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A USF2000 Double for Askew at Barber as Frederick Again Impresses

LEEDS, Ala. – This afternoon’s second leg of the Mazda USF2000 Grand Prix of Alabama Presented by Cooper Tires at Barber Motorsports Park, Round Four of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, ended in similar fashion to yesterday with young Americans Oliver Askew and Kaylen Frederick holding the top two positions. This time,…

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Jamin Scores at Barber to Become Third Different Indy Lights Winner

LEEDS, Ala. – Nico Jamin made a textbook pass for the lead in the early stages of this afternoon’s opening leg of the Mazda Indy Lights Grand Prix of Alabama Presented by Cooper Tires at Barber Motorsports Park, then edged away to become the third different winner in as many races this year in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires.
The 21-year-old Frenchman, driving for Andretti Autosport, who also won at Barber in 2015 en route to winning the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, became the 132nd different winner in the 31-year history of Indy Lights, which tomorrow will celebrate its milestone 400th race. With the win, Jamin joins Sage Karam, Spencer Pigot, Matthew Brabham and Aaron Telitz as drivers to win on all three rungs.
Californians Kyle Kaiser (Juncos Racing) and Neil Alberico (Carlin) completed the podium.
Kaiser had claimed the pole position this morning, with series leader Colton Herta lining up second for Andretti Steinbrenner Racing. But there was drama even before the green flag as Aaron Telitz, who started a lowly 13th after experiencing a mechanical problem in qualifying, inadvertently clipped the rear of Belardi Auto Racing teammate Shelby Blackstock.
The start was immediately waved off, only for Herta to then clip the rear of Kaiser’s car as the leaders, who were already anticipating the green flag, began to slow for Turn One. A little farther back in the pack, pre-season title favorite Santi Urrutia’s misfortune continued when his Belardi car was assaulted from behind by Pato O’Ward (Team Pelfrey) in Turn One. Both made pit stops for repairs, along with Herta and Telitz.
After three laps behind the pace car, the race was green-flagged properly with Kaiser still leading from Jamin, who had qualified third, then Alberico and his Carlin teammates Matheus Leist and Zachary Claman de Melo, who had qualified seventh and ninth, respectively.
But Kaiser held the lead only as far as Turn Five, where Jamin made an incisive move to the inside, then left his braking until the last possible moment before scything into the lead.
Jamin quickly established himself out front, posting the fastest lap of the race as early as the sixth lap as he left Kaiser to hold off the attentions of Alberico.
Jamin gradually extended his advantage to more than three seconds before easing off on the final lap to take the checkered flag 2.6525 seconds head of Kaiser, who remained under pressure throughout from Alberico.
Leist, from Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, and Tilton Hard Charger Award winner De Melo, from Montreal, Que., Canada, also were closely matched in fourth and fifth, with another Canadian, Dalton Kellett, claiming a relatively lonely sixth for Andretti Autosport.
Blackstock finished seventh, narrowly ahead of O’Ward, who had found a way past his own teammate, Juan Piedrahita, midway through the race but was unable to usurp the Tennessean.
Jamin, who jumped from 11th in the points table to fourth following his maiden Indy Lights win, also earned the Staubli Award. Herta still leads the points by a 10-point margin over Kaiser, 70-60, prior to tomorrow’s 400th Indy Lights race, for which the green flag will wave at 12:00 noon CDT, following another qualifying session at 8:00 am.
Live timing and live streaming will be available on indylights.com, as well as on indycar.com and the Road To Indy TV App. The race will air on NBCSN at 12:00 am on April 26.
Nico Jamin (#27 Andretti Autosport Mazda): “It was just incredible – when I got to Victory Lane and everyone wanted to talk to me, I didn’t know what to say! I was so emotional. It was a good thing I had good reflexes and put on the brakes in time to not break the front wing like my teammate did. Here, you can start on pole and get away or you have to get it done early, so I was in attack mode right away. I went on push-to-pass, broke late and made the pass stick. The Cooper Tires were very consistent through the whole race so that made it easy. So I’ll go cool down now, have a little celebration tonight, and try to put it on pole tomorrow morning. We had room for that this morning, but I got caught in traffic. Everyone wants to win the 400th Indy Lights race.”
Kyle Kaiser (#18 Juncos Racing): “I saw the start was waved off so I slowed up and I felt a little nudge from behind. I feel bad for Colton but these things happen. I know it’s tough to run close behind someone here because of the aero wash, so when Nico got by me I thought I would settle in and hope he would make a mistake or something would go wrong. With the field this tight, it’s very difficult to pass here once things settle in. But overall, I ran a pretty decent race except for the beginning. So until qualifying tomorrow morning, we’ll keep an eye on the forecast. We’re expecting it to be wet in the morning so we’ll put on rain tires and hope to be quick again.”

