Announcing the first driver in the 2025 USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire campaign last week, TJ Speed has confirmed that Kiwi driver Sebastian Manson will make his series debut in St. Pete. Inking a deal to compete in the full USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire series with TJ Speed, the Official Driver Development Program of HMD Motorsports, Manson will join Evagoras Papasavvas in a powerful one-two driver effort.
“We welcome Sebastian to the family and will work hard over the next few months to get him up to speed before the first race of the season in St. Pete,” explained TJ Speed’s Tim Neff. “Sebastian is a welcomed addition to our efforts and is the second confirmed driver for our 2025 season.”
Hailing from New Zealand, Manson has been on a meteoric rise through open-wheel racing and could be the next Kiwi superstar in North American motorsports. Making the move from karts to cars full-time in 2024, Manson earned 14 victories and four pole positions in 18 races in the Yokohama South Island Formula Ford Championship on his way to the series title. Also competing in the Giltrap Group North Island Formula Ford Series, the talented Kiwi garnered eight wins and a total of 12 podium results in 13 races. He then continued his winning ways in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship, claiming seven more victories and 11 podiums in a Vice-Championship effort. If racing throughout his home country wasn’t enough, Manson traveled to Japan for the Formula Regional Japanese Championship and, in 12 races, scored six podium results and two pole positions in a season-long second-place effort.
Neff continued, “Sebastian lacked a little speed at our Fall Combine Test, but a new car, new team, new track, and one of his first time driving with wings, still performed very well. We had three rookies in Indy for the test, and it was more about getting them comfortable and up to speed with the Pro 2000 car and not the hunt for speed. With a lot of testing scheduled between now and our first green flag of the season, we will ensure that all of our drivers are up to speed.”
With two drivers now confirmed for a three-car effort in 2025, stay tuned for more announcements from TJ Speed coming soon.
For more information on TJ Speed or to contact Tim Neff, please email TJSpeed1@aol.com or by phone at 321.508.6348. TJ Speed can also be found online on Facebook, X, and Instagram by searching “TJ Speed” or by visiting their website, www.TJSpeed.com.
RTD Media | TJ Speed | Photos: RTD Media
