Oconomowoc, Wisc. – While the calendar year still shows it’s 2018, the focus for thriving teams like Pabst Racing turns to 2019 – in late September. As teams took to the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for the Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test on September 22 and 23, two-time Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda team championship-winning Pabst Racing turned to three new, young racing talents in Hunter McElrea, Yuven Sundaramoorthy, and Logan Cusson.
The two-day testing sessions, held at the end of the season for the Mazda Road to Indy racing series, allows teams to test their equipment with drivers for the upcoming season. If the test sessions were indicative of the strength for teams for 2019, Pabst Racing has surely made its presence known and in grand style.
Specifically, 18-year-old Hunter McElrea of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, showcased the strength and prowess of Pabst Racing, piloting his No. 22 Tatuus Mazda-powered entry to the fastest speed around Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a time of 1:24:5064 or 103.902 mph, unofficially breaking the track record in a USF2000 car.
Naturally, the excitable yet determined McElrea expressed gratitude and optimism following this past weekend’s test session at the famed speedway.
“I’m very thankful I had the opportunity to drive with the guys at Pabst Racing for official testing at IMS,” McElrea said. “They gave me a great car every session, and to end the test P1 overall is awesome, and a testament to them!
“Overall, I’m very happy and it’s an amazing experience to be driving a USF2000 car here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. My dream is to be an IndyCar driver and I would obviously start here on the Mazda Road to Indy.”
Certainly, McElrea has worked ardently to climb up the open wheel ladder, starting his racing career by competing in go-karts at age nine. By age 17, the Australian raced in Formula Ford, winning races in Australia and New Zealand. With his sights set on IndyCar racing, the young racer excelled during the two-day test session.
Consistent and calculating, 15-year-old Yuven Sundaramoorthy, originally hailing from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, home of Pabst Racing, proved his worth by posting the fifth fastest effort with a time of 1:25:1721 or 103.090 mph.
“In five out of the six sessions over the weekend, we were pleased to finish in the top-five,” Sundaramoorthy observed. “In fact, we recorded the fourth best time in three sessions. In the overall combined times for the weekend, we were the fifth fastest. One of our learning is how to be more effective on the brakes in an aero car. As we are finding out, braking is very different in this car compared to the F1600 car we have been racing for the past two seasons.”
Introduced to the world of racing at age 8 during the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Shanghai, China, Sundaramoorthy raced in go-karts for three years before advancing to Formula cars and F1600 cars. Placing third in the overall standings for this year’s F16000 championship battle, the Guilderland, NY, resident could be a force to be reckoned with in 2019.
Naturally, racers of all ages look up to those from the past, a situation that’s prevalent with 18-year-old Logan Cusson, a young racer from Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. In fact, Cusson’s effort at Indianapolis matched his tenacity and drive. Logging the ninth fastest effort with a time of 1:25:7207 or 102.430 mph, Cusson, who graduated from go-kart racing, dreams of becoming an IndyCar driver much like McElrea and Sundaramoorthy.
“I’m so appreciative of the Pabst Racing Team giving me such great equipment and support over the Chris Griffis test weekend,” Said Cusson. “Augie and team were next level professional and welcoming. I’ve never experienced an operation as resourced and efficient as Pabst Racing.”