LOS GATOS, CALIF. – The pursuit of a second North American junior formula car title commences for American rising talent Neil Alberico this coming week (March 15-16), when the opening rounds of the 2012 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda takes place at Sebring International Raceway. Partnering with the renowned JDC MotorSports squad, the rookie is poised to challenge for top honors right from the first green flag being waved in what is perhaps the deepest field within the Mazda Road to Indy program.

The start of the racing season is always an exciting time of the year, with race wins and a championship title potentially in the cards. For Alberico, that journey commences back on North American soil this season following a successful run behind the wheel in Europe in 2011. With the ultimate goal of racing and winning in the upper echelon of open-wheel competition, the 19 year-old Californian will make his USF2000 Championship debut piloting the No. 19 Kartel Motorsports/Bondurant School/RaceLite Protection/ Red Line Oil  entry for JDC MotorSports at the historic Sebring road course. Given Alberico has already established a strong report with his JDC engineers and mechanics, as evidence by three top-five results in the 'off-season' Winterfest finale tripleheader, the stage is now set for the talented rookie to be among those battling for the win in Rounds One and Two in Florida.

"Sebring is going to be a blast!" said Alberico. "The team has been working flat-out in preparation for what has geared up to be a highly anticipated USF2000 season. I'm psyched to finally get there and have some fun."

Alberico enters the USF2000 Championship season-opener having rapidly established himself as a young driver worth watching. A former multiple karting champion, the Los Gatos, California-based rookie transitioned to car competition in 2010, promptly capturing the Bondurant Championship Race Series title with 10 wins. Alberico followed that up with a move 'across the pond' this past season, racing in the highly competitive MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain. Further showcasing is ever-growing talent behind the wheel, he helped develop the latest Ray chassis en route to a strong ninth-place finish in the title chase, before adding a podium finish at the historic 40th Formula Ford Festival as a Team USA Scholarship driver. 

The quest for supremacy in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda series, which is the first step in the prestigious Mazda Road to Indy program, commences for Alberico on March 13, with event testing. Practice on the fast and bumpy Sebring International Raceway road course takes place on March 14. Qualifying and Round One will be contested on March 15, while Round Two during the 60th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida event is slated for the morning of March 16. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.f2000.com/Multimedia/Live.aspx.

Learn more about Neil Alberico at neilalberico.com and keep up to date via Twitter @NeilAlberico and his Facebook page at Neil-Alberico-Racing.

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About Neil Alberico:
A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Alberico first started racing karts at the age of 10, competing in IKF region 11 action. Over the course of four seasons (2004-07), the young talent captured the Junior Sportsman, Junior Super Sportsman, and Junior Puma championship titles. In 2008, Alberico first got behind the wheel of a race car, graduating from the Skip Barber 2-day Advanced school at Laguna Seca prior to participating in the Formula BMW recruitment day at Miller Motorsports Park. Continuing to race in the karting ranks while raising funds to pursue a career in motorsports, Alberico won the Snap-On Stars of Karting Series National finale in Las Vegas in 2009, before finishing third in CKI National TAG Senior championship. Alberico built on this success in 2010, winning the TaG Senior class in the WSK North American Series, as well as the Bondurant Championship Race Series, capturing 10 wins in first full season of car competition. As part of the prize package for winning the Bondurant Championship, the teenager tested a Pro Formula Mazda with World Speed Motorsports and a Formula Atlantic Swift 016.a with Finlay Motorsports. In 2011, Alberico made his European racing debut, competing in the world-renowned Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain with Irish-based Cliff Dempsey Racing. Finish ninth in his maiden FF season, the Californian earned a Team USA Scholarships. As a Team USA driver, he captured a Semi-Final win and finished third in the historic 40th Formula Ford Festival. Alberico joins the Mazda Road to Indy program in 2012, driving for JDC MotorSports in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda.