Aaron Justus

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Aaron Justus

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| nationality = {{flagicon|USA}} American

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|10|23}}

| birth_place = Pittsfield, Illinois

| death_date =

| death_place =

| retired = 2003

| related to =

| last series = Atlantic Championship

| years active = 2002-2003

| teams = Performance Development & Racing
RuSPORT

| starts = 15

| wins = 0

| poles = 0

| fastest laps =

| best finish = 5th

| year = 2003

| prev series = USF2000
USAC Formula Russell

| prev series years = 1996-2000
1995

| titles = USF2000

| title years = 2000

| awards =

| award years =

}}

Aaron Justus (born October 23, 1973, in Pittsfield, Illinois){{cite web|title=Aaron Justus |url=http://www.toyotaatlantic.com/ |website=Toyota Atlantic Championship |accessdate=13 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031003201410/http://www.toyotaatlantic.com/ |archivedate=October 3, 2003 }} is a former American racing driver. Justus won the USF2000 championship in the year 2000 and continued into the Atlantic Championship. Currently Justus is an entrepreneur with his own graphics design company.

Career

Justus started his karting career in 1981 at the age of eight. In 1985, the young driver won the IKF Grand National Championship in the Junior I class. He won another Grand National Championship in 1988 in the Junior III class.{{cite web|title=2012 IKF Grand National Annual|url=http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/stroud_design_2/kn-november12-opt/2012120301/7.html#7|website=IKF|accessdate=13 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216065205/http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/stroud_design_2/kn-november12-opt/2012120301/7.html#7|archive-date=16 February 2016|url-status=dead}}

In 1995, Justus started his formula racing career in the United States Auto Club sanctioned Formula Russell Championship winning the series. For 1996, Justus was one of 25 drivers selected for the Team Green Academy.{{cite web|title=Team Green Academy Names 25 Drivers For Program|url=http://champcar.com/news96/sc_n1114.html|website=Champcar.com|accessdate=13 February 2016}} After catching the eye of Atlantic Championship and CART team owner John Della Penna the plan was to replace Richie Hearn in the Atlantics race seat. However money was a factor and the budget did not come together.{{cite web|title=Aaron Justus |url=http://www.usff2000.com/99Season/bios/justus_aaron.htm |website=USF2000 |accessdate=13 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030827233232/http://www.usff2000.com/99Season/bios/justus_aaron.htm |archivedate=August 27, 2003 }} In 1996, Justus started four USF2000 races. His best result was in the streets of St. Petersburg where he finished fifth. Funding his racing efforts with graphics design work Justus did not race in 1997. In 1998, Justus had one single USF2000 outing, at the 1998 Colorado Grand Prix. Justus finished his Van Diemen chassis in third place for the first race, behind David Besnard and Sam Hornish Jr.{{cite web|title=Colorado Race Results |url=http://www.usff2000.com/98Season/colorace.htm |website=USF2000 |accessdate=13 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010218085000/http://www.usff2000.com/98Season/colorace.htm |archivedate=February 18, 2001 }}

The sole 1998 outing impressed Gerald Forsythe who brought Justus in at Cape Motorsports for the 1999 season. Justus won the third round of the season at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Later in the season, Justus also won the second race at Road Atlanta. Despite missing the last four races of the season, Justus finished tenth in the season standings. He returned with the team for 2000 for a full-time outing. In 2000, Justus dominated the series. Justus claimed eight pole positions in thirteen races. The young driver won five of the races and claimed the championship.{{cite web|title=US F2000 National Championship Point Standings |url=http://www.usff2000.com/season2000/natlpts.htm |website=USF2000 |accessdate=13 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031127201013/http://www.usff2000.com/season2000/natlpts.htm |archivedate=November 27, 2003 }}

After a sabbatical Justus returned for 2002 for three races in the Atlantic Championship with Performance Development & Racing. His best finish was a seventh place at the Denver street circuit. For 2003, Justus joined RuSPORT for a full-time effort alongside A. J. Allmendinger. Despite failing to win a race, Justus scored four podium finishes. Justus finished fifth in the series standings.{{cite web|title=Aaron Justus|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/atlantic/drivers/JustusAaron.htm|website=ChampCar Stats.com|accessdate=13 February 2016}} At the end of the season Justus retired from competitive autosport to run his graphics design company Manifest Group.{{cite web|title=MOTORSPORTS BY MANIFEST DESIGN|url=http://www.inthepitsmedia.com/content/motorsports-manifest-design|website=In the Pits Media|accessdate=13 February 2016}}

Racing record

=American Open-Wheel racing results=

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest race lap)

==USF2000 National Championship==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Entrant

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! Pos

! Points

1996

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| WDW
27

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| STP
5

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| PIR
25

|style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| DSC1
11

| MOS

| IRP

| RIR

| WGI1

| WGI2

| MOH

| NHS

| LVS

|style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| N.C.

1998

| WDW

| PIR

| HMS1

| HMS2

| WGI

| MOH1

| MIN

| CHA1

| CHA2

| MOH2

| ATL

|style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| PPI
3

|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"| PPI
6

|style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| N.C.

1999

! Cape Motorsports

|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"| PIR
7

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| CHA1
28

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| CHA2
1

|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| MOS
2

|style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| MOS
14

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| MOH
26

| ATL

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| ROA1
22

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| ROA2
1

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| CTR
5

| MOH

| PPI

| SEB1

| SEB2

|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"| 10th

|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"| 132

2000

! Cape Motorsports

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| PIR
1

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| MOS1
5

|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| MOS2
2

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| IRP1
1

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| ROA1
1

|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"| ROA1
6

|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| TRR
2

|style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| MOS3
3

|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| WGI1
22

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| WGI2
1

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| IRP2
1

|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| ATL1
4

|style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| ATL2
3

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| 1st

|style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| 293

==Atlantic Championship==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
Year ! Team ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! Rank ! Points
2002 ! Performance Development & Racing \|MTY \|LBH \|MIL \|LS \|POR \|CHI \|TOR \|CLE \|TRR \|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"\|ROA 8 \|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"\|MTL 23 \|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"\|DEN 7 \|style="background-color:#CFCFFF"\| 21st \|style="background-color:#CFCFFF"\| 17
2003 ! RuSPORT \|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"\|MTY 5 \|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"\|LBH 2 \|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"\|MIL 5 \|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"\|LS 4 \|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"\|POR 5 \|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"\|CLE 13 \|style="background-color:#DFDFDF"\|TOR 2 \|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"\|TRR 14 \|style="background-color:#FFDF9F"\|MOH 3 \|style="background-color:#FFDF9F"\|MTL 3 \|style="background-color:#EFCFFF"\|DEN 13 \|style="background-color:#CFEAFF"\|MIA 7 \|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"\| 5th \|style="background-color:#DFFFDF"\| 123

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"

Year

! Team

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9