Rising stars Burkett, Epps, Jamin, and Latorre ready to showcase talents on streets of St. Petersburg

BROWNSBURG, IND. – The on-going quest for Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda glory by Belardi Auto Racing gets underway with the season-opening doubleheader on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. Rising stars Daniel Burkett, Michael Epps, Nico Jamin, and Florian Latorre will all get behind the wheel this weekend (March 29-30), determined to make their mark in the first rung of the prestigious Mazda Road to Indy program, and add to the Indiana-based team's winning resume.

Belardi Auto Racing enters every race season with one primary focus...fight for the championship title. Entering the opening two races of the 14-race USF2000 Championship calendar, confidence is high under the team awning that it can do just that. The multiple series race-winning team has one of the more potent line-ups in the paddock with a skilled foursome of Burkett, Epps, Jamin, and Latorre.

Reuniting with Belardi Auto Racing for a second consecutive season, both Epps and Burkett are poised to make the most of their continued bonding with the team, and further develop and showcase their talents during the opening street races. The British racer Epps has already displayed his intentions for the coming season, winning two of the final 'off-season' Winterfest series races en route second in the six-race title fight, piloting the No. 44 P1 Sports/UNATION/iRacing/Anytime Fitness UK entry. Burkett has impressed the squad with his pace and feedback in the pre-season outings aboard the No. 4 Granite Financial/Celco Controls/Champion Spark Plugs/GTR Simulators/Roam Mobility machine.

"I'm super excited to go racing!" stated Epps. "After finally getting a breakthrough at the Winterfest rounds, I'm feeling more confident heading into the first rounds at St. Petersburg. It is one of my favorite tracks of the rounds last year, and I feel now that I won't be learning it, that I have a good chance of making a solid start to my season."

The French duo of Latorre and Jamin join Belardi Auto Racing set to build on past success behind the wheel when the cars roll on-course in Florida. Driving the No. 14 Latorre Menuiserie/Masm Cogny/Acsent du Sud Ouest/13th Avenue/Stand 21/Bell racing steed, Latorre has settled into his new surroundings quickly, adding to his rookie double podium tally during the Winterfest run with two more trips to the post-race celebrations. Jamin, who will steer the No. 41 Synova/13th Avenue/Stand 21/Bell entry, displayed his race pace early on, with the third quickest lap in the year-end Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Test.

"After my first season in USF2000, where I think I reached the goals I fixed, I am very excited about the St. Pete race with my new team," commented Latorre. "My ambition is obviously bigger this year. After my two podiums in the Winterfest series, I am aiming for victories, and I'm ready for the fight for the championship."

"I'm very happy that the first race of the championship is arriving very soon," added Jamin. "We had some difficulties during the Winterfest Series, but we have worked hard to fix them, and I'm sure we will arrive stronger at St. Pete and be able to fight for first place. I'm excited to be racing on the streets, and I can't wait to see the first green flag of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda!"

Belardi Auto Racing's four-car Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda foray on to the streets of St. Petersburg gets underway on Friday (March 28) with two practice runs. The lone qualifying sessions around the 1.8-mile Florida street circuit takes one day later, followed by Round One at 4:40 pm local time. Race two of the season-opening doubleheader, which is part of the Verizon IndyCar Series opener, is slated for Sunday (March 30) at 8:50 am local time. Live timing and audio will be available at www.USF2000.com/results/live-timing.

Additional information on Belardi Auto Racing can be obtained from their website @ BelardiAutoRacing.com

or by contacting Brian Belardi at 317-456-2816 / belardi@belardiautoracing.com Keep up to date via Twitter @BelardiRacing and on Facebook page @ Belardi Auto Racing.

Keep up to date with Daniel Burkett via Twitter @DannyBurks, Facebook @ Daniel Burkett Racing, Instagram @ Daniel Burkett and YouTube @ Daniel Burkett.

Learn more about Michael Epps at MichaelEpps.co.uk and keep up to date via Twitter @ MichaelEppsRace, Facebook @ Michael Epps Racing, Instagram @ itsepps and on YouTube @ MichaelEppsUK.

Learn more about Nico Jamin at NicoJamin.com and keep up to date via Twitter @ Nico_Jamin and Facebook @ Nico Jamin Racing.

Learn more about Florian Latorre via Twitter @ FlorianLATORRE and Facebook @ Florian Latorre Pro.

About Belardi Auto Racing:
Belardi Auto Racing is an organization comprised of experienced individuals in the racing industry with an aggressive growth strategy and a strong commitment to finishing up front. No stranger to winning, team members having been achieving success in both the amateur and pro ranks for over a decade, winning numerous junior formula car races and championships. Based in Brownsburg, Ind., Belardi Auto Racing contests multi-car efforts in both the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda series. Goal-oriented and focused on developing the next stars of motorsports, Belardi Auto Racing won in both Indy Lights and USF2000 Championship in 2013.