BROWNSBURG, Ind. – DC Autosport with Cape Motorsports announced the second of its three team drivers today, signing Connecticut racer Earl Tucker IV to contest the inaugural USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires season.
"Earl has really hit the ground running,” said team principal Don Conner. “He's got a bit of natural talent for sure and once he gets some miles under him, I'm sure he will be fighting up front with his more experienced rivals!"
Tucker, 23, notes a series of timely events that have impacted both his professional life and his racing career over the past several years, putting him on a path toward his dream of open-wheel racing success.
“My father raced when he was younger, so he got me into quarter midgets when I was small,” said Tucker. “No expectations, just some fun on the weekends. I was pretty good, won a few events, earned Rookie of the year honors, then racing took a back seat to other sports. A few years later I had the motivation to take motorsports more seriously, focusing on gaining more car racing experience. I attended several track days and racing schools, which gave me a good base to build my racing career on.”
Tucker graduated from Fairfield University in his home state of Connecticut last year with a bachelor’s degree in economics – and that’s when the timely events began. At about the same time, his brother-in-law, a financial consultant, met with staff at FCP Euro, one of the country’s top European car parts retailers based in Milford, Conn., and immediately contacted Tucker.
“My brother-in-law thought it was a super cool place to work, and I applied as soon as I graduated from college. What’s funny is that my father’s cousins actually started the company, which used to be a little mom and pop shop, and now his cousin’s son is the company president. Small world, right? I manage third party sales, it’s a very cool job.”
Several people, including many coworkers at FCP Euro, suggested Tucker get into spec Miata racing as a way to gain more valuable wheel to wheel racing experience. Open-wheel racing had always been Tucker’s interest, and following several successful spec Miata weekends, he began to look at testing an F4 car – until a timely reconnection with a family friend changed his direction.
“I was in Texas doing an F4 test and (Cooper Tire Motorsports Director) Chris Pantani saw photos of me in the car and got in touch with my dad,” Tucker explained. “They were in the same high school class and hadn’t seen each other in years and when we met up, he told us about USF Juniors. He knew that Don had a spot open, and things just fell into place.”
Tucker has tested with the team and knows he has a learning curve ahead. He looks forward to continued input with teammate Nicholas d’Orlando and the soon-to-be-named third team driver.
“Having a teammate with a racing resumé like Nick’s is a bit intimidating, but he’s been great to work with and learn from. It’s been a great experience so far, testing has gone well, so I’m happy with how I’ve progressed. I can’t wait for the season to start!”
DC Autosport with Cape Motorsports looks forward to announcing the final addition to its 2022 USF Juniors driver lineup in the coming days. The inaugural race weekend will take place at Ozarks International Raceway April 23/24.