THE PODIUM
WAITS FOR YOU
THE TRAJECTORY OF A WINNER
1980-1990
Vanderlan Alcantara de Souza Junior which known in the professional motorsport as Vanderlan Jr., was born in October 29 of 1980 at Rio Verde City, State of Goias, located in the Midwest of Brazil. began his career with 09 years old, in 1989 in the city of Goiania, State of Goias - Brazil. Son of Vanderlan Alcantara De Souza and Sandra Mara Soares Alcantara.
At 4.5 years old, his father gave him as a Christmas gift and good grades in school, a "mini-buggy". A sort of mini-car with 04 wheels, 03 speed positions, made of fiberglass and equipped with a 20.5 cc engine and combustion gasoline.
After his father had shown him 01 SINGLE TIME AS DRIVING, he was touched on the ability to learn and feelings of distances of obstacles to the vision of a highly skilled child with his hands and feet in perfect synchronism.
Invited by local parades to be held on holidays the city authorities when drawing the attention of people by having only 5 years old and already mastering a "vehicle" with the exact time to accelerate and brake in the middle of hundreds of people in the streets celebrating . His first Go Kart arrived on his birthday in 1989 and when he had his first contact with the Go Kart in race track was on November 3, 1989. On his first day in a real race car, Vanderlan Jr. was the fastest beginner driver ever seen before. The first Championship came on the first year, 1990. In his first year, he won the championship.
1990-1999
He remained in the first step Go Kart for 7 years, 1990 to 1996. During these years, he accumulated 5 Championship titles and two Second Place titles:
1990 - Regional Champion Go Kart 56 cc.
1991 - Champion West Center Go Kart 56 cc
1992 - Champion of Goianiense Cup Go Kart 56 cc
1993 - Began testing and was Champion West Center Go Kart 125 cc
1994 - Second Place League Cup Kelps Bronsik Go Kart 125 cc
1995 - Champion Goianiense Go Kart 125 cc
1996 - Championship Second Place West Center Go Kart 125cc
The beginning of the second step of his career was already away from home. Many trips and commitments, make the teenager of 16 years old, start his own paths (airports and race tracks) in Brazil. It was time to test a REAL RACE CAR, the called "open-wheel car".
The F-CHEVROLET series would be a too high step to rise, but the tests carried out on the track of Curitiba - PR (southern Brazil) speak for itself that the boy was prepared to sit in this 160 HP Car and represent the state of Goias in all tracks of Brazil next year. It was time to work with Sponsor to support him.
The competence and results on the track, opened the door in ARISCO Company, the same sponsor of Rubens Barrichello in Formula 1, and the contract was signed for 02 years. The year of 1997 was a year to learning for Vanderlan Jr. in F-Chevrolet . 16 years old and already in a national series in Brazil, he was seek knowledge and techniques with THE BEST engineer and couch that a young race car driver can have on your side: Nelson Piquet (father).
In this year, Vanderlan Jr. was voted to the AWARD of DRIVER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR by GM of BRAZIL and CBA, the FIA members. Results :
1997 - 5th Place at Londrina - PR - Brazil
1997 - 4th Place in Interlagos - SP - Brazil
1997 - Rookie Of The Year Driver by CBA
1998 - 3th Place in Curitiba – PR - Brazil
1998 - 1st Pole Position in RIO DE JANEIRO – RJ - Brazil
1998 - 4th Place in Interlagos - SP - Brazil
1998 - 109 Points in the Championship
THE DECISION
He was invited by BARBER DODGE PRO SERIES (USA) still in November of 1998 to test the 280 HP car with six-speed sequences with limited slip system on the rear wheels coming to the end speed of 155 mph.
Asked by the couch, Mr. Louis D’Agostino (USA) in the with the couch and Brazilian driver Oswaldo Negri (BRA), how he had adapted so well in the car and traced running so fast with power-shift clutch system, Vanderlan Jr. replied: Clutch? which clutch? I'm changing gears without using the clutch! He had to explain to the other riders who also tested the car that day to switch gears without using the clutch and without destroying the engine.
