POST Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete presented by RP Funding Update:
Gulfport resident Nikita Johnson has a need for speed. He and his brother Kai are on the race car circuit in the U.S. and abroad and he just returned from a successful run in Europe. In the March 3-5 Grand Prix, Johnson is the USF 2000 presented by Cooper Tires rookie driver of the No. 17 VRD Racing. Not bad for a 9th grader with a 4.0 GPA!
He’s been racing since he was five, starting off first with karts in the U.S. and Italy, always winning and moving up. At age 13, he was the youngest F4 Champion in history. Nikita’s 2023 goals are to win the USF 2000 Road to Indy Championship and scholarship and place top 3 in the European FIA Formula 4. His home track is Sebring International Raceway, and he already has sponsorship from Walkers Cay Resort, Allen Exploration, Tiger Precision Products and PSA Check Charity.
His track record is impressive. In 2022, he finished third in the inaugural USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires title chase with three wins, seven additional podium finishes and two pole positions. Johnson also contested a partial season in the Cooper Tires USF 2000 Championship, qualifying among the top five in seven of his eight starts and earning a best finish of second at Portland International Raceway and was a USF Juniors YACademy Winter Series Champion.
In 2021, the cool cat was a Legends Road Course World Champion, third-place oval (asphalt) and won an F4 Homestead YACademy Race and a F3 and Indy Pro track records at Homestead (unofficial). In 2020, he set the Legends track record at Lincoln, Penn., on the dirt oval (all classes) and was second in the National Championship dirt oval.
On his bucket list: “I want to earn a Rolex Daytona 24 Hours watch,” says Johnson. “And to be the next American in F1.” His racing hero is Max Verstappen but he is also a Tampa Bay Lightning fan. When he’s not racing, he enjoys your typical Florida pastimes such as spear fishing, rock climbing, fishing, hunting, working out and is an avid animal lover. Follow him on Facebook at nikitajohnsonracing.