PFANNER: The one I have been waiting for

Racing has been my passion since the age of 9, and the center of my professional life since 1973. Along the way I have been inspired by some of the greatest racers of all-time whom I’ve seen in the prime of their careers. I’ve also seen brilliant young talents climb to the top of the sport and become legends through dedication and courage. On that latter point, I am forever proud of my role in supporting Jeremy Shaw in creating the hugely successful Team USA Scholarship program in 1990 that has helped launch the careers of young racers like Jimmy Vasser, Bryan Herta, Buddy Rice, Joey Hand, Andy Lally, A.J. Allmendinger, Bryan Sellers, J.R. Hildebrand, Dane Cameron, Josef Newgarden, Conor Daly, Connor De Phillippi, Oliver Askew and so many others. These terrific racers have gone on to write their own remarkable chapters in the history of our sport.

Like Jeremy and the sponsors and benefactors who’ve supported the Team USA Scholarship, I am motivated by a strong desire to help young racers fulfill their dreams because that same passion for driving and racing is what got me to where I am today. From the beginning, I have been searching for the one great natural talent who could go all the way.

As the world emerged from the Great Recession and Carpocalypse of 2008-2011, the Skip Barber Racing School was on the edge of insolvency due to a series of misfortunes and bad decisions made by various owners and managers following Skip Barber selling the company in 1999. (Thankfully, the school is under new ownership and prospering today). I’d admired Skip Barber the man since he won the first-ever SCCA Formula Ford championship in 1969 (and 1970), and I’d known him since 1974, when he decided to retire and launch a racing school. I was honored when he asked me to help him position and brand the business in 1980, and designed the company logo and visual identity system that has remained in place ever since.

Given this background, in early 2012 Pfanner Communications had a short-term assignment to review the positioning and marketing of the struggling company. The owner of the Skip Barber School at the time wanted a big idea to reboot momentum and communicate the core values and mission of the Skip Barber brand. I proposed a competition for anyone who had attended the Skip Barber Racing School. It would be called the Skip Barber IndyCar Academy in support of the school’s relationship with the series. The top performers would receive credits to race in the school series, with the overall winner receiving a full season. The idea was to expand the opportunity to those who would never have had a chance unless pure talent was the only criteria.

Fittingly, 33 of the very best students out of the hundreds that the Skip Barber Racing School teaches each year were invited to a shootout in Sebring, Florida in January 2013. They were selected based on pure natural ability by the school’s deeply experienced and highly respected instructors. Age was not a primary consideration, nor was marketability. It was all about raw driving talent.

Stephens and his father Mark celebrate his win in the 2013 Skip Barber IndyCar Academy. Image by Skip Barber

I was on hand to see my idea come to life, and I was immediately impressed by then-20-year-old Michai Stephens. He looked like a veteran, but had only one Skip Barber three-day Racing School to his credit. My first interaction with Michai was memorable in that he made direct eye contact and had a calm, Senna-like intensity. He handled himself like a pro, and the young African-American's quiet confidence, poise and humility made a lasting impression. Every Skip Barber IndyCar Academy finalist had completed a background sheet, and Michai’s sincerity matched our first meeting:

Q: Did you ever think you would have the chance to go pro?

A: I never believed I would have the chance to become a professional racing driver, even though I thought about it every day. That is why this opportunity is so very important to me.

Q: Describe your everyday life: job, school, family.

A: When not working construction five days out of the week, my life consists of sharing quality time with my family, friends and thinking about the dream to race. At the moment I am taking time away from my studies at Arizona State University where I major in industrial design. For the first time in my life I am pursuing a path I am most passionate about while doing my best to enjoy it.

Q: If you could be any pro racecar driver in the world for one day, who would it be and why?

A: In my mind Lewis Hamilton stands apart from all the rest. I admire his passion and respect for the sport. I also appreciate the bond he shares with his father, a bond a lot like the one I share with mine. His rise to the top of Formula 1 has become a source of inspiration for me as I pursue my dream.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the shootout early because of a prior business commitment. I will admit that I was later surprised and slightly disappointed to learn that Michai was not the winner, but I am not one to second-guess the Instructors and judges, so I accepted that this was not Michai’s time, and hoped he would somehow find his way forward. He was special on track and off the track, and his only handicaps were: 1) a complete lack of racing experience; 2) a relatively late start; 3) a lack of family financial resources. Other than those three "minor" issues, Michai looked like a sure thing to me.

So it came to pass that Michai returned to Sebring that November for the second annual Skip Barber IndyCar Academy competition, and he was on a mission. Work commitments prevented me from being at the track, but I was thrilled when Michai won the top prize, and I was relieved that he had believed in himself and earned the opportunity to finally begin racing in 2014, because I have seen very few racers who possess his raw natural talent and who’ve had the will to do what it takes to move forward. He was immediately successful, winning six poles, four races and four second places against experienced competition.

