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Young
American Impressive at Red Bull Driver Search
Casey with
Danny Sullivan after being chose for Semi-Finals in Portugal
Red Bull
Gmbh,
the energy drink maker and inventor of the Red Bull F1 Driver
Search Programme in the US may be getting what they have paid so
much for. With the Red Bull Driver Search Semi-Final round being
held in Sebring, FL this past week, a young US driver has given
Red Bull Racing a another reason to smile. The Lad did a clean
sweep, winning every race on the schedule of events. He not only
swept the days races but set the fastest twenty seven laps
before another drivers name came up.
A Red Bull Driver Search principle in the US said “where has
this kid been, where has he been racing, hell where’s he from?”
Well after looking into last years results he was there, with
Red Bull Racing all along. Casey Neal was the only participant
in the 2004 Driver Search Semi-Final with no car racing
experience; he ended up sixth fastest in the final race. After
doing a bit more research we found that he had basically been
overlooked for some kids with better known names that ended up
not making it. Now here he is back again. He also commented “We
obviously dropped the cookie on this one.”
When asked about Neal’s performance, Herrmann Mertes of F1
Racing Network stated “We have scouted every Red Bull Driver
Search Driver that’s come to this side of the pond. I spoke just
this morning with some friends in Florida about this year’s
Semi-Finalists. They told me the young American was very fast,
confidant and possesses a very aggressive, intimidating style of
racing. US drivers lack this racing trait or ability when they
come to Europe. It is something that can’t be taught, it has to
be natural - Hence they don’t make the grade over here. The
young Red Bull driver hails a stones throw from Nicky Hayden of
Moto GP fame - maybe there is something in the water from that
area.”
Mertes also said “It seems Red Bulls advantage in not having to
deal with paid drivers is paying off handsomely as well. They
actually get to choose their drivers based on talent and ability
not someone’s sponsor list. Their 2002 driver search winner
Scott Speed is slated to be driving the 1st Minardi
next year with Neel Jani driving the 2nd car. Red Bull has been
very happy with Speed, they just exercised their contract option
on him for the 2006 racing season. It was rumored around that
Williams was interested in him as well. Now maybe, the Red Bull
team will have another driver in the youngster Neal to join the
Junior Racing Team, which can compete with the Europeans, we’ll
see in Estoril next month”.
Press
Release
17/9/2005
Individual Performance Research
Ian Hutchinson
n_htchnsn@yahoo.ie
More Red
Bull Driver Search Semi-Final Images
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