Wheldon siblings making the next steps in their racing careers
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Andretti Global announced this week that young race car driver Sebastian Wheldon, the son of the late Dan Wheldon, will compete with VRD Racing in the 2024 USF Juniors presented by Continental Tire Championship.
Wheldon won the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Racing Series championship, which earned him a $100,000 scholarship to compete in a USF-sanctioned series.
“I am really excited to be joining VRD Racing for the 2024 USF Juniors season – Dan (Mitchell) and his team run a first-class organization,” Wheldon said in a press release. “Having the support of Gainbridge and Andretti is giving me the extra confidence I need heading into the season – it’s a great feeling knowing I have everything I need to be competitive to contend for the championship.”
Wheldon had six wins and 13 podiums last season, which was his first season of car racing.
“Since joining the Andretti team, Sebastian’s motorsports career has been on a steady rise,” Andretti Global President J-F Thormann said in a press release. “Our team is committed to developing and mentoring the next generation of drivers and we could not be prouder of Sebastian for his winning mindset and dedication to racing. We look forward to watching his continued growth in the USF Juniors Championship.”
Wheldon immediately made a splash since the news was announced. He won the pole position during his USF Juniors debut at the 2024 YACademy Winter Series in Sebring International Raceway, according to a social media post on Wednesday by Andretti Global. Then, on Thursday, he picked up a race victory and finished the day with two podium finishes. The winter championship will wrap up Feb. 9-11 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Meanwhile, Sebastian’s younger brother, Oliver, will make his car racing debut in the 2024 Skip Barber Race Series.
“I am super excited to race with Skip Barber in 2024!,” Oliver Wheldon said in a press release. “This will help me a lot with becoming a better driver and learning to feel more comfortable in the car after making the leap from karts. I can also lean on my brother Sebastian for advice, as he won the championship last year. I want to thank Andretti and Gainbridge for their continued support. I’m really looking forward to my first year in cars.”
Dan Wheldon, the father of Sebastian and Oliver, won the 2005 and 2011 Indianapolis 500 and was the 2005 IndyCar Series champion.