Archives for Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda

Road To Indy in Toronto – Friday – Christian Rasmussen grabs first career pole

A rookie pole for a rookie team.

Christian Rasmussen, a 20-year-old from Copenhagen, Denmark scored his first and Jay Howard Driver Development’s first USF2000 pole in a red flag shortened session.

“It feels amazing,” said Rasmussen to TSO Ladder. “Being on the streets of Toronto feels amazing. I’m glad I could finally do it; it’s been a long way here. We’ve been struggling a little the first part of the season, so it’s good to back where I feel I belong. I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

Christian Rasmussen wheeling the JHDD/CSU | One Cure/Lucas Oil sponsored No. 6 around the 1.786-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuit (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

For the fourth time this season, Cape Motorsports veteran Darren Keane will start a race from the front row. The driver who led the morning session turned a quick lap of 73.758 seconds.

Starting behind Rasmussen is the Soul Red No. 22 of Hunter McElrea. The American born Kiwi wasn’t sure he would make the qualifying session after a meeting with the Turn 8 tire barriers in the morning practice.

Keane’s rookie teammate, 14-year-old Reece Gold will start a career-best fourth.

Current points leader Braden Eves will have some work to do tomorrow. The 20-year-old start the race from the outside of the third row.

Before we get into our qualifying report, here are few clarifications on the USF2000 incidents from this morning.

The first red flag occurred when Yuven Sundaramoorthy made heavy contact in Turn 10/11. The S-team Motorsports No. 21 was subsequently clobbered by Jak Crawford’s No.52, which also sustained substantial damage.

The second red flag came out when Hunter McElrea was swallowed by the tire barriers at the exit of the right-hand Turn 8. His teammate Colin Kaminsky was following closely behind him and was unable to avoid t-boning the Mazda/Doric NZ/Miles Advisory Partners No. 22. Reece Gold, who was right behind Kaminsky, made the smart choice of nosing it into the tire barriers instead of tagging the two stranded Pabst Racing cars.

All three Pabst Racing cars made it out for qualifying and ended up third (McElrea), fifth (Kaminsky) and 14th (Sundaramoorthy). Crawford made a last minute appearance, completing one lap. He’ll start the race in the 17th spot.

I’ll have more on the impressive effort by the Pabst Racing crew to fix their three damaged cars between practice and qualifying later tonight.

The USF2000 session began on time under hazy skies.

Jay Howard Driver Development rookie Christian Rasmussen was the early leader in a 20-minute session that was interrupted by a 13+ minute red flag.

The cause of the red flag was hard contact with the tire barriers at the exit of Turn 8 by Zach Holden in the No. 14 Legacy Autosport USF-17. It appeared the Greenfield, Ind native got too deep into the bumpy right-hander. The rear of the car made contact with the tire barriers tearing of the rear wing and damaging at a minimum the left rear suspension.

It took a while to get the track crew a while to get the tire barrier appropriately situated, and when the green flag came out, only 90 seconds were remaining in the session. None of the 17 drivers were able to get enough heat in their Cooper Tires to improve their lap times.

It the first career USF2000 pole for Rasmussen and Jay Howard Driver Development.

The season-opening races of the season in St. Petersburg, Fla. was the first time the Dane had driven on a street course, and it’s a discipline he appreciates.

This is my second street race,” explained Rasmussen to TSO Ladder. “I like it. There are consequences if you go off. If you go off, you actually hit a wall. On a lot of the other tracks, you can push it a bit too far, and you can rejoin the track with no harm done. If you do that here, there is a consequence. I appreciate that.”

USF2000 Unofficial Qualifying Results For Race #1

RANK CAR NO NAME TEAM QUICK LAP DIFFERENCE TOTAL LAPS
1 6 Christian Rasmussen Jay Howard Driver Development 1:13.545 –.—- 6
2 2 Darren Keane Cape Motorsports 1:13.758 0.2131 6
3 22 Hunter McElrea Pabst Racing 1:14.135 0.5903 6
4 3 Reece Gold Cape Motorsports 1:14.499 0.9542 6
5 23 Colin Kaminsky Pabst Racing 1:14.527 0.9814 6
6 8 Braden Eves Cape Motorsports 1:14.559 1.0140 6
7 24 Bruna Tomaselli Pabst Racing 1:15.051 1.5057 6
8 73 Cameron Shields Newman Wachs Racing 1:15.057 1.5120 6
9 41 Eduardo Barrichello Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 1:15.143 1.5975 6
10 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 1:15.253 1.7078 6
11 27 Matt Round-Garrido BN Racing 1:15.270 1.7248 5
12 14 Zach Holden Legacy Autosport 1:15.524 1.9790 2
13 12 Manuel Sulaiman DEForce Racing 1:15.662 2.1164 6
14 21 Yuven Sundaramoorthy Pabst Racing 1:15.800 2.2551 6
15 7 Christian Bogle Jay Howard Driver Development 1:15.817 2.2719 6
16 36 Nolan Siegel Newman Wachs Racing 1:16.014 2.4686 6
17 52 Jak Crawford DEForce Racing 1:22.316 8.7710 1

The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship teams and drivers will start a full day of on-track activity at 8 am on Saturday at the Honda Indy Toronto.

Andersen Promotions Signs Three-Year Agreement with Green Savoree Racing Promotions

PALMETTO, Fla. (August 29, 2017) – All three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires – the world’s most effective open-wheel development ladder – will continue to enjoy competition at three high profile venues as Andersen Promotions and Green Savoree Racing Promotions today announced a new multi-year contract.

Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will all be in action on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, through 2020. All three events respectively known as the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Honda Indy Toronto and Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be highlighted by rounds of the Verizon IndyCar Series.

“Eight years ago the Mazda Road to Indy’s relationship with Green Savoree began with USF2000 at St. Petersburg, and over the years it has been a tremendous partnership,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “This renewal to have the entire Mazda Road to Indy at all three Green Savoree events through 2020 is the perfect foundation for what we believe to be the best calendar of road courses, street circuits and oval venues designed to train young drivers for careers in professional racing. Kim [Green] and Kevin [Savoree] have three of the premier events on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule – a testament to their skills in organizing and promoting – and we are very pleased to be a part of their success.”

The waterfront street course at St. Petersburg, the cosmopolitan Toronto street circuit – the second longest-running street race – and picturesque Mid-Ohio Sports Car course have played host to the Mazda Road to Indy since the inception of the INDYCAR-sanctioned ladder system in 2010.

”The racing competition and the depth of driver talent showcased in the Mazda Road to Indy have been fantastic. Dan (Andersen) and his Andersen Promotions team have done a phenomenal job of building each step of the development ladder for open-wheel racing’s future stars,” said Kevin Savoree, president and chief operating officer of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “We’re proud to have all three series return and be key features at all three of our INDYCAR venues for an additional three years.”

The Mazda Road to Indy provides opportunities for drivers from around the world to progress all the way from the grassroots to the pinnacle of the sport in North America. This year, over $3.5 million in Mazda Scholarships and awards are on offer to help drivers take the next steps in their careers, with the Indy Lights champion claiming a prize valued at $1 million to ensure entry into three Verizon IndyCar Series events in 2018, including the 102nd Indianapolis 500. All three levels will wrap up the 2017 season this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

Meet the Contenders: Oliver Askew

Photo Courtesy USF2000 PR – INDYCAR Image!

Oliver Askew of Cape Motorsports and Rinus VeeKay of Pabst Racing are separated by 13 points in the battle for the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda crown entering the season finale at Watkins Glen International to be held September 2.
As Oliver Askew looked out over the sea of impossibly earnest Team USA Scholarship candidates last month at Mid-Ohio, his mind couldn’t help but go back one year in time. In July of 2016, Askew stood among 10 other candidates vying for two positions on the team heading to England for the Formula Ford Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy – and the chance to compete against some of the best young formula racers in the world. But also dangling in front of those young American racers was the opportunity of a lifetime: a ticket to the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the chance to earn a seat in the 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.
“It really hit me when I saw all of the kids dressed nice and introducing themselves,” said Askew. “I was in that exact position last year. I felt it was important for me to try and let them know what to expect, because I remember not having any idea of what was happening. I let them know what to expect, what they should do and how they should talk to people. It’s a lot of pressure.
“Everything was so new last year,” continued Askew. “I walked through the USF2000 paddock and I thought ‘this is going to take a lot of work but this is where I want to be next year.’ I remember standing in front of the Cape Motorsports transporter in the paddock, and back then I didn’t realize how dominant they really were and how much knowledge they had. I just thought it was such a fantastic team and somewhere I would love to be. I saw Parker (Thompson) for the first time in four years, as we went our separate ways after racing together on the same karting team in 2012. He was leading the championship at that point and it really impressed me.”
By now, Askew’s story is well-known: the Jupiter, Florida karting sensation earned that Team USA Scholarship and impressed everyone with his poise and race craft during his two events in England, taking second at the Walter Hayes Trophy and challenging for second in the Formula Ford Festival Final until a punctured tire ended his day. Askew then bowled over the judges both on and off the track at the MRTI Shootout, taking the race victory and the $200K scholarship into the series this year.
“I knew that it could completely change my life, and I honestly didn’t think it would happen but it did! I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in right now without Mazda – and I know there are so many drivers out there who can say the exact same thing. There is no program like this in the world and I want to keep this relationship going. John Doonan is such a great person and really takes care of the scholarship drivers. Same thing for Jeremy Shaw with Team USA – he was the first person to really believe in me. And Art Wilmes, with Rising Star Racing. He really helps drivers. Racing takes so much money but there are people out there who want to work with young drivers, and Art has really taken me under his wing.”
But even Askew could not have predicted the kind of start he would have this season: seven wins (including six victories in the first seven races), seven pole positions and podium finishes in all but three of the 13 races. He holds a 13-point lead on Dutch rookie phenom Rinus VeeKay.
“A lot of people around me kept telling me not to put too much pressure on myself. Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible (to win the championship). I knew we would be competitive but this was my first full season in car racing and there was so much to learn. We did well in winter testing but we didn’t know how we compared to other teams until the series test at Homestead in March. It caught me off guard. It was a huge confidence booster for me and the team and really gave our season a kick start.
“Then, at St. Pete, I was expecting the second and third-year drivers to be on top after that round, and they were – but we were right there with them. We had a rough start to the weekend, because I tagged the wall in practice and only got a couple of laps in before qualifying. But we qualified third and second for the two races, and finished second and first. We won Barber and IMS and dominated, which was a serious statement that we were here to play. Then, it felt like a bigger deal, that maybe we could win the title. My car was just on rails at those two tracks. I was so comfortable.”
The Indianapolis round also marked a milestone for young Askew. Back in 2010, as a 13-year-old karter, Askew was headed to the Rotax Grand Nationals in New Castle, Ind., and his karting team made a stop at the famed Brickyard for a tour – and posed for photos in a spot he would revisit under very different circumstances seven years later.
“Before we headed to the karting event, we stopped at the Speedway. We did the tour – the bus around the track, everything. They took us to the podium, and there is a photo of me at 13 years old standing on the podium with my karting team and hoping that one day I could be there, holding up a trophy. When I did, it was amazing. And to be there under those circumstances, with a 60-point lead in the championship and having won five of six races, was incredible.”
But as every driver knows, there are good days and bad days, and no season is complete without a good measure of both. For Askew, the bad days hit the very next race weekend at Road America, where loose camber shims put him back in the field. He rebounded with a victory on his first oval at Iowa but got caught up in an incident between the two cars ahead of him at Toronto that again dented his points advantage. But Askew wisely believes that every impediment to success is a learning experience.
“I learned a lot about how to deal with setbacks, and how to bounce back. We came back immediately. Even at Mid-Ohio, I hit the wall in practice but qualified on pole. So I feel really confident that I can bounce back after doing it a few times this year. Even the situation I’m in now, with the points being so close, will help me in the future. I’m a firm believer in everything happening for a reason so you just have to make the best of it.”

