Wayne Boyd Takes the Win in Race 1
Petri Suvanto capped off his sensational North American racing debut season by capturing the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda title this afternoon. The 18-year-old from Nurmo, Finland – dubbed the ‘Flying Finn’ – entered the weekend with a commanding 39-point advantage and was able to secure the crown with a second-place finish in Race 1 in front of a huge crowd on the brand-new street circuit in Baltimore, Md. His efforts will be rewarded with a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to the Star Mazda Championship in 2012.
Suvanto’s season to date has included five race wins, four second-place finishes and one third aboard Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing’s #3 Viseko Van Diemen-Mazda. He has only failed to finish on the podium once in 11 races held to date.
“We were able to get what we came here for – the championship,” said Suvanto. “Maybe it wasn’t the way we wanted, but the championship is the most important thing. Today, I was a bit conservative to try to play it safe for the championship and the points. So overall, I am really happy and this was an emotional day for me and my family as well. I would say this was one of the best event atmospheres of the year. It was pretty special to win [the championship] on these streets.
“Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing has been amazing, and they were the key for this to happen. We have another race tomorrow which I am really looking forward to because this track is amazing. USF2000 has done a fantastic job this year to put together this championship at such a professional level. I have to thank everyone with USF2000 and [series promoter] Dan Andersen, Mazda and Cooper Tires.”
Spencer Pigot, the only driver with a mathematical chance of beating Suvanto, finished 11th today in the #8 Team MAZDASPEED/Skip Barber entry with Andretti Autosport. The 17-year-old from Windermere, Fla., who set the fastest race lap, finished two laps down after a Lap 1 incident which collected several cars. A two-time race winner this year, he remains second in the championship.
Wayne Boyd, 20, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, claimed victory in the 15-lap race, his second of the season, aboard the #4 TheAppBuilder.com/Belardi Auto Racing machine. Boyd, who was fourth in the standings entering the weekend, has inched past Zach Veach of Andretti Autosport and now sits in third with a five-point advantage.
“It was a really good race between me and Petri,” said Boyd. “It was a tough race but a very good job by everyone who organized this event. I want to thank Belardi Auto Racing. They did an awesome job. We only did five laps yesterday and to have the car as good as it was in the race, I can’t thank them enough. I also want to thank TheAppBuilder.com for their support.”
Canadian talent Matthew Di Leo with MDL Racing finished third to score his first podium of the year. The 16-year-old from Innisfil, Ontario, Canada has been ultra consistent this season in the #33 Res Precast entry and picked up valuable points in a three-way battle for fifth in the championship. He now has a 28-point advantage over Juan Piedrahita of JDC MotorSports and 29 points over Timmy Megenbier of Sick Tea Racing.
Joe Colasacco of Auriana Racing continued his strong form to claim victory in the National Class. The Italian-born, Greenwich, Conn.-based driver has swept the three USF2000 events he has contested to date with wins at Mid-Ohio in August.
Contingency awards included the Tilton Hard Charger Award for the driver who gains the most positions which went to Colasacco. The PFC Award for the winning car owners was issued to Belardi Auto Racing and Auriana Racing in the National class. The Staubli Award, a random finisher award, was issued to Eric Langbein of MidAtlantic Motorsports/Eric Langbein Racing.
The USF2000 season finale will take place at 10:20 am ET tomorrow with Timing and Scoring available at www.usf2000.com.
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About Mazda: On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race tracks of America than any other brand of vehicle. At the track, you’ll see MX-5 Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models competing, because every Mazda has the Soul of a Sports Car. In fact, the largest road-racing class in the world is Spec Miata, with more than 2,500 first- and second-generation Miatas tearing up America’s racetracks, making it the most-raced production car in the world. Mazda’s involvement in motorsports extends to its relationship with INDYCAR, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, one of the world’s premier road-racing circuits, and the Skip Barber Schools for driving and racing.
With over 40 years of experience in North America, Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. It oversees the sales, marketing, parts business and customer service of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.
About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company: Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company with affiliates, subsidiaries and joint-ventures that specialize in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car and light truck tires. The Company also has subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires.
With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located in 10 countries around the world.