Askew Extends USF2000 Points Lead with Narrow Win Over Frederick

LEEDS, Ala. – The first of two races which will comprise this weekend’s Mazda USF2000 Grand Prix of Alabama Presented by Cooper Tires at Barber Motorsports Park saw Oliver Askew, from Jupiter, Fla., speed to his second victory in just three starts for Cape Motorsports. But the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200k Scholarship winner was made to work hard for his laurels by equally impressive 14-year-old Kaylen Frederick, from Potomac, Md., who backed up his strong start to the season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., with another fine performance today for Team Pelfrey.
Dutch teenager Rinus VeeKay (Pabst Racing) and Frederick’s teammate Robert Megennis, from New York, N.Y., also remained in close contention throughout this afternoon’s 30-minute, 19-lap race run in warm, sunny conditions on the undulating 2.3-mile road course.
After posting the fastest lap in qualifying this morning to earn the pole position, Askew made a good jump to maintain his advantage at the green flag but was never able to shake off the attentions of Frederick, who remained seemingly glued to the leader’s gearbox. Any enhanced hopes that Frederick might have had for a maiden victory due to the effects of a mid-race full-course caution after Askew’s teammate, Ricky Donison, from Bangalore, India, slid into the gravel trap in Turn Three, were quickly dashed when Askew again nailed the restart to cement his position out in front.
Frederick remained close behind but had to settle for second place, just 0.2273 second in arrears at the checkered flag.
After sweeping both race victories at Barber one year ago, Canadian Parker Thompson finished fifth this time for the new Exclusive Autosport team, unable to take advantage of the late restart which had allowed him to negate a deficit of almost two seconds prior to the caution. Thompson had managed to find a way past fifth-fastest qualifier Dakota Dickerson (Newman Wachs Racing), from San Diego, Calif., at the start and maintained a narrow advantage until the end, with Guyana’s Calvin Ming (Pabst Racing) also in close attendance.
Norway’s Ayla Agren (Team Pelfrey), New Yorker Andre Castro (Newman Wachs Racing) and Australian Luke Gabin (Exclusive Autosport) completed the top 10 ahead of Englishman Toby Sowery, who made a solid debut for the new Benik team, and Devin Wojcik (ArmsUp Motorsports), from Syracuse, N.Y., who earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award for a fine drive to 12th after starting 20th.
Cape Motorsports earned another PFC Award as the winning team, while Frederick took home the Staubli Award.
Askew currently leads the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda after three races by a margin of 90 points to 69 over VeeKay. Frederick currently lies third on 62, followed by Thompson on 57 and Megennis on 53.
Qualifying for Race 2 will take place at 9:25 am CDT tomorrow with the green flag set for 4:55 pm.
Oliver Askew, #2 Mazda Motorsports/MC Racing (Cape Motorsports): “I trick myself into thinking it’s just a practice session, because if you think too much, that’s when mistakes happen – and I couldn’t have that with Kaylen right behind me. The Cape Motorsports guys are doing a great job and I’m learning every time I’m at the track. I really appreciate the opportunity from Mazda. This is everything I’ve ever hoped for. I’ve waited for this opportunity for several years so to be where I am right now is really special – hopefully we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. The goal is to win the championship and this is a huge opportunity to keep working toward that.”
Kaylen Frederick, #81 Pilot ONE Racing (Team Pelfrey):  “It’s a cliché but I hope this is the first of many more to come! Hopefully we can get the pole tomorrow so I don’t have to work so hard to get around Oliver. I struggled at St. Pete since it was first street course. I had to learn a lot and improve a lot but the team definitely gave me a good car there and here as well. I took advantage of what I could today –  the Cooper tires wore well so I could just keep my head down and focus. It took a while to get comfortable with all the high-speed corners and the compressions. It was hard for me to get the confidence to go into those corners with that much speed but it’s all clicked now.”
Rinus VeeKay, #21 Jumbo Supermarkets The Netherlands/Total (Pabst Racing):  “It’s good as a rookie to be in the top three in the championship after three races, so I’m happy with that. I didn’t have a great start but I think it was the best I could get out of my position. It is hard to pass here but I was one of the quickest cars so that bodes well for tomorrow. You have to be so much quicker to get past someone here because it’s so fast and flowing, which is the opposite of St. Pete which is more stopping and going. We’ll work on the car overnight and go for the win tomorrow.”

