Two entries in USF2000 while one additional in Indy Pro 2000
With a new year now upon us, Velocity Racing Development (VRD) is excited to confirm their participation in the 2021 Road to Indy. Entering a pair of cars in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, VRD will also enter a single entry in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. Launching a three-car Road to Indy Program, second year VRD driver Erik Evans will be the team’s first USF2000 entry with two more driver announcements on the horizon.
“Our aim at VRD is to create the very best drivers who can compete at the highest level possible. It’s important we find the highest level of competition and race against them no matter where that may be in the USA,” explained Dan Mitchell. “Over the past month VRD took upon an extensive test program running both USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 cars successfully so we have made the decision to run a limited program on the Road to Indy. We have no doubt it will not be easy, but we have built a fantastic foundation with some great key members of staff and we are very confident we can succeed on both sides. Ultimately our goal will be to win but we understand the strength in depth of the championship from both the teams and drivers.”
With their confirmation of joining the Road to Indy in 2021, VRD is also excited to confirm that Erik Evans will make the move to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship. A race winner in F4 in 2020, Evans progressed leaps and bounds throughout the season and is anxious to get a new season started in the Road to Indy. Evans is the first of three competitors announced as the Atlanta, Georgia based VRD program is set to continue their winter test program with their eyes firmly on Barber Motorsports Park in April.
“I worked so hard throughout 2020 to learn as much as I could, gain knowledge and gather experience to prepare myself for the future,” expressed Evans. “My goal is to win. It always has been, but I had a lot to learn. 2021 will present new challenges for my partners, team and myself but I am excited and anxious to get started.”
“Erik is a perfect example of how our program works,” explained VRD’s Dan Mitchell. “He did some off season testing and then really ramped up his intensity with the team as he became more aware of the competition level within the F4 Championship. Testing in an FR car to improve on fundamentals, Erik came into his own late in the season and really turned some heads. We knew he had the talent, we just needed to pull it out of him and boost his confidence. We look forward to seeing him in a VRD USF2000 car in 2021.”
A force in the F4 United States Championship, Velocity Racing Development earned eight race wins in the hands of 14-year-old Hunter Yeany and scored podium results with three different drivers. Purchasing a pair of USF-17’s and one PM-18, VRD has doubled their program as they aim for success in the Road to Indy.
Mitchell continued, “We have test opportunities throughout January and February, and we look forward to announcing the rest of our driver lineup early in 2021.”