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American USAC Champion Wins International Open Wheel Competition in England

11 November 1998

Castle Donington, Derbyshire, England and Sonoma, CA: Tyler McQuarrie, a 22 year old marketing student from Sonoma, CA, today claimed one of developmental racings most valuable prizes - a fully sponsored 1999 ride in Englands most competitive open wheel series.

McQuarrie, who just clinched the 1998 USAC Formula Russell championship, beat out nearly fifty top young drivers from Europe, South America, North America and Asia over four days of open wheel and touring car competition at the Donington Park Circuit in Englands Midlands. The annual competition, organized by the worldwide network of Jim Russell Racing Driver Schools, brings together top graduates and champions from Russell schools in California, Canada, England, Scandinavia, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Competitors were judged in several key categories required for future career success by an international panel of driving experts. These include, poise, technique, attitude, fitness, line, consistency and smoothness. Heavily influencing the judges decisions were several open driving competitions in Formula Vauxhall Jr. and Touring Car race saloons.

McQuarrie earned the all-expenses-paid trip to England and a spot in the competition as part of his prize package for winning this years USAC Formula Russell Championship Series, an 18 race open wheel spec series conducted by Russell Racing School at Sears Point Raceway. The second and third place finishers in this series, (also Americans) were also sent to England courtesy of Russell Racing: Series runner-up Jury Swanson and third place Dave McEntee both made it to the semi-finals of the UK competition. McQuarrie and his family were ecstatic over winning the top prize and Tyler is now making plans to move to England in time for the start of the 1999 Vauxhall season.

Russell Racing is the worlds oldest and best known international race driver training organization and has been providing career development scholarships to young drivers for over 40 years. Past products of the Russell system include Formula One world champions Jacques Villeneuve and Emerson Fittipaldi as well as IndyCar and CART champions Danny Sullivan and Jimmy Vasser.