Nico Jamin started the 2015 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda season with two podium finishes in two races but left St. Petersburg two weeks ago, knowing that he had to come up with something special if he wanted to win at NOLA.
For the 19-year-old Jamin, who is focusing on winning the USF2000 championship, qualifying on the pole for race one at NOLA was his primary goal of the weekend. Getting the pole was also a validation that he and his team worked in the right direction and that was an important statement for the young Frenchman.
Later on Saturday afternoon Jamin, driving the No. 2 Synova Automotive Eco-Plastics-Van Diemen-Mazda, scored an emphatic maiden USF2000 victory. After an excellent start, he romped clear of the battling pack on the opening lap. Teammate Aaron Telitz found himself fully occupied in fending off the attention of Jake Eidson, which allowed Jamin to open up a commanding lead of almost two seconds by the end of lap one.
Jamin was never seriously challenged by Telitz or Eidson and after finishing third in the first two races of the season at St. Pete, took the checkered flag 2.0124 seconds to the good. That win marked Jamin's second professional North American career victory after the one registered last February at Barber during Cooper Tires Winterfest.
Second-year drivers put their experience to good use in race two of Sunday morning's Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Louisiana, which was held in extremely wet conditions. Jamin started fourth on the grid and took another great start. Victor Franzoni, who ultimately won race two, was pushed to the limit by Jamin who finished second. Championship leader Jake Eidson trailed in third. The result moved Jamin to within seven points of Eidson, 108-101, after four rounds of the 16-race Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda season.
Jamin had a very good race weekend in Louisiana and after four rounds, the driver from Rouen, France had collected four podium finishes in four races.
The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will continue April 23-26 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.