garett-grist-and-brandon-newey-to-bha
Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) will campaign two cars in the twelve race 2012 F1600 Formula F Series, and have chosen Garett Grist and Brandon Newey to contend for the team.
Garett Grist, a 17-year-old Canadian driver is a member of the Sofina Foods Drivers' Development Program. After 10 years of kart racing, 2012 will mark Grist's second season of car racing, having previously run Formula Ford in Ontario and Quebec. The Grimsby, Ontario native ran 20 races in 2011, earning eight poles, four wins and 15 podiums. He was also named the 2011 Vice Champion of the Ontario Formula Ford Challenge.
"I am really excited about the new F1600 program at Bryan Herta Autosport," says Grist. "This is a great opportunity to be part of something new and the connection to IndyCar will really be a big boost to my program. I have a great teammate in Brandon and the Mygale is an amazing car. I am very hopeful we can run at the front all season long."
Grist's teammate is 19-year-old Indianapolis native and Purdue University freshman, Brandon Newey. Brandon began karting in 2004 at the age of 11. By 2008, he had earned six wins and finished second in the Tag USA Kart Racers of America championship. The following year, Newey participated in the World Karting Association and Championship Karting International Series races. In both 2010 and 2011, he was a competitor in the BF Goodrich Skip Barber National Series Presentd by Mazda, and finished third in the points last year with two victories and ten podiums. Newey was also a finalist for the Team USA Scholarship in 2011.
"This is a great opportunity for me to continue to grow as a race car driver and compete for the F1600 Series championship," says Newey. "I am really looking forward to working with Garett and the Bryan Herta Autosport team."
The F1600 Formula F Series was introduced to the U.S. in 1969 and has been a training ground ever since for future professional drivers. According to IZOD IndyCar Series team owner Bryan Herta, "F1600 and F2000 are time tested and proven steppingstones to the highest level of motorsports."
Herta also stated, "We're very excited to add the F1600 program with Mygale Cars and having two young chargers like Garett Grist and Brandon Newey give us a great base to build our grassroots motorsports program."
The Series schedule consists of six races in the 2012 season, starting April 15 at Virginia International Raceway, a 17-turn, 3.27-mile road course.