Barber USF2000 Race #1 Podium. Photo: INDYCAR

Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Set to Celebrate 400th Race

Top Tier of Mazda Road to Indy Development Ladder Will Reach New Milestone at Barber PALMETTO, Fla. – Now in its 32nd season and firmly established as the final stepping stone for drivers who aspire to compete in the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires will celebrate its…

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New PM-18 Pro Mazda Chassis Impresses in Test Debut

TSOLadder.com NOTE: Sorry for the delay in getting this out. Series News April 15, 2017 Initial Phase of Prototype Development Successfully Completed PALMETTO, Fla. – Following a shakedown test on Monday at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill., the brand new Mazda-powered Tatuus PM-18 wrapped up two days of development testing yesterday evening at…

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Rookie Colton Herta Romps to Indy Lights Championship Lead 

Second-Generation Racer Becomes Youngest Ever Indy Lights Race Winner
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Colton Herta impressed everyone yesterday on his Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires debut by charging through from sixth to second. But that was nothing compared to this morning on the Streets of St. Petersburg. The 16-year-old from Valencia, Calif., started from the pole and displayed remarkable poise as he outpaced the field to win the Mazda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Cooper Tires in convincing style for Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing.
The son of 1993 Indy Lights champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 car owner Bryan Herta also put his name in the record books as the youngest ever winner in the 31-year history of Indy Lights dating back to 1985.
Last year’s championship runner-up, Santi Urrutia, from Uruguay, finished second for Belardi Auto Racing ahead of another impressive teenager, Mexico’s Pato O’Ward (Team Pelfrey).
After qualifying on pole position yesterday morning, Herta maintained his advantage at Turn One, only for the caution flags to wave almost immediately due to an incident in the midfield involving Nico Jamin (Andretti Autosport), winner of the 2015 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, and one of podium finishers from yesterday, Neil Alberico (Carlin). Both cars sustained substantial damage but neither driver was hurt.
The restart again proved no problem for Herta, who soon began to edge clear of fellow front row qualifier Urrutia. Behind, after restarting fifth, O’Ward made quick work of passing Dalton Kellett (Andretti Autosport) before charging around the outside of Kyle Kaiser (Juncos Racing) at Turn One and finally completing the pass in Turn Two after a brief clash of wheels. Next in O’Ward’s sights was Urrutia, who proved to be a tougher nut to crack. He tried a couple of times, only to be firmly rebuffed.
A couple of mid-race caution periods (due to single-car incidents involving Kellett and, later, Carlin’s Garth Rickards) negated what had been a comfortable advantage of almost three seconds for Herta, but the youngster again proved up to the challenge as he kept his cool – and his lead – before taking the checkered flag 1.7797 seconds clear of Urrutia.
O’Ward battled his way to third after relinquishing the position to Kaiser and then repassing him soon after the final restart. Kaiser had to settle for fourth ahead of yesterday’s winner, Aaron Telitz (Belardi Auto Racing), who battled his way from 10th on the grid to earn the Tilton Hard Charger Award.
After the first two of 16 races which will determine the winner of a Mazda Scholarship valued at $1 million to guarantee the Indy Lights series champion an opportunity to contest at least three Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2018, including the Indianapolis 500, Herta (who also secured today’s Staubli Award) holds a 10-point advantage, 59-49, over Telitz. O’Ward, on 39 points, ensured three rookies atop the point standings following the opening weekend.
This weekend’s racing action will air March 18 on NBCSN. The next two Indy Lights races will take place at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala., on April 22-23.
Colton Herta (#98 Deltro Energy Mazda/Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing): “All the yellows we were looking for yesterday happened today. It was a good race and we came away with the win so we’re super happy. My first feeling was relief that the race was over, because that was a hectic one. I was always checking the mirrors on the restarts for Santi and learning how to do the best job on cold tires. It was a tough race, because Santi’s been in this position before – and he’s one of the toughest competitors I’ve come against in this situation. Coming away from this weekend with the championship lead puts me a little bit ahead of schedule.”
George Michael Steinbrenner IV, Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing Team President: “It was definitely a good start to the season, leaving the first two races in the points lead, but it’s a tough field this year. As you saw, Urrutia was really quick behind Colton, and Aaron was super-fast yesterday. We’re not booking the championship but it was a good start! Knowing Colton for so long and knowing how good he can be, it was great to see how quickly he got out there.”
Santi Urrutia (#5 Belardi Auto Racing): “It was a tough race but a good one. I was trying to get to Colton but I had Pato right behind me. He was my teammate in 2015 in Pro Mazda, so I knew he was going to try to pass me. I tried to get Colton on the restarts but his car was really quick and he defended really well. I didn’t really get a clear chance to get by. Everyone is so quick in the series – both races this weekend were won by rookies. It’s so competitive, so I am happy with second place today and the points toward the championship.”
Pato O’Ward (#3 Gap Guard/Topo Chico-Team Pelfrey): “The weekend went really well, in the end. I lost my quick time in the first qualifying session and started from the back, which was not what we were looking for. But my goal was to finish fifth in the first race and get on the podium for the second, and we accomplished that so I’m satisfied. I’m going to go home and work on putting something together for the next race at Barber!”

