It’s safe to say that few people in America had heard of Keith Donegan before his stunning victory at last month’s Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout. The young Irishman had been working his way up through the ranks, seemingly poised for a move to the States or to Europe, when he made one of the most difficult decisions any young race car driver has had to make: he gave up racing to pursue college.

With two months remaining until the new Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda season kicks off on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., all indications are pointing toward another thrilling season for the first step on the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.

John Cummiskey has enjoyed a long and storied career at the pinnacle of American open-wheel racing, including tenures as a chief mechanic and team manager with some of the most famous names in the industry. Now, he heads up John Cummiskey Racing as he strives to make a name for himself and his eponymous team on the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.

Last weekend, 17 drivers from nine nations competed for the $200K Mazda Road to Indy Shootout. See their reaction to the weekend, plus media coverage of the winner, Keith Donegan.

Keith Donegan, 20, from Dublin, Ireland, this afternoon was announced as the winner of the second annual Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout following two days of evaluations at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. A total of 17 young drivers representing nine different nations and drawn from a variety of feeder series from around the world were put through their paces aboard the Bondurant Racing School Formula Mazda cars.