Aaron Telitz (born December 13, 1991) is an American race car driver. He currently competes full-time in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, driving for AIM Vasser Sullivan.
| Aaron Telitz | |
|---|---|
 Telitz at Road America in 2018 | |
| Nationality |  American |
| Born | December 13, 1991 Birchwood, Wisconsin |
| Indy Lights career | |
| Debut season | 2017 |
| Current team | Belardi Auto Racing |
| Racing licence |  FIA Gold |
| Car number | 4 |
| Starts | 39 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Poles | 3 |
| Fastest laps | 4 |
| Previous series | |
| 2014–2015 2016 | U.S. F2000 National Championship Pro Mazda Championship |
| Awards | |
| 2014 | Team USA Scholarship |
Career
editBorn in Birchwood, Wisconsin, Telitz began his racing career in karting in 1998. He remained in karting until 2012. In 2014, Telitz moved into open-wheel racing, competing in the U.S. F2000 National Championship with ArmsUp Motorsports. He claimed a win and six podiums in 14 races, ending fourth in the season standings. Telitz returned to the series in 2015, moving to Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. He got a win and 11 podiums in 16 races, finishing third in the final classification.
In 2016, Telitz moved up the Road to Indy ladder, graduating into the Pro Mazda Championship with Team Pelfrey.[1] He collected six wins and six second place finishes in 16 races, claiming the championship over teammate Patricio O'Ward.
Belardi Auto Racing signed Telitz for the 2017 Indy Lights season, and he scored a second-place finish in the Freedom 100.[2] He stayed with the team for the following year.[3] Also during 2018, Telitz tested an IndyCar for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.[4]
After not finding enough funding to remain in open-wheel racing for 2019, Telitz was contacted by Jimmy Vasser in late 2018 to compete for his WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team for the four endurance championship events, starting with the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona with co-drivers Townsend Bell, Frankie Montecalvo and Jeff Segal. As part of the deal, Telitz would accompany Vasser's IMSA and IndyCar teams to all other events in hopes of moving to the IndyCar operation.[5] He started off the season with a second place at Daytona.[6]
Telitz still found his way into open-wheel racing during 2019; however, as he signed with Belardi for the Freedom 100, which was derailed with a broken half shaft.[7] A month later, he returned to Belardi for his home event at Road America.[8] His schedule expanded as the season went on, eventually winning a Lights contest in Toronto.[9]
For 2020, Telitz initially re-upped with AVS Vasser Sullivan for four WTSCC endurance events. That schedule was expanded to a full-time ride in June when original full-time driver Parker Chase found that the reconfigured schedule would clash with his educational pursuits.[10]
Personal life
editTelitz is a painter and during his 2018 season sold paintings to pay for crash damage.[3] On November 22, 2021, Aaron's wife Maggie gave birth to a son.
Racing record
editCareer summary
edit* Season still in progress.
