INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Kris Wright of Wexford, Pa., didn't quite have the results he'd hoped for in the doubleheader staged by the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda series Friday and Saturday on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, the 22-year-old rookie was heartened by the knowledge that he ran with a faster pace than the driver who finished fifth in the second half of the doubleheader.
After qualifying 13th for Friday afternoon's 30-minute race, Wright got caught up in an accident with Kory Enders in Turn Seven working lap two and was forced to retire his No. 34 John Cummiskey Racing entry sponsored by PPG Paints, American Financial and MasterTech.
He was slated to start 14th in a 30-minute race Saturday morning on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course, but a problem with his car's throttle sensor caused him to go a lap down before the sensor could be reset and he could leave pit lane. He went on to finish that race, running lap times that were faster than the driver who finished fifth. Wright's best lap was lap 13, which he ran in 1:26.4533 for an average speed of 101.562 miles per hour. Enders finished fifth with a fastest race lap of 1:26.4961 (101.512 mph).
"I gained good experience here," Wright said. "Friday's accident was just racing contact. It happened in Turn Seven. The car was fixable, but barely. I have to say thanks to the team for making all the repairs and working later than they should have.
"At the start of Saturday's race, we had a throttle senor malfunction. They gave the command to start the engines, I put my foot down, and the engine didn't change RPMs. I thought 'This isn't good.' We were able to reset the system on pit lane. We were one lap down due to that, but we showed top-five pace.
"It wasn't the results I wanted but it was all good experience. I feel positive for showing good pace throughout the weekend for as little experience as I have in these cars.
"This was my first time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ever. It's very humbling to race here. I'm already looking forward to the opportunity to get to come back. It doesn't feel like an infield road course. You can really push the envelope, but it's really safe. It's probably one of my favorite tracks now."
The doubleheader supported Saturday's IndyCar Grand Prix Verizon IndyCar series race.
The next USF2000 event is June 23-25 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Wright also competes in the IMSA Prototype Challenge series, which will hold its next race June 29-July 2 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y.