ELKHART LAKE, WI (June 22, 2016) – There will be a great deal of confidence under the team awning at Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing when the crew sets up for this weekend’s Mazda Road to Indy event at Road America, coming off a very successful test at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course early in the month with both their USF2000 and Pro Mazda drivers. Two productive days of testing have positioned the team’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda drivers to continue their winning streak, as both point leader Parker Thompson and his stablemate Anthony Martin took turns topping the time sheets, while Nikita Lastochkin ended up within the top-five on the overall ranking. New team recruit Jordan Cane was also quick in his maiden outing with the Cape crew, and will be ready to make his competition debut this weekend. The team’s Pro Mazda Presented by Cooper Tires driver – Nico Jamin – was also at the test and stepped up to the next level at Mid-Ohio. The reigning USF2000 champion was quickest in many of the sessions, posting the fastest overall lap of the test.
“We're all looking forward to Road America, one of America's premier racing circuits,” offered Dominic and Nicholas Cape. “We enjoyed another great test at Mid-Ohio, and everyone on the team has done a fantastic job this year. On the Pro Mazda side, Nico had a great test and drove exceptionally well. Everything seemed to click for him on what it takes to hurl a Pro Mazda around a racetrack. The USF2000 guys all worked very hard and thoroughly enjoyed thrashing our Van Diemens for two days around the famed circuit. Eventually, all four drivers finished in the top-six. I think that should put everyone in a very positive frame of mind going forwards, and the whole team is looking to hit the ground running in the Land of Cheeseheads!”
Thompson and Martin currently sit first and second in the USF2000 Championship point standings, as the Canadian leads on the strength of three wins to Martin’s two. Thompson swept the weekend events at Barber Motorsports Park in April and nabbed a single victory at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May. Martin stopped Thompson’s run after Barber by winning the opening race of the doubleheader on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and then the Aussie stepped up and snatched away the win on the oval at Lucas Oil Raceway on the Memorial Day weekend to score the Carb Night Classic’s Freedom 75. They enter the Road America weekend separated by 26 points. Lastochkin and Cane are excited, as well, to tackle one of the sport’s truly iconic racetracks.
Jamin has enjoyed some strong finishes in his rookie Pro Mazda campaign, including five top-five finishes, putting him fifth overall in the standings. With the success of the Mid-Ohio test fresh in his mind, the Frenchman will be gunning for his first career Pro Mazda victory in Wisconsin.
The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda events at Road America get underway with official 30-iminute practice sessions on Thursday (June 23) at 11:30 am and 3:15 pm. Cape’s quartet of drivers will qualify at 10:15 am on Friday (June 24) and will run two races on Saturday (June 25) at 8:00 am and 1:10 pm. Jamin will take to the trackon Wednesday for a single Pro Mazda Presented by Cooper Tires practice at 12:15 pm, and will have an 8:00 am practiceon Friday ahead of qualifying at 1:25. Like USF2000, the Pro Mazda paddock will run two main events on Saturday, taking to the track at 8:55 am and 2:05 pm.