Driver: Neil Alberico
Number: 22, Carlin
Age: 24
Hometown: San Clemente California
When did you start racing? 10 years old
What is the most stand-out race you’ve been in? Freedom 100
What is your greatest achievement? Winning 11 of 20 races in the 2012 USF2000 championship for Cape Motorsports.
What is your pre-race ritual? Prayer. Have fun.
Who has influenced your career the most excluding family? Joey Hand. He taught me a lot of what I know today from my karting days. I always looked up to him as more than just a driver coach.
Which Canadian racer do you idolize the most? Greg Moore. I read a biography of him in elementary school and did a book report on it. Turned me into a young fan of his and I wish I could've raced against him today.
What is your favourite memory from Honda Indy Toronto? Qualifying pole and winning here in USF2000 back in 2012 with Cape Motorsports.
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers? Never give up. Have faith in your talents.
Do you have a pump-up playlist? Can you give us five songs that are on that list? Black Angels, Entrance song. Black Sabbath, into the void. Rage against the machine, gorilla radio. Metallica, sad but true. Black Angels, young men dead.
Driver: Nicolas Dapero
Number: 31
Age: 19
Hometown: Hollywood, Fl
When did you start racing?: I started racing in 2011 when I was 12 years old. I started racing go karts till 2014 included and then i moved up to open wheel cars.
What is the most stand-out race you’ve been in?: One of my best memories so far was back in 2015 when i raced F3 in Brasil, in Race 1 a competitor crashed me and for Race 2 i started last and i had so much fun and passed so many cars i was able to finished 3rd.
What is your greatest achievement?: I believe that my greatest achievement besides races or championships is the way I developed to work in a whole season, I mean, I never race a series of open wheels in a row for two years to fight for a championship but im able to start the season and the first few races it may be tough but by the half of the season im already fighting for the front rows. Basically the way i adapt to new cars, tracks and series.
What is your pre-race ritual?: Once I am seated on the car i close my eyes, breath and say a couple of things to myself, to motivate and relax at the same time.
Who has influenced your career the most excluding family?: When I started racing open wheel cars i met a Driver whose name is Marcelo La Manna, is from my country, Argentina, and we started working together and since then he has been my driver coach and kind of my big brother.
Which Canadian racer do you idolize the most? To be honest y do not have any type of idols. I just try to look at the greatest drivers and learn from them. For example the way they train, the approach they have for a race weekend etc.
What is your favourite memory from Honda Indy Toronto?: I just raced there one time and it was my first time on the track. It was a tough weekend but I learnt a lot throughout the race.
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers? Its a tough sport due to the high budgets the teams and the cars have but nothing is impossible and you can always find a way t0 start racing.
Do you have a pump-up playlist? Can you give us five songs that are on that list?: I have a great playlist but its in Spanish but i also hear some great English songs.
Driver: Robert Megennis
Number: 80
Age: 17
Hometown: New York, NY
When did you start racing?
I started racing in 2008. My dad had a birthday party at a go kart track in England. I loved it, and it all took off from there.
What is your favorite memory from Honda Indy Toronto?
My charge through the field from last to fifth last year in USF2000 would have to be my most memorable moment. It was one of the best races of my life and definitely one of the most fun.
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers?
Make sure you have fun! Lots of drivers forget to. That's why we're here driving!
Do you have a pump-up playlist? Can you give us five songs that are on that list?
Definitely! It varies but always includes Lean On by Major Lazer. Every time I do well on track, I've heard that song.
Driver: Dalton Kellett
Number: No. 28 K-Line Insulators USA Mazda
Age: 23
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
When did you start racing? 14, in Go Karts
What is the most stand-out race you’ve been in? The original street-course variation of Petit Monaco at Three Rivers, Quebec, Canada
What is your greatest achievement? Completing my B.Sc. in Engineering from Queen’s University in 2015
What is your pre-race ritual? I warm up – stretching. I also get in the car from the right side.
Who has influenced your career the most excluding family? The Go Kart crew I started working with when I started racing.
Which Canadian racer do you idolize the most? Gilles Villeneuve
What is your favourite memory from Honda Indy Toronto? Every year, I get the chance to race in front of friends and family, my home-crowd.
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers? Don’t forget about school and academics, keep with that as long as you can. It will help you be more well-rounded as a driver.
