Archives for Mazda Road To Indy PR

Dalton Kellett Joins Juncos Racing for the 2019  Indy Lights Championship

Posted by  on Tuesday, February 26th 2019     

Indianapolis, Indiana (February 26, 2019) – Juncos Racing announced today Dalton Kellett would join the team for the 2019 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season. Kellett joins Indy Pro 2000 Champion Rinus VeeKay for Juncos Racing’s two car line-up.

Dalton Kellett (Toronto, Canada) recently completed his third season in Indy Lights where he captured one pole and two podiums. The Canadian recorded three podiums between the 2016-2017 seasons and won the Hi-Tide Boat Lifts Kids on Track Spirit Award in 2017.

Kellett said, “Competing in the 2019 Indy Lights season with Juncos Racing is a very exciting opportunity. Ricardo (Juncos) and his team have proven themselves championship winners on many occasions and across different series. As such, I am very enthusiastic about our partnership. As a returning veteran to the series, consistency, podiums, and wins will be the focus for this year. It’s been a long off-season, so I am ready for St. Pete and can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the #67 K-Line Insulators USA/Ten80 Education Juncos Racing machine.”

Team Owner Ricardo Juncos said, “We are really looking forward to working with an Indy Lights veteran like Dalton. He has continued to grow each year in the series, so we look to take this momentum and take it to the 2019 season. Dalton is not only a great addition to our team, but also as a teammate for our rookie Rinus (VeeKay) who will make his first start in the Indy Lights series this year. I want to thank Dalton, his family, and sponsors for the chance to add Dalton to our growing program.”

category: Juncos PR
tags: , , , ,

EXCLUSIVE AUTOSPORT SIGNS MANUEL CABRERA FOR HIS RETURN TO USF200

Posted by  on Friday, February 22nd 2019     

EXCLUSIVE AUTOSPORT SIGNS MANUEL CABRERA FOR HIS RETURN TO USF2000

 19-year-old Mexican back for his sophomore year in Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship

SASKATOON, SK (February 22, 2019) – Exclusive Autosport is pleased to announce that Mexican driver Manuel Cabrera will rejoin the team for the 2019 Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, competing in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship season. The 18-year-old spent the first half the 2018 season running with Exclusive Autosport’s USF2000 program, where he was named the ‘Star of the Race’ at the Royal Purple Grand Prix of Indianapolis by the Road to Indy Insider. During that weekend, Cabrera hard-charged his way from the 22ndposition to finish an impressive ninth in a field stacked full of talent. With that experience now part of his racecraft, Manuel is determined to make his mark on the first rung of America’s top development ladder system.

“It is a real pleasure to welcome Manuel back to the Exclusive Autosport USF2000 program,” enthused Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “He showed his speed, racecraft and a lot of promise in the first half of the season last year. He has been training really hard in the off-season and I am looking forward to positive results from Manuel in 2019.”

Cabrera began his racing career in the assorted Mexican karting series in 2010 at the age of 10, running upfront and winning numerous races and championships along the way. Manuel made the move to car racing by attending the Skip Barber Racing School in 2016, and then participated in their Championship Series. Cabrera graduated to the Formula PanAm series in 2017 and earned the championship title, winning a ticket to attend the Mazda Road to Indy $200,000 Scholarship Shootout in the process. In the Formula PanAm program, he scored four wins in the six series races and was on the podium in the other two. He also raced in the Formula Masters Asia series, scoring six top-five finishes, and was awarded the Rookie of the Year honors. In 2018, Manual raced seven races with Exclusive Autosport, racking his highest finish of eighth place at Road America. He has since taken time off to concentrate on his fitness in an effort to prepare for his attack on the 2019 season.

“I feel extremely happy to be back with the Exclusive Autosport team and I’m really anxious to be back behind the wheel and start the season,” commented Cabrera. “Last year was quite tough for me, but I’m really convinced that this year is going to be different. We are preparing ourselves differently and I hope this will show during our on-track performance. I’m really positive that this year is going to be different and great for the whole team. I feel so happy to be part of the team once again and to be able to work again with all the crew members.”

Led by Team Manager Mirl Swan, Cabrera and the entire EA crew are ready and the cars have been prepared for the next official test for the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, which will take Exclusive Autosport back to South Florida for official Spring Training at Homestead on March 1-3, followed immediately by the 2019 season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 8-10.

A number of additional private tests are scheduled for the next couple months, so drivers interested in joining the Exclusive Autosport team are invited to contact Exclusive Autosport at www.exclusiveautosport.ca/contact-us/. The entire Exclusive Autosport staff is motivated to begin their third season of Road to Indy competition to build off their tremendous successes of 2017 and 2018.

