2008 Team U.S.A. Scholarship Winners
Conor Daly
Aged 16 (born December 15, 1991), lives Noblesville, Ind. Conor is a second-generation racer following in the footsteps of father Derek who competed in Formula 1 and Indy Cars for well over a decade and won the Sebring 12 Hours sports car race on two occasions. Mom Beth also won a Novice Jet Ski World Championship. The younger Daly began racing karts at age 10 and drove a race car for the first time in October 2006 when he attended the Bertil Roos Three-Day School in Moroso Park, Fla. After numerous successes in karting, Conor won three Skip Barber Regional races in 2007, including his debut event. He concentrated on the BFGoodrich Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda Series in 2008 and currently leads the series by five points – over Josef Newgarden! – heading into the final two races. The high school student also has won seven of 10 races in the Ontario Formula Ford 1600 Championship, driving for Brian Graham Racing, and claimed a pair of second-place finishes on his debut in the F2000 Championship Series at Mosport.
Josef Newgarden
Aged 17 (born December 22, 1990), lives Hendersonville, Tenn. Josef has combined his curriculum as a senior in the University of Miami Online High School with an increasingly successful racing career. The self-styled “Racer of Tomorrow” began competing in karts at the age of 13 at the New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana. He made the move into cars in 2007, finishing second in the Skip Barber Racing School Southern Series and winning Rookie of the Year honors. Josef also contested the Skip Barber National Series, claiming three poles, two race wins and finishing sixth in points. He has continued to build upon that success in 2008, securing a remarkable eight poles from 12 races and winning twice. He currently trails good friend Conor Daly by just five points with two races remaining. Newgarden also has attempted to broaden his experience by competing in IMSA Lites, NASA and the Ontario Formula Ford 1600 Championship.
