Team USA Scholarship Winners Reconvene in Long Beach

Apr 14, 2007
Long Beach, Calif. – The 33rd annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach produced its usual quota of racing excitement and perfect weather conditions, and was witnessed by one of the largest crowds in the event’s storied history.

As one of the premier auto racing attractions in North America, it was hardly surprising to see a selection of Team USA Scholarship alumni plying their trade. On Saturday afternoon, immediately after final Champ Car qualifying and before the American Le Mans Series race, five of them found the time to meet up for a quick chat and photo-shoot.

“This is such a great program,” declared Herta, who is now a director of the Team USA Scholarship and, like Vasser, has continued to make financial contributions to the Scholarship for many years. “It was fun to catch up with the other guys for a few minutes and compare notes about how our careers have been helped by the Team USA Scholarship.”

Top row, left to right: Doug Mockett, vintage Formula 1 racer and primary Team USA Scholarship supporter through Doug Mockett & Company, a Torrance, Calif.-based producer and supplier of “fine Architectural hardware for your fine furniture”; Bryan Herta, 1991 Team USA Scholarship winner and driver of Andretti Green Racing’s #26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01a in the LMP2 class of the American Le Mans Series; Jimmy Vasser, 1990 Team USA Scholarship winner and co-owner of the PKV Racing Champ Car team which saw driver Tristan Gommendy lead several laps during the following day’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach; and Jeremy Shaw, Team USA Scholarship founder, lead announcer for the international television coverage of the Champ Car World Series and pit reporter for ALMS Radio.

Bottom row, left to right: Bryan Sellers, 2001 Team USA Scholarship winner (along with A.J. Allmendinger) and current driver coach/third driver for the #22 Panoz Team PTG entry in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series; J.R. Hildebrand, 2005 Team USA Scholarship winner and driver of the #36 Newman Wachs Racing Swift 016.a in the Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda; and Joey Hand, 2000 Team USA Scholarship winner and driver of the #21 Panoz Team PTG entry in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series.

Thanks to Dan. R. Boyd for the photo.