Exclusive Autosport is pleased to be able to partner with great companies, such as AERO™ Advanced Paint Technology (www.rethinkpaint.com), which is used on all their race cars.

 

Source: Team PR

category: Exclusive Autosport
tags: , , , ,

Parker Locke joins Exclusive Autosport for the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires season

Posted by  on Wednesday, February 20th 2019     

SASKATOON, Sask. – Exclusive Autosport is pleased to confirm that San Antonio, TX native Parker Locke will compete with the team in the full 2019 season of the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires series, part of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.

The program, formally known as the Pro Mazda series, changed its name in the off-season due to Mazda Motorsports’ departure from the ladder program. The impressive Tatuus PM-18 chassis continues as the spec car, and remains powered by the Mazda MZR-PM18 engine.

Coming off a full year in US F4 Championship and a trio of races in the F3 Americas Championship, the 17-year-old Locke is more than ready to get behind the wheel of the Exclusive Autosport PM-18. Parker also competed in this year’s Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand in January and February and was presented with the Most Improved Driver of the Year award. Exclusive Autosport will continue off-season testing, including the series test at Homestead Miami Speedway (March 2-3), to get Parker primed and ready for the season opener at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (March 8-10).

“We are thrilled to welcome Parker Locke to the Exclusive Autosport Indy Pro 2000 program and to be working with him for the 2019 season,” enthused Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “Parker has a solid background in open wheel racing and has adapted well to the PM-18 during testing so far. He had an outstanding test with us at the Road To Indy open test at Homestead in December topping the time sheets. We will continue to build from that test and expect solid results from Parker this year.”

Locke began his racing career in 2015 at a local San Antonio, TX kart track. In 2016, while continuing to run karts in Texas, he stepped up into cars by attending a pair of courses at the Skip Barber Racing School. When 2017 began, Locke jumped fully into the sport to run a full season in the F4 US Championship, where he learned the ways of wheel-to-wheel competition. His best finish was 15th at Circuit of the Americas in the season finale. Last year, Locke competed in five of the six US F4 Championship weekends, where he gained eight top-16 finishes in a field of 32 plus competitors. Locke capped off the season by gaining crucial experience in the F3 Americas Championship, competing in the final three series events, recording three podiums.

“I’m very excited to be joining Exclusive Autosport for the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 season,” Locke enthused. “The Road to Indy series seems to be a very professionally run series with many very competitive and talented drivers. I am looking forward to the competition and to try proving myself in such an accomplished field of drivers. Exclusive Autosport has proven in the past to be top tier team producing great results throughout the season. I can’t wait to see how much I improve over the course of the season under their guidance.”

The team is ready and the cars have been prepared for the next official test for the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, which will take Exclusive Autosport back to South Florida for official Spring Training at Homestead on March 2-3, followed immediately by the 2019 season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 8-10.  A number of additional private tests are scheduled for the next couple months, so drivers interested in joining the Exclusive Autosport team are invited to contact Exclusive Autosport at www.exclusiveautosport.ca/contact-us/. The entire Exclusive Autosport staff is motivated to begin their third season of Road to Indy competition to build off their tremendous successes of 2017 and 2018.

Exclusive Autosport is pleased to be able to partner with great companies, such as AERO™ Advanced Paint Technology (www.rethinkpaint.com), which is used on all their race cars.

Source: Team PR

category: Exclusive Autosport
tags: , , , ,

Juncos Racing signs Rasmus Lindh for 2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires campaign

Posted by  on Wednesday, February 20th 2019     

Indianapolis, Ind. – Juncos Racing announced today Rasmus Lindh would join the team for the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires Championship. Lindh is the first driver announced to the reigning 2018 Indy Pro 2000 (former Pro Mazda) champions line-up.

Rasmus Lindh (Gothenburg, Sweden) made his first appearance with Juncos Racing this past fall at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to go to the next step in the Road to Indy program with a championship winning team. I really enjoyed working with Juncos Racing this past fall, so I am happy that we are back together for the 2019 season. “

Lindh joins Juncos Racing after an impressive rookie season in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship where he earned five podiums and three poles. The young Swedish native would go on to claim second in the championship.