Telitz Dominates but Indy Lights Thrills in St. Petersburg

New Push-to-Pass System Leads to Multiple Overtaking Moves on Tricky Streets
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Aaron Telitz tried his utmost to turn the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season opener into a procession, but fortunately his fellow protagonists failed to follow his script during an otherwise action-packed Mazda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Cooper Tires. As Telitz, 25, from Birchwood, Wis., romped to an impressive debut victory from the pole for Belardi Auto Racing, the remainder of the 15-car field staged a thrilling contest which ended with fellow Americans Colton Herta (Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing) and Neil Alberico (Carlin) completing the podium.
The Mazda turbo-powered Dallara IL-15 package has provided some excellent racing action since its introduction two years ago, but the advent in 2017 of a new and innovative “push-to-pass” system, which allows up to 10 seconds of increased turbo boost to deliver an additional 50 horsepower – and, unlike in many series, can only be employed as a tool to assist overtaking, rather than as a defense mechanism – proved its worth with a host of spectacular overtaking maneuvers during the 35-lap race.
There was action almost literally from start to finish. It began just seconds after the green flag when the field narrowly averted disaster at the first corner as Colombian Juan Piedrahita, who had qualified a career-best third for Team Pelfrey, left his braking a tad too late at Turn One while making a move for the lead. Cars were seemingly scattered in all directions as many contenders took evasive action, but thankfully, once the dust had settled, Telitz had managed to maintain his lead. Brazilian rookie Matheus Leist emerged in second, after starting fourth, while Carlin teammate Neil Alberico followed in third after a disappointing qualifying run with a lack of straightline speed left him seventh on the starting grid.
Shelby Blackstock (Belardi Auto Racing), Kyle Kaiser (Juncos Racing) and Herta ran next at the completion of the first lap, followed by the recovering Piedrahita and his teammate Pato O’Ward.
The biggest casualties from the opening contretemps were Santi Urrutia (Belardi), who picked up some damage and required a lengthy pit stop for repairs, and Dalton Kellett (Andretti Autosport), who resumed well in arrears of the remaining runners.
Telitz took full advantage of a fresh set of Cooper tires to pull out more than a second over his pursuers to ensure he was not within range of attack by anyone using their push-to-pass, and indeed a series of quick laps allowed him to extend his lead to move than five seconds inside just eight laps.
The most significant pass for position came on Lap Six when Alberico found a way past Leist for second. It was the first of many. And the young man who really made an impression was Herta, still a few weeks shy of his 17th birthday, who used his push-to-pass to excellent effect on the main straightaway, then displayed fearless form under braking as he gradually made his way toward the front. Telitz was already too far up the road to be under threat by the time Herta executed his final pass – for second on Alberico with only five laps remaining – but it was still a mightily impressive performance.
