Talented trio of Furuseth, Herta, and Starrantino set to make mark in races three and four at Barber Motorsports Park PALMETTO, FLA. – Rising junior formula car outfit JAY Motorsports is excited to return to action this coming weekend (April 26-27), when the prestigious Mazda Road to Indy program resumes via Rounds Three and Four of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda at Barber Motorsports Park. With the talented trio of Henrik Furuseth, Colton Herta and Adrian Starrantino sliding into the cockpits, the Florida-based team is poised to be part of the fight for places on the post-race podiums in Alabama.
The goal of every up-and-coming junior formula car driver and team is to get better each time out and make their mark, ideally by challenging for top honors. JAY Motorsports is no different, with the skilled crew and its talented trio of Furuseth, Herta and Starrantino, it is more than capable of doing just that. While the squad and the three racers entered for the Alabama twin bill have significantly less track time around the 2.3-mile undulating road course than its series counterparts, the talent level under the awning has everyone excited to go racing.
Piloting the No. 96 Palfinger/Skedsmo Betong entry, Furuseth is keen to put behind him what he feels was a sub-par opener in Florida. The 17-year-old Norwegian is poised to accomplish that feat, having enjoyed good success on similar technical road courses in the USF2000 Championship over the past two years. Ideally, Furuseth is focused on adding to USF2000 podium tally in what will be his second-ever event with JAY Motorsports.
''I am very much looking forward to the race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park," stated Furuseth. "We had some issues there in the Winterfest races but I like the track a lot and I feel like we can be on top of our game there. The season-opener in St. Petersburg was very disappointing for us, so I'm looking forward to having a strong run this weekend."
For Starrantino, the Barber doubleheader is the opportunity to further impress onlookers. Returning to the cockpit of the No. 91 Auto World Collision Center/PPG/CoForce International racer, the California rookie is focused on battling for top honors this coming weekend. Starrantino was among the racers to watch in Florida, just missing out on a podium finish in his debut outing Given his multiple road course wins on his ever-growing resume, the stage is set for some strong performances in Alabama.
"With Barber approaching, I am feeling very confident," commented Starrantino. "After a consistent couple of finishes in St. Petersburg, I'm in a good position to charge this weekend. I cannot wait to see how it goes."
JAY Motorsports will have its full driver contingent in Alabama, unlike the season-opener, with Herta making his 2014 debut when the cars roll out for Rounds Three and Four. The second-generation racer from California, having missed the opener due to age restrictions, will get behind the wheel of the No. 98 DVS Shoes/Doug Mockett & Company/7R/Bell Helmets/OMP ready to build on what is albeit a limited, but highly-successful racing resume. With 10 Formula 1600 wins and a series title already under his belt, Herta is poised to immediately to make an impression.
"I’m really excited to get to Barber and start my USF2000 Championship season," said Herta. "I can’t wait to see how we stack up. I know the competition will be fierce."
Furuseth, Herta and Starrantino will get their first chance to sample the Barber Motorsports Park road course on Thursday (April 24) via a promoter's test day. The official Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda action gets underway with the solitary practice run and qualifying session one day later, setting the grid for the opening affair on Saturday (April 25) at 9:05 am local time. The doubleheader concludes with race two at 1 pm local time. Live timing and audio will be available at www.USF2000.com/results/live-timing.
About JAY Motorsports:
JAY Motorsports, LLC is a family owned and operated racing organization based in Florida. Led by former racer Jay Green, the team became one of the highest rated customer service representatives within the SCCA's spec categories. With countless wins in SCCA Club and Pro competition, the team became a mainstay in junior driver development over the years. By winning the 2009 and 2012 SCCA Formula Enterprises National Championships, they propelled their drivers to win spots on the prestigious MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Team in 2009 and 2012. In addition to the 2009 and 2012 Runoffs gold medals, JAY Motorsports was the 2006 MARRS Spec Racer Ford champion, 2007 SCCA National Great Lakes Division Spec Racer Ford champion, 2008 SCCA National Great Lakes Division Spec Racer Ford and Formula Enterprises champion, 2008 SCCA Great Lakes/Central Division Formula Car Magazine Formula Enterprises champion, 2008 Carolina Cup Pro Series Spec Racer Ford champion, and 2009 SCCA Southeast Division ECR Spec Racer Ford champion. In 2012, JAY Motorsports entered the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda full-time, contesting both the National and Championship classes. Building on multiple top-10 finishes in its rookie campaign, the squad stood on the podium twice in 2013. This season JAY Motorsports is running a multi-car operation in pursuit of the Rookie of the Year award and series title.