ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – For the first time in four years, the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda competed at the iconic Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. Team Pelfrey’s rookie driver, Robert Megennis’s first look at the 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course took placeon Thursday’s promoter test day.
The New York, N.Y.-native was searching for consistency and balance in his racecar in the Thursday andFriday practice sessions, both of which were hampered by multiple red flags. For Race One on Saturday, Megennis qualified on the outside of the seventh row in 14th place, but the rookie wouldn’t be there for long.
A caution filled 30-minute race only allowed the field to complete 11 laps, eight of them under green flag conditions. Megennis charged through the field, making passes throughout the race, and went on to finish an impressive seventh place.
In the afternoon race, the rookie started 13th in the 24-car field. The second race proved to be cleaner and more consistent, with no incidents in the 14-lap contest. Megennis battled in traffic amongst several sophomore drivers and finished the race in 11th place, collecting a valuable 10 points in the driver championship.
Megennis maintains his position as the highest ranked rookie in the championship. The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda travels across the border to Toronto, Ont., July 15-17. All races can be seen live on USF2000.com and followed on social media via Team Pelfrey channels.
Robert Megennis (No. 80 Palo Alto Networks Team Pelfrey Mazda) on this weekend’s performance:“This is one of my favorite circuits I’ve ever raced at. I love how big it is and how being aggressive pays off throughout the course. That being said, finding the balance in the car is crucial which we had in the first race but not the second. Really proud of the team in putting together a great racecar, especially in a one-car effort. Being the leading rookie is one of my goals for the season so I’m pleased we’re still leading that category. Really looking forward to racing in Toronto and hosting all of our Palo Alto Networks guest at the iconic street course.”