ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing drivers claimed victory in the first two races of the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda at Sebring International Raceway, March 15-16.
Matthew Brabham, 18, took Race 1, while Spencer Pigot, 18, took the checkered flag for Race 2. Henrik Furuseth scored the National Class win in Race 2.
Brabham started the first race in the second position, but took the lead in the corner at Turn 1. He never relinquished the lead and bested the 35 other cars in the field. Pigot worked his way up from a seventh-place start to finish third.
After starting fifth, Trent Hindman, 16, was involved in an incident on Lap 1 that ended his day early. Furuseth, 15, finished fourth in the National Class and posted the fastest lap of the race.
By setting the fastest lap time in Race 1, Brabham started on the pole in Race 2. After putting distance between himself and Pigot, a full-course caution brought them together. Pigot was able to maneuver a daring around the outside pass at Turn 1 to take the lead. Brabham was unable to pass again, and Pigot claimed victory. Hindman, who started 35th, had worked his way up to 13th before a pile-up in Turn 7 on Lap 8 collected him.
Furuseth completed the Race 2 sweep for the team with his class victory. After starting first, he was able to hold off a hard-charging Mark Eaton in the Robinson Motor Sports machine for victory.
“We are happy with the results from Sebring,” said team owner Dominic Cape. “To walk away with three victories among these competitors is a feat. We are happy for Matthew, Spencer and Henrik, and we know that Trent’s time will come. We are looking forward to heading home to St. Pete for the next round.”
"We are really pleased with the continued momentum from the winter series - all four drivers topped the time sheets in their classes at some stage of the weekend," added team owner Nicholas Cape. “The team atmosphere is fantastic, and all our team members did an exceptional job preparing the cars for each session - big thanks to them."
With their victories, Brabham and Pigot sit one and two in the point standings. Brabham has 60 points, while Pigot is eight points back with 52. Furuseth trails Eaton by three points in the National Class (40-37). Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing has a 30-point lead in the team standings.
The Cooper Tires Presents the USF200 National Championship Powered by Mazda will next be on track March 22-25 as part of the IZOD IndyCar Series on the Streets of St. Petersburg.
Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing was formed in 2010 as a partnership between two successful racing entities. With leadership from brothers Nicholas and Dominic Cape, and along with Wayne Taylor and his organization in Indianapolis, the team campaigns cars in the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda. In 2011, the team helped Petri Suvanto claim the driver championship. For more information, please visit www.capemotorsports.com. You can follow the team on Facebook and Twitter for updates (CMwithWTR).