ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Team Pelfrey competed at the stunning Road America circuit for the latest rounds of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda and the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. All of the drivers showed promising pace throughout the event, but incident filled sessions and racing incidents bred frustrating results for the Team Pelfrey outfit. The focus now shifts to the streets of Toronto, where the team will return to action July 13–15 and will be determined to turn speed into results.
Julian van der Watt (No. 80 Race Driver SA / Crossley & Webb Team Pelfrey USF2000)
Qualifying 1: 8th
Qualifying 2: 5th
Race 1: 24th
Race 2: 17th
“The weekend has been really up and down. We had two really great qualifying sessions, especially for Race Two. In Race One, there was a bit of an issue at the start as the green flag called and a bunch of cars hit the brakes in front of me. The speed difference was too big and I hit the car in front of me, losing my front wing as a result. In Race Two, we started really well, holding a solid position in fifth, then the safety car came out. During the caution, I got rear-ended by another driver. It just wasn’t the best weekend for us but we’re looking forward to Toronto coming up next and we’ll see if we can make a win happen there.”
Bruna Tomaselli (No. 82 Bruna & Bia Team Pelfrey USF2000)
Qualifying 1: 15th
Qualifying 2: 24th
Race 1: 17th
Race 2: 11th
“Today’s race was crazy. Much crazier than yesterday. I started today’s Race Two in 24th position because of a problem in second qualifying on Friday. Today’s goal was to finish inside the top 10, and I finished in 11th position. In the middle of the race, I tried to be consistent in order to pass as many cars as I could – I didn’t end up gaining as many positions as I wanted but I was almost there, so I still feel good. Now after learning so much this weekend, I’m really looking forward to racing in Toronto.”
Kyle Dupell (No. 81 Opal Creek Capital / Pro Race Management Team Pelfrey USF2000)
Qualifying 1: 9th
Qualifying 2: 10th
Race 1: 13th
Race 2: 21st
“I was really happy with our pace this weekend. It was a big step forward. Unfortunately, I don't have much to show for it as the races were crazy."
NEXT EVENT: The USF2000 and Pro Mazda Championship will head north to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the Honda Indy Toronto, July 13-15. For ticket information, please visit http://hondaindy.com/tickets. The races will also be live streamed on the Road to Indy app and RoadToIndy.TV
About Team Pelfrey: Team Pelfrey’s winning heritage dates back to 2011, initially fielding cars in the ultra-competitive Pro Mazda Championship on the Mazda Road to Indy. Since then, Team Pelfrey has won Pro Mazda Championship titles in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017. The team’s winning pedigree has since expanded to the F1600 Championship, USF2000 Championship and Indy Lights series, becoming the first team to compete on all rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy Ladder. To date, the team has achieved 96 race wins, 207 podium finishes and nine championships.