INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Belardi Auto Racing's four-car USF2000 team traveled to Palm Beach International Raceway last weekend to test together for the first time.
The young drivers Roman Lagudi, Luca Forgeois, Colin Thompson and Scott Anderson came together for a two-day test at the 2.034-mile road course. This was the first time the newly-minted 2012 team had come together to test alongside one another. The weekend provided the young men with seat time, time with their engineers and even time to get to know their teammates.
"The whole weekend was a great way to get together with the team and figure out how we work together and learn how the drivers communicate and work with each other, not just with the engineers," said 17-year-old Colin Thompson. "I think that relationship [between teammates] is really strong to have and when you have a really good team and good chemistry between the team and the drivers, that's sort of the recipe for success. We learned a lot over the weekend and will ultimately help us when we come back here to race during the Winter Series. My driving style improved and I was able to learn more about the track and learn more about the USF2000 car."
Luca Forgeois agreed that the weekend was about getting to know not only the team, but their new teammates as well. "The weekend went quite well, and I got to know all of my teammates. I had never tested with them before, but I'm happy to find they're all really great people. This weekend continued to show me that Belardi is an excellent team. They have a great plan set in motion, and it's not only about evolving the team or finding one driver that's quick; It's about making every driver the best he can be. The team is about doing the best for all of us. It's not about one of us, it's a team effort which is really nice.
"Having four young guys on a team pushes each one of us to our limits. We're about helping each other evolve. I'm really looking forward to working with this team and seeing what we can actually do under pressure. 2012 won't be an easy season, but knowing that my teammates are some of the best drivers that are going to be there really motivates me."
"My new teammates are all really good guys. I think being a part of a successful team, you all have to talk and get along and share your information in order for all of us to be fast," Australian Roman Lagudi said. "At the end of the day we're all representing Belardi so we have to make sure we're working together to make it to the top. The seat time this weekend has been really important, and I learned a lot about the car and about changes to make during races. I think I was able to improve from each session, going faster and faster each time, and able to become more comfortable in the car. Without all of the help we get from our engineers and the team, we wouldn't be able to improve, and they've been awesome this weekend. I'm very happy to be a part of Belardi, and I think we can go far."
Scott Anderson enjoyed the weekend as well as getting to know his teammates. "The test went well, and I got up to pace very quickly. I'm glad I was able to easily get an idea of how to read the car setup. I also got to know the entire Belardi team, as well as the other drivers, and we all worked together very well. There's very good chemistry between every one of us; the drivers pushed each other all weekend long, and the driver to engineer relationship was great. I just can't wait to start our season together."
About Belardi Auto Racing
Belardi Auto Racing is a USF2000 and Indy Lights team based in Brownsburg, Indiana. The 2011 season saw two race wins, 10 podiums, 17 top-five finishes and 36 top-tens. Follow the team on Twitter, www.twitter.com/BelardiRacing and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/BelardiAutoRacing. Belardi Auto Racing can also be found online at www.belardiautoracing.com.