Yahoo Autos Thomas Schrage: Racing resilience
This season has been a rollercoaster ride in many aspects, but today I want to share some highlights of my 2024 campaign in the USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire championship.
After rounding out 2023 on a strong note by capturing a fourth-place finish at the championship finale at Portland, Michael Duncalfe and the Exclusive Autosport team agreed to work with me on a limited budget with the intent to run as many races as possible in this year’s championship.
We experienced some ups and downs in the first few rounds, but the highlights included a strong drive from 17th on the grid to sixth in my first-ever street course event in St. Petersburg, solid top-10 pace at NOLA Motorsports Park and missing the pole position at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course by just 0.08s.
The optimism was still there, but the funding to continue was not, so we reluctantly skipped the next two events to evaluate and hopefully recharge for our hometown event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It was a strategic decision, albeit a tough one, to ensure we were fully prepared for my most anticipated event of the season.
During my downtime, I had the opportunity to rejoin Rice Race Prep, my former championship team, to compete in the Formula Race Promotions F1600 event at Mid-Ohio. The weekend couldn’t have gone any better – we achieved a clean sweep, winning all three races.
Reflecting on this race weekend is bittersweet as it was my last race weekend with team owner Greg Rice who we just recently lost. He was a fine man and a great mentor to me. Greg was a winner in every sense of the word and a perfectionist in preparing top-notch cars. His passion for the sport extended beyond victories; he was dedicated to nurturing young talents like Simon Sikes and myself, helping us carve out our paths in the racing world. Greg’s legacy lives on through every lap we complete as we wouldn’t be where we are now without him.
Gavin Baker Photography
In late June, the opportunity arose to join VRD Racing, a top team in the USF Pro Championships paddock, for Mid-Ohio; I couldn’t turn it down.
There was an abundance of optimism as the weekend began, and while the weather proved challenging, we emerged fastest on the test day – a clear indicator of the pace we could carry through the event. The competition was tough, but I was happy to be one of only three drivers to qualify among the top five for all three races.
Our performances in races one and two didn’t align with our evident pace, but there were moments worth celebrating. The fastest lap in race two secured us the pole position for race three, igniting hopes for a strong finish.
It was a tremendous race, a true spectacle for fans, and despite sustaining slight front wing damage, I managed to finish a close second behind my teammate, who was able to strengthen his bid for the championship crown. Finishing the weekend on the podium was immensely satisfying and a testimony to the team’s resilience and hard work. I really felt like this was the start of a new chapter in my racing career.
Even after the encouraging results at Mid-Ohio, budget constraints seemed to dim the chances of racing on the streets of Toronto two weeks later, but fate had other plans. On Tuesday of the event, Dan Mitchell, the team owner of VRD Racing, reached out with an offer too good to refuse. Thanks to his support and the unwavering encouragement from Jeremy Shaw and the Team USA Scholarship, another chapter of the season began to unfold. Jeremy has been a beacon of support throughout my career, and his assistance was pivotal in making this experience a reality.
Gavin Baker Photography
An impromptu eight-hour drive from Ohio brought me to Toronto in time for the track walk with the VRD Racing team. Toronto’s iconic street course, with all its character and challenges was an entirely new experience for me. The bumps, relentless and unavoidable, added a layer of complexity.
Despite the formidable challenges, our true pace consistently matched some of the best, and although the results didn’t reflect this, it validated me focusing on turning laps and gaining experience. I can’t wait to go back to Toronto in the future and build on what I know now.
As I look back on this season, it’s clear that we’ve navigated through highs and lows, each phase etched with lessons and achievements. From the strategic decision to skip two events, the exhilarating podium finish at Mid-Ohio, to the spontaneous and memorable race in Toronto made possible by key supporters, it’s been a season of growth and grit.
I want to take a moment to appreciate the awesome backing from my key supporters and sponsors, Airport Electric Service, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati and the Team USA Scholarship who have continued to push through each event as well as help me progress throughout my career.
I am pushing towards the season finale in Portland, so make sure to keep an eye out for more exciting updates as I continue my journey!
Until next time,
Thomas
About Team USA Scholarship:
The program has been providing opportunities for talented American race car drivers at an early stage in their careers since 1990. Supporters include AERO Sustainable Paint Technology, Doug Mockett & Company, the Road Racing Drivers Club and SAFEisFAST.com, Chip Ganassi Racing, The Stellrecht Company, Chris Locke, Josef Newgarden Racing, CoForce, Polecat Training Academy, PrattMiller, Dyson Racing, PitFit Training, RaceCraft1, Sparco USA, Speedstar Management and Styled Aesthetic. Previous scholarship winners include Jimmy Vasser, Bryan Herta, Jerry Nadeau, Buddy Rice, Andy Lally, Phil Giebler, A.J. Allmendinger, J.R. Hildebrand, Dane Cameron, Josef Newgarden, Conor Daly, Connor De Phillippi, Spencer Pigot, Trent Hindman, Tristan Nunez, Oliver Askew and Kyle Kirkwood.
For more information, please visit www.TeamUSAScholarship.org or find us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