Team Owner Ricardo Juncos said, “We are very happy to announce our first Indy Pro 2000 driver for the 2019 season. Rasmus (Lindh) has a lot of talent which he showed us this past fall during the Chris Griffis test. We are very excited to begin our work with him and are looking forward to another successful season. I would like to thank Rasmus, his family, and sponsors for the opportunity to have him a part of our Indy Pro 2000 program.”

category: Juncos PR
tags: , , , ,

Bruna Tomaselli joins Pabst Racing for the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship season

Posted by  on Tuesday, February 19th 2019     

TOMASELLI JOINS PABST RACING FOR 2019

Oconomowoc, Wisc.– Determined, savvy, and ambitious are some of the keywords to describe Bruna Tomaselli of Caibi, Brazil.

Hailing from the country that produced talents like Helio Castroneves, Emerson and Christian Fittipaldi, and the late Ayrton Senna, Tomaselli’s positive and driven personality will be prominent with Pabst Racing, her new Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship home for 2019.

The 21-year-old racer looks forward to the upcoming season as she’s ready to produce strong results with the two-time USF2000 Team Championship organization.

“I’m very excited for this season,” Tomaselli said. “This will be my third season, so I know the car, I know almost all the tracks, and with that experience and with a very competitive car, I hope to achieve great things.”

In this case, Tomaselli has the potential to accomplish great things with Pabst Racing. Making strides over the past two seasons, Tomaselli scored a career-best seventh in race one on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida last year.

“Bruna showed very well in recent testing with us at Sebring,” Team Owner Augie Pabst said. “We’re anticipating a very successful 2019 season with her and can’t wait to get started.”

Tomaselli’s racing career kicked off in go-karts as she competed in Campeonato Sulbrasileiro de Kart races between 2007 through 2012. Graduating to Formula Junior Brazil in 2013, she placed seventh in the points standings with a podium finish.

Driving her way to Formula 4 South America in 2015, she placed sixth in the final tally and fourth one year later with five podiums and 18 top-10 finishes. Competing in four MRF Challenge – Formula 2000 events in 2016, Tomaselli looks forward to settling in with Pabst Racing for this year.

Just knocking on the door for a top-15 ranking in last year’s points standings, the potential is there for Tomaselli to produce strong finishes in 2019.

That said, the third-year racer appreciates and respects her new opportunity, noting the fundamentals that come with competing in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.

“To compete in a big series is awesome,” Tomaselli observed. “We can learn during every race, not only on track, but outside as well with the IndyCar drivers and everything.”

Naturally, a driver like Tomaselli puts emphasis on being prepared for the grind of the schedule. With the 2019 season fast approaching, Tomaselli has worked ardently to be at her peak shape, mentally and physically.

“Yes, we drivers need to be,” she said. “I did some tests with Pabst, and I’ve been preparing myself and my body with simulator training and going to the gym every day to be in a good shape for the season.”

If Tomaselli needs to turn to inspiration during the year, she has quite the legendary icon to follow in the form of Ayrton Senna.

Additionally, Tomaselli is honored to represent Brazil for her contemporaries and for women racers aspiring to compete in motorsports.

“As a Brazilian driver, my inspiration on track and away from it is Ayrton Senna,” she noted. “He was an awesome driver and incredible person as well and that, for me, is a good inspiration. I’m very proud to be a Brazilian driver and be a woman driver as well. It is very good to be representing my country and women in a big motorsport series.”

Passion and pride happen to be the qualities embedded within Pabst Racing, which will certainly make for a potent combination with Tomaselli in 2019.

The 15-race season is just around the corner with the Streets of St. Petersburg awaiting Tomaselli and her peers on March 8-10, 2019.

Source: Team PR

category: Pabst Racing

Jay Howard Driver Development signs Matthew Round-Garrido for Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship

Posted by  on Tuesday, February 19th 2019     

Adding to their growing driver line-up across multiple different series, Jay Howard’s Driver Development is happy to confirm Matthew Round-Garrido. Set to take part in the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, the young British driver has leveled up and is both anxious and excited to join the Road to Indy program.

Moving to America, Round-Garrido makes the jump from the Northern Irish Formula Ford 1600 program where he was crowned champion in 2018. Also finishing third in the British Formula Ford Championship, Round-Garrido earned a ticket to the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout, courtesy of his Formula Ford 1600 championship.
“I’m really excited that I’ll be racing in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship with JHDD this season. It’s been a target of mine to race abroad for a number of years now and with the Road to Indy scholarship system they’ve got here, there’s no better place to be racing than America right now,” explained Round-Garrido. “I want to also thank everyone who’s helped me get into this position, from the DAWSON WAM Northern Irish Championship and Road to Indy for giving me the right contacts over here. To Jay Howard, Excel Labels, and my dad for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to show what I can do in 2019.”
“Matthew will be a great addition to our program and should be an instant threat in the 2019 championship,” explained multi-time Indianapolis 500 starter and Team Owner, Jay Howard. “He brings a load of experience to the team and knows how to win.”
Taking advantage of a winter testing program, Round-Garrido will next see action at the Road to Indy Spring Training March 2-3 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.