With the single-race season finale at Watkins Glen looming large, Askew understandably prefers to focus on the things he can control and let the chips fall where they may.

“It would solidify my place on the Mazda Road to Indy and my career path. It would be my third scholarship in a year and a half, which is the kind of thing you dream of. I can’t believe that I’m in this situation – a year ago I was in the worst place of my life. I didn’t know if I could even continue racing so to be here, with the possibility of winning another scholarship and continuing my racing career, is surreal.”

Meet the Contenders: Rinus VeeKay

Rinus VeeKay of Pabst Racing and championship leader Oliver Askew of Cape Motorsports are separated by 13 points in the battle for the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda crown entering the season finale at Watkins Glen International to be held September 2.
It was with great anticipation that the Tatuus USF-17 was revealed to the public last May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But for those paying attention, a second important announcement was made that day: Dutch karting sensation Rinus VeeKay announced his intent to join the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda in 2017, in what would be his first year of racing cars.
Fast forward 15 months, and 16-year-old VeeKay lies a mere 13 points back of the series championship lead with only one race remaining: the season finale at the lightning-fast Watkins Glen International. For VeeKay, it will be the culmination of one of the most momentous years of his life.
The VeeKay family began thinking about racing in the United States when the then 12-year-old Rinus won a ticket to race in the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals in New Orleans in 2013. They got to know Richard Boisclair, the president of MAXSpeed, who invited them to the Rotax MAX Challenge U.S Grand Nationals in 2015. VeeKay finished second in the championship and joined their driver development program, earning an invitation to the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at Circuit of The Americas with Afterburner Autosport. He also tested with series champs Cape Motorsports.
The results of the test were a harbinger of things to come, as the young driver proved to be a quick study.
“I had never driven a car before, so I was pretty slow in the beginning,” VeeKay remembers. “But by the end of the weekend, I had the third-quickest time, behind two veterans. That was very cool. It was a great learning experience. The team would tell me ‘push harder’ but that was difficult, because I had never driven a car with wings. With the wings, you have more downforce so you can go quicker through a corner. As I got used to it, I went quicker and quicker until I had a spin. But being an F1 track, there was so much runoff, so it was okay.”
The test brought the USF2000 series firmly into VeeKay’s focus. He decided to wait until the time was right, both in regard to the new Tatuus USF-17 coming online, but also for VeeKay to wrap his head around the idea of racing cars in America. In the meantime, he signed with Anders Krohn and CoForce International – and it was Krohn who suggested that his real last name (van Kalmthout) might be a mouthful for American media.
“We waited until the new car came out, and I wanted to wait until I was a little bit older as well, so my mentality would be right for my first year in cars. We were looking for a management team here in America so someone suggested Anders Krohn, whom my Dad knew. My Dad used to race in a stock car series in Europe, and Anders raced Formula Ford on the same weekends. Early on, Anders suggested we think about my name. He speaks a bit of Dutch and even he couldn’t pronounce it very well! We tried just having it be ‘VK’ until a Dutch journalist spelled it out and we thought it looked good.”
VeeKay felt that the day of the USF-17 reveal was the best timing to announce his entry into the series, the first driver to announce entry in the new car. It was a huge moment for the young driver, to commit to a new country, a new series – and an entirely new racing genre. Now, he just needed a team.
“It was the right moment, with people watching the unveiling of the new car. It was the best way to let people here know who I was, and to let people know that I was coming into the series. It was a big weekend. We signed at first with Carlin Benik, but they pulled the plug on the program and we had to find a new team two days before the series’ pre-season test. Charles Crews is my manager and he knew the teams, so I tested with Pabst and Newman Wachs.
“It was the hardest decision of my life, but I went with Pabst. Tõnis Kasemets is a big reason – I really had a good relationship with him right away. And the team has been together for six years so they are like a well-oiled machine.”
VeeKay and the rest of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires began the season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., alongside the Verizon IndyCar Series. With drivers having problems dealing with the bump in Turn Three, track officials changed the corner’s configuration – just one more thing for the young VeeKay to get used to.
“We only had one practice before qualifying, and we had two yellow-flag laps in qualifying to get used to the new corner. I pushed and tagged the wall with my left rear so I qualified 14th. That was a pretty bad start, I thought. I drove safe for the second race and qualified third. Race One was my first rolling start! We were very quick – the car was so quick – and I took position after position. I finished third, which was so great in my first race.”
VeeKay continued that torrid pace through the early part of the season, earning four podiums in the first six races and settling into second place in the title chase behind Oliver Askew. His breakthrough victory came at a most opportune time: the home race for Oconomowoc, Wis.-based Pabst Racing. Starting third in Race One and from pole in Race Two, VeeKay made it an emotional sweep of both races at Road America.
“I love Road America – it has a European feel, like Spa-Francorchamps, but with an American atmosphere. When you drive, you can smell the barbecues. I knew it would be a hard weekend, with all the drafting, and it was a hard fight. The second race was less difficult just because the field was not so close together. But to win the race on the home track of Pabst Racing was so great. Tõnis was crying on the radio.”
VeeKay would add podium finishes in the next five races to close the gap to Askew significantly. Now comes the time where VeeKay shows the lessons gleaned during years of racing karts, racing with the kind of pressure that comes with the knowledge that a scholarship into the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires is on the line.
“You start the race and just forget about everything else. Otherwise you can go crazy! Don’t worry about plans, just react to what’s happening. But to get 11 podiums in 13 races so far is a great year. It was a difficult beginning, but to get where we are now – I was reading on Twitter the other day, and I didn’t realize it, but I have never lost a position in a race. I have equaled my qualifying position, or moved up. It was the best start you can have in your first year in racing.
“And to drive every race in front of the IndyCar people is great. You can enjoy their races and learn from them, and the big teams can watch you. You’re all friends. The scholarship is such a special thing about the Mazda Road to Indy. And it’s all open – of course, we know Arie Luyendyk, but I’ve gotten to know Spencer Pigot and Simon Pagenaud this year, talking and getting tips. That’s what I like about America, how open it is.”