Alberico was rightly delighted with third after a disappointing 2016 campaign, while Blackstock also enjoyed a strong run to fourth ahead of O’Ward, who scrabbled past Kaiser under braking for Turn One with just a couple of laps remaining.
Leist, unfortunately, suffered a mechanical problem which eventually forced his retirement.
The field will be back in action tomorrow morning for a second installment. This time, though, Telitz will have a harder time, since he qualified only 10th in this morning’s second session of qualifying. Instead, Herta will start from the pole when the race gets under way at 9:45 a.m.
Live timing and live streaming will be available on indylights.com, as well as on indycar.com and the Road To Indy TV App. The race will air on NBCSN on March 18.
Aaron Telitz (#9 Mazda/Rice Lake Weighing Systems/Belardi Auto Racing): “I was expecting to do well this year but I had no idea coming in that I would be on pole and win the first race of the year, especially with such a deep field. It feels really good to be on the top spot. I had a good jump at the start and survived the pack-up at the start. Once I was out ahead, I just kept on doing consistent lap times through the race and hitting my marks. But honestly, my first feeling at the checkered flag was relief. To be here with Belardi, to be in the Soul Red car and wearing a Mazda driver’s suit, it all just feels a little unreal. When I started in car racing, I had no idea I’d ever be in Indy Lights, let alone win a race in my first go. I can’t thank Mazda enough for creating this ladder system and giving drivers like me a chance.”
Colton Herta (#98 Deltro Energy Mazda – Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing): “I knew that I had 15 push-to-pass uses so I was trying to be conservative. I would only use it when I knew I could overtake. It took a few tries to get adjusted and it will take a few more to nail it perfectly but it’s a great feature. I love how you have to be within a second of the other driver, so it eliminates defending. I used it when I tried to get around Neil the first time, but I ran out. The dash doesn’t tell you, so I kept pushing it and didn’t feel anything! I got a good run on the inside and he left me room. It was good, hard racing. Everyone left each other room.”
Neil Alberico (#2 Rising Star Racing-Carlin): “I had a tough year last year, battling gremlins and struggling as a rookie coming from Pro Mazda, so it’s great to come back and redeem myself. To get my first Indy Lights podium in the first race of the year is great. The Carlin guys have really worked with me and I appreciate that Carlin and Rising Star Racing had faith in my ability, which allowed me to come back this year. Geoff Fickling is my engineer this year, and he worked with Ed Jones last year and has won numerous championships through the years, and that has worked really well. He’s been a great asset for me.”

