Michael d'Orlando

ROAD TO INDY – COOPER TIRES USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP

Born: March 6, 2002
Height: 6' 4"

Michael d’Orlando is one of the United States’ top motorsports talents making his mark on the open wheel car racing scene around North America. After a nine year career in karting, working his way up to the world championship level, Michael made his move into race cars in 2018.

The 19-year-old American from Hartsdale, NY began kart racing at the age of six ,at Oakland Valley Race Park in Cuddebackville, NY. He earned an extensive resume at the national and international level, including multiple championship titles. The culmination of his karting career was capped off as a factory team driver for the world-renowned Birel ART racing team based in Italy.

Michael transitioned from karts to cars, in a limited capacity, in 2018 when he competed in only four events of the Road to Indy Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship series. In 2019, he competed in only four events in the F4 United States Championship series. With such limited experience, he caught the attention of many, with two top-6 finishes in USF2000 and a podium at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX, in front of a packed stadium with fans for the United States Formula 1 Grand Prix.

For the 2020 season, which was drastically delayed and condensed due the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael returned to the Road to Indy Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship series, for his first full season of car racing. Under the direction and support of Indianapolis-based Cape Motorsports race team, one of the most accredited race teams in the Road to Indy, the partnership resulted in five podium appearances, including his maiden victory in open-wheel car racing. This success earned him 4th place overall in the Drivers’ Championship, just slightly behind of the highly experienced top-3 competitors.

In Michael’s 2021 season, still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, he continued to build on his success in the USF2000 series with Cape Motorsports. Michael and the team continued to show speed throughout the season and together they achieved 8 podium finishes; including 3 wins, 5 pole positions, and 2 USF2000 qualifying track records. Even with his strong results, bad luck struck several times throughout the season. Michael and the team’s forced success earned him a 2nd place finish in the Driver’s Championship. He was the only competitor mathematically capable of winning the championship in the last race weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

For 2022, he continues to work on developing a plan to return to the Road to Indy.

Career Highlights:

2x Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Grand Finals Team USA member
US Rotax Grand National Mini MAX
2x US Rotax Grand Nationals Vice-Champion
2x Florida Winter Tour Champion
Florida Winter Tour Vice-Champion
SuperKarts! USA Pro Tour Vice-Champion
2014 Nominated #1 cadet driver in North America by both Kart360.com and KartRank.com
Factory Team Driver for Birel ART racing team, Lissone, Italy
2017 Top-15 CIK FIA World Championships, Kristianstad, Sweden
2020 Road To Indy Fourth Overall Driver Championship (1 victory, 5 podium appearances)
2021 Road to Indy’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship – Vice Champion in Driver Championship (3 victories, 8 podium appearances, 5 pole positions, 2 qualifying track records)

MICHAEL D'ORLANDO IS THE 2021 ROAD TO INDY USF2000 VICE-CHAMPION
October 12, 2021

18 races. 8 weekends. 7 states. Days and hours of countless preparation, planning, practice and determination. On track and off track. It never stopped. d’Orlando Enterprises is proud to present to you the 2021 Road to Indy Cooper Tires USF2000 Vice-Champion….

MICHAEL D’ORLANDO

POLE POSITION, TRACK RECORD NOT ENOUGH FOR MICHAEL D'ORLANDO AT NJMP
September 8, 2021

You’d think that in a poker game on a race track, having two pole positions and a track record would deal a pretty good hand for victory. But when mother nature plays her trump card, all bets are off.

That was the story for Michael d’Orlando at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in the Cooper Tires USF 2000 championship series with the Road to Indy driver development program.