Askew Takes Win Number Seven of the Season at Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, Ohio – Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda rookie Oliver Askew was under a lot of pressure as he arrived at the challenging Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for a pair of races this week that could well determine the outcome of the championship and a Mazda Scholarship worth almost $400,000 which will assist in graduation to the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, the next level on the Mazda Road to Indy open-wheel development ladder, in 2018.

The 20-year-old from Jupiter, Fla., in his first full season of car racing, had seen his once comfortable 60-point advantage whittled away to just 18 markers over fellow rookie Rinus VeeKay (Pabst Racing), from Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, with only three races remaining in the season. Today, Askew qualified Cape Motorsports’ Soul Red Tatuus-Mazda USF-17 comfortably on pole position, then led throughout the 30-minute race to secure his seventh win out of 12 races.

USF2000 veteran Parker Thompson, from Red Deer, Alb., Canada, who scored the first two victories for the Exclusive Autosport team just two weeks ago on the streets of Toronto, continued his excellent form by finishing a strong second ahead of title aspirant VeeKay.

Subsequently, Askew, who had on probation for previous start violations, was adjudged to have accelerated before the prescribed marker at the initial start and was assessed a 10-point championship penalty. He now leads VeeKay by 19 points with only one more race tomorrow and the season finale at Watkins Glen International in early September remaining.

Askew led from Kohl at the start, with Thompson and VeeKay anxiously looking for a way past. Thompson made his move for second place stick on the third lap, while VeeKay followed suit next time around. The trio traded fastest laps as they pulled well clear of Kohl, who in turn was under no pressure from teammate Calvin Ming, from Guyana, South America.

Just when it looked like Askew had the race under control, an incident between Kaylen Frederick (Team Pelfrey), from Potomac, Md., and Moises de le Vara (DEForce Racing), from Guadalajara, who were battling mightily over seventh place, ended with contact at Turn Five, which necessitated a full-course caution. The restart came with less than five minutes remaining, and Askew was up for the challenge as he made an exemplary getaway to cement his advantage over Thompson and VeeKay.

Askew took the checkered flag 1.3282 seconds in front of Thompson, with his constant shadow VeeKay – on his very first visit to Mid-Ohio – right behind in third.

Kohl held on for fourth ahead of Ming and David Malukas (BN Racing), from Chicago Ridge, Ill., who earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award following his impressive drive from 17th on the grid. Frederick, Kory Enders (DEForce Racing), from Warwick, N.Y., who snagged the Staubli Award, and Darren Keane (Newman Wachs Racing), from Parkland, Fla., also were in close attendance at the finish line.
The Cape brothers, Dominic and Nicholas, claimed another PFC Award as the winning team owners.

Qualifying for the penultimate round of the 14-race season will take place tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. EDT, followed by the green flag at 12:10 p.m.

Oliver Askew (#3 Mazda Motorsports/MC Racing-Cape Motorsports): “The penalty doesn’t change my mindset. The focus is to just keep on winning races and the championship will come in the end. We have the speed to qualify on pole and that’s huge here because it is quite difficult to pass. There was a ton of pressure going into this weekend and that pressure is still there. Cape Motorsports has dominated here the past few years, winning every race, so I know I’ll have a fast car again tomorrow and can go for the pole and the win again.”

Parker Thompson (#91 Exclusive Autosport Openhwy): “I’m going to try to get as many wins for Exclusive Autosport as I can and when the dust settles on the championship, then it settles. I knew going in that I had a mathematical shot at the championship but realistically, it was going to be pretty hard to close that gap up. We had a shot for pole and for a win and that’s great. We ran old tires in the race today so that we would have new tires for qualifying and Race Two tomorrow, which puts us on a different strategy than everyone else so that’s going to be interesting!”

