Jack Mitchell

Hi everyone! My name is Jack Mitchell Jr. I am 16 years old and I currently live in Chicago, Illinois. I go to a Catholic school just outside the city called Fenwick High School where I am an honor roll student and a soccer player. I have a younger brother named Sean, and when I am not racing I enjoy working out, playing iRacing and spending time with my friends.

I have a pretty unique story of how I got into racing. Growing up I always had an interest for racing, but no one in my family had a racing background and I didn’t start out racing outdoor go-karts like many other drivers did. I always loved watching INDYCAR and Formula One on TV, but the person who got me into the sport is my Dad. He started racing for fun when I was about 13 years old, and right after my 14th birthday at one of his race weekends, I was allowed to drive a Skip Barber car at Road America to see if I liked it. I did not even know how to drive a standard transmission so the mechanics had to push me out of the pits! By the end of the session I was keeping up with the instructors and I knew I had a knack for racing.

I then did half a year of indoor karting and began competing in the Skip Barber Race Series. I won the “Most Improved Driver” award, and moved onto the Ontario Formula 1600 Series (OFFC) this year. I was also fortunate enough to compete in the Skip Barber Summer Series – equivalent to the old National series – where I finished overall point leader and second overall after the dropped scorers had been taken into account. I learned a lot about how much consistency counts and I had 18 podiums in 20 races. I earned third overall and was Rookie of the Year in the OFFC, and left with valuable racing knowledge that I am sure will carry over to England.

When I got the call that I was selected for this year’s Team USA scholarship I was speechless. I really could not find the words to describe how grateful I was to Jeremy and everyone who supports the program and I was so humbled to be put on such a prestigious list of drivers. I am so happy that Tristan was selected, too. I have known him for a while and we get along extremely well. I am sure that we will make great teammates!

My long-term goal is to climb the Mazda Road to Indy ladder all the way to the IZOD IndyCar Series. I will do everything I can to make that happen because racing is what I love to do. My goal for England is to put the United States on top, and learn as much as I can on and off the track.

Thanks so much for all of your support and kind messages! I will make sure to keep you updated!

Photo: Michael C Brown