Source: Team PR

category: Jay Howard Driver Development

YOUNG AUSTRALIAN SHIELDS TO JOIN NEWMAN WACHS RACING FOR 2019

Posted by  on Tuesday, February 19th 2019     

CHICAGO, Ill. – Newman Wachs Racing is thrilled to announce that Australian Cameron Shields will join the team for the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.

The Toowoomba, Queensland, native may be new to the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, but he’s no rookie in the world of racing. In just short four years competing in cars, Shields has built an impressive resume that includes an impressive 52 wins out of 154 races entered, running in Australian Formula 3, Formula 4 and Formula Ford. Shields sampled the waters in the US last September by testing an Indy Pro 2000 car at the 2018 Chris Griffis Memorial test but found that a USF2000 car would be a better fit for this year.

“I’m very excited to have Cameron signed with the team for the 2019 season,” said Brian Halahan, NWR Team Manager. “I think his racing history speaks for itself and I expect to be fighting for wins right out of the box. The combination of his experience and our engineer John Hayes’ knowledge should be a powerful combination. St. Petersburg cannot come soon enough!”

Cameron started racing at the young age of six in junior motocross, winning a remarkable 21 times with 34 podiums. In 2010, Shields had decided that four wheels were more his style and he began karting at the junior level, winning 42 races with 73 podiums during his six years in the sport. In 2015, he competed in his first Formula Ford race at age 14. Then in 2016, he began his full-time open-wheel car racing career, getting his feet wet running in the Australian Formula 3 series, taking the National class championship.

Heading into the 2017 season, Shields was awarded a Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) Rising Star Scholarship to compete in the Australian Formula 4 series where he finished third in the championship, which earned him the CAMS Young Driver of the Year award. He also competed in Australian Formula Ford series finishing second in the championship, with a combined 17 wins between the two series. Last season, he scored 18 wins en route to runner-up status in the Australian Formula 3 Premier Championship.

Shields will race with the valued support of Dependable Sheds, HRX, Vision Sports Science, Speak Up for Sport, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF), and mentor Graeme Lloyd; two-time World Series winner with the New York Yankees. Cameron was the recipient of 2019 SAHOF scholarship and mentor program and received a $5,000 (AUS) scholarship which he invested in testing at the end of last season to prepare for the upcoming USF2000 season. Cameron is also fortunate to count NTT IndyCar Series driver Will Power and his father Bob as mentors to help guide his career aspirations.

“I am very pleased to announce that I will be joining with Newman Wachs Racing ahead of the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship,” Shields enthused. “Newman Wachs Racing is a very professional team, with a long history of results to back that up and I am full of confidence that together this season we can continue that trend of success with the ultimate goal of becoming the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 champions! It has been a very tough journey over the Christmas break to ensure that I could be on the grid this season. Without the help of my parents, Will Power, Bob Power and Charles Crews, alongside every member of NWR, there is no way I would be returning to America, so I would like to sincerely thank each of them and all NTT IndyCar Series and Andersen Promotions personnel whom I have interacted with over the last six months for the upcoming series championship.”

The team has been hard at work since the end of last season testing multiple drivers, while competing in the Trans-Am Series, along with the 2018 NASA 25 Hour and the 2019 PBOC Winterfest. With Nolan Siegel having been officially confirmed for the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, the team is looking to add an additional driver to the line-up ahead of the opening round at St. Petersburg on March 8-10.

Source: Team PR

 

category: Newman Wachs Racing

DEFORCE RACING WELCOMES MANUEL SULAIMAN TO USF2000 PROGRAM

Posted by  on Tuesday, February 19th 2019     

DEFORCE RACING WELCOMES MANUEL SULAIMAN TO USF2000 PROGRAM

Houston, Texas – DEForce Racing is pleased to announce that they will be running in the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship with Mexican driver Manuel Sulaiman.

The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship is the first step of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder that develops drivers towards the NTT IndyCar Series with several scholarship opportunities along the way. DEForce is happy to begin another season in a paddock where they have run several other drivers with the same determination to make it to the top levels of racing.

Sulaiman was born in Mexico City on July 20, 2000, and currently resides in Puebla, Mexico. The 18-year-old is one of the newest generations from Mexico to excel in karting and other junior open-wheel series. It was Sulaiman’s impressive karting career along with some wins and podium finishes in both Mexican F4 and British F4 that aligned him with DEForce Racing in the search of a USF2000 Championship title.

