Wins, Podiums, Career-Best Finishes and First-Career Starts Comprise an Exciting Spring for Scholars
CHARLOTTE (April 29, 2024) – The 2024 Class of the Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH) Powering Diversity Scholarship came out of the gate strong to kick off their race seasons. Comprised of 14 drivers racing in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, Ligier JS F4 Series, Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) and Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), the class has already added race wins, poles, podiums and career-best finishes to their stats. In its fourth year, the PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship looks to create a more diverse grid while empowering drivers from a variety of backgrounds to participate in PMH-owned race series.
“We’re only a few races into the 2024 season, but it already brings me great pride to see the accomplishments of this year’s PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship class,” said Tony Parella, CEO of PMH. “This program plays such a vital role in helping young drivers by making sure that they’re given a chance to chase their dreams.”
The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli has completed three rounds to open the 2024 season with races at Sebring International Raceway, Road Atlanta and NOLA Motorsports Park. Two-time Trans Am Series TA champion Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette) kicked off the season with a podium—her first podium since April 2022.
In the SGT class, Kaylee Bryson (No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette) leads the Rookie of the Year standings after earning her first-career Trans Am victory in just her fourth series start. She currently sits second in the SGT point standings. Also running in SGT, Jenn Krpata (No. 93 Island Trees Auto Chevrolet Camaro) made her debut at Road Atlanta last month, earning a top-five finish with her family-owned team.
In Trans Am’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, Rafa Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) has gotten off to a record-breaking start, launching his season on the podium. At NOLA, the two-time champion earned his first pole of the year and went on to take the checkered flag. The victory was the 21st of his career, making him the winningest driver in TA2 history.
Matos’ teammate Michele Abbate (No. 30 GHOST/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) is having her most successful season to date, earning podium finishes in her first two starts. Abbate is competing part time in the National Championship’s Pro/Am Challenge and in the Western Championship. Her first two race weekends have garnered career-best results, with runner-up finishes at both Road Atlanta and Sonoma. Another Nitro Motorsports talent, Tyler Gonzalez(No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) has been a breakout star, scoring two podiums in the season’s three opening races. The 19-year-old currently leads the Rookie of the Year standings and is second in the Young Gun Award standings.
As FR Americas opened their 2024 season at NOLA Motorsports Park earlier this month, all three scholarship recipients brought home top-10 finishes. Justin Garat (No. 17 Speed Factory Ligier JS F3) placed inside the top 10 for all three races, while Nicole Havrda (No. 6 Valley Kitchens Ltd/Colonial Countertops Ltd Ligier JS F3) recorded a weekend-best sixth, and Landan Matriano Lim (No. 73 739Racing Ligier JS F3) scored a weekend-high seventh-place finish during his series debut.
The Ligier JS F4 Series joined FR Americas in opening their season at NOLA, where Maite Cáceres (No. 6 Abitab / Supermatch Ligier JS F4) became the highest-finishing woman in any series on PMH’s open-wheel ladder. Cáceres had a career-best weekend, recording top-five finishes in all three races—including a second- and third-place result—and became the first woman to lead the field down the starting grid with a pole in Race 3. Christopher Parrish (No. 83 Save22 Ligier JS F4) had the best on-track performance of his career, earning top-10 finishes in all three races, including a career-best fourth-place result. Harbir Dass (No. 49 Berg DMG Racing Ligier JS F4) ran his Ligier JS F4 chassis in the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) event at Road Atlanta as a warmup for his season. Winning that race, Dass will spend the remainder of the year competing in the Ligier JS F4 Series. A fourth PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship recipient, Ava Hanssen, will make her Ligier JS F4 Series debut this summer—after she celebrates her 14th birthday to become eligible to compete in the series.
While Taylor Ferns has yet to make her SVRA debut for the 2024 season, the 28-year-old has already received a significant promotion in her open-wheel career, being called up to INDY NXT with ABEL Racing to compete in a four-race schedule.
The 2024 class of PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship recipients will continue to chase their motorsport dreams as green flags wave across the country. For details on upcoming SpeedTour events where you can catch these drivers in action, visit SpeedTour.net.