American open-wheel racing results
editU.S. F2000 National Championship
edit| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ArmsUp Motorsports | STP 16 |
STP 12 |
BAR 5 |
BAR 2 |
IMS 3 |
IMS 11 |
LOR 1 |
TOR 6 |
TOR 3 |
MDO 7 |
MDO 2 |
MDO 7 |
SNM 2 |
SNM 4 |
4th | 246 | ||
| 2015 | Cape Motorsports Wayne Taylor Racing |
STP 2 |
STP 2 |
NOL 2 |
NOL 16 |
BAR 1 |
BAR 4 |
IMS 3 |
IMS 2 |
LOR 3 |
TOR 6 |
TOR 5 |
MDO 3 |
MDO 3 |
MDO 2 |
LAG 4 |
LAG 2 |
3rd | 348 |
Pro Mazda Championship
edit| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Team Pelfrey | STP 2 |
STP 1 |
ALA 2 |
ALA 2 |
IMS 7 |
IMS 2 |
LOR 5 |
RDA 1 |
RDA 1 |
TOR 1 |
TOR 1 |
MOH 2 |
MOH 3 |
LGA 2 |
LGA 5 |
LGA 1 |
1st | 421 |
Indy Lights
edit| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Belardi Auto Racing | STP 1 |
STP 5 |
ALA 13 |
ALA 5 |
IMS 6 |
IMS 13 |
INDY 2 |
RDA 11 |
RDA 5 |
IOW 9 |
TOR 5 |
TOR 2 |
MDO 8 |
MDO 5 |
GMP 15 |
WGL 1 |
6th | 271 | ||
| 2018 | Belardi Auto Racing | STP DNS |
STP 9 |
ALA 8 |
ALA 4 |
IMS 3 |
IMS 2 |
INDY 6 |
RDA 5 |
RDA 3 |
IOW 7 |
TOR 4 |
TOR 3 |
MDO 7 |
MDO 7 |
GTW 5 |
POR 6 |
POR 2 |
6th | 316 | |
| 2019 | Belardi Auto Racing | STP |
STP |
COA |
COA |
IMS | IMS | INDY 9 |
RDA 3 |
RDA 5 |
TOR 1 |
TOR 6 |
MDO 8 |
MDO 6 |
GTW | POR | POR | LAG | LAG | 9th | 133 |
Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results
edit| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | AIM Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.0 L V8 | DAY 2 |
SEB 9 |
MDO | DET | WGL 9 |
MOS | LIM | ELK | VIR | LGA | PET 11 |
25th | 96 | |
| 2020 | AIM Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.0 L V8 | DAY 12 |
DAY 1 |
SEB 1† |
ELK 3 |
VIR 4 |
ATL 5 |
MDO 1 |
CLT 8 |
PET 2 |
LGA 11 |
SEB 12 |
3rd | 267 | |
| 2021 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.0 L V8 | DAY 16 |
SEB 7 |
MDO 13 |
DET 4† |
WGL 6 |
WGL 1† |
LIM 3 |
ELK 5 |
LGA 6 |
LBH 4 |
VIR 3 |
PET 15 |
7th | 2640 |
| 2022 | Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Toyota 2UR 5.0 L V8 | DAY 15 |
LBH 3† |
LGA 8 |
MDO 3 |
DET 4 |
WGL 16 |
MOS 6† |
LIM 8 |
ELK 3 |
VIR 4 |
PET 13 |
10th | 2341 | |
| GTD Pro | SEB 7 |
30th | 265 | |||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Toyota 2UR 5.0 L V8 | DAY 5 |
SEB 5 |
LBH 3 |
LGA 14 |
WGL 1 |
MOS 6 |
LIM 12 |
ELK 5 |
VIR 5 |
IMS 14 |
PET 16 |
3rd | 2927 | |
| 2024 | Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Toyota 2UR 5.0 L V8 | DAY 15 |
SEB 13 |
LBH | LGA | WGL 4 |
MOS | ELK | VIR | IMS 22 |
PET |
37th* | 821* | ||
† Points only counted towards the WeatherTech Sprint Cup and not the overall GTD Championship. * Season still in progress.
References
edit- ^ "Aaron Telitz". Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ^ "Telitz thrilled with second place in Freedom 100". IndyCar on NBC. May 26, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ a b Kallman, Dave. "Indianapolis 500 hopeful Aaron Teltiz sells paintings to stay on track". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (April 3, 2018). "Telitz finding unique ways to pay off crash damage". RACER. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ Kallman, Dave. "Sports cars might not be the detour they seem for Indy hopeful Aaron Telitz". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ Glendenning, Mark (April 12, 2019). "AIM Vasser Sullivan tie validates Telitz's IndyCar ambitions". RACER. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ "Tough Going for Belardi Auto Racing in the Freedom 100". Indy Lights. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ "Telitz returns to Belardi Indy Lights team for Road America". RACER. June 13, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ Allan, Lance (October 7, 2019). "Wisconsin native hoping for call-up to IndyCar Series". WMTJ. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ Allaway, Phil (June 24, 2020). "Aaron Telitz to Drive Remainder of 2020 for AVS Vasser Sullivan". Frontstretch. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
External links
edit- Official website
- Aaron Telitz career summary at DriverDB.com