California rookie set to build on strong debut outing in second series doubleheader
LOS GATOS, CALIF. – Open wheel rising star Neil Alberico returns to the cockpit of his Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires racer this weekend (April 26-27), excited about the opportunity to further showcase his talents behind the wheel. Taking to the undulating Barber Motorsports Park road course, the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing rookie is focused on adding to his and the multi-time championship-winning team's resumes during the Alabama twin bill.
The goal for most Pro Mazda newcomers is often to just learn and gain experience every time they roll on-course. While Alberico and his skilled Cape Motorsports crew are certainly poised to do just that, the Los Gatos, Calif., native is also focused on challenging for race wins.
Piloting the No. 2 the Rising Star Racing/Arai/OMP Racