VMB ACADEMY DRIVERS
VALENTINO GARBARINO
2024 VMB DRIVER
VMB Driver Development has selected California karter Valentino Garbarino to train with World Speed Motorsports, and compete in the 2024 Formula Pro USA F4 Western Championship.
“We are really excited to be working with Valentino this season. We have been impressed with what we have seen so far,” noted WSM Team Manager Jan Trojan. World Speed Principal Telo Stewart added, “As a team we are thankful to be able to continue supporting the VMB scholarship program. We have to thank its founder Steve Bristentine who got the program going, and Andy Brown who has made it possible for it to continue over the last several years.”
About Valentino Garbarino – 17 years old
Never Lift Consulting Award 2022
IKF Grand National Champion KA 100 Jr 2022
SKUSA Winter Series 3rd 2022
KPX Champion KA 100 Jr 2021
WILLIAM FERGUSON
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
In 2020 VMB Driver Development selected karting champion William Ferguson to compete in the Formula Pro USA F4 Western Championship.
Ferguson started racing karts at 10 years old in the spring of 2015 and has gone on to secure three major West Coast karting championships.
In 2020 William was vice-champion in the F4 championship, and in 2021 won the championship overall. He went on to be selected as a 2022 Team USA Finalist.
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JADEN CONWRIGHT
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
Jaden won the 2014 Formula Car Challenge championship in the FormulaSPEED2.0 class. In November 2014, VMB and World Speed Motorsports placed Jaden in the Pro Formula Mazda (PFM) to compete and in his first race in the PFM he scored a podium finish.
In 2015, Jaden was retained by VMB to compete in the Formula Car Challenge driving in the Pro Formula Mazda class. He finished that season 2nd in the FCC National Championship.
In 2022 IMSA named Jaden Conwright the recipient of the inaugural Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, and Jaden was accepted into the Lamborghini Factory Driver program.
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COURTNEY CRONE
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
Courtney has won hundreds of races, and 16 championships in her racing career.
She has been racing with VMB support since 2017, and has won many races, and secured the 2018 FormulaSPEED championship.
In 2020 she ran a limited schedule and secured wins in the VMB F4 car. In 2023 IMSA named her the recipient of the Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, and she competed in IMSA’s LMP3 Championship.
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PRESTON LAMBERT
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
In 2022 VMB Driver Development selected karting star Preston Lambert to train and compete in the Formula 4 class on the west coast.
Lambert is 14 years old, and based in Folsom, CA. He has shown great promise as a karter, and has been on the podium in SKUSA, UMKC, Sanzuru, Prairie City, and Challenge of the Americas events.
In addition to driving and testing, Preston trains with Fit4Race, a dedicated fitness training program for race car drivers. Whenever he is not driving, he works as a kart mechanic and driver coach for other up and coming karters.
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RAYCE DYKSTRA
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
Rayce Dykstra from Colorado was 14 years old when he was selected to represent VMB in 2018. Rayce scored 11 podiums and 3 wins in the FormulaSPEED class and went on to become vice-champion.
In 2019 he secured the VMB F4 scholarship, and scored 9 podiums, 2 pole position, 2 wins, and second in the championship.
Rayce is a third generation racer, and won a national karting championship and a SCCA Spec Miata Championship before being selected by VMB.
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JASON PETTIT
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
Jason started racing karts when he was six years old.
As he progressed through the ranks of karting, he was able to achieve a total of 6 championship titles.
Jason secured the 2019 VMB Scholarship in the FormulaSPEED class, went on to win that year’s FormulaSPEED championship.
He was also nominated for the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout.
JONATHAN SUGIANTO
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
Jonathan started his career in karting at the age of 13. He competed in the Jim Hall Karting Series from 2009-2012 and scored 3 championships.
He competed in the 2014 Skip Barber Winter Championship and was able to earn 2 poles, 2 fastest laps, 7 podiums, and 1 win. In 2015, he ran the Skip Barber Summer Series where he scored 4 wins, 5 podiums, and 2 poles. In 2015 he was award the World Speed Motorsports Rising Star Award, followed by the VMB Scholarship.
Sugianto went on to win the 2016 FormulaSPEED West Coast Championship, and secured an invitation to the Mazda Road To Indy Shootout. Sugianto is now one of the Lead Instructors at the Porsche Racing Experience in Los Angeles.
MICHAEL AVANSINO
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
Michael started his career racing go-karts at the age of 8 years old. He was the first driver to have won the Redline Oil Karting Championship Driver of the Year award twice.
Based on his karting success he was selected as a World Speed Rising Star Award winner, and soon after selected as a 2015 VMB Scholarship Driver.
Michael won both the Regional and National FCC Championships in the FormulaSPEED class in 2015.
CARTER WILLIAMS
ALUMNI VMB DRIVER
Williams has won multiple SKUSA and IKF Karting Championships since he began racing in 2004.
In 2016 Carter secured a VMB Scholarship, competed in the FormulaSPEED, won the Triple Crown Championship, and was invited to the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout.
VMB retained Williams for the 2017 season where he won 9 of the 12 races he entered. He secured the FormulaSPEED West Coast Championship and the Triple Crown that seasom. Due to his stellar performances he was selected as a candidate for the Team USA Scholarship.
Carter competed in the 2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo and scored a pole position at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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VMB NOMINEES
There have been some VERY talented young drivers who have attended our shootout, and many have gone on to incredible success in motorsports. Here are links to those that have been selected each year.