Alberico Named as 2011 Team USA Scholarship Winner
Over the past several months Alberico has increasingly made a name for himself as a rising talent in motorsports. Only one year removed from karting full-time, the Californian is now living in England and racing in the highly competitive MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain. Going head-to-head against some of the top young talent from not only England, but throughout Europe, Alberico has impressed onlookers with his skill – scoring two top-fives and 11 top-10s – and poise in and out of the car. Not surprisingly, this caught the attention of Team USA Scholarship founder Jeremy Shaw.
Alberico as a result earned a second consecutive nomination – having been nominated in 2010 following a championship-winning campaign in the Bondurant Championship Race Series as a car racing rookie – for the prestigious driver development scholarship. The talented 18 year-old subsequently was selected as one of seven drivers to take part in driver’s shootout at Andersen RacePark in Florida. Making the most of the opportunity, Alberico showcased his ever-increasing skill behind the wheel during the test, ultimately earning one of the three Team USA Scholarships.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be named as a Team USA Scholarship winner," said Alberico. “The fact that I did not win a Scholarship last year was my true motivation to work harder than ever to make it through the elimination process for this year’s team. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity, and I expect to gain priceless knowledge that will surely stick with me for the rest of my career."
As a Team USA driver, Alberico will compete in the 40th annual Formula Ford Festival at the Brands Hatch Circuit on October 15-16, and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on November 5-6. The American will have the added benefit of reuniting with Irish-based Cliff Dempsey Racing during the two events, as Alberico currently races for the former Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy winner in the British Formula Ford Championship.
Prior to contesting the two highly-regarded events under the Team USA banner, Alberico will complete his 2011 MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain campaign. The up-and-coming racer returns to his Lohmann Tapes/Sparco USA/Kartel Motorsports/Murray Motorsport/Ray RaceCar/Cliff Dempsey Racing-backed Ray GR11 chassis at the Donington Park Circuit on September 24-25, having recently secured yet another top-10 result at the Brands Hatch Circuit.