Rinus VeeKay (#21 Jumbo Supermarkets The Netherlands/Total-Pabst Racing): “It was tough after qualifying. I had a pretty good session but I had a two-position grid penalty which put me in P4 and I was not so happy with that. I went into the race not sure what was going to happen, but focusing on just running hard. Third was the best spot I could get but it wasn’t enough to catch Oliver. We are going to go back now, watch videos, look at a lot of data and try to learn as much as possible. Hopefully we’ll have a super qualifying and win tomorrow to take some of these points back.”

Askew Romps to Sixth Win of the Season in Sole Oval Outing

Photo Credit: INDYCAR Photos

NEWTON, Iowa. – Cape Motorsports’ Oliver Askew couldn’t ask for a more perfect day. The 20-year-old rookie from Jupiter, Fla., secured his fifth pole position this morning at Iowa Speedway followed by a flag-to-flag win in the Mazda Iowa 60 Presented by Cooper Tires a few short hours later to stretch his lead in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda with five rounds remaining.
Following a three-hour test session on Friday with Pabst Racing’s Calvin Ming at the top of the timetable and a 45-minute practice session yesterday paced by young Kaylen Frederick of Team Pelfrey, single-car qualifying took place with Ming, teammate Rinus VeeKay and Alex Baron of ArmsUp Motorsports locking up the front two rows.
Askew was able to hold off Ming at the green flag to move into the lead and he never looked back, crossing the finish line with an almost four-second advantage over his nearest championship rival VeeKay, a two-time winner this season,  who found a way past Ming in the closing stages. Baron and Robert Megennis (Team Pelfrey) rounded out the top five.
The biggest movers in the caution-free race were Frederick, who maneuvered from eighth to sixth and earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award, and Devin Wojcik of ArmsUp Motorsports with a drive from 11th to ninth.
Askew now holds a 32-point advantage in the championship over VeeKay followed by Frederick, Parker Thompson (Exclusive Autosport) and Ming.
Baron claimed the Staubli Award while the PFC Award went to the winning team of Cape Motorsports.
USF2000 will head across the border this week for the Cooper Tires USF2000 Grand Prix of Toronto Presented by Allied Building Products on July 15/16, Rounds 10 and 11 of the 14-race schedule.
Oliver Askew (#2 Mazda Motorsports/MC Racing – Cape Motorsports):  “I had no experience on an oval at all coming into this year, so I don’t think anyone knew what to expect. The team told me it was halfway and I thought that should have been the race distance! It’s different when you’re not under pressure, you feel the fatigue more – I went to cheer to the guys when I came across the line, but I couldn’t take my hand off the wheel. It felt like it was soldered on. We struggled a bit yesterday but we made a really good change last night and were quick today. It’s hard to pass here but we knew that if we got the pole and through the first couple of corners, we’d be set. It was awesome to be able to pull away. Then I was just focusing on attacking the corners and not getting lazy. We have to take one weekend at a time and do our best.”
Rinus VeeKay (#21 Jumbo Supermarkets The Netherlands/Total – Pabst Racing): “This was fun – when you pass someone on an oval, it’s more of a kick than when you pass on a road course. It’s much trickier. Calvin and I pretty much stayed together but it was hard to overtake. And with the bumps, there are not many lines that you can take. I really did have a moment out there, though. Getting around a lapped car going into Turn Two the wind hit my wing, which put me sideways and I had to correct several times. I was behind Calvin for 30 or 40 laps when we came up on a lapped car. Calvin took the outside, I drafted on the inside and got by. I was able to drive away from Calvin and made some gains on Oliver, but couldn’t reach him. But the team gave me a great car: it was so good to drive.”
Calvin Ming (#22 Mings Products and Services (MPS)/APAN – Pabst Racing): “I made a really good start alongside Oliver. You can kind of go flat into Turn One and I tried to follow Oliver but his car was just planted. I got a little sideways but you have to push from the start to see if you can get a good run. It meant Oliver got a good lead from the start – he just kept opening it up and I couldn’t pull it back. This was my first full weekend on a oval and it was a great experience. We did over 200 laps on the test day and it was quite a bit to take in. The track was a lot different today than yesterday with the heat and sun. A lot of grease came up and the cars were really sliding around.”

VeeKay’s USF2000 Dutch Delight for Local Pabst Team at Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – A dramatic first of two Cooper Tires USF2000 Grand Prix of Road America Powered by Mazda races this afternoon ended with Dutch teenager Rinus VeeKay claiming an emphatic maiden victory for the locally based Pabst Racing team.

Chicago’s David Malukas, in just his second USF2000 weekend, qualified on pole and finished second for BN Racing, while Brazilian youngster Lucas Kohl drove by far his most impressive race since joining Pabst Racing this season by finishing in third.

Making light of difficult, drying conditions this morning in qualifying, Malukas also took full advantage of some setup work completed recently by former USF2000 race winner (and current Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires points leader) Victor Franzoni to claim the pole. Runaway series leader Oliver Askew qualified second for Cape Motorsports, but it was his distinctive Soul Red Tatuus USF-17 which jumped into the lead as soon as the green flag flew.

Malukas, having been caught out slightly, tucked into second place before making his move back into the lead on the long downhill run between Turns Three and Five. The Pabst pair, VeeKay and Kohl, also became embroiled in a thrilling battle for the lead which lasted for almost half of the 30-minute race.

