ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Cape Motorsports will make its return to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in two weeks, when the series fires up at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 9-11. The team will field a one-car effort for reigning F4 US Championship title winner Kyle Kirkwood, as the 19-year-old American talent will make his debut in the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.
In 2017, Cape Motorsports teamed with Kirkwood to secure the F4 title in their series debut, dominating the action with nine wins, 15 top-10 finishes, and only one DNF. Cape has won the last seven USF2000 titles and is focused on extending that streak with yet another skilled US driver.
“We started this journey with Kyle over a year ago, with the objective to win the F4 Championship in 2017, job cracked,” offered Nicholas and Dominic Cape. “Then, the plan going forward was to move Kyle into USF2000 for 2018 and challenge for the championship. A lot of things happened over the winter and we weren't 100% sure, as a group, that was going to happen. A big thank you the people who have helped see this come to fruition, because without their support, I'm not sure it would have, but I guarantee you as a group we'll come out swinging. Let’s get it on!"
Kirkwood will enter the Mazda Road to Indy with a stellar resume that begins with a heralded karting career. The Jupiter, Florida resident is a two-time Team USA qualifier for the Rotax Grand Finals, having raced against the world’s best in New Orleans and Portugal, and he has also been a winner at the prestigious Superkarts! USA SuperNationals in Las Vegas.
In 2016, Kirkwood was selected for Jeremy Shaw’s Team USA Scholarship alongside Oliver Askew and delivered top-10 results at both the Formula Ford Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy. Last year, Kyle dominated the F4 US Championship, winning nine of the 20 races with Cape Motorsports, more than doubling the point total of the series runner-up. Kirkwood enters the USF2000 with momentum and confidence, but also with a laser focus on personal development and consistency.
“It’s truly an honor to join with Cape Motorsports for the second year around,” offered Kirkwood. “We had such a great 2017 season and to be able to keep that momentum rolling is awesome. It’s always tough learning a new car and a new series, but being with a team that I am very comfortable with and know so well will make the transition very easy.”
Kirkwood will be behind the wheel of his Cape Motorsports / Firstex Industries Tatuus USF-17 at the official MRTI Spring Training Test this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday and Sunday. The Cape Motorsports crew is ready to get to work at the MRTI season opener, which takes place in St. Petersburg on the March 9-11 weekend. Last year, they kicked off the season by engineering Oliver Askew to the win on the streets of St. Pete, which started their championship run.