INDIANAPOLIS -- There hasn't been an American driver in Formula One since Michael Andretti in 1993 and there hasn't been much F1 interest in America since Mario Andretti captured the world championship in 1978.

But Danny Sullivan and Red Bull Energy drink are attempting to reverse both of those trends in the coming years.

On the eve of practice for Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sullivan unveiled a program to put a Yank back in the F1 saddle and introduced the 14 young men competing for that seat.

"It's a world championship, I'm an American and I'd like to see America represented," said Sullivan, the native of Louisville who spent 1983 running F1 before becoming a star in CART and winning the '85 Indianapolis 500.

"It's been a dream and a goal of mine to help get an American back in Formula One and, thanks to Red Bull, these kids are going to get the opportunity."

16 SELECTEES

The following are the drivers selected to undergo the testing in France: Michael Abbate, 16, Las Vegas, Nev., national shifter kart champion and 2001 Skip Barber Karting Scholarship finalist. A.J. Allmendinger, 20, Hollister, Calif., 2002 CART Barber Dodge Pro Series champion. Bobby East, 17, Brownsburg, Ind., 2002 USAC National Midget and Sprint Car champion. Paul Edwards, 24, Santa Mario, Calif., first American to win a British Formula Ford race (1997) and champion of European Formula Opel Winter Series (1998) and British Formula Europa Cup (1999). Phil Giebler, 23, Oxnard, Calif., finished second in 1999 French Formula Renault Campus Championship and is currently running in Spanish F3 series. Joey Hand, 23, Chardon, Ohio, finished 12th in 2002 CART Toyota Atlantic Series despite missing six races after breaking his back in testing accident in Milwaukee. Ryan Hunter-Reay, 21, Boca Raton, Fla., 1999 champion in Skip Barber Regional (East) and National Formula Dodge. Won three poles and three races and finished sixth in 2002 CART Toyota Atlantic Series. Patrick Long, 21, Oak Park, Calif., won two poles and three races and finished second - the best ever by an American - in the British Formula Ford Zetec Series. Now racing in British Formula Renault. Grant Maiman, 23, New London, Wis., 2002 champion in Skip Barber National Formula Dodge series. Rocky Moran Jr., 22, Coto de Caza, Calif., won one race and finished fifth in 2002 CART Toyota Atlantic Series. Joel Nelson, 21, Reno, Nev., drives in both Formula Palmer Audi in England and Formula Russell in the U.S. Scott Poirier, 19, Deerfield Beach, Fla., drives in Skip Barber National Formula Dodge series and SCCA Touring Sedans. Boston Reid, 19, Kokomo, Ind., drives in USAC Sprint Car Series (non-winged) and Winged Sprints. Bryan Sellers, 21, Centerville, Ohio, leads SCCA Pro Zetec Formula Ford 2000 series with five poles and four wins. Scott Speed, 19, Manteca, Calif., won 2001 USAC Formula Russell championship as rookie and drove in 2002 in Skip Barber National Formula Dodge series, with two victories. Bobby Wilson, 20, Oconomowoc, Wis., drove in SCCA Pro Zetec Formula Ford 2000 and National Formula Atlanta series in 2002, winning twice in the Atlantics. Associated Press

Following six months of scrutiny by Sullivan's scouts, 16 drivers were selected -- though two declined -- to go to France next month and test Formula 3 cars at the legendary Paul Richard circuit. A panel of judges, including Skip Barber and Sullivan, will chose four of them to run the 2003 season with Red Bull backing.

"They could be in Formula Ford, Formula BMW, Formula Renault, Formula 3 or Formula 3000 and we'll have to decide on that after the audition," said Sullivan. "If they develop, we'll keep moving them up and the program is for a minimum of five years."

The candidates range from 16-year-old Michael Abbate to 24-year-old Paul Edwards and all but one, 19-year-old sprint-car ace Boston Reid, are road racers. Seven of them come from CART's feeder series, Toyota Atlantic or Barber Dodge, while three of them have spent the past couple years racing in Europe.

"We tried to consider everybody and we looked at one woman (Danica Patrick) but she already had a commitment for 2003," continued Sullivan. "These guys come from a lot of different backgrounds but just about every one of them have come through go-karts.

"It's a talented group and now it all comes down to how badly they want it."

For guys like Edwards, who has spent the past five years in various formulas in Europe, nobody has any more desire.

"Racing is a way of life over there and you really have to live it," said the Californian. "It seems like they give an American a tougher time over there and it takes a good one or two years to make an impression.

"But, with this program, I think now there is a realistic shot for us to get to F1."

It was suggested that Formula One's future in this country might rest on the shoulders of these young men.

"I'd be glad to take that responsibility," said Patrick Long, who recently wrapped up a season of Formula Renault in England. "It would be a small price to pay for my love for F1.

"But someone has got to instill a sense of pride in F1 like Lance Armstrong does in the Tour de France. We need a driver over there winning to make America aware of Formula One again."

Added Atlantic regular Joey Hand: "If I had the opportunity to have F1 on my shoulder I would say thank you very much."

Andretti, whose prowess and versatility remains unmatched in motorsports history, went from dirt tracks to Indy fame to F1 -- a path that's all but closed nowadays. Yet Reid, a dirt tracker from Kokomo, Ind. who runs 800-horsepower sprinters 70 times a year, could have the perfect education to reopen that path.

His tutor, John Bickford (the stepfather of Jeff Gordon who orchestrated the four-time Winston Cup champ's career), has helped Boston gain miles and miles of experience in various series.

"John had me road racing in shifter karts from 12-15 and standing here today now I know why," said Reid, who then moved to winged sprint cars and now competes in USAC's non-winged sprinters.

"There are many different ways kids can be brought up to race in this country and I'm just in a little different situation because I get to race so much more often than most of these guys.

"But I know this program is going to be beneficial to me regardless of what happens."

In a room with second-generation talents like Rocky Moran Jr., instant sensations like Ryan Hunter-Reay and champion go-karters with racy names like Scott Speed, an F1 regular could emerge with the right circumstances.

An American still has to be embraced by the snooty F1 community but at least Red Bull has the wheels in motion.

"I was talking to Tony Stewart and he said, 'Where was this program 15 years ago?,'" chuckled Sullivan. "He and Jeff Gordon both said they would have loved to be in Formula One but the opportunity wasn't there.

"Red Bull is trying to change this."