Malukas used every inch of the race track to maintain his advantage for the first four laps, but it seemed to be only a matter of time before VeeKay would make his move. Sure enough, next time around, the Dutchman drafted past to take the lead.

Askew posted the fastest lap of the race on Lap Six as he continued to battle for second with Malukas, but just as he seemed set to make the position his own – and perhaps even re-challenge VeeKay for the lead — he abruptly slowed and pulled into the pit lane. The camber shims had inexplicably worked loose on his left-front wheel, causing a severe vibration. Some rapid work by the crew enabled the Floridian to rejoin at the back of the field in time to salvage a 17th-place finish.

VeeKay extended his lead to almost six seconds at the checkered flag. Malukas earned the Staubli Award by finishing a clear second ahead of Kohl and Guyanan Calvin Ming, who fought his way from 15th on the grid to fourth in a third Pabst Racing entry. Ming easily secured the Tilton Hard Charger Award. The PFC Award went to winning car owner Augie Pabst III, whose Oconomowoc, Wis.-based organization has now moved ahead of Cape Motorsports into the lead of the Team Championship.

Canadian Parker Thompson took fifth for Exclusive Autosport, followed by Team Pelfrey’s Kaylen Frederick, who also had a lot of ground to make up after qualifying 12th. Frederick just got the better of teammate Robert Megennis in the closing stages, while Devin Wojcik, driving for another local team, ArmsUp Motorsports from Sheboygan Falls, Wis., just nipped Illinois racer Colin Kaminsky (John Cummiskey Racing) for eighth on the final lap.

VeeKay’s well deserved victory enabled him to virtually halve the deficit to Askew from 60 points to 34 (193-159) heading into tomorrow’s eighth round of the 14-race Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda season. Another qualifying session later this afternoon will set the grid, with the green flag set for 2:10 p.m. EDT on Saturday. Live timing and live streaming will be available on the Road To Indy TV App, at RoadToIndy.TV, usf2000.com and indycar.com.

Rinus VeeKay #21 Jumbo Supermarkets The Netherlands/Total-Pabst Racing): “It feels so great to finally win! When I was coming up the hill to the finish, I was just screaming on the radio – my engineer must have pain in his ears! I was so happy for me and for the team, to finally get a win and for it to be here, at their home race. I learned to be very patient in this race. I was behind Oliver and David early and sometimes when I made a move, it worked and sometimes I made a little mistake. But I learned from it. It was a great battle – we touched wheels but it was very fair, a real fight like you want to have. I love this track, it reminds me of Spa, with the long straights with very technical corners. It really brings the driving part of you out. I can’t wait for tomorrow!”

David Malukas (#79 BN Racing): “The first part of the race was really fun, three-wide and two-wide in almost every corner. Every corner was another pass! After that, it was a matter of basically accepting what had just happened. I will say, I was a little surprised to be on pole, and by such a big margin. Victor Franzoni has been coaching me here and that has been a big help – without him, I don’t think we’d be here right now. My Dad used to drive a Corvette here so he taught me some of the tips and tricks as well, but I’d only driven here once before, when we tested a few weeks ago. I’ve been driving in Europe, so this is only my sixth race (weekend) in a car. The team has worked day and night since Indy – that was our first race in the series and we were so new to everything. We had older tires on the car today so we’ll put new ones on tomorrow and see what we can do.”

Mazda Scholarship Winner Askew Again Dominates USF2000 Field

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.  – There’s no stopping Oliver Askew. The 20-year-old from Jupiter, Fla., captured his second win in as many days on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course – and his fifth in six starts – to strengthen his claim to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda and, potentially, a second consecutive Mazda Scholarship which would assist in graduation to the next step on the Mazda Road to Indy – the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires – in 2018.
Teenaged Dutchman Rinus VeeKay, who earned the Staubli Award, finished second for Pabst Racing in this morning’s Mazda Road to Indy Grand Prix Presented by Royal Purple Supporting Lupus Foundation of America, while Kaylen Frederick, from Potomac, Md., profited from a last-lap incident to finish third for Team Pelfrey.
Following a full-course caution due to a multi-car incident in Turn One, Askew, who yesterday had secured his fourth straight pole position, pulled clear of his rivals by the completion of the first lap of green-flag racing.
VeeKay jumped ahead of front row starter Frederick into second place at the restart and quickly made the place his own, leaving Dakota Dickerson (Newman Wachs Racing), who made a lightning start to vault from seventh to fourth at the original start, to come under pressure from Robert Megennis (Team Pelfrey).
Canadian Parker Thompson slotted into fifth for Exclusive Autosport until a sticking throttle caused him to run briefly off the road and lose several positions on Lap 11. South African Callan O’Keeffe continued his strong showing on his North American debut for Team Benik, moving up into fifth before also running into mechanical difficulties, which eventually forced him to pull off course with less than five minutes remaining in the half-hour race.
The officials had no alternative but to call for a full-course caution, which ended with enough time for a one-lap dash to the checkered flag. Askew took the win by 1.2488 seconds over VeeKay, but following the race incurred a penalty notice for failing to follow Race Director instructions pertaining to restart procedures and has been placed on probation.
Behind, however, the battle for third ended in tears as Dickerson and Megennis collided in Turn Two, which left the way clear for Frederick to inherit the final podium position.
Thompson took advantage of the incident to dive past Kory Enders (DEForce Racing), from Warwick, N.Y., for fourth place, while Australian Luke Gabin secured his best finish of the season, sixth, for Exclusive Autosport. Gabin also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award after fighting his way from 16th on the grid.
After routine technical inspection which followed yesterday’s race, cars #80 (Robert Megennis) and #81 (Kaylen Frederick) were disqualified per Rule 14.28.9. The revised result elevates Calvin Ming (Pabst Racing) to second place and Ricky Donison (Cape Motorsports) to third. Ming, from Guyana, and Donison, from Bangalore, India, became the first drivers from their respective nations to stand on a Mazda Road to Indy podium.
Askew now leads the championship by a 60-point margin over VeeKay, 188-128, after six rounds of competition. The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will head next to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., for two more races in support of the Verizon IndyCar Series at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on June 23-25.
Oliver Askew (#3 Mazda Motorsports/MC Racing-Cape Motorsports): “I definitely didn’t want to see that yellow. I had such a big lead and then to have to regroup and try to figure out how to break away again was tough. I had to make a plan and execute it. Our pace here is fantastic; the Cape team gave me a great car. I tried not to look in my mirrors, especially at the start – I just went to Turn One as deep as I could and tried not to get hit from behind, because that’s the only way that I could get passed. But like I said yesterday, it’s surreal. I’m just living in the present and doing my job the best that I can, and that’s working out. It’s still a steep learning curve, as this is my first full season in cars, but I really appreciate the opportunity from Mazda and the car that the Cape boys have given me. It’s a highlight of the day, seeing them waving their hands and going crazy as I cross the line. It’s so cool to see them and all the fans. I really appreciate their support.”

