So Many New Experiences

Hello readers, let me start out by saying that I am very happy to share with you the new experiences I have had in the last couple months, it has been a blast! The selection process for the Team USA Scholarship has been a great experience. I have learned a lot of new things along the way; each stage of selection provided lessons on the different aspects of racing. Mr. Jeremy Shaw has really put together a program where he and the judges take a close look at how a driver handles each aspect of a professional racing career.

Starting at Mid-Ohio for the first stage of selection, all eight candidates were put on the hot seat for an interview about career achievements, future goals, and how you would handle yourself in different situations on and off the track. I enjoyed the interview, I thought it went quite well; the whole experience at Mid-Ohio was great for me. After we had finished the first stage of selection, I was hoping and praying that I would make it to the second and final stage of selection.

About a week after Mid-Ohio I got an email from Jeremy saying that he would like for me to come along to the final stage of selection at Andersen RacePark in Palmetto, Florida. I was ecstatic! Just to have been selected as a finalist made me very happy, as I know that is an achievement by itself.  I was given a schedule of events, and told that the driving test would be in one of Jay Green’s USF2000 cars. It would be the first time I have driven a USF2000 car; I was very excited to feel the difference in power and handling between the USF2000 car and more familiar to me F1600 car. I prepared myself as best as I could for the Andersen Race Park track, looking at track maps and watching onboard video.

Before I knew it, I was landing in Florida, to some typical Florida humidity. We immediately got to it, taking a tour of the Team Pelfrey race shop. It was cool to see the Pro Mazda cars up close, and have a chat with some members of the team. We then went straight from the Pelfrey shop to Andersen RacePark to get everybody fitted in the USF2000 car. After we all got fitted, we all went through an intense physical fitness test, comprised of running and some other exercises, which surely gave everybody a good workout! The next day, the driving sessions took place. We all took our turn driving in different situations on track, and I think we all enjoyed it. The final experience of the Florida trip was a seminar with Dr. Jacques Dallaire, of Performance Prime, which gave all of us candidates a lot of insight to the mental side of professional racing. I really enjoyed the seminar, as it taught me many mental tools that I will use in the future to perform better than ever.

Through both stages of selection I discovered many things about myself, and I feel more confident going into the future events of my career. I am very excited to go to England and represent the USA. I will try harder than ever, as I am very focused on delivering a positive image for Team USA. Maybe I will have a little bit more to offer than in the past, due to things I have learned about myself during the two-stage selection process.  I look forward to keeping everybody updated through my blog during the coming weeks and during my stay in England. Thank you for reading!

Sincerely, Joey Bickers