Adrian Starrantino earned a second place finish this past weekend in the 2011 Skip Barber Karting Shootout at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. He delivered a strong performance all throughout the four day competition.
Starrantino competed against twenty-one up and coming drivers. They were put through a series of on-track sessions and off-track activities. It was a long four-days with a lot of lessons learned that made Starrantino a better driver on and off the track.
The Shootout began on day one with Autocross, Skidpad activities, and a Highway Safety Talk. It was a different experience for these young drivers being able to get a car sideways and drive on the limit without any repercussions. The day was wrapped up with an interview and a seminar with racing entrepreneur Derek Daly.
Day two and three proved to be the most challenging days. The second day came bright and early with media training by racing reporters Bob Marsha and Jeremy Shaw. The day ended with a talk by racing expert Gerardo Bonilla, and the driver’s first on track session of the week. Day three the drivers were put on track for two sessions. One was a thirty-minute open lapping session, and the other was a ten lap competitive module. Starrantino set quick and consistent lap times right on the drop of the green flag. The grid for the competitive module was determined by average lap times which put Adrian P.3 in the field. At the start he was pushed back to the eighth position but displayed his patience and race-craft superbly climbing his way to the fourth position.
The fourth and final day consisted of a seminar by IndyCar Driver Townsend Bell. The time of day came when all the drivers were given one more chance to show their capabilities on the track. Starrantino proved himself once again driving quickly even though track conditions were still improving after the rainfall from the night before. “I felt good about the last session, I just got into my zone and drove despite the slowly improving track conditions. Now all I can do is wait for the results, all I can say is that whatever happens I know that I gave it my all.”
Adrian Starrantino currently resides in Simi Valley, California. He is 17 years old and an aspiring open wheel racecar driver. He would like to thank everyone at Skip Barber Racing School, MAZDASPEED Motorsports, and Team USA Scholarship for their constant support.