His efforts earned an opportunity to audition in another shootout, this time for that year's Team USA Scholarship on Auto Club Speedway’s road course in Allen Berg Racing School cars. Once again, I was invited to be a judge, and what I witnessed was inspiring. Every young nominee was worthy in their ability and on-track pace, but it was Michai who impressed the judges, along with brilliantly talented young Aaron Telitz who would later go on to shine in the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, and more recently in IMSA.

In barely six months, Michai had gone from his first-ever race to earning one the highest honors that most young American racers dream of. Now he was about to be stress-tested under intense pressure racing against some of the best young racers in the world at the prestigious British Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.

“It was an almost vertical learning curve for him,” remembers Shaw. “He didn’t know the team, didn’t know the tracks, didn’t know the car and hadn’t even been out of the country before. But he was turning good laps virtually from the get-go. He was incredibly unfortunate at Brands Hatch, taken out in two separate incidents, one in qualifying and another in his heat race – an innocent victim on both occasions – but the way in which he bounced back at Silverstone was astonishing. The conditions were constantly changing, but he took everything in his stride. He made some fantastic passes – one I clearly recall around the outside of the British Formula Ford champion at Brooklands Corner in the wet – and from a field of well over 100 cars, he managed to finish third in the Grand Final.

“That weekend I watched most of the time from the BRDC Suite with Dario Franchitti and I remember saying, ‘what have we got here? This young man is pretty special.’ Dario didn’t disagree.”

Michai returned to England in 2015 as one of only a handful of drivers to have earned a pair of Team USA Scholarships. Once again, he impressed, earning podium finishes during the course of both weekends at Brands Hatch and Silverstone. Unfortunately, his hopes of victory in the Walter Hayes Trophy were dashed by a wayward rival during the semi-final round which left him with a broken thumb, although his disappointment was tempered shortly afterward when he was invited to join a brand-new team for its initial foray into the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.

As all of us involved in this sport are only too aware, there are no easy rides. A new and inexperienced team is always going to face tough challenges, especially with a rookie driver who still had precious little prior experience from which to draw. Nevertheless, my lasting memories of that challenging season are of his awe-inspiring onboard videos of Michai’s Tony Kanaan-like charges through the field from lowly starting positions due to the inexperience and growing pains of the outmatched rookie team. Michai summed up the year in his usual humble and honest style. It was becoming clear to me there was much more to him than simply being naturally talented behind the wheel:

"Reflecting on the opportunity, it was an experience that tested me in more ways than from just the cockpit. Gathering experiential knowledge on every position within the team, the beauty and power of a helping hand, and constant push against adversity made for a year to remember. I also learned that when gifted an opportunity, it is up to you to make the absolute most of it regardless of the circumstances. Trying to hit a constant moving target is both exhausting and frustrating, yet so is the spirit of the sport we love. Motor racing is a constant battle between fiction and reality. It is the refining of limits, both physically and emotionally, which equates to an ever evolving, never ending pursuit of perfection.”

As Jeremy and I have seen all too often, Michai’s dream was derailed and his huge potential muted by what looked like a year of failure from the outside. But for those of us who believed in Michai, we saw him growing into something far more special than just another young, selfish aspiring racing driver. He had a sense of purpose and compassion that translated into a strong desire to share his passion for the sport with others.

The racing bug bit early during his first visit to the Chicago Auto Show.

Fate seems to be a constant companion in Michai’s relatively young life, so he soon became involved in the early days of Rod Reid’s NXG Next Gen Racers program. In his own words, Michai shares some of his proudest achievements to date:

“My involvement with NXG stems from an introduction to Rod Reid via Major Kelly C. Jones from RaceCraft1 Simulation Training during my first year of racing with the Skip Barber Racing School in 2014. While training with Major Jones, our relationship found synergy in desire, passion, race and natural ability. Furthermore, Major Jones sought to introduce me to people of diversity in the industry and beyond. Thus, an introduction to Rod Reid felt appropriate as much as it did necessary

“Rod and I clicked immediately, prompting an invitation to his home for dinner that evening. Walking into his basement, I noticed a picture of him and a Black race driver and then sitting next to that was a photo of him and a set of Black kids in go karts. To say that it was a match made in heaven would have been an understatement. I say this because I have been and will forever be an older brother who cherishes and loves the responsibilities of being a positive influence on a young person’s life.

“Within a week or two of meeting Rod, I was invited to work with him as the driver coach/mentor for the program and it didn’t take long to see the magic in the air. One of the things I liked most was introducing and or empowering a side of a child that they either didn’t know they had inside of them, or just needed an extra push. I say so because the utilization of the automobile or a kart is the perfect tool to evoke self-reflection. What we are talking about is a relationship with a non-discriminatory machine that is full of life lessons. Regardless of your make up, the only thing stopping someone from finding their moral code and values behind the wheel of a car or kart is money and resources.

“My time with NXG is special to me because it is exactly what I would be doing and then some if I only had my own resources to allow for a person to see their own reflection through the perspective of four tires and a steering wheel!”

We now find ourselves on the cusp of a societal and sporting restart not seen since the end of World War II. Opportunity is everywhere for our sport to lead the way to a better future, and I commend Rod Reid and Roger Penske for recently uniting to make the NXG program central to the future vision of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires and the NTT IndyCar Series.