The 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship will have their season opener March 8-10 on the streets of St. Petersburg. There will be 15 rounds total spread out among eight weekends across the United States and Canada.

Manuel Sulaiman, Driver – DEForce Racing:
“It means a lot to me to participate in such a high-level competition of motorsport in formula cars and having a goal of winning the championship with a Mexican team. I am willing, motivated and hungry to win and show what can we do together.”

David Martinez – Team Owner:
“We are very excited to have Manuel onboard for 2019 in our USF2000 team. He is a very hungry driver with a great background in karting. When he first got in our car, we knew he would be a contender. This is our third year as a team and we’re looking forward to getting our first championship. We definitely feel Manuel will be a contender every race and can’t wait to see him on track.”

category: DE Force Racing

Pabst Racing adds Yuven Sundaramoorthy for 2019 USF2000 campaign

Posted by  on Tuesday, February 19th 2019     

Oconomowoc, Wis. – Pabst Racing has announced the signing of 15-year-old Yuven Sundaramoorthy for the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship. Sundaramoorthy, who will be 16 on February 22nd, was born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, where Pabst Racing is based. He found his love for the sport while spectating at a Formula One race in Shanghai, where he lived for six years.

Sundaramoorthy’s career began in karting on the other side of the world and led him back to the United States four years ago, which opened the door to competition in the F1600 Championship. After a productive and successful two seasons (earning a 4th and 3rd place in the points championship), he decided the next step for the high school junior’s motorsport career would be the Road to Indy.

“I am so excited to be driving with Pabst Racing this year and taking the next step in my racing career,” said Sundaramoorthy. “I’m really looking forward to the hyper-competitive experience in USF2000, and learning from my new teammates as well. My goal is to get some top-fives early in the season, then improve to podiums and wins later in the year.”

Sundaramoorthy, who now resides in Guilderland, New York, stays active outside of racing and school with robotics, computer programming as well as other sports such as snowboarding and basketball. He took part in the recent Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires series test at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Pabst Racing where his effort and results proved to impress his new team.

“We are thrilled to announce Yuven as a driver for Pabst Racing in 2019,” said team owner Augie Pabst. “Yuven is a hard-working and talented driver and we expect to see great results from him. Our work together so far has been fantastic and we can’t wait to get the season started.”

Sundaramoorthy, who will pilot the #21 Pabst Racing entry, is the team’s second driver announcement in preparation for 2019. Fans should look forward to more announcements from the team in early 2019.

Source: Team PR

category: Pabst Racing

Pabst Racing confirms Colin Kaminsky for 2019 Title Challenge

Posted by  on Tuesday, February 19th 2019     

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. – Pabst Racing today announced the signing of 19-year-old Colin Kaminsky for the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship. The Homer Glen, Ill., native will pilot the #23 Slick Locks Racing-sponsored Pabst Racing entry in his second full season in USF2000.

Colin Kaminsky began racing in 2015 and made his debut in the USF2000 Championship with a partial campaign in 2017, scoring best finishes of eighth and ninth at Road America. He made steady gains during his first full campaign in 2018, finishing 10th in the final points table with a best finish of fourth — also at the track closest to his home, Road America. In what will be only his fifth year of racing, Kaminsky will juggle his motorsport career with both hockey and a college education at the University of Pittsburgh.

The announcement comes after the recent series test at Homestead-Miami where Pabst Racing and Colin Kaminsky made their first public appearance working together. An overall finish of fourth in results from the first day of testing in Florida proves Kaminsky’s high expectations for 2019 quite valid.

“My goal for the 2019 USF2000 season is to compete for wins and ultimately compete for a championship and a scholarship to Pro Mazda in 2020,” said Kaminsky. “Pabst is a team proven to win races and compete for championships year in and year out so I know I am in the right place to pursue my goal. With their experience and expertise I am sure that as a team we will be competing for the top step of the podium every weekend.”

Pabst Racing recently finished a successful season claiming the Team Championship title for the second year in a row and hopes to be in contention for both a team and driver’s championship title in 2019. Team owner Augie Pabst is pleased with this first driver announcement leading into the 2019 season.

“We tested Colin right after the official season ended and knew he had the key qualities we look for in a driver,” said Pabst. “So it is with great excitement that we announce his signing for 2019. We expect to see impressive results from Colin this upcoming season and are looking forward to seeing his development and success under our banner.”

The team will head back to Homestead-Miami Speedway for another series test on March 2-3 just before the first official event of the season in St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 8.

Source: Team PR

category: Pabst Racing
Page 3 of 33:« 1 2 3 4 5 6 »Last »