Pabst Racing Set to Perform at NOLA Motorsports Park and Barber Motorsports Park Where Racing Season Kicks off This Week

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - The beginning of the 2014 racing season is quickly approaching for Oconomowoc, Wisconsin-based team, Pabst Racing. The 2014 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship begins this week and Pabst Racing is prepared to kick off the year with a two-car stable.

The Cooper Tires Winterfest is a pre-season mini-series that will take place over four days at two different tracks in the southern United States and allows drivers and teams to get an early start in preparation for the racing season. The first triple-header will take place on February 21st and 22nd at NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. Following NOLA, drivers and teams will pack up and head to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., for another round of three races.

A team with a diverse background ranging from sports car racing (of all types) to open wheel, including the Champ Car Atlantic Series, Pabst Racing has been preparing winning race cars for nearly thirty years and expects another successful year with two new drivers.

"We are finally going racing again!" said team owner Augie Pabst III. "We can't wait to get back on the track in NOLA. The guys in the shop have worked very hard since our last test to ensure we bring the best prepared cars for our drivers Will Owen and Austin Cindric." 

Pabst Racing will field a team with two American drivers. Returning Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda driver Austin Cindric is looking forward to his second season in the series. At only 14 years of age, Cindric was the youngest driver in the series in 2013, and as a 15-year-old he will again be one of the youngest drivers in the INDYCAR developmental series. He expects that his experience last year will help him continue to develop and produce great results.

Mooresville, North Carolina-based Cindric will drive the #77 Nightrain Pabst Racing USF2000 car in both the Winterfest and National Championship series.

"I want to pick up from where I left off from last season, and build good momentum to carry to the season opener at St. Pete," said Cindric. "I am confident from our pre-season testing that we will be fast right out of the box. Both tracks are very fun to drive, but are also very demanding. I am looking forward to getting back racing again."

Piloting the No. 23 American Medical Response Pabst Racing USF2000 car in both the National Championship and Winterfest series for Pabst Racing is 18-year-old Castle Rock, Colorado native, Will Owen.  Pabst Racing announced the signing of Will in early December and he will make his first start as a driver in the USF2000 series as a rookie next week at Winterfest. Owen, in his first season driving cars, has a strong karting background and is optimistic about getting started.

"After all the pre-season testing with Pabst and driving the Pro Mazda with Texas Autosports, I feel so much more comfortable with the new car," said Owen. "I would like to thank both of those teams for their help in the off-season. I am so stoked to start racing!"

With many goals set, Owen is confident and ready to take every opportunity available to perform his best and said: "My first goal is to get used to the racing aspect of the USF2000 series and its drivers. I want to have strong consistent finishes at both tracks so I can build the momentum going into the season. I also want to get more comfortable with the professional environment in USF2000 and at Pabst racing. Another goal is to get to know the other drivers and learn as much about their driving and racing styles as I can before the real season starts."

After what has been a very cold and snowy winter, Pabst Racing is looking forward to seeing their transporter head south today, and getting back to doing what they love.   

"It's always a challenge to get our transporter shoveled out of the snow and on the road this time of year, but we're ready to go!" said Pabst.

About Pabst Racing:
Pabst Racing has been preparing winning racecars since 1983. The Pabst team was started by Augie Pabst Jr., former sports car racing legend from the 1950s and early 1960s who won many races and championships throughout his career. Current President Augie Pabst III (former driver as well), took over the business in 1991. By 1998 Augie III decided to focus on owning and maintaining a wide variety of winning racecars including SCCA Spec Racer, Shelby Can-Am, 911 Porsche, Ford Mustang GT-1 and primarily Van Diemen Formula 2000 cars. For more information please www.PabstRacing.com.