CINCINNATI -- Jak Crawford, a 20-year-old American racing driver, had to brush up on his baseball skills before throwing a ceremonial first pitch on Monday before the Reds played the Phillies. Living in London, England, Crawford hadn't picked up a baseball in years and had never been invited to throw a ceremonial pitch before.
"No pressure," joked Crawford, who later successfully threw his pitch to Reds reliever Brent Suter. Crawford was wearing a No. 11 jersey, the same number on his car.
Crawford is a third-year driver in the Formula 2 series for the DAMS Lucas Oil team and part of the Aston Martin young driver development program. Much like a ballplayer in Triple-A, he is one call away from reaching the highest level in his sport and itching to get there.
F2 is a feeder series for Formula 1 racing.
“It’s the same thing. You’ve got to work hard as a teenager and young kid," Crawford said. "You always start really young when you’re five, six years old. I guess over the years, I’ve seen similarities with the Triple-A guys. They’re all really good. It’s just about the few who get the chance. It’s the same as F2 and F1. The guys in F2 are good. There are just so many spots on a grid.”
One of Crawford's sponsors is IES Holdings, which has operations in Batavia, Ohio, and is headed by Cincinnati-area native Jeff Gendell, who hails from Wyoming, Ohio. Currently second in the F2 drivers points standings, Crawford is hoping to land a ride in F1 next season. It just so happens that an American team from Cadillac is joining the series in 2026, and the circuit's silly-season rumors have had Crawford possibly in contention for one of the seats.
“I’m hoping for anything," Crawford said. "I’ve been working at it. At this point, I’m just trying to get my foot in the door and then I’ve got to work to stay there.”
Crawford grew up an Astros fan and does his best to follow the club -- and MLB in general -- from across the Atlantic Ocean.
“I always try watching but the time difference isn’t great because of course, they play at night most of the time," he said. "I can watch day games with a six- or seven-hour time difference. I always try to keep up, watching highlights most of the time.”