USF Pro Championships scholarship colors. Bring on the season!”
“It’s a great honor for our team that the USF2000 scholarship winner has chosen us for his 2023 USF Pro 2000 program,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “It shows how far we’ve come since joining the series in 2020. Michael has been a pleasure to have so far in our program throughout pre-season testing and has proved to us why he is a champion. He adapted to the IP-22 car very quickly and is certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with throughout the year. I’m confident we can give him the tools for a successful rookie season and look forward to carrying both Turn 3’s and Michael’s momentum into 2023.
“The scholarship provided by Andersen Promotions and Cooper Tires gives these young drivers one of the best opportunities in the world to move up the ladder to the top level of motorsport,” continued Dempsey. “I know I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today without the support of Dan Andersen and Andersen Promotions during my racing career, so for us to come full circle and have our team as part of the scholarship program is a huge honor. I feel we have a strong driver lineup to push for the title this season, and we are proud to be representing the series champion in 2023.”
Turn 3 Motorsport will go into the season opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg as the reigning pole and race winners, having taken the premier victory of the 2022 season with current INDY NXT driver Josh Green. The team went on to achieve a pole and/or podium at seven of nine race weekends with three different rookie drivers, establishing a strong foundation and winning program for d’Orlando’s 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship campaign.
d’Orlando will drive the #1 USF Pro Championships/Priority Payments Systems/Focused Project Management/Turn 3 Motorsport car for the 2023 season. Other partners include UFC Gym Mamaroneck and Rising Star Racing.
This year’s competitors will gather February 27-28 for the official pre-season Spring Training at Sebring International Raceway followed by the first event of the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida from March 3-5.
To stay up to date on Turn 3 Motorsport, follow the team on social media using the handle @turn3motorsport.