Megennis, Askew Share Honors in USF2000 Openers at St. Petersburg

Mazda Road to Indy Scholarship Winner Askew Takes Early Points Lead
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Robert Megennis (Team Pelfrey) and Oliver Askew (Cape Motorsports) shared the limelight today as the new-look Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda kicked off in style on the streets of St. Petersburg. The brand-new Mazda-powered Tatuus USF-17 chassis provided some spectacular action as the talented young American duo each claimed a race win during today’s season-opening double-header.
Last year’s top rookie, Megennis, from New York, N.Y., secured his first win this morning despite a late charge from former karting star Askew, from Jupiter, Fla., who was making his USF2000 debut after winning both a Team USA Scholarship and the inaugural Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout in 2016. Dutch teenager Rinus VeeKay finished third for Pabst Racing.
In Race Two this afternoon, Askew pounced on a mistake by polesitter Parker Thompson (Exclusive Autosport), from Red Deer, Alb., Canada, to claim the victory, followed by VeeKay and the recovering Thompson.
Megennis, who turned 17 last week, qualified on pole yesterday for Race One, the Hi-Tide Boat Lifts Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and quickly established a clear advantage over the chasing pack, led by Guyana’s Calvin Ming (Pabst Racing) and San Diego’s Dakota Dickerson (Newman Wachs Racing), who had managed to find a way past Askew at the start.
Askew redressed the balance on Lap Seven, then passed Ming for second place on Lap 13 before setting his sights on the race leader. Askew posted the fastest lap of the race as he negated a three-second deficit within a half-dozen laps, but Megennis held his ground to claim a hard-earned victory. VeeKay also closed in during the late stages before the three leaders crossed the finish line in nose-to-tail formation.
Kaylen Frederick, 14, from Potomac, Md., also impressed for Team Pelfrey by finishing fourth ahead of Thompson, who finished a close second in the 2016 title-chase.
Ming slipped to seventh at the checkered flag behind Dickerson, as Cameron Das (Newman Wachs Racing), Moises de la Vara (DEForce Racing) and Andre Castro (Newman Wachs) completed the top 10.
Megennis and Team Pelfrey claimed the Staubli and PFC Awards respectively, while VeeKay earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award for his impressive drive to third after starting 14th.
Thompson, who had snared the pole for Race Two, the Allied Building Products Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, during a separate 20-minute qualifying session this morning, maintained his advantage at the green flag, chased by Askew, VeeKay and Megennis, who snuck past Dickerson at the start.
Following a full-course caution after five laps when Castro crashed heavily in Turn Two, Thompson left his braking for Turn One at the restart a fraction too late while under intense pressure from Askew.
Askew ducked neatly to the inside and moved gratefully into the lead as the Canadian slid wide and lost three positions. Askew also snatched the fastest lap of the race as he sped to a 1.2056-second victory over VeeKay.
Megennis also took advantage of Thompson’s miscue to move up to third, only to make a mistake on his own on Lap 18. Thompson thereby moved up one position to complete the podium, narrowly ahead of Exclusive Autosport teammate – and St. Petersburg resident – Luke Gabin, who hails originally from Perth, Australia.
Frederick and Dickerson completed the top six ahead of Syracuse, N.Y.’s Devin Wojcik, who drove a strong race to seventh for ArmsUp Motorsports ahead of Kory Enders (DEForce Racing), from Warwick, N.Y., Das (who claimed the Tilton Hard Charger Award after fighting his way up from 18th on the grid) and Ming.
Askew, who took the early championship lead as a result of his pair of top-two finishes, also won the Staubli Award, while his St. Petersburg-based Cape Motorsports team pocketed the PFC Award.
Oliver Askew (#3 Mazda Motorsports/MC Racing-Cape Motorsports): “I knew this would be possible but I didn’t know it would happen this soon. I came into this weekend looking for points, so I’m really speechless right now. It hasn’t sunk in. I’ve been preparing for this since the Shootout; my whole focus is to win the championship. I’m so thankful to everyone at Mazda for choosing me. I feel very honored and hope I can follow guys like Spencer Pigot through the program.”
Robert Megennis (#80 Palo Alto Networks-Team Pelfrey): “The season couldn’t have started any better for us with a pole position and a win. It was pretty intense, especially when Rinus and Oliver were right there: It got me worried but I held them off. I drove hard but didn’t take any huge risks. When you’re out in front, you have to keep doing what you’ve been doing and maintain your pace, which was the plan until Oliver started going so fast! Then it becomes a matter of knowing how hard you can push yourself and how hard you can push the drivers around you. Oliver is a pretty smart driver so I knew I had to defend and make my car as wide as I could. But I can’t say enough about the Tatuus USF-17. It’s comfortable to drive; it’s consistent throughout the sessions; you can push it harder. It’s fun and exciting to drive, so I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Martin Begins New Pro Mazda Season in Style with Debut St. Pete Victory

