US RaceTronics’ young development driver Steven Aghakhani impressed team owner Shane Seneviratne last week during his first competitive event with the team at Buttonwillow Raceway Park.
Aghakhani drove a Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo car in Friday’s event after spending Thursday testing with the team.
The single-day event saw the 13-year-old native Californian finishing at the top of the speed charts in each of the 20-minute sessions he ran in as well as posting the fastest overall time of the day.
Seneviratne was impressed with not only the youngster’s speed, but also his focus on learning everything he could during his two days with the team.
“Steven really demonstrated his capabilities,” he said. “It was a great event; very much like qualifying where you have to find a gap and put down your fastest lap. So far Steven has done a great job in every outing he’s participated in and he’s made substantial improvements from when he first stepped into the car.
“He’s a good listener; he retains the information he’s given and applies what he learns. We’re looking forward to participating in more events with him to continue developing his racing skills.”
Aghakhani started racing go-karts when he was 7 after spending time at the race track with his dad.
He just recently made the transition to cars and is already proving that he’s got what it takes to succeed. He ran approximately 60 laps on Friday with a fast time of 1:49; fastest of the 65 cars participating.
The participants were divided into three groups by skill level and Aghakhani was placed with 19 other drivers in the most skilled group of the day. The young driver is excited about the opportunity and happy with all the support he’s getting.
“To be able to race the Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo at Buttonwillow feels amazing,” Aghakhani said. “I love racing, but I also love the community and support that comes with it.
“My dad has supported me through this sport from the beginning and he’s the best coach. Now that we are progressing into bigger events with faster cars, I just feel really lucky to have talented instructors around me and to be a part of the US RaceTronics Team”.
The team intends to participate with Aghakhani in as many different environments as possible to ensure that he gets the experience he needs to compete at the top-level for his sport as soon as he’s old enough to obtain his license.