South African FF1600 Champion Julian van der Watt enjoyed a couple of productive days testing at Gingerman Raceway in Michigan with Team Pelfrey’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda squad last week. This test follows an almost unbeaten run (13 wins from 14 races) in the 2017 South African FF1600 series.

According to Pelfrey’s Jonathan Baker, "Julian’s performance with our USF2000 operation last week at Gingerman was nothing short of exceptional. His progression was exactly where it needed to be, with his lap times and consistency evolving to a point where we know he will be a factor in USF2000 next year. We are excited to see what the future holds for Julian with Team Pelfrey, and adding a South African driver to the Mazda Road to Indy ranks once again will be great for the sport."

Julian now heads over to Brands Hatch for the Formula Ford Festival this weekend where he aims to secure a spot in the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires shootout in December. The winner of the shootout receives a $200 000 scholarship to compete in USF2000, the first step on the “Mazda Road to Indy.”