It has been nearly two months since the last Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda event. Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing and its two drivers are anxious to get back on track for this weekend’s two races – Rounds 6 and 7 – at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, August 6-7. USF2000 will be sharing the weekend with both the IZOD IndyCar Series and the ALMS.
Petri Suvanto will be in control of the No. 3 machine, while Shannon McIntosh is piloting the No. 2. Both drivers are ready to return to racing on 2.258-miles, 13-turn natural road course.
“Long mid-season breaks like this between the Milwaukee and Mid-Ohio races are rare in the life of a racing driver,” said Suvanto. “It's a double-edged sword kind of situation. It's nice to have some time off from racing to work on fitness, spend some time with your family and enjoy the summer. The problem is that the feeling only lasts for about two weeks and after that, you are dying to get back to racing again.
“My goal is pretty simple this weekend - to win. Earlier this year we had a two day official test at Mid-Ohio, and I absolutely loved the track. It's currently my favorite track here in United States, so I'm looking forward to doing my best there.”
While McIntosh currently resides in St. Petersburg, she was born and raised in Ohio. She hopes to put on a good show for her supporters.
“Mid-Ohio is my true home track,” McIntosh said. “I have lots of family members coming out this weekend which means so much to me. My entire family is so supportive. My parents and sister come to all of my races, but I know that some of my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents will be there. Coincidentally, I think there is a family reunion over the weekend so everyone will be in town.
“The only experience I have at Mid-Ohio was a series test at the beginning of May. We've been testing for the past two weeks, and I've been really working hard to keep making progress on my road racing craft. I feel really good going into this weekend and feel that the extra seat time I've gotten has given me a great boost of confidence and better understanding of the cars."
Suvanto currently sits at the top point standings after the first five rounds. He has a 17-point advantage over Zach Veach, driver of the No. 7 for Andretti Autosport.
“The way I see it is that we're starting an entirely new season at Mid-Ohio,” Suvanto said. “It's been more than four months since the last race weekend on a permanent road course; things are different now than they were back in March. I do have a pretty good lead in points thanks to consistency and two race wins at St. Pete and Lucas Oil Raceway, but I'm not thinking about it. I do one race at a time, doing the best I can. We have a very good team spirit at Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing and every single person is motivated, we're working hard as a unit towards one goal – winning.”
McIntosh is not only competing on the track, she is also a finalist in the Seventeen Magazine Pretty Amazing contest. The winner will be featured on the cover of the popular magazine. Fans of McIntosh and Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing are encouraged to vote for her at www.seventeen.com.
The Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing drivers will first be on the track Thursday, August 4th for testing. The first official practice is Friday, August 5th. There are two 30-minte sessions starting at 8:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Qualifying will be held at 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 6th. The drivers will take the green flag for Race 1 at 12:05 p.m. (35 minutes). After a warm-up at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, August 7th, Race 2 will go green at 12:45 p.m. All times are ET. For the official schedule and to view live timing and scoring, please visit www.usf2000.com. Also, 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.