Team Release:

Oconomowoc, Wisc. – Pabst Racing announced today that 18-year-old racecar driver and student Lucas Kohl has signed to drive in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda for 2017.  Kohl will drive the #23 Pabst Racing entry during the fourteen-round season.

Born in Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil, Kohl began his racing career in karts at the age of 10, winning his very first race. Kohl eventually moved on to open-wheel cars in 2014, winning the Formula Junior National Championship with eight victories in only 16 races. In 2015, he gained experience in Endurance Racing driving a P3 Prototype for the State and National Endurance Series in Brazil, earning three podiums.

For 2017, Kohl will compete in his second season of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda with Pabst Racing and is optimistic about entering year two after gaining a great deal of experience in 2016.

“I feel really motivated; I learned a lot in my first year and it’s been proved that returning drivers tend to have more success in the series,” said Kohl.  “I’m also really happy about being with Pabst Racing. They always do a great job and I’m convinced we can have a run for the championship.”

Kohl found his love for cars and racing at an early age while accompanying his father, an amateur racecar driver himself, in Brazil. He currently resides in Miami, Fla. where he attends Miami Dade College, studying business.  His sponsors include Bellko and Kohltrade.

The team is ramping up preparation as the first official series test is only a few weeks away on February 28th at Homestead, Fla.

“Lucas is coming to us with a full season under his belt and second year drivers have a history of great results in the series,” said team owner Augie Pabst. “We are thrilled to have Lucas entering his sophomore season with our team.  We can’t wait to get started.”

The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will begin in St. Petersburg, Fla. March 10th through 12th.

TSO Ladder Notes from Steve:

  • Kohl is the second Pabst Racing entry and 12th driver confirmed for the 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda season, joining: Moises de la Vara (DEForce Racing), Kory Enders (DEForce Racing), Rinus VK (Carlin/Benik), Devin Wojcik (ArmsUp Motorsports), Chandler Horton (RJB Motorsports), Robert Megennis (Team Pelfrey),  Parker Thompson (Exclusive Autosport),  Andre Castro (Newman Sachs Racing), Calvin Ming (Pabst Racing), and Ayla Agren (Team Pelfrey)
  • After a rough start to the year on the streets of St. Petersburg and at Barber Motorsports Park,  Kohl settled in to a more consistent rhythm of top 10 finishes in the final two-thirds of his rookie USF2000 campaign. 
  • Kohl is mentored by fellow Brazilian and former F1 and IndyCar driver Roberto Moreno. 
  • Pabst Racing is one of only three teams (Cape Motorsports with /WTR and ArmsUp Motorsports are the others) to take part in each of the first seven seasons of the re-born Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda championship. 
  • The Oconomowoc, Wisconsin based team has been close to knocking Cape Motorsports with /WTR off the top step of the USF2000 drivers championship that past two years, and an experienced shoe like Kohl combined with a quick youngster like Ming, should provide the Augie Pabst owned team a good chance to get that done in 2017. 
  • TSO expects a flurry of USF2000 driver announcements over the next two weeks before the series takes to the Homestead-Miami Speedway road course for an open test on February 28. 
  • You can follow Kohl on the following social media platforms: Twitter – Instagram – Facebook