Drew Szuch’s remarkable underdog story culminates in first career win at NOLA

Published by Eddie Fuhrer on March 29, 2025

In the midst of his 2024 campaign, Drew Szuch admitted that financially, he was never sure if his team would make it to the next race weekend.

Working out of his parents garage in Illinois as an owner-driver for Szuch Racing at the time, he was one of the greatest underdog stories in all of American open-wheel racing during the Ligier Junior Formula Championship season, punching well above his weight to finish sixth in the championship.

Still, his future always seemed precarious in the series and compared to large teams with multiple cars in the paddock. His success against all the odds landed him a seat at Berg Racing, where after six top-five finishes 2024, he was fighting for his first win.

That fight ended Saturday, when Szuch scored his first win in the series in the second race of the year at NOLA Motorsports Park.

“We we’re able to make our way to the front right before the safety car came out,” Szuch said on the broadcast after the race. “And I can’t thank my guys enough, it has been awesome.”

The win was also the team’s first ever win since entering the series in a partnership with Doran Motorsports Group in 2024. The team is ran by former Formula One driver Allen Berg and his son Alex, who won a F4-level race himself at New Jersey Motorsports Park. On top of Szuch’s win, Berg Racing’s Harbir Dass finished third, scoring the team’s first double podium.

Szuch scored the win coming off of the opening race of the season, earlier in the day, when his engine cover blew off, causing him to fall through the field after running second. The win marked a comeback that was hard-fought after he started in fifth place.

“It’s a perfect way to get redemption,” Szuch said. “We’ve been so hooked up all weekend, the Berg Racing car has been running great, team has been working great, and I’m so glad we can finally represent what we’re capable of.”

Szuch will now turn his focus to the next race at 9:10 a.m. central time tomorrow, the first televised race in series history, which can be watched on SPEED SPORT 1. Additionally, the race can be streamed on the SpeedTour TV YouTube channel for free.

Read the original article by Eddie Fuhrer here.