Freshman driver to make Mazda Road to Indy debut with veteran team
CHICAGO, IL (January 25, 2018) Newman Wachs Racing is pleased to announce its third driver for the 2018 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, confirming Cincinnati, Ohio’s David Osborne. The 21-year-old has been hard at work developing his skills and racecraft in the F1600 series, before testing with NWR last October at the Chris Griffis Memorial test. Osborne will now join Newman Wachs Racing’s two previously-confirmed drivers – Darren Keane and Oscar Deluzuriaga.
“David tested with us in October at Indy and I was impressed by the way he went about everything and with the speed that he produced by the end of the day,” said Brian Halahan, NWR Team Manager. “Since then, we have had a chance to do two more test days and we’ve learned more of what he likes in the car and we have high expectations for him. We are really excited to have David as a part of the team.”
Osborne got his start in racing in 2013 by competing the Skip Barber IndyCar Academy Shootout, and despite only had driven a race car twice before, he came out of the box quickly, placing fifth out of 30 drivers. He then moved on to compete for two years in karting, running for the Trinity Karting Group in the TaG Sr. class, where he earned many pole positions and podiums while finishing third in the KRA championship at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana. David’s hunger for cars remained, so in 2017 he ran in the F1600 series with Team Pelfrey, finishing fifth in the championship. He scored his first race car victory at Mid-Ohio in July. In October, David ran with Newman Wachs Racing on the second day of the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“The opportunity to partner with Newman Wachs Racing for the 2018 USF2000 championship is truly exciting for me,” Osborne enthused. “NWR has all the qualities of a team that is poised to compete for the championship title this year and I am pleased to be a part of their program. Through initial phases of pre-season testing, the team and I have begun to really synergize, and I look forward to carrying this momentum into St. Petersburg.”
The team has been hard at work testing since the Chris Griffis Memorial Test in October, and will continue through to the series’ testing deadline as they prepare for the season opener in St. Petersburg on March 9-11. With Darren Keane, Oscar DeLuzuriaga and David Osborne now officially confirmed for the 2018 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, the team is looking at options for their fourth and final seat.
NEWMAN WACHS RACING – SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
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About Newman Wachs Racing:
Newman Wachs Racing was formed in 2005 by late actor and IndyCar team owner Paul Newman and long-time racing friend Eddie Wachs to aid the development of young drivers in Champ Car’s Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. Among the drivers to go through the NWR program were JR Hildebrand, John Edwards and Simona de Silvestro. After a seven-year hiatus, Newman Wachs Racing has returned to racing, competing in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda on the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.
