Right on time for the launch of the inaugural season of USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires, Velocity Racing Development driver Nikita Johnson has inked a 2022 corporate sponsorship agreement with Carl Allen, owner of Allen Exploration, LLC and Walker’s Cay, a sport fishing destination located in the Abaco Islands in the northern Bahamas.
USF Juniors serves as a step to the highly acclaimed Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, offering its champion a scholarship of over $220,000 to advance to the first level – the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.
“Nikita has done a great job preparing for the 2022 USF Juniors Championship by winning the Legends Road Course World Championship and, most recently, winning three of six races at the YACademy Winter Series USF Juniors Championship,” said VRD Team Owner Daniel Mitchell. “He has been an integral part of our driver academy from the very beginning. VRD is very excited for the new Allen Exploration sponsorship, and we are eager to begin the championship in April!”
Johnson, 13, from Gulfport, Florida, picked up the first win of his formula career back in March 2021 taking victory in Race 2 of YACademy Winter Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Due to age restrictions, he had to take a back seat and patiently wait his turn to compete in the championship. He kept busy racing and winning in US Legends cars with Joe Ryan Race Cars out of Mooresville, N.C., recently going pro and winning two of his first three races. This spring Nikita won the YACademy Winter Series USF Junior championship.
“We at Allen Exploration and Walker’s Cay are excited to support Nikita’s dream to race open-wheel cars at the highest level," said Carl Allen. “I first met Nikita’s father, Obie, during the Hurricane Dorian disaster relief effort. Last year, I met Nikita on Walker’s Cay and began to follow this well-mannered young man. I have been very impressed by his work ethic and winning ways at such a young age. We look forward to Obie and Nikita fishing our 2nd Annual Walker’s Cay Blue Marlin Invitational in mid-May.”
"I’m super happy to have the support of Mr. Carl Allen,” said Johnson. “Our family fishes around Walker’s and Grand Cay whenever we have downtime from racing. I first met the Allen's while my family helped provide satellite communications after the hurricane. The Allen's have invested a lot of time and effort restoring Walker’s Cay and helping the people on the adjacent Grand Cay. The legendary fishing destination of Walker’s Cay, Abaco, Bahamas is experiencing a rebirth by Allen Exploration’s Carl Allen. This northern most island in the Bahamas is being rebuilt and will provide many jobs to help the local economy and families on adjacent islands."
Johnson added: “When we win, we aren’t going to Disney; we are going to Walker’s Cay! I also want to thank my first two sponsors Tiger Precision Products and PSA Check Cancer charity for continuing to support me. I really can’t wait for the first race of the season in 2022!”
VRD Racing, based out of Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawsonville, Ga., is freshly back from a dominant final weekend at COTA in front of a record F1 crowd. For more information on how to get involved in a VRD Academy training program, please contact team owner Dan Mitchell at dan@danmitchellmotorsport.com.