Americans Jake Eidson and Aaron Telitz led the way after two practice sessions for the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which will constitute the opening two rounds of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.

The future stars of the Verizon IndyCar Series will display their talents this weekend on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., as all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder will commence their 2015 seasons.

Over the past five years, Canadian Parker Thompson has been one of the most impressive young kart racers in North America. Having advanced through the junior levels of the sport, this 17-year-old pilot from Red Deer, Alberta will make the calculated jump from international karting to the Mazda Road to Indy this season, piloting his #80 JDC MotorSports entry in the opening round of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.

After a busy off-season, St. Petersburg-based Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing is ready to start the 2015 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda season in a familiar place for this weekend’s Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Drivers Nico Jamin and Aaron Telitz hope to claim victory in front of the hometown crowd.

With two wins and three podium finishes in this year’s Winterfest series, Afterburner Autosport has made known its intent to challenge for the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda in 2015. Led by ultra-quick sophomore pilot Victor Franzoni, the Minnesota-based squad enters the new season riding a wave of momentum and they are brimming with confidence in both their driver and their staff.