{"id":8617,"date":"2025-10-02T08:22:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T12:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/?p=8617"},"modified":"2025-10-03T08:23:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T12:23:36","slug":"finalists-set-for-the-fourth-annual-pt-autosport-aspiring-driver-shootout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/02\/finalists-set-for-the-fourth-annual-pt-autosport-aspiring-driver-shootout\/","title":{"rendered":"Finalists set for the fourth annual PT Autosport Aspiring Driver Shootout"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eight aspiring drivers will vie for a racing partnership with the team\u2019s junior racing program<\/em><\/p>\n

MILLVILLE, NJ (October 2, 2025) \u2013 PT Autosport today announced the eight Aspiring Driver Shootout finalists who will compete at New Jersey Motorsport Park in early November, with the winner earning financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career.<\/p>\n

The team received applications from aspiring drivers from across the globe, including two continents, three countries, and 32 different American states. Applications came from a diverse base of gender, ethnicities, education levels and social backgrounds \u2013 including students and graduates from 74 different universities.<\/p>\n

Of the eight selected candidates, only one (Liam Crystal) is returning from the 2024 Shootout.<\/p>\n

PT Autosport team principal Jason Myers emphasizes the team\u2019s expectations of the eventual winner \u2013 and essentially, to the top three finishers alike \u2013 in regards to their level of commitment and coachability as they progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are really looking forward to getting this year\u2019s crop of aspiring drivers to NJMP,\u201d said Myers. \u201cThis is likely the most diverse group since our inaugural shootout in 2023. The stakes are higher than ever, with each of the drivers understanding what we require in terms of commitment, development potential, and overall attitude as they learn to be professional racing drivers. We\u2019ve also got a new car for our Shootout participants this year with the Ginetta G56 GTA, which highlights our continued partnership with Ginetta Cars UK. We\u2019ve also got some great partners on board now, with OMP Racing USA providing prizes for the top three finishers, as well as Motul providing all fluids and lubricants for the racecars. It\u2019s going to be an exciting, stressful two days for everyone involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Shootout will take place November 3-5 at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The candidates will undergo an extensive series of examinations to decide the winner, including media, driving (including sim work) and fitness testing on the first day, then a full day of driving \u2013 with the evaluation process taking place throughout the day. PT Autosport co-founder, lead driver and development head Alex Sedgwick will lead the team evaluating all aspects of the finalists\u2019 performance \u2013 both on and off the racetrack.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is important \u2013 fitness, sim work, media ability,\u201d said Sedgwick. \u201cBut the \u201cmake or break\u201d it is simple: how well can they drive a race car. It\u2019s not just about speed, and how fast they are, but do they understand the sport, do they understand their role in this program, and are they willing to do what it takes to make a career at this. Are they able to develop, are they able to give feedback, can they progress and build, learning from our judges and coaches but also self-assessing and developing on their own? Will they take the initiative to ask and to figure out how to get better? Ultimately, PT Autosport will be committing to putting the winner into a race car so those are the key questions that need to be answered at the Shootout.\u201d<\/p>\n

PT Autosport is dedicated to increasing the presence of junior drivers in the motorsports industry that come from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Paramount to this mission is creating career development opportunities and forming an educational, competitive, and supportive environment for all team members, allowing them to grow and learn.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s multi-tiered development program begins with the Aspiring Driver Shootout. The winner will receive extensive coaching and racing experience designed to help him or her progress to an advanced racing series within the team\u2019s structure, or with one of the team\u2019s operational partners. In 2025, PT Autosport supported both the 2024 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Zach Hollingshead, and third place finisher Max Stallone, both in the Toyota GR Cup series.<\/div>\n
\n

Luis Beilicke (PT eSports Winner)<\/strong>
\nAge: 21
\nFrom: Kalmar, Sweden and Graben-Neudorf, Germany
\nExperience: Races with the Coanda Esports sim racing team \u2013 rated in the top 0.1% on iRacing, karting, ADAC car slalom, 2024 Racing Prodigy winner
\nHobbies: iRacing, volleyball, billiards, running, chess<\/p>\n

Liam Crystal<\/strong>
\nAge: 23
\nFrom: resides in Tempe, Arizona, carries Brazilian and South African citizenship
\nExperience: after an extensive karting career, tested Porsche GT3 Cup and junior formula cars, finished second in the 2024 PT Autosport Aspiring Driver Shootout. Has raced in the UAE, Europe, and South Africa
\nHobbies: traveling, trying new foods and activities, keeping fit in the gym and running outdoors<\/p>\n

Joziah Johns<\/strong>
\nAge: 23
\nFrom: Wilmington, California
\nExperience: A former elite Olympic weightlifter, he represented Team USA from ages 15 to 18 at the Pan Am Games, the World Championships, and multiple national competitions. He now coaches weightlifters as he pursues his racing dream.<\/p>\n

Connor Henry<\/strong>
\nAge: 22
\nFrom: Doerun, Georgia
\nExperience: Holds an SCCA novice permit, attended Road Atlanta\u2019s three-day F4 racing school, and has raced circle dirt track
\nHobbies: Media creation, working on my business, iRacing<\/p>\n

Dillon Houcke<\/strong>
\nAge: 20
\nFrom: Eagle, Idaho
\nExperience: Van Prix United Rallycross, off-road performance driving
\nHobbies: Building SEMA cars (competed in the 2024 SEMA Battle of the Builders), creative video production, off-roading and overlanding<\/p>\n

Hayden Kasmen<\/strong>
\nAge: 18
\nFrom: Atlanta, Georgia
\nExperience: Karting, SCCA Spec Miata and Spec MX-5, Lucky Dog and Champ Car endurance racing, Radical SR-1 AMP Club Series.
\nHobbies: Pickleball, iRacing, traveling, watching UFC<\/p>\n

Riley Stasny<\/strong>
\nAge: 22
\nFrom: Chesterton, Indiana
\nExperience: Senior class karting, sim racing, indoor karting, R\/C car racing
\nHobbies: Sim racing, snowboarding, wake boarding, playing guitar and hiking with my dog.<\/p>\n

CJ Tackman<\/strong>
\nAge: 22
\nFrom: Plano, Texas
\nExperience: Karting, rallycross, autocross, HPDE
\nHobbies: Sim racing, skateboarding, exploring, building LEGO cars<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eight aspiring drivers will vie for a racing partnership with the team\u2019s junior racing program MILLVILLE, NJ (October 2, 2025) \u2013 PT Autosport today announced the [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8618,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-pt-autosport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8617"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8619,"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8617\/revisions\/8619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sundaymanagement.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}