SHAFER SAVORING FIRST FORMULA-CAR WIN IN LAS VEGAS\Return from France couldn't have come at better time.

Byline: Rochelle Kaplan Special to the Daily News

National karting champion Jeff Shafer of North Hollywood is relishing his first formula-car win. It didn't come as he originally planned - in the South of France on the prestigious Formula Renault series - but rather on familiar U.S. soil last weekend in Las Vegas in the Skip Barber Racing Series.

Shafer won a scholarship to the Barber series while attending the Elf-Winfield Racing School in Marseilles, France, last November. Although it was the second-place prize, for Shafer, it's turning out to be the grand prize. Especially with the win.

"For my first race ever in (formula) cars, I was very happy with my performance and everything I learned," Shafer said. "I can see where these cars are a great training ground for car control and patience."

Initially, Shafer viewed the first-place Formula Renault scholarship as the perfect vehicle by which to advance his racing career. After a few years of racing in France, he reasoned, the transition to race the Formula 1 series would be a cinch.

But now, with the momentum of his first win, the 20-year-old is looking forward to an American racing experience. And with that, gratefully, the cancellation of French classes.

"It was tough to communicate in France," said Shafer, who had been taking French lessons at Valley College prior to his trip. "It's a lot easier in the U.S. So, I guess it was meant to be this way."

The Skip Barber Racing Series has been a viable training ground for many rookie drivers with big dreams. Professionals such as current IndyCar drivers Michael Andretti, Bryan Herta and Lyn St. James got their starts with Barber as well as Winston Cup drivers Jeff Gordon and Bill Elliott.

If past performance has any bearing on his future, Shafer's name may one day be as recognizable, too.

Shafer began racing karts at 14 at Jim Hall's Kart Racing School in Oxnard, participating in club races at Saugus Speedway and Hall's Oxnard track on the weekends. Although he "didn't have a clue he could do it" when he first began, Shafer eventually won four Grandnational championships in five years.

"A lot of the credit goes to my father," said Shafer of his success. "He was the one who convinced me I could do it."

Others took note, too. The owner and manager of Pitts Performance in Van Nuys, a kart manufacturer and retail outlet, were impressed enough to first offer Shafer a job at the store building two-stroke engines, later offering him a sponsorship to race karts.

"Jeff has what it takes to compete in world-class racing, not just local and regional races," said Doug Fleming, manager at Pitts Performance. "He wasn't a natural at racing, but he earned it by working hard at it. He didn't know he'd make it."

Shafer's immediate plans include competing in Barber's professional series after finishing this season. After that, he's hoping to be ready for either the Toyota Atlantic Series or Indy Lights. But he's not rushing anything just yet. His next race on the circuit is Feb. 16-18 at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma.

"My ultimate goal is to do well enough (in the Barber Series) to do a run off at the end of the year to get into the pro series," Shafer said. "Then, slowly, slowly, I'll get into the next level."

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Jeff Shafer returned from racing school in France and won his first formula-car race in Las Vegas.