Perfect Day for USF2000 Championship Leader Askew in Indianapolis

Teenager Frederick Again Impresses with Another Second-Place Finish
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.  – Oliver Askew is fast making the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda his own personal playground. The 20-year-old winner of last fall’s inaugural Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200k Scholarship Shootout today claimed two pole positions (including for tomorrow morning’s race) and another beautifully controlled victory for the Cape Motorsports team. Askew, from Jupiter, Fla., led from flag-to-flag this afternoon at a warm and breezy Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix circuit in the Mazda Road to Indy Grand Prix Presented by Royal Purple Supporting Lupus Foundation of America.
Kaylen Frederick, 14, from Potomac, Md., claimed his third successive second-place finish for Team Pelfrey, while Guyana’s Calvin Ming completed the podium for Pabst Racing.
The opening stages of today’s fifth round of the 14-race championship were interrupted by full-course cautions following a succession of incidents around the 2.439-mile road course. Once the race was under way in earnest, however, there was no touching Askew, who made an exemplary restart and controlled the race from the front with a series of consistently fast laps. How consistent and how fast? Well, he stretched his lead to Frederick to almost two seconds with a trio of laps all within a few thousandths of a second of each other, then rammed home his superiority by securing the additional bonus point for the fastest lap of the race at a new record-breaking time of 1:25.4916 for an average speed of 102.705 mph.
Askew’s mark in the new Tatuus USF-17 eclipsed the previous standard, set by Nico Jamin during his championship-winning 2015 campaign, by almost a full second.
In Askew’s wake, Frederick saw off an early challenge from Ming to take the checkered flag 3.3461 seconds adrift of the winner and almost two seconds clear of Ming, who thoroughly deserved his first podium finish of the season.
Askew’s Cape Motorsports teammate, Ricky Donison, from Bangalore, India, made a huge leap forward by qualifying third and finishing a strong fourth (his previous best was a lowly 13th). Dakota Dickerson, from San Diego, Calif., rounded out the top five for Newman Wachs Racing.
UK-based South African Callan O’Keeffe also impressed on his debut with Team Benik by finishing sixth among a quality field of 23 cars, fractionally ahead of Dutchman Rinus VeeKay (Pabst Racing) and New Yorker Robert Megennis (Team Pelfrey).
Norway’s Ayla Agren (Team Pelfrey) and Mexican Moises de la Vara (DEForce Racing), who earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award after starting 17th, completed the top 10 ahead of another debutant, David Malukas, of Lithuanian descent but based in Chicago, with the new BN Racing team.
The PFC Award was secured by the winning team, Cape Motorsports. Ming took home the Staubli Award.
Askew’s fourth straight win extended his championship lead to 43 points, 156-113, over Frederick heading into tomorrow’s sixth round which will start at 10:15 a.m. Askew will be joined on the front row by Frederick, with VeeKay and Donison on row two of the grid. Live timing and live streaming will be available on the series website, usf2000.com, as well as on indycar.com, the Road To Indy TV App and RoadToIndy.TV.
Oliver Askew (#3 Mazda Motorsports/MC Racing-Cape Motorsports): “I tried not to think about winning here, because I didn’t want to jinx myself. The place has so much history and it’s what INDYCAR is. That’s where I want to be in the future so to win here is really cool. But this whole year hasn’t sunk in yet; I don’t feel as though it’s real. Seven months ago I didn’t think I’d be able to keep racing, so to be here is pretty crazy. I knew I had the pace to pull away. I just had to make sure I got a good jump at the start. Having a yellow start throws everyone off, but you have to regroup and figure out how to restart the race. I had the plan of where to accelerate, how to warm up the tires and where to get the jump by the time the green came out. It was hard work during the yellow, keeping the tires warm – it may look like we’re just cruising but the reality is that it’s really hard work.”

