LEXINGTON, Ohio -- Andretti Autosport driver Zach Veach continues his USF2000 summer racing schedule with a stint on his home turf at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Veach, 16, joins the full 'Mazda Road to Indy' developmental ladder system in support of the IZOD IndyCar Series' headliner at the 50-year-old racing facility.

'I've always wanted to race at my home track, Mid-Ohio, since I was a little kid, so I'm really excited for the upcoming race there,' said Veach, who was announced as one of 12 nominees for the 2011 Team USA Scholarship earlier this week. 'I had the opportunity to participate in a series test there and was one of the fastest cars so that is great confidence heading into the race weekend. We made up some ground in the championship at Milwaukee but there's still a lot of work left! USF2000 is a tough season this year; there are five different drivers that can win the championship."

Veach enters his very first race at Mid-Ohio on the heels of two straight runner-up finishes at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and at The Milwaukee Mile, respectively. The Zakosi Data Backup car No. 7 is now second in series points heading into the 13-turn 2.25 mile road course. Already this year, Veach has taken two race wins and three pole positions to capture the inaugural Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 Winterfest Championship. This season, he has earned three pole positions, a race win and five top-five finishes.

'This weekend at Mid-Ohio we have to do our best with the Zakosi Data Backup Mazda, and try to come out with a win or at least a podium,' said Veach. 'I know I have a great team, and together anything is possible with a lot of hard work.'

As the race weekend approaches, Veach returns from much-needed leisure time with his family and friends. You can read more about Zach's down time and his new RC car hobby by reading his latest diary entry exclusive to RACER Magazine. Check up on Veach every month as he offers training tips, updates on his life and career, and insights on upcoming races.

Veach is proud to be hosting NHRA driver Roger Gustin at this year's race at Mid-Ohio. Gustin is one of the first racers Zach was privileged to meet when he was a kid. His personality was something that stood out significantly to the young racer. He was very open and approachable to fans, unlike some professional athletes. Now an accomplished racer himself, Veach is excited to return the favor this weekend.

Having the opportunity to race so close to his home in Stockdale, Ohio means performing for the home crowd. Veach expects almost two dozen family members at this race, as well as a number of representatives from his new sponsor The Young Marines. This 'home field' feel makes the 2011 Mid-Ohio all the more special to Veach, who places a strong value on family.

To follow Veach's progress at the Mid-Ohio in Lexington, OH, live timing and scoring is available on www.USF2000timing.com or for more information, please visit www.ZachVeach.com or www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the USF2000 National Championship, presented by Cooper Racing Tires and powered by Mazda, is one of three series part of both INDYCAR's 'Mazda Road to Indy' ladder system and the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver program.

About Zach Veach:
Zach 'Ziggy' Veach is a 16-year-old autoracing driver who competes in INDYCAR's 'Mazda Road to Indy' USF2000 National Championship Series, an important open-wheel stepping-stone to a career in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. In 2011, Veach captured the USF2000 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship, on the heels of placing fifth in the 2010 season, despite missing two race events. In 2010, Michael Andretti signed Veach to his team, Andretti Autosport, while Veach was also being named one of CNN's 'Intriguing People' and was also nominated for Sports Illustrated 'Sports Kid of the Year' award. In addition to his racing, Veach is an advocate for safer driving in conjunction with Oprah Winfrey's 'No Phone Zone,' and is the national spokesperson for FocusDriven, an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using their cell phones. In 2010, Veach released his first published Android application through his phone-app building company, ZaAPP, releasing urTXT, in the Marketplace for Android to help consumers avoid dangerous text messaging while driving and helms his own safe driving program, Ziggy's Safe Driving, which hits 25 markets across the country each year. Veach has been a guest or profiled on a variety of national platforms including NBC's The Today Show, CNN's Headline News, ABCNews.com, Oprah Radio's The Gayle King Show, The Los Angeles Times, AOL.com and is a blogger for RACER magazine. The son of a national truck and tractor-pulling champion, Veach entered his sophomore year of high school this past fall and released his first book, 99 THINGS TEENS WISH THEY KNEW BEFORE TURNING 16, on March 2, 2011. For more information, please visit www.ZachVeach.com.