Belardi Auto Racing has signed Alon Day, a 20-year-old Israeli driver, to its Indy Lights lineup for the 2012 season. Day tested for the team at Palm Beach International Raceway in December.
“Alon really blew us away when he came down to test with us at Palm Beach in December,” said team owner Brian Belardi. “His very first time in an Indy Lights car could not have gone better, and we are very lucky to have him join our program.”
Day, who the team projects as the first Israeli driver to ever compete on U.S. soil, advanced through karting into Formula Renault, where he accumulated 13 podiums, eight poles and six wins. However, in March 2010, he was asked to join the Israeli Army for three years.
He was pardoned shortly thereafter due to his career accomplishments, and continued to race by competing in the German Formula 3 Championship in 2010. Ex-Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz later selected Day to be one of 12 FIA Ambassadors as part of the FIA Institute Academy Initiative, which was founded in 2011. Day was one of 500 applicants for the FIA Ambassador role.
“I am so delighted to announce that I will be competing with Belardi Auto Racing for the 2012 Indy Lights championship,” Day said. “I had a great test with Belardi in December, and I got to have a real think about things over Christmas, and I decided to make a commitment with Belardi in the Lights championship. Brian [Belardi] and John [Brunner] have been great – they have accommodated for us on every level.”