Driver: Colton Herta
Number: No. 98 Deltro Energy Mazda for Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing
Age: 17
Hometown: Valencia, California
When did you start racing? Started racing motorcycles at four, starting go karting at five
What is the most stand-out race you’ve been in? The Freedom 100 this year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway or The Masters of Formula 3
What is your greatest achievement? Winning multiple national karting championships, and having multiple wins in different Formulas across the world
What is your pre-race ritual? I always wear American flag socks on race days.
Who has influenced your career the most excluding family? Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan, who I looked up to when I was younger
Which Canadian racer do you idolize the most? Greg Moore
What is your favourite memory from Honda Indy Toronto? The rain race, Race 1, in 2014 USF 2000
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers? Keep your head up, because you’ll have a lot more bad days than good days, but never give up.
Do you have a pump-up playlist? Can you give us five songs that are on that list? It’s not really a pump-up playlist before I get in the car, but I listen to rap quite a bit.
Driver: Ryan Norman
Number: No. 48 Flip Side Mazda
Age: 19
Hometown: Aurora, Ohio
When did you start racing? I started riding motocross when I was four, started racing at eight years old, and started racing cars after attending Skip Barber Racing School at 15.
What is the most stand-out race you’ve been in? Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Race 2, when I came through the field after getting shuffled to the back during the race to finish 7th.
What is your greatest achievement? Winning the National Championship in Formula Atlantic
What is your pre-race ritual? Listen to music to pump me up before I get into the car.
Who has influenced your career the most excluding family? My first driving coach, Franklin Futrelle.
Which Canadian racer do you idolize the most? James Hinchcliffe
What is your favourite memory from Honda Indy Toronto? I’ve not been to the race before, but it looks mega cool racing on the streets of Toronto.
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers? Work hard. There is a lot of downs in racing, but the highs outweigh the lows, so keep pushing and keep your head up. Never give up.
Do you have a pump-up playlist? Can you give us five songs that are on that list? Yes.
- · Kendrick Lamar, Migos, The Chainsmokers, Calvin Harris, Imagine Dragons
Driver: Nico Jamin
Number: No. 27 Synova Mazda
Age: 21
Hometown: Rouen, France
When did you start racing? 14, in Go Karts
What is the most stand-out race you’ve been in? Winning the Grand Prix of Indianapolis this year in Indy Lights
What is your greatest achievement? Winning the championship in USF2000, 2015
What is your pre-race ritual? I always get in the car on the left side before a race.
Who has influenced your career the most excluding family? Jobo Scheier. He was my first driving coach, and someone who has taught me a lot about driving.
Which Canadian racer do you idolize the most? My teammate, Dalton Kellett.
What is your favourite memory from Honda Indy Toronto? Winning the USF2000 race in the rain in Toronto.
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers? Believe in your dream, and work hard.
Do you have a pump-up playlist? Can you give us five songs that are on that list? No, I don’t have one.
USF2000 Driver: Calvin Ming
Number: 22
Age: 20
Hometown: Georgetown, Guyana, South America
When did you start racing? I started driving karts at the age of 6. I lived in a cul-de- sac and every day I used to take my kid kart out and drive it up and down the street and in and out of the cones my dad had set up. I did this until a local racetrack was opened in my town where I could actually race karts. I did not start competing in races until I was 13 years old. By the age of 16 I had won 2 national shifter karting championships in my country.
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers? To always stay focused and to never give up. Many days things may not go your way as some incidents may be unavoidable. Always keep pushing and learn from your mistakes. In addition, be willing to listen to what others have to say, good communication and networking are important. Also always surround yourself with a great team, friends and family. If you do these things I think you can achieve any goal in life.
Do you have a pump-up playlist? Can you give us five songs that are on that list? Yes I do have a pump up playlist I listen to before every race to help me focus.
Lose Yourself- Eminem
Superheroes - The Script
Heroes Tonight - Janji
Centuries- Fall Out Boy
Panda- Desiigner
USF2000 Driver: Chandler Horton
Number: 20
Age: 19
Hometown: Zionsville, IN
When did you start racing: I started racing dirt track (dirt oval for dirt bikes) at age 5
Which Canadian racer do I idolize the most: Hands down Greg Moore
What advice do you have for aspiring race car drivers: Learn as much as you can (business side/on track), work your butt off, see where that takes you and never give up.
