Sixteen-year-old Tristan Nunez of Boca Raton Fla. has been named as one of three recipients of the 2012 Team USA Scholarship for outstanding young racing talents.
Nunez, who in his rookie season in IMSA Cooper Prototype Lites has racked up an amazing 10 wins in 12 races and 7 track records for fastest lap, is also the youngest winner in series history. Now his career will get a boost from this most prestigious racing scholarship. Past winners include NASCAR, IndyCar and ALMS stars A.J. Allmendinger, Jimmy Vasser, Bryan Herta, Josef Newgarden, Charlie Kimball, J.R. Hildebrand, Joey Hand, and Bryan Sellers.
The Team USA scholarship was created in 1990 by racing journalist and broadcaster Jeremy Shaw when he saw that talented American drivers had a hard time finding financing to advance their careers.
After concluding the 2012 Lites season, Team USA will send Nunez to England to compete in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch on October 27-28 and the following weekend’s Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on November 3-4. This will expose the teenager to European and international racing teams, opening the door to future employment.
“Being selected for the Team USA scholarship is a huge honor and a dream come true,” Nunez said in a press statement. “I’m excited for all I’m going to learn while in England for this opportunity. I’m really grateful for this and I have to thank Jeremy Shaw and everyone involved in the Team USA Scholarship process for selecting me to represent this year.”
Nunez was among eight finalists who were tested in a two-day shootout in simulators and on track, where his ability earned him the scholarship.
Triumphant Rookie Season
