MIAMI, Fla. – International Motorsport today announced the addition of versatile racer Andre Castro to its 2022 squad in the new USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires. Castro, who joins French driver Alan Isambard, announced in December, will pilot the #23 Doug Mockett & Company entry.
International Motorsport will make its first foray in the open-wheel ranks after 20 years of experience in the world of karting. The team impressed in its first official outing at the USF Juniors “Spring Training” Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park on March 22, ending the day seventh (Isambard) and eighth (Castro) fastest overall with Isambard topping the final outing and Castro logging top-four times in three of the four test sessions.
"Our driver line-up is being finalized for our first year as a team and, after looking at several options and a very successful test at Barber, we are very proud to have Andre on our team for USF Juniors in 2022,” said International Motorsport Team Principal Juan Garavaglia. “I have no doubt that he will be able to show on track all the talent that he has."
Castro, 23, of New York City, boasts a unique resume in both open-wheel and NASCAR. Beginning in karts at the age of 7, Castro graduated to cars in 2015 in the Skip Barber Karts to Cars Shootout, earning a scholarship to compete in the 2016 Skip Barber Championship Series. That was the beginning of a career that has included class wins in the 3 Hours of Bogotá, podiums in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and three top-10 finishes in a limited, six-race Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship campaign last season.
He also earned his second Team USA Scholarship nomination in 2021, this time making the final cut where he finished third in the prestigious 50th Anniversary Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, which featured nearly 100 entries.
“I’m excited to be working with International Motorsport throughout this inaugural USF Juniors season,” said Castro. “The whole team is raring to get going and I thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone at our successful first test in Barber. Thanks so much to Doug Mockett and to the International team for believing in me and for trusting in this project; now it’s time to get to work!”
An announcement on the addition of a third driver to the International Motorsport stable will be made soon.
The 2022 USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires season kicks off with a triple-header event at the new 3.97-mile, 19-turn Ozarks International Raceway road course on April 22-24.