As my friend and mentor Mike Hull once said to me during my early days as an aspiring Formula Ford racer: “racing is truth”. And the truth is that Michai Stephens embodies everything that the NXG initiative and the Team USA Scholarship stand for. The cruel irony is that Michai is now likely to be deemed too old to be eligible to benefit from the recent Force Indy Road to Indy team announcement, despite his long service to the NXG program. Nevertheless, fate rides with Michai, and I believe his story is far from over.

Michai Stephens was born in January 1992, which also happens to be when RACER’s initial launch marketing campaign took place. Our journey to now is forever intertwined, and I will always believe in Michai and his potential to change our sport for the better. Michai deserves more than being a minor footnote to the rich history of the Indianapolis 500 and the NTT IndyCar Series. I believe that Michai has the power within him to make history and drive positive change in the sport he loves. He has earned the respect of many whom I look up to, and he has also earned the opportunity to prove his worth behind the wheel as part of a proper racing team. My hope in writing this column is that someone will realize the immediate opportunity Michai represents for any racing series, race team, manufacturer or sponsor to tell a story of inclusion and merit-based opportunity that leads to achievement both on and off the racetrack. I am not alone in believing this, so here is what some of those who see his potential have to say:

Mike Hull, Managing Director, Chip Ganassi Racing: “To view untapped, raw and instinctive talent is what motivates me to continue to be in motorsports. We’re lucky to see it up close. Michai Stephens has been a great reminder of that opportunity since our first meeting. A race driver’s ascent is about the timing of the talent matching up with the alignment of the opportunities from great owners and partners. Patience is the denominator. Seldom does it fall into place without a village effort for a person with the combination of such a skill set who appreciates the process like Michai does.”

T.E. McHale, recently-retired Manager of Motorsports PR, American Honda: “I have had the singular pleasure of getting to know Michai outside the cockpit, and I have rarely, if ever, encountered anyone as personable, articulate, self-possessed and appreciative, with a level of maturity that puts me – a 67-year-old man – and many of my contemporaries to shame. More than once, Michai has been described to me as ‘a sponsor’s dream.’ Especially now, the sport needs more of him, and in a visible, prominent role.”

Stephens ran a part-time USF2000 campaign in 2016. Image by Road to Indy

Three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti: “I first met Michai in 2014 when he was on his first USA Scholarship adventure. Living back in the UK, Brands Hatch and Silverstone are now a short drive away, and I love to go to both and watch the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy where the racing is second to none and the competition fierce. Michai handled himself incredibly well on track despite his lack of experience, but I was equally impressed with him off track. We struck up a quick friendship – he reminds me of my old pal Tony Kanaan, both with an uncanny physical resemblance, but also in his fun and engaging personality and his determination to succeed against the odds. Michai’s tale is all too familiar in racing – talented kid doesn’t get the chance due to a lack of funds – but when you understand the obstacles that he has overcome to get this far, it tells a much deeper story. I’d love to see him get the chance that he deserves to climb the motor racing ladder.

Team USA Scholarship founder Jeremy Shaw: “I have been fortunate enough to watch many young drivers make their first tentative steps into the world of auto racing. It’s one aspect that truly inspires me. I saw such giants as Ayrton Senna. Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost at a very early stage in their careers, and I have to tell you that in terms of natural ability, Michai is right up there with any of them. He has all the right attributes. He’s the optimal size and weight, he works hard and he wants to learn. All he needs is opportunity. Now, whether he is able to fulfill his potential is always open to conjecture, but I can honestly tell you that if I had the financial wherewithal, I would have no hesitation in placing it in Michai’s hands.”

I agree with Jeremy, and as implied in the headline for this column, Michai is the one I have been waiting for in terms of sheer raw talent. More importantly, Michai is the one we have all been waiting for in terms of the passion, character and humility needed to help take our sport to another level of inclusion, growth and prosperity. I believe that racing is much more than a sports entertainment business. Racing is an inspiration business, and it is powered by truth. The truth is that Michai Stephens inspires me because he has grown as a racer and a man to become the opportunity of a lifetime for all of us who love this sport.

Follow Michai Stephens’ improbable journey through the sport via his website.

It is also important to thank Anthony and Dan DeMonte, who are the passionate current owners of the Skip Barber Racing School for extending the offer of SBRS scholarships to Rod Reid’s amazing NXG Youth Motorsports Program. I want to also remind our readers that the NXG website has a link for donations to help accelerate this wonderful initiative. I also suggest that you learn more about Jeremy Shaw’s Team USA Scholarship program that can always benefit from additional support to help young American racers live their dreams and fulfill their full potential.

One final thought: Let’s hope that the leadership team at the NTT IndyCar Series and the Skip Barber Racing School can work together soon to create an updated version of the Skip Barber IndyCar Academy that embraces both the physical and virtual realms of motorsport to provide opportunity to the countless thousands who dream of racing but would never have an opportunity to prove their ability without this merit-based opportunity platform.