Indianapolis, Ind. – Ohioan karting champion Evagoras Papasavvas will make the jump to formula machinery in 2022, joining Jay Howard Driver Development for next season’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship campaign.

Carrying the given name of a Greek king who was regarded as a model leader, Papasavvas is accustomed to leading the way on the karting track. With multiple karting championships under his belt, his record of wins and successes dates back to 2016—and he is still only 13 years old.

Come time for his Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires debut, Papasavvas will be one of the youngest drivers on the grid at 14 years of age. The USF2000 field will be as competitive as ever, but the rookie is ready for the challenge. Having already established himself as a precocious talent on the national karting scene, Evagoras is undeterred by the task of moving straight from karts to cars.

“I am very excited to start my career as a race car driver with JHDD,” said Papasavvas. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with a team that has consistently produced championship success on the Road to Indy, as it is my goal to climb the ladder and become a professional racing driver at the highest level.”

As a JHDD academy member, Evagoras participated in a comprehensive testing program with the team in USF2000 machinery during the 2021 season. After last month’s successful open test at Road America, the team is looking forward to welcoming Evagoras on board for the run up to the season-opening series test at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“I am excited to have Evagoras on the team. He has shown great pace in testing,” said team owner Jay Howard. “He is going to be one of the youngest drivers in USF2000 and a true rookie, straight from junior karting to USF2000. I am looking forward to watching his development and helping him translate his natural speed into results. We’ll be preparing him over the winter for the 2022 season and the many on-track battles to come.”

The JHDD team will continue their comprehensive off-season testing plan throughout the winter, before official series testing begins at the Homestead Miami Speedway Road Course in Florida on February 14-15 for Spring Training. Stay tuned to JHDD’s official social media channels for news, highlights, updates and behind-the-scenes insights.