Florida driver aims to capitalize on opportunity to gain championship points
PORTLAND, Ore. – Florida driver Darren Keane will make his first start on the flowing 1.964-mile, 12-turn Portland International Raceway with his Cape Motorsports team this coming weekend (August 29-September 1) and he will carry positive momentum from his four podium finishes this far in the 2019 season, including his maiden win on the streets of Toronto in July.
The 19-year-old University of Florida engineering student is coming off a challenging race weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where he rebounded from starting in the last row in Race 2 to grab an impressive sixth place finish to cap the weekend. These two results have solidified his third-place position in the current series points, keeping him very much in the hunt for the championship title. Keane will take to the track in Portland early on Thursday morning to begin the weekend with the Promoter's Test Day, which leads into the doubleheader weekend. Keane is poised and focused to add two more wins to his 2019 season resume.
“I’m really looking forward to racing at Portland this weekend and the next four races,” Keane enthused, having just started his sophomore year at the University of Florida. “I think it is a track that I will mesh well with. The goal is two clean finishes and some good points, but I’m always aiming for the top step of the podium! I’m third in the championship and a bit far behind the leaders and I feel a bit like I’m the underdog with nothing to lose, so I’m just going to go for the wins. This championship is theirs to loose. I can’t wait to get on track this Thursday and show what we’ve got. It’s also nice to be back with the Cape boys after a long break. All in all, I’m excited for a great weekend!”
Darren will be on-track on Thursday (August 29) for the Promoter's Test for three 45-minute test sessions. The weekend will officially begin on Friday with a long practice session, followed by qualifying for Race 1 in the late afternoon. Saturday will kick off with qualifying for Race 2, with Race 1 taking place later that day. Sunday’s track time will round out the doubleheader weekend with Race 2, which follows the NTT IndyCar Series Portland Grand Prix as the final race of the day.
DRIVER INFORMATION - #2 DARREN KEANE:
Age: 19
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
Sponsors: Cal Development, Keane Architectural Woodwork
Current Championship Standing: 3rd (207 pts)