USF2000 driver follows program to second straight oval event
MELROSE PARK, ILL. (June 16, 2011) – It has been an incredibly challenging and rewarding year thus far for American junior formula car pilot Timmy Megenbier and his Sick Tea Racing program, one that began with a mad but calculated rush to form a team in the final hours before the start of the sophomore season of the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda. Despite being so far behind their competition in terms of testing, strong top-10 performances out of the gate were extremely impressive, turning heads in the paddock. The development of this new operation will continue this coming weekend when Megenbier takes his first laps on the famed Milwaukee Mile, where the young pilot will be focused on continuing his consistent on-track accomplishments.
“After a couple of years in tin-top sports car racing, we shifted back to open-wheel racing this year, attracted by the potential rewards of the MAZDA Road to Indy,” offered Megenbier. “The experience of forming our own team and managing all of the aspects of such an effort has been both exciting and rewarding, and I’m pleased with our on-track performances, especially considering of total lack of set-up data.”
The 19 year-old pilot has positioned himself as a solid top-10 competitor on the USF2000 circuit, and this weekend, Megenbier will head to Wisconsin to make his second career open-wheel oval start. The ‘Night Before The 500” race at Lucas Oil Raceway back in late May was Timmy’s oval debut, where he took a strong seventh place finish while bringing the car home in one piece. As has been the case from the beginning of the year, the primary focus for Milwaukee will be on gathering data, expanding his skill set and taking care of his Sick Tea / Caputo / Rahal Foods Van Diemen. After starting off the season with another engineer, Megenbier brought veteran two-liter engineer Don Connor on-board for the Indianapolis event and the pairing clicked immediately. They are both ready to take on the new challenge of the flat mile-long facility in West Allis, WI.
“Running our Van Diemen on the oval at Lucas Oil Raceway was a huge learning curve for sure, and our goal was to bring the car home in one piece and gain lots of experience,” commented the 2009 VW TDI Cup champion. “While the goal will still be to take care of the car in Milwaukee, I have a new baseline of knowledge and I can’t wait to get back into the cockpit to get a taste of such a historic facility.”
The team begins testing at the Milwaukee Mile on Thursday with a single session at 10:15 am CST and is back at the same time on Friday with the first of two practice sessions. A Saturday morning practice sets the stage for qualifying at 2:10 pm CST. The USF2000 drivers will then kick-off a great day of Mazda Road to Indy competition at 10:00 am on Sunday, headlining for the Star Mazda, Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series.