MRTI: Driver Advancement Program winners revealed

Aiming to promote a true ladder program that begins with the grassroots of motorsports, Andersen Promotions and the MAXSpeed Group announced today the two winners named to their 2016 Driver Advancement Program. The drivers will each be awarded a Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda two-day test.

The two winners chosen are Dev Gore, 19, of Atlanta, Ga. and Ryan Norberg, 17, of Orlando, Fla. Kellen Ritter, 15, of North Vancouver, B.C., Canada was selected as an alternate should any scheduling conflicts arise with the two winners.

Through a selection process that narrowed qualified applicants down to 12 finalists, the candidates then participated in videoconference interviews with an elite panel of judges including Verizon IndyCar Series drivers and Mazda Road to Indy graduates Charlie Kimball and Spencer Pigot.

"We are excited to give Dev and Ryan their first look at the next step on the ladder," said Michelle Kish, COO of Andersen Promotions. "The Driver Advancement Program really highlights the incredible talent at the karting level and, as usual, it is always a difficult decision to narrow the selection down to two. I want to thank Charlie and Spencer for their time and contributions in the selection process."

Gore and Norberg will complete a two-day test in a Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda machine during the Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test, which features all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires. The test will take place on the road course of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oct. 8-9.

"I am proud that through our continued partnership with Andersen Promotions, we are able to help MAXSpeed Entertainment drivers pursue their dreams," explains MAXSpeed Group President Richard Boisclair. "Dev and Ryan are both talented, confident young men, and they will represent MAXSpeed well as they make their first step up in the Mazda Road to Indy ladder program through the USF2000 test. Congratulations to them and to everyone who submitted an application for this year's Driver Advancement Program."

The partnership between the Mazda Road to Indy and MAXSpeed Group was announced in June 2014 to foster the next wave of up-and-coming drivers.