Road To Indy Driver Profile:  Jason Reichert

 

 

How excited are you to race in USF 2000?

 

I am very excited to race in USF2000!  The series has a lot of excellent drivers and the Road to Indy has helped many drivers make it to Indycar.  I am very thankful to Will Marotti and everyone at Marotti Racing for giving me the opportunity.

 

How did your season go for you last year?

 

It was definitely the best season I’ve had yet.  Winning the SCCA National Runoffs and the Pacific F2000 Championship was more than I could ever dream of.  I really feel like I got more comfortable with racing F2000 cars and that I made lots of improvements as a driver.

 

Why did you want to be a race car driver?

 

Racing has always been my passion.  Ever since I started racing in go karts, I have always wanted to make a career out of racing, and every year I fall more in love with racing.

 

Why Open Wheel Cars?

 

I think my favorite part of Indycar is the diversity it offers with the tracks it has.  Running ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses makes it challenging and forces drivers and teams to adapt to each track.

 

How do you mentally prepare for a race?

 

I always try to stay calm and relaxed, especially with how intense racing is.  I’ll do visualization exercises before the session because that really helps me get into the proper mindset.

 

What has racing taught you?

 

To always look at what is happening next.  For example, at the SCCA Runoffs the engine blew up during practice, forcing the team to use our backup motor that was slower then the main engine.  I stayed calm and kept my hopes up. I was able to qualify 5th for the race and I was pretty happy with the results. I was hoping to maybe get a podium finish out of the weekend. Then on Turn 1 of the first lap, an accident took several people out and put me off track.  When I got back going, I fell back to 6th under safety car. Once it went green again, I put my head down and I overtook as many cars as I could. I ended up leading the race and I had some really good battles on the track. With a lot of luck and God’s help, I was able to win the race and it has been my best memory ever in racing.