LEXINGTON, OH – Allied Building Products USF2000 Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio was full of ups and downs for Team Pelfrey’s Robert Megennis as he powered through a busy weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
During Friday’s qualifying session, the 16 year-old rookie worked his way through the field from fifteenth to eighth before the 30-minute qualifying session concluded. Megennis was ready to wheel his No. 80 Palo Alto Networks and Turo Team Pelfrey Mazda around the 2.258-mile, 13-course road course for Friday’s Race One when the green flagged waved at1:00 p.m. ET. Race One didn’t go as planned for Megennis as he encountered an electrical failure on Lap 1 and caused a full-course yellow as he went off course in Turn 8 with 25:04 remaining.
After an unfortunate event in Race One costing the team valuable points, Team Pelfrey was optimistic for Saturday’s Race Two where Megennis would start seventh on the grid. Through the turn of events No. 33 John Cummiskey Racing’s Ayla Agren went off course in Turn 5 causing a double yellow with only 18-minutes remaining. This provided ample opportunity for Team Pelfrey’s Megennis to power through the field for a fourth place finish.
The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda team concluded rounds 12, 13, and 14 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with Race Three on Sunday. Megennis started twelfth for the 30-minute session, and moved up to tenth by the conclusion of Lap 1 and continued to charge to ninth with 9:30 remaining. The rookie secured another Tilton Hard Charger Award, advancing five positions from his grid placing to finish seventh following a battle with Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 3 Nikita Lastochkin.
The team heads to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca located in Monterey, Calif., on September 9-11 to wrap up the championship.
Robert Megennis, No. 80: “It was an up and down weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The weekend started off with a solid qualifying, but a disappointing Race 1 ended before it even started with an electrical failure. I brought it back in Races Two and Three with charges through the field. I started P7 and moved to P4 in Race Two. In Race Three, I started P12 and finished in P7. We showed serious speed and progression. It was an overall great time that wouldn’t have been possible without Palo Alto Networks, Turo, and all of Team Pelfrey. I am really looking forward to wrapping up the season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca!”