Monterey, Calif. – When Pabst Racing looks back at the 2019 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship season, they can do so with pride for their unwavering determination.
After all, the organization scored its third straight USF2000 Team Championship while rookie sensation Hunter McElrea made a valiant bid for the driver’s championship.
With four wins in 2019, McElrea was determined to win the driver’s championship with solid results in Rounds 14 and 15 at the 2.238-mile, 11-Turn WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
While Round 14 went smoothly for McElrea, starting and finishing second, adversity struck the 19-year-old New Zealander before the green flag unfurled in Round 15. An electrical sensor failure during qualifying for Round 15 relegated McElrea to start 18th and last in the season finale.
Up to the challenging task at hand, McElrea methodically worked his way through the pack, driving inside the top-10 in the 20-lap season finale.
Despite a sterling seventh-place finish, McElrea’s gutsy effort resulted in a close but no cigar result for this year’s championship. Ultimately, McElrea placed second to champion Braden Eves of Cape Motorsports by a narrow, five-point margin.
Although McElrea finished one position short of the driver’s championship, he netted the Tilton Hard Charger Award following his determined effort in Round 15. In addition, McElrea’s teammate Bruna Tomaselli won the overall Tilton Hard Charger Award for the 2019 season.
Moreover, Pabst Racing clinched its third consecutive Team Championship. Pabst Racing compiled its strongest effort to-date in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship with four wins, 18 podiums, and eight pole positions. McElrea led the organization in the driver’s championship standings by finishing second with four wins, five poles, and 12 podiums.
Meanwhile, Kaminsky placed fourth with three poles, and six podiums while Tomaselli (eighth and 10 top-10’s) and Yuven Sundaramoorthy (12th and five top-10’s) produced sparkling results for the team based out of Oconomowoc, Wisc.
Despite Pabst Racing winning its third straight Team Championship this year, team owner Augie Pabst III and his organization desire bigger and better results with entries in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in 2020.