That was a unique moment, and the decision was made. Vanderlan Jr. moved to USA in January 03 of 1999
1999-2004
This moving to USA opens many doors, of then was to test with CONQUEST RACING Indy Lights Team at Sebring track.
Results:
1999 - 7th Place in 1st Race at Sebring - FL
1999 - 3th Place in Portland - OR
1999 - 1st Place at Las Vegas - NV - 1st Oval Track of Barber Dodge Pro Series Official Test;
1999 - Rookie of The Year elected by BARBER DODGE Executive Directors and Coaches
2000 - Official Driver Development for Michelin Tires
2001 - Official Driver Development for AIM and Michelin Tires
2002 - Official Test Driver for BARBER DODGE PRO SERIES
The 2003 was a really busy year been Petrobras Official Test Driver and Developer of Aviation Gasoline in Race Cars and high performance engine. It was 63 Thousand Kilometers in 11 months at 3 different tracks including Interlagos - SP . “Sometimes we would go to bed at midnight studying the telemetry graphics and find out why we had lost power or the engines blowup. We literally exploded 9 Honda Mugen engines of a cost of $91 thousand dollars each” Experimenting with the components and additives that Petrobras sends to us to the track. Some engines, did not support 01 lap and breakup. That fascinated myself because was a lot experiences we were having right there.”_Vanderlan Jr.
Because of the experience and good job during the long years, an Italian Team of Formula Renault invited Vanderlan Jr. to drive for them on 2004 and he accepted. It was a Reynard Carbon Fiber chassi, 298 HP with Michelin tires, the same exactly Car of Formula 3 that he was using in Brazil for Petrobras program. The first race at Valelunga Track was a blessed day. Always on Top 10 of 28 cars, he start at 6th place, got involved in an accident the first lap and fall to 21st Place. In the middle of the race, the rain came and Vanderlan Jr. just remembered all the learning he had during the GoKart and Formula Chevrolet Brazil.
He changed the settings on the dashboard and started the “climb” to finish the race in 4th place.
Results:
2004 - 4th Place - first race - Italian F-Renault 2000
2004 - 7th Place - Binetto - Bari - F-Renault 2000
2004 - 6th Place - Spa Francorchamps - Belgium - F-Renault 2000
2004 - Rookie Of The Year - CSA and F-Renault 2000 Series
The hard moment came with an accident on September 2004 witch make Vanderlan Jr. rest 3 months and focus the next year. This accident cost the replacement of the Brazilian Driver for the next races of 2004 and the team until then lost a big sponsor that was supporting the expenses of Vanderlan Jr. which made the team decide to put a English Driver that came the money the Team needed but very little experience.
The team invited Vanderlan Jr. to be the official coach for the team drives for 2005
2005-2020
From 2006 to 2010 was a great experience been the Formula 3 South-America Avalon’s Petrobras Official Team Development Driver for the team. More than 177k kilometers in 4 years.
2011 Vanderlan Jr. decide to move back to Brazil and “reconnect” to the Brazilians Teams Owners to race in his country.
2012 to 2014 was a sabbatic years to work with his father. This time was very good to Vanderlan Jr. so he felt how important the Race Track was for him, so he decide to “get back on track”.
2015 He dedicate 31 weekends to practiced in 3 deferents track in Brazil. Goiania, Brasilia and Curitiba . He practiced with few different cars, so all of then was new experience for him: Ferrari, Prototype, Sports Cars.
2016 Vanderlan Jr. moved back to USA and made the official return professionally to the Race Track. His first race he finished in 3th place witch seems like he needs to practice more and more.
2017 and 2018 He came to USA many times to race officially with Go Kart in Florida Winter Tour, AMR Kart Championship at Miami Homestead AMR Kart Track, Orlando Kart Center Championship, Ocala Kart Track, ROK Cup .
2019 He spend the year in Brasil racing Go Kart and Turismo Car, developing tires and components for high performance Cars.
2020 The world stop because COVID-19.
2021 Vanderlan Jr has been invited Officially to Teach and Coach kids and teens at Orlando Kart Center- FL. Recent, the OKC is the most important Race Track at East Coast of United States.