TORONTO, Ont., Canada – 16 year-old Robert Megennis completed a doubleheader weekend on the streets of Toronto with consecutive top-five finishes, claiming the Tilton Hard Charger Award in both races after passing 19 cars this weekend.
The New York, N.Y.-native competed on the bumpy streets of Toronto for the first time in his career and just his second street course race weekend. The series rookie only recorded one session of practice prior to Race One, suffering contact in the first practice session on the out lap and an electrical issue in qualifying, only recording one lap and starting on the grid in 17th position.
Saturday’s 30-minute race began with Megennis passing competitors on the inside of Turn one and into the exciting Turn three and four complex. After lap one, Megennis passed four cars and kept the pressure on the field en route to gaining four positions in the next 10 laps. On the late race restart, with time running out, Megennis would pass another four cars and finish in fifth place. With the finish, Megennis was awarded the Tilton Hard Charger Award which is given to the driver who passes the most cars in a single race. His stellar performance also gained him a valuable lap time that would replace his qualification time, garnering a 12th place spot on the grid for Sunday’s final race.
Coming to the green flag in Race Two, drivers in front of Megennis made contact and brought out the only caution in the 30-minute race. the series rookie went on to do what he does best, passing. He overtook six more cars in the ensuing laps to take over fifth-place. For the remaining 10-minutes, Megennis chased Dakota Dickerson but couldn’t quite close the gap, managing his Cooper Tires on the increasingly greasy and difficult 1.75-mile, 11-turn circuit.
With the consecutive fifth-place finishes,Megennis was awarded the Tilton Hard Charger Award yet again, showcasing impressive racecraft and speed. This is his fourth top-five finish of the 2016 season.
The next round of the season will take place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and will feature three races, the only triple-round contended on the schedule. You can follow the coverage on social media, @TeamPelfrey or watch online via the Road to Indy TV app and RoadToIndy.TV.
Robert Megennis (No. 80 Palo Alto Networks Team Pelfrey Mazda) on this weekend’s performance: “This was such a great weekend for us. I started a little rough with the out lap in practice one and an electrical gremlin in qualifying, but Race One was insane. I just picked cars off one-by-one and just went for it. The Palo Alto Networks car was outstanding in both races and I’m really enjoying and understanding the car with each session. Big thanks to the entire Team Pelfrey USF2000 team, my family and my sponsors Palo Alto Networks and Turo. I’m Really excited to get to Mid-Ohio and have some fun!”