The 22-year-old London native-turned Tampa, Fla. resident earns a two-year racing partnership to begin his racing career
MILLVILLE, NJ (9 November 2022) – “This is what I’ve been dreaming of since I was a kid”
After two days of intensive fitness, media, simulator and track competition, Henry Drury captured the inaugural PT Autosport Aspiring Driver Shootout crown, earning a $100,000 racing partnership over the next two years with the team’s junior racing program.
8 candidates were chosen from over 150 applications received from aspiring drivers located all over the world, spanning three continents, four countries, and 27 different American states. Applications came from a diverse base of gender, ethnicities, education levels and social backgrounds – including students and graduates from over 60 different universities.
“When they called my name it was just pure shock and relief,” said Drury. “I was convinced I’d thrown my chances away, so when my name was called it was just utter relief and shock, it still hasn’t hit me yet! I’ve poured every minute of every day into preparing for this shootout since I first heard about it, so to know that all of my work has paid off is an awesome feeling. Everyone here has put in an incredible performance, so I really wasn’t expecting to hear my name called!
“The team at PT Autosport have put together an incredible event, I’m really happy to see that they’ve built an event that tests all aspects of being a racing driver – both on-track and off. It’s been a hell of a challenge over the past two days, but I can’t wait to get back to work!
Drury comes to the shootout with almost no racing experience, having learnt all he knows in racing simulators such as rFactor 2, before going to a racing school in 2019. As his prize for winning the 2022 shootout, he’ll now be put onto a full development program with the PT Autosport team, leading up to his racing debut in 2023.
The 8 finalists were assessed across multiple activities, as the team sought the candidate best equipped to succeed both in and out of the race car. The rigorous assessments included:
– Fitness
In a test based on the US Military fitness test, Team owner Jeph Dais evaluated the finalists across a variety of challenges, grading both on overall performance and their determination to fulfill the test requirements.
– Media
Team Principal Jason Myers tested the candidates’ interpersonal and public speaking skills. The candidates were asked in advance to prepare a five-minute presentation about their past, present and future in racing, then the judging panel asked a number of questions, evaluating both the presentation and their responses.
– Simulator
Driver coach Anton Spires schooled the candidate around NJMP in iRacing’s Global Mazda MX5 Cup car, then graded them on progression, approach, and control.
– Racecraft
Day 1 ended in a three-race karting test at NJMP’s native Karting track. Over three twenty minute races, the candidates were assessed on their racecraft, with the driver coaches (including PT Autosport pro driver Alex Sedgwick) dropping in to race with the candidates wheel to wheel.
– Driving
On Day 2, each candidate had three progressive tests in identical Mazda Spec Miata race cars, where they were judged not just on speed, but car control, progression, and their willingness to learn. Driver coaches rode along in the passenger seat to instruct and assess the candidates throughout the sessions.
– Final
Then, after lunch on the final day, the candidates had their final test.
The drivers were put through a longer run intended to replicate what the drivers will encounter on a typical race weekend, with a setup change made mid-run (without telling the drivers). This forces them to adapt their driving on the fly, while also trying to work out what change was made to the car. After that, in the final test, the candidates participated in one final mock qualifying run with only one flying lap allowed.
“It has been a great week,” said Alex Sedgwick, the team’s pro driver and junior driver development director. “We had a varied field in terms of backgrounds and experience and it was super interesting to see their progression from the start to the end of the event.”
“This shootout will truly change my life” said Drury. “Having spent the best part of the last five years working and working and working to try to raise the money to start a racing career that at times felt completely impossible, this has suddenly given me the opportunity I’ve been searching for. I can finally chase the dream I’ve had since I was a kid, and I can’t wait to get to work!
Next up for PT Autosport’s pro level program will be the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America doubleheader in support of the TireRack.com IMSA Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Race one takes the green flag Saturday, September 16 at 2:30 p.m. EDT, with race two Sunday at 9:40 a.m. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.
