Oka (Quebec, Canada) - Thomas Nepveu is gearing up to start his second year in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, but his maiden season with team DEForce Racing. The streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. will host the first two rounds of the series this Friday and Sunday.

"It is a city track, so it's a very technical layout that requires commitment," explained Thomas Nepveu, who will be driving the #10 Cromwell | Pétrole Bélanger | Home Hardware | Hamster USF-22 of DEForce Racing. "Everything is more difficult because of the walls; the narrow track doesn't provide a lot of runoffs."

This is why the qualifying session will be crucial for him, "as it is difficult to overtake, it will be imperative to set good times in qualifying," said Thomas. "We don't have a lot of track time, so I will have to maximize the 20 minutes of practice, as well as the advice from my coach."

Although new to the team, Thomas is already up to speed with DEForce Racing, "I developed good chemistry with the DEForce Racing crew during testing at Homestead last week," Thomas continued. "The car is great, and I understand it well, so I'm really happy and confident going into the first two races this weekend."

"We are excited to have our first official event with Thomas," said David Martinez, co-owner of DEForce Racing. "We believe in him and his past experience; he has stood out with his successes at the track, including his win at Road America. We are looking forward to seeing what he achieves this season."

Martinez added that "our strategy remains the same as in previous seasons; not to get distracted by the competition and to push ourselves race after race. It's a long championship, so we have to be patient, but we are on the right track with our stellar drivers. Thomas can count on our support throughout the season!"