Perfect Day for USF2000 Championship Leader Askew in Indianapolis

Teenager Frederick Again Impresses with Another Second-Place Finish
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.  – Oliver Askew is fast making the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda his own personal playground. The 20-year-old winner of last fall’s inaugural Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200k Scholarship Shootout today claimed two pole positions (including for tomorrow morning’s race) and another beautifully controlled victory for the Cape Motorsports team. Askew, from Jupiter, Fla., led from flag-to-flag this afternoon at a warm and breezy Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix circuit in the Mazda Road to Indy Grand Prix Presented by Royal Purple Supporting Lupus Foundation of America.
Kaylen Frederick, 14, from Potomac, Md., claimed his third successive second-place finish for Team Pelfrey, while Guyana’s Calvin Ming completed the podium for Pabst Racing.
The opening stages of today’s fifth round of the 14-race championship were interrupted by full-course cautions following a succession of incidents around the 2.439-mile road course. Once the race was under way in earnest, however, there was no touching Askew, who made an exemplary restart and controlled the race from the front with a series of consistently fast laps. How consistent and how fast? Well, he stretched his lead to Frederick to almost two seconds with a trio of laps all within a few thousandths of a second of each other, then rammed home his superiority by securing the additional bonus point for the fastest lap of the race at a new record-breaking time of 1:25.4916 for an average speed of 102.705 mph.
Askew’s mark in the new Tatuus USF-17 eclipsed the previous standard, set by Nico Jamin during his championship-winning 2015 campaign, by almost a full second.
In Askew’s wake, Frederick saw off an early challenge from Ming to take the checkered flag 3.3461 seconds adrift of the winner and almost two seconds clear of Ming, who thoroughly deserved his first podium finish of the season.
Askew’s Cape Motorsports teammate, Ricky Donison, from Bangalore, India, made a huge leap forward by qualifying third and finishing a strong fourth (his previous best was a lowly 13th). Dakota Dickerson, from San Diego, Calif., rounded out the top five for Newman Wachs Racing.
UK-based South African Callan O’Keeffe also impressed on his debut with Team Benik by finishing sixth among a quality field of 23 cars, fractionally ahead of Dutchman Rinus VeeKay (Pabst Racing) and New Yorker Robert Megennis (Team Pelfrey).
Norway’s Ayla Agren (Team Pelfrey) and Mexican Moises de la Vara (DEForce Racing), who earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award after starting 17th, completed the top 10 ahead of another debutant, David Malukas, of Lithuanian descent but based in Chicago, with the new BN Racing team.
The PFC Award was secured by the winning team, Cape Motorsports. Ming took home the Staubli Award.
Askew’s fourth straight win extended his championship lead to 43 points, 156-113, over Frederick heading into tomorrow’s sixth round which will start at 10:15 a.m. Askew will be joined on the front row by Frederick, with VeeKay and Donison on row two of the grid. Live timing and live streaming will be available on the series website, usf2000.com, as well as on indycar.com, the Road To Indy TV App and RoadToIndy.TV.
Oliver Askew (#3 Mazda Motorsports/MC Racing-Cape Motorsports): “I tried not to think about winning here, because I didn’t want to jinx myself. The place has so much history and it’s what INDYCAR is. That’s where I want to be in the future so to win here is really cool. But this whole year hasn’t sunk in yet; I don’t feel as though it’s real. Seven months ago I didn’t think I’d be able to keep racing, so to be here is pretty crazy. I knew I had the pace to pull away. I just had to make sure I got a good jump at the start. Having a yellow start throws everyone off, but you have to regroup and figure out how to restart the race. I had the plan of where to accelerate, how to warm up the tires and where to get the jump by the time the green came out. It was hard work during the yellow, keeping the tires warm – it may look like we’re just cruising but the reality is that it’s really hard work.”
###
About USF2000: The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda debuted in 2010 and is a continuation of the highly-regarded USF2000 series which ran from 1990 through 2006, launching the careers of many of today’s top drivers. Sanctioned by INDYCAR and managed by Andersen Promotions, the series is the first official step on the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder system. The top driver in the Championship class will earn a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires the following year. Additional information can be found at www.usf2000.com.
About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports: Mazda Motorsports boasts the most comprehensive auto racing development ladder system of any auto manufacturer in the world. The Mazda Road to 24 program offers a number of scholarships to advance drivers up the sports car racing ladder, beginning with the Global MX-5 Cup series and culminating with the Mazda Prototype team. The Mazda Road to Indy is a similar program that includes Mazda-powered categories of USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. In grassroots road racing, more Mazdas race on any given weekend in North America than any other manufacturer. Mazda is also the title sponsor of the renowned Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Follow all of the latest news at MazdaMotorsports.com, @MazdaRacing on Twitter, and MazdaMotorsports on Instagram and Facebook.
About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is the parent company of a global family of companies that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of innovative, great-performing tires that you can count on to last for thousands of miles, getting you where you need to go, and back again. Cooper is proud to be the spec tire for all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires, a development program within the IndyCar racing series. Cooper tires can also be seen on the track as a sponsor in the short course off-road TORC Series. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper, with its subsidiaries, has manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design operations in more than one dozen countries around the world. To connect with Cooper, visit www.coopertire.com, www.facebook.com/coopertire or www.twitter.com/coopertire.

The Podium from 2017 USF2000 Race #1 on the IMS Road Course. Photo Credit INDYCAR

Page 1 of 4:1 2 3 4 »