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Anthony Martin began his bid to follow Matthew Brabham as only the second driver to claim back-to-back Mazda Scholarships in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda and the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires with a flag-to-flag victory in the Hi-Tide Kids on Track Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The 22-year-old from Kalgoorlie, Australia, driving for St. Petersburg-based Cape Motorsports, remained under pressure virtually throughout the 25-lap, 30-minute race from Brazilian Victor Franzoni (Juncos Racing) before taking the checkered flag to earn victory by just 0.5084 second.
Californian TJ Fischer finished third for Team Pelfrey.
After Martin snagged the pole position yesterday from Franzoni by a scant 0.0120 second, the two USF2000 protagonists from last year continued to be separated by next to nothing. The pair traded fastest laps several times during the early stages before Martin settled into a consistently fast pace and began to edge clear. The gap between them ebbed and flowed as they worked past some slower cars but Franzoni was never quite close enough to mount a serious challenge.
Team Pelfrey’s pair of TJ Fischer and Pro Mazda debutant Carlos Cunha, from Brazil, also remained close together in their battle for third, some distance behind the two leaders. Los Angeles-based Russian Nikita Lastochkin, in a third Team Pelfrey car, completed the top five after a race-long battle with teenager Phillippe Denes, from Carmel, Calif., who made a solid debut after clinching a late deal to join World Speed Motorsports.
USF2000 graduate Max Hanratty, from Milwaukee, Wis., also showed well in his first-ever Pro Mazda race, holding sixth place in the early stages for ArmsUp Motorsports before losing out to Sting Ray Robb (World Speed Motorsports), from Payette, Idaho,  just before the half-distance mark.
Kevin Davis, from Alvin, Ill., claimed National Class honors with an 11th-place overall finish in his self-run car, followed by Brendan Puderbach (FatBoy Racing!).
Martin also claimed the Staubli Award, while the PFC Award went to the winning team, Cape Motorsports. Another debutant, Matt Machiko, from Pittsburgh, Pa., claimed the Quarter Master Hard Charger Award after making up three positions during the race to finish ninth for FatBoy Racing!.
Qualifying for tomorrow’s second race took place earlier this morning with Martin again securing pole by a narrow margin over Franzoni. The green flag for the Allied Building Products Grand of St. Petersburg is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
Live timing and live streaming will be available on the series website, promazda.com, as well as on indycar.com and the Road To Indy TV App.
Anthony Martin (#8 Mazda/Burgess BLA-Cape Motorsports): “I’m so happy to be on the podium in St. Pete – I’ve raced here for three years and this is my first podium here. It’s great to put the Soul Red car on top. It was a crazy race. I actually hit the wall at the exit of Turn Three – a lot of people have hit that wall this weekend and now I get to join that club. I also hit at Turn Eight late in the race and took off all the Cooper Tire signs, so sorry for that! It may have looked easy but I was certainly challenged in the car. I try to look forward as much as I can and not worry about what’s going on behind me and I was able to do that today but Victor was right there. The Cape Motorsports guys gave me a great car but we’ll look at the data and see where we can improve for tomorrow.”
Victor Franzoni (#23 Juncos Racing): “I am happy with the result, but I could be happier. It’s been a crazy week. I was supposed to race in USF2000 but Juncos Racing gave me the opportunity to move up and I really appreciate that. I ran half a season in 2015 and tested with Juncos late last year so to finish second is very good. It’s difficult to pass here but our lap times were so close that I stayed right with Anthony early in the race. It was giving me bad air and I started to get loose, so I had to back off a bit. It’s the first race of the season, so it doesn’t make sense to try something crazy. Anthony was really fast so I am happy with second.”

