Local Racer Shows his Speed and Perseverance
Nothing says more about Darrick Antell’s heart and
determination as a racing driver than his third consecutive visit to the 
As in previous years, the Shootout took place at Sebring International Raceway in Florida, and saw dozens of America’s most talented and competitive go-kart racers battle for the top prize, a fully-funded drive in the school’s national championship series for 2010. While Antell was not among the winners this year, he has big plans for his future career and knows that perseverance is essential in motor racing.
“The Skip Barber National is the first big step in many young drivers’ careers,” says Antell. “I would be thrilled to have the chance to participate in it eventually, because it offers so much exposure and opportunity to an aspiring professional like myself.” The National is a fully arrive-and-drive race series in open-wheel formula cars, which are a great learning platform for aspiring professional racecar drivers. The seven race weekends are held at famous racetracks all over the country including Sebring, Laguna Seca in California, Road America in Wisconsin, and Lime Rock in Connecticut.
At the Karting Shootout, Antell proved to be one of the strongest candidates by demonstrating not only his skill behind the wheel, but also his interviewing and marketing savvy, and his engineering background at Cornell University. One crucial part of the Shootout involved interviewing on-camera with Bob Varsha, the television commentator for Formula One racing and Speed Channel, which was Antell’s shining moment of the weekend. “There is so much more to being a racing driver these days than people realize,” Antell commented. “Driving the car, believe it or not, is probably secondary in its importance to being a spokesperson and representative for corporate sponsors, and also working well with the media.” Hoping to someday race internationally, Antell also stresses the importance of representing his country.
Antell has also had some recent success finding sponsors to continue supporting his racing career, most notably Jax Coffee House/Aroma Promotions, based in Paso Robles, CA. Antell described how he was contacted directly by the company president, Jack Erhart, who was interested in creating a motorsports-themed line of coffee products. “Jax Coffee House has really helped me tremendously because they not only provide me with refreshing and stimulating coffee before races, but they also have products to help promote my team and other business partners.” Antell believes that any business or individual could benefit from using coffee as a promotional tool, as his new partner has done.
Antell wishes good luck to this year’s Karting Scholarship Shootout winners, and hopes his sponsorship success will allow him to compete with them in the 2010 Skip Barber National. The season kicks off in March alongside the famous Sebring 12 Hour endurance race, and until then Antell and his competitors will be training both physically and mentally.
August 20th, 2009
Formula BMW Americas Discontinued for 2010
After BMW's announcement that they will withdraw from Formula One, word has quickly spread that Formula BMW Americas will be dropped for 2010. Formula BMW will continue to run their Pacific and European series, which have consistently had large and competitive fields.
With this news, Antell Motorsports will now shift focus from Formula BMW to other open-wheel series such as the Atlantic Championship and the Skip Barber National. Competition in these two championships is expected to be fierce in 2010, and the withdrawal of FBMW will further solidify their standing as some of the best developmental series in the United States.
June 25th, 2009
Antell Motorsports Now Offers Marketing in Jetta TDI Cup
Team driver Darrick Antell announced today his interest in pursuing a drive in the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup, sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association.
Sponsors will be offered several new marketing options in conjunction with the Jetta TDI Cup, including exposure on the series’ webcast “Racing Under Green,” and promotions in print and magazines.
“I have recently become very interested in this series,” Antell said, “because it looks fiercely competitive and involves many of my most passionate colleagues. I also like how drivers with relatively little experience and budget still have a shot at entering.” The series will cost approximately $45,000 per driver entry, however the winner will receive a scholarship worth $50,000 at the end of the year to use toward their future racing ambitions. “Plus, the Jetta is a car that I am confident I can drive quickly, and there is a lot of valuable media exposure” Antell adds.
While Antell has not yet begun pursuing entry into the Jetta TDI Cup, he is strongly considering it as a complement to Formula BMW, provided enough sponsorship support.
For more information on the Jetta TDI Cup, please visit http://www.volkswagenjettacup.com/ or watch 2009's "Racing Under Green" featured on YouTube.
April 10th, 2009
Darrick Featured in Connecticut Newspaper Article!
Darrick was recently featured in the business section of The Greenwich Time and Stamford Advocate newspapers, in an article which explains the process of racing sponsorship. As part of Antell Motorsports' ongoing search for marketing partners, the article explained many of the benefits of sponsoring a race team, and Darrick hopes it will be a generate some good exposure for his team.
"I have big plans for this season," says Darrick, "and I want everyone to know. Even though we are in a tough economy right now, people will still go to the races, and companies will still need to spend money on marketing."
Read the full article here: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/norwalkadvocate/business/ci_12111076
February 1st, 2009
Approached by Professional Race Team, Darrick Sets Sights on Formula BMW
Not long after the Skip Barber Shootout at Sebring, Darrick is already hard at work planning his racing schedule for 2009, which now includes a possible race or two in Formula BMW Americas.Darrick recieved a call from team owner Eric Jensen of Jensen Motorsport, who is interested in fielding a car for Darrick in select races of the 2009 Formula BMW championship. After bringing Darrick to a a test session in Savannah Georgia, the renowned Mazda Atlantic and Formula BMW team owner had many great things to say: "I see a lot of potential in Darrick Antell, and it is obvious he can drive well. With a little more testing and sponsorship support, he could likely go straight into Atlantic racing this summer."
Darrick is particularly interested in competing in two major events this summer: one on June 14th at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and at the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock on July 18th. "Both of these races, especially the one at Lime Rock are highly-marketable events," says Jensen. "If Darrick is persistent at pitching to small companies in the Greenwich, CT area, he could potentially raise enough sponsorship to compete."
