New Zealander Ryan Yardley will make his Formula Regional Americas Championship debut this weekend at Virginia International Raceway.
This year, Yardley has been competing in a handful of USA Formula Pro-Western races with the Kiwi Motorsport team, picking up wins and podiums.
But this weekend he makes the jump to the hotly competitive Formula Regional series.
“Up against the big boys now,” Yardley told Velocity News.
“Really excited for the weekend ahead.”
The Formula Regional series uses the same Formula 3 car Yardley has raced in the Pro-Western championship.
However, he arrives at a circuit he has never driven on before.
Virginia International Raceway has a mix of long straights and slow, technical corners.
It is a challenging circuit for a rookie to learn, but Yardley says he is up to the task.
“I’ve done quite a bit of simulator work with the team. We also have four practice sessions before qualifying.
“I don’t have too many expectations for the weekend. I am going to take it as it comes.”
Learning new circuits hasn’t fazed Yardley in the past.
Earlier this month, he raced at Laguna Seca for the first time in the Pro-Western championship.
He picked up two poles and a race win. It could have easily been two wins were it not for a gearbox sensor issue in one of the races.
Yardley is committed to just this weekend’s Formula Regional round, but he would like to do a full campaign next year if the opportunity pops up.
Though right now, he is focused on doing his best this weekend.
“Hopefully I can be somewhere up near the front. That’s the goal.”