Starting Grids Set for Four of Six Mazda Road to Indy Season-Opening Races

Starting Grids Set for Four of Six Mazda Road to Indy Season-Opening Races
Mazda Scholarship Driver Telitz Captures Pole for Indy Lights Debut
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg kicked off today with practice and qualifying for four of the six races which comprise the start of a new campaign for the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.
A dramatic qualifying session for Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the highest rung on the acclaimed open-wheel development ladder which offers Mazda Scholarships to enable talented drivers to reach all the way from the grassroots of the sport to the Verizon IndyCar Series, ended with Aaron Telitz marking his first Indy Lights start with pole position for Belardi Auto Racing.
Telitz, 25, from Birchwood, Wis., who is stepping up after winning last year’s Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, jumped to the top of the timing charts moments before young Mexican Pato O’Ward ended his session in the barriers at Turn Eight. Ironically, Telitz and O’Ward had been teammates last year in Pro Mazda – and had shared one victory apiece on the streets of St. Petersburg.
O’Ward, 17, from Monterrey, Mexico, had posted the fastest time in practice this morning for Team Pelfrey and also set the pace prior to Telitz’s fine lap of 1:07.5844. Even worse, as a penalty for causing a red flag stoppage, O’Ward was penalized with the loss of his fastest time, dropping him from second on the grid to ninth in the closely packed field.
Kyle Kaiser (Juncos Racing), from Santa Clara, who won the pole in 2016, will start second for the opening race of the weekend, the Mazda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Cooper Tires, which will start at 5:10 p.m. EDT tomorrow afternoon.
Juan Piedrahita (Team Pelfrey), from Bogota, Colombia, will line up third ahead of rookies Matheus Leist (Carlin), from Brazil, and Colton Herta (Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing), from Valencia, Calif.
Qualifying for Race Two will take place at 7:55 a.m. tomorrow.
USF2000 Champ Martin Fastest in Pro Mazda 
Anthony Martin, from Kalgoorlie, Australia, will start on pole for the Hi-Tide Kids on Track Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Round One of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. Martin, 22, who is stepping up to Pro Mazda after winning last year’s USF2000 championship, set the fastest time at 1:13.6718 for Cape Motorsports, edging out Brazilian Victor Franzoni (Juncos Racing) by a scant 0.012 second.
Franzoni had been fastest in the first practice session this morning at 1:14.1486.
TJ Fischer, based in Los Angeles, will start third for Team Pelfrey ahead of teammate Carlos Cunha, from Campinas, Brazil, and Californian teenager Phillippe Denes for World Speed Motorsports.
The race will start tomorrow at 11:50 a.m.
Qualifying for Race Two, the Allied Building Products Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, will take place at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow, with the green flag slated for 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Megennis, Thompson Earn Poles for USF2000 Double-Header 
A new era for the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda kicked off today with qualifying for the first two races of the new season which will take place tomorrow on the streets of St. Petersburg.
The brand-new Tatuus USF-17 looks set to provide some sensational action this year, as evidenced by the closeness of the times in each of the two 20-minute sessions.
Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Robert Megennis, was first out of the blocks yesterday for Team Pelfrey, posting the fastest time during a 30-minute period of practice that was punctuated by a variety of incidents. The teenager from New York, N.Y., maintained that form this morning on a slightly reconfigured race track, stopping the clocks in 1:15.3708 (85.975 mph) to secure pole position for the Hi-Tide Boats Lifts Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – and the first championship point of the 2017 campaign.
Calvin Ming (Pabst Racing), from Guyana, will start second for the opening race ahead of Oliver Askew, from Jupiter, Fla., representing the defending champion Cape Motorsports team. Askew, 20, is commencing his very first full season of car racing after winning the inaugural Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout last fall.
Dakota Dickerson (Newman Wachs Racing), from San Diego, Calif., and Kaylen Frederick (Team Pelfrey), from Potomac, Md., will round out the top five starters. The top 11 qualifiers were all blanketed by less than one second.
The race is set for 8:40 a.m. tomorrow, with the green flag due to be waved by Tatuus Race Cars Director Gianfranco DeBellis.
Qualifying for Race Two, the Allied Building Products Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which is slated for a 2:00 p.m. start tomorrow, ended with Parker Thompson, from Red Deer, Alb., Canada, atop the charts for the new Exclusive Autosport team. Thompson, who finished a close second in the 2016 title-chase, set an identical time – 1:15.3708 – to that set earlier by Megennis.
Askew, who bounced back impressively from an incident on Thursday afternoon which caused damage to his Soul Red Tatuus, will start second for Race Two ahead of Dutch teenager Rinus VeeKay (Pabst Racing), Dickerson and Megennis.
Live timing and live streaming of all sessions will be available on the respective series websites, indylights.com, promazda.com and usf2000.com, as well as on indycar.com and the Road To Indy TV App.
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