Jensen Motorsport - Driver Development and Coporate Hospitality: www.JensenMotorsport.com
Darrick's 19th Birthday!
Darrick Attends Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shootout in Sebring, Florida
On December 27-29, Darrick competed in the Skip Barber Racing School's annual Karting Scholarship Shootout. Darrick was one of 50 young racers invited to the event, which was held at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. The winners of the Shootout were Sage Karam, Dennis Trebing, Nick Andries, and Court Vernon, who were awarded financial support to race in Skip Barber's national series for 2009.
Darrick's improvement since last year's Shootout was immediately evident. He commented, "This last year, I have become so much more confident as a driver, both on and off the track. When I first came to Sebring, I was very intimidated by the track, particularly turns 1 and 17, but now I feel very fast in those sections."
Darrick's lap times were overall very competitive and greatly improved over last year, however the rest of the competition was stronger than ever. One of the scholarship winners, Sage Karam, whom Darrick has known for years, is currently only 13 years old but constantly was at the top of the time charts. "Drivers are simply much faster now than they have ever been," Darrick says. "The sport is becoming tougher and more competitive every year."
Look for photos from the competition soon, and don't forget to check out Darrick's interview with Formula One commentator, Bob Varsha, on the photos page!
December 2nd, 2008
Darrick Antell Awarded Scholarship From Acacia Fraternity
The Acacia Fraternity at Cornell University recently awarded several merit-based scholarships valued between $500 and $1000 to first-year students, one of whom was Darrick Antell. Members of the fraternity chose the recipients based on their history and interest in community service and goodwill, leadership abilities, and overall character. Darrick was honored to be one of the recipients of the scholarship and hopes to represent the fraternity's values well, and also continue to be a positive role-model for his peers.
September 1st, 2008
Darrick Begins Work at Cornell and Joins Racecar Design Team
Cornell University's fall semester is now underway, and Darrick has driven flat-out into the world of automotive engineering. Darrick recently joined Cornell's Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) racing team, a group of over 50 students who design and build a small open-wheel racecar each year to compete in the annual FSAE championship in Michigan. The design process is currently in full swing, and Cornell's team plans to have the 2009 car completed by lat
e January. Darrick hopes that being a member of FSAE will give him "valuable hands-on design experience, and an overall better understanding of how racecars work. Ultimately, I hope the knowledge will allow me to drive my car to its full potential on the track, and also learn about testing and team-dynamics." For the 2009 car, Darrick will be designing and manufacturing parts for the suspension and fuel system, and will also be a part of the Business "subteam" which handles the team's sponsorship and marketing. Look out for Cornell this spring when they aim to win their 10th national FSAE championship!August 3rd, 2008
First Skip Barber Race Weekend in Mont Tremblant
Last week Darrick traveled to Canada to participate in the Skip Barber Regional race at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. While his finishing results in the two races were less than ideal (13th and 16th), Darrick proved that he has the speed to race competitively at the regional level.Darrick spent Wednesday and Thursday lapping in order to learn the track, which he had never visited before. Darrick commented, "Tremblant was probably the most challenging and technical track I have ever driven. It takes tons of confidence to drive quickly, but I was able to get up to speed with no problems."
In qualifying, Darrick surprised everyone by securing the 4th spot on the grid with an excellent time of 1:52.8.
In race #1, Darrick easily kept pace with the fiercely competitive lead pack, finishing 8th, but was penalized for car contact. In race #2 the track was soaked by heavy rain, in which Darrick proved even stronger. He sliced through the field, moving from 13th up to 4th position in the first six laps, and set the fastest lap of the race. An unfortunate collision with another car then forced him to retire.
Darrick looks forward to racing again soon, and knows that he will be very competitive in the future.
July 11th, 2008:
Darrick Wins First Car Race at Bertil Roos Racing School
Darrick visited Pocono Raceway this week for a two-day Advanced Road Racing School with the Bertil Roos Racing School. While inherently different from Skip Barber, this school used similar open-wheel racecars and provided excellent instruction and seat time. On the second day of this school, students were allowed to run two 8-lap races on Pocono's North Course. Darrick drove to a decisive victory in both of these races, which were his first ever races in a full-size car. Dennis Macchio, president of the Bertil Roos Racing School, commented "Darrick displayed some excellent race craft today, and I wish him good luck in the future of his racing career." Overall, Darrick made huge improvements during his two days at Pocono and impressed many of his instructors. Even more impressive was his ability to quickly adapt to a new car, and a new track within just a few hours. Darrick's best lap of the week: 1:06.73
June 10th, 2008:
Darrick Attends Skip Barber Car Control Clinic at Lime Rock
Darrick Antell decided to brush up on his car control skills this Wednesday afternoon at Lime Rock Park's autocross track and skidpad. Darrick commented on the half-day program: "It was one of the best experiences I have ever had with Skip Barber. The program was very safe and effective, and allowed me to truly explore the car's limits, and my own limits." Despite the intense heat on Wednesday (up to 98 degrees at times), Darrick still greatly enjoyed the day and found it to be a very valuable experience. The program began at 12:00 noon with a brief classroom discussion of vehicle dynamics. Students then began driving Mazda RX-8's on the skidpad, in order to practice recovering from skids, and then to attempt a sustained power slide. The rest of the day consisted of open lapping and instruction in Skip Barber's formula cars on the autocross course. By the end of the day, Darrick felt very comfortable sliding his racecar in the turns, and was easily the quickest driver of the day.