ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing picked up another win in the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda this past weekend at Road America.
Petri Suvanto, driver of the No. 3 Viseko Van Diemen-Mazda, claimed his fifth victory of the season in Race 2 at the historic 4.048-mile, 14-turn track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. After starting third on a dry track, the young Finnish driver was able to navigate through the rain in the shortened race that ended in a one-lap shootout after changing to wets. Suvanto was able to capitalize on a mistake from the race leader and take the checkered flag.
In Race 1 a day earlier, Suvanto missed the pole position by just 0.007-second and started the race on the outside of the front row. It was an action-packed race as four drivers were battling for the top spot (Suvanto, Andretti Autosport teammates Spencer Pigot and Zach Veach and JDC MotorSports driver Chris Miller). Ultimately Pigot claimed victory, and Suvanto edged Veach on the last lap to take second place.
“Going into the Road America weekend we felt confident, and it started off just like we had planned, topping the time charts on Thursday's two practices,” Suvanto said. “But from there on it was a difficult weekend, probably the most difficult one of the year so far. Having said that, I must admit that I'm very happy that we were able to pull off such good results and maintain the points lead with only one more race weekend left. The fact is, there are always going to be hard weekends during a season - it's how you deal with those difficult weekends that dictate the outcome of the season.”
With his first and second place finishes, he has a 39-point lead in the championship heading in to the final two rounds at Baltimore to be held Labor Day Weekend.
“I wouldn't be a real race car driver if I went to a race weekend looking for a 2nd, 3rd or 4th place finish. However, the saying goes ‘In order to finish first, you have to first finish’. It’s very true in this situation, and the street courses can be very ruthless. I need to find a good balance of conservative and aggressive approach for the weekend.”
Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing driver Shannon McIntosh also had a good weekend, but those results were not as reflective on the result sheets. She picked up a lot of speed in practice and qualifying in the No. 2 Glass Hammer Racing-sponsored machine, but bad luck prevented strong finishes.
“After a lot of misfortunes at Road America, I'm focusing on the positive,” McIntosh said. “Although it doesn't show up clearly on paper, I have made such significant improvements in the last month that I've got to keep moving forward with my progress in mind. After having my practice run cut short when I was hit from behind, I made a great qualifying run and was closer to the front runners than I have been all year. “
During Race 1, she picked up three positions but carried too much speed going into the first corner, which ended her race. Race 2 also looked promising as she picked up four positions early. But the rain caused a slick track, and she slide onto grass and the No. 2 machine hit the barrier.
“I couldn't be more thankful for the support and hard work the team has given me through a really tough weekend. I feel really good going into Baltimore and hope to make a turnaround and end the season on a high note.”
The USF2000 series will return to competition in two weeks time for the final two rounds in the inaugural race on the streets of Baltimore, MD., on September 3rd and 4th in support of the IZOD IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series.
You can follow the team on Facebook and Twitter for updates (CMwithWTR).
Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing was formed in 2010 as a partnership between two successful racing entities. With leadership from brothers Nicholas and Dominic Cape, and along with Wayne Taylor and his organization in Indianapolis, the team campaigns cars in the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. For more information, please visit www.capemotorsports.com.
The Capes have fielded a team every year since the series’ inception in the early 1990’s, placing second in the 2010 USF2000 National Championship Series points’ battle, capturing six podium finishes and two race-wins.