Team USA Scholarship Driver Profile: Joey Essma

 

 

Joey Essma was ecstatic when he found out he was going to be a candidate for the Team USA Scholarship as he currently competes in the F1600 Series for Team Pelfrey.  It’s been something that he has worked for a long time and it’s paid off for the 21 year old. “We have been working really hard in F1600 this year and getting accepted into Team USA shows that everything is paying off.  I can’t thank Team USA and Jeremy Shaw enough for giving me this incredible opportunity,” stated Essma excitedly.

 

Essma was introduced with Jeremy Shaw who is the founder of the team USA Scholarship and caught Shaw’s attention. “We got introduced to Mr.Shaw and talked to him about racing in the UK to race in a heightened level of competition in Formula 4.  That’s how I met Jeremy Shaw. I think my performance on the track caught his attention. Then he talked to Geoff Busher, who is the F1600 Manager at Team Pelfrey, and pointed Mr. Shaw towards me and here I am,” Essma said.

 

Essma got into racing when he started competing competitively in go karts at the age of 10. When Essma first started in karts, he couldn’t run for points due to age requirements. When he was old enough, he ran karts competitively in the North Carolina and South Carolina area while doing a few out of states events here and there on the local tracks. At 14 he did the 24 Hours of LeMons as well as Champ Car. “I learned a lot from being in those cars.  Running Chump Cars which is now Champ Car. I really appreciate what Chumpcar has done for me in my career, and it’s really turning into a great series for sure,” Essma commented.

 

As part of the Team USA Scholarship, all the drivers attended this weekend’s INDYCAR Race at Mid Ohio as the candidates toured the paddock. They learned a ton from Jeremy Shaw as well as different race teams in Indycar and the Mazda Road To Indy. “The experience at Mid Ohio with Team USA was just incredible. We got to meet Jay Frye, who is the president of INDYCAR, and talked about INDYCAR’s goals for the future as well as learning about simulators from Kelly Jones. We got to meet many teams and drivers as well as getting a tour of race control. I can’t thank the Team USA Scholarship and Jeremy Shaw enough for this opportunity. I am honored to be in the position that I’m in,” Essma exclaimed.

 

The Team USA scholarship will pick 6 finalists to battle it out for two spots. They will then race in the Formila Ford series at Silverstone Circuit in England later this year against some of the world’s greatest drivers. They will also receive a bid to compete in the Mazda Scholarship Shootout where 1 driver will have the chance to receive a $200,000 scholarship from Mazda along with an automatic bid into USF 2000. The first step in the Mazda Road To Indy.  It would mean a lot if Essma was selected to team USA, and it would give him the opportunity to show his skills on and off the track. “Well, it would give me the opportunity to show not only my driving talent but also my personality. I love interacting with people, and I have a lot to offer to the sport,” Essma stated.

 

Essma currently competes in the F1600 Series for Team Pelfrey. His goal is to one day compete in the Indycar Series and feels that the Mazda Road To Indy is the best way to go.