Canadian continues to gain experience, speed and momentum with early season success
BIRMINGHAM, AL – For any young driver entering the Mazda Road to Indy, the learning curve is steep and each new event is approached with heightened understanding and increased confidence. JDC MotorSports’ rookie driver Parker Thompson is improving in leaps and bounds, learning from both his successes and his mistakes, and he is ready to hit the track once again this weekend when the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda heads to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL. Thompson is coming off a strong weekend in New Orleans where he faced the challenging conditions head on to come home with a pair of top-seven finishes, which included his best result of the year, a fourth in the tough rainy conditions in Race 2. Having run at Barber during Cooper Tires Winterfest in February, the 17-year-old will be on a more level playing field with the more experienced sophomore drivers in the series.
“Parker’s improvements have been very visible, both on the track and in the trailer,” confirmed John Church, JDC MotorSports owner. “He came to us with a strong karting resume, and he’s now adapting his talents to the requirements of a USF2000 race car. He’s already becoming more patient and showing the maturity that we’re looking for. Heading to Barber, where he finished fifth and sixth in the Winterfest races, we think he can challenge for the podium.”
Thompson started off the season with a tough DNF in Race 1 in St. Petersburg, but bounced back with a sixth in the second race of the Florida doubleheader. In New Orleans at NOLA Motorsports Park, he was seventh in the dry opener and then showcased his abilities in the driving rain in Race 2, handling the pressure to deliver an incredible fourth place result. After his strong doubleheader performance in New Orleans, Parker now sits seventh on the overall championship point standings and right behind his two rookie rivals, Aussies Anthony Martin and Jordan Lloyd. The trio is currently separated by just eight points, which equates to just a handful of positions in any one race. This will be an exciting season-long battle for Rookie of the Year honors.
Parker and his JDC MotorSports crew will tackle the next stop of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda on Thursday, April 23 with a pair of official series test sessions ahead of a packed schedule on Friday. It will be a busy day with practice (12:10 pm CT), qualifying (2:30 pm CT) and Race 1 (6:10 pm CT) all part of the day’s docket (April 24). Parker will compete in the second race of the doubleheader on Saturday in the late afternoon, as the race is set for 5:20 pm CT. Team followers can tune into live play-by-play and live timing by downloading the new ‘Road to Indy’ app in iTunes or the Google Play store. You can also follow through the series website – www.usf2000.com.
JDC MOTORSPORTS – DRIVER INFORMATION:
Parker Thompson - #80
Age: 17
Hometown: Red Deer. Alberta
Sponsors: Bell Helmets, OMP, Parker Thompson: Drive to Stay Alive
Social Media:
Website: www.parkerthompsonracing.com
Facebook: Parker Thompson Racing
Twitter: @parkertracing
2015 Record:
Point Standings: 7th – 54 points
Best Finish: 4th – NOLA – Race 2
Best Qualifying Position: 7th – three (3) times (St. Pete – Race 2 / NOLA – Race 1 & 2)
Driver Quote: “Heading into Barber, the whole JDC MotorSports crew and I have high expectations to pick up where we left off in New Orleans. I think we have a great baseline setup for Barber, and I truly think we have the pace to contend at the front. I can't wait to get to work this week and see what we can put together. As long as I keep learning from the team and progressing, I think we will be in a very good situation.”
JDC MOTORSPORTS - TEAM INFORMATION:
Website: www.jdcmotorsport.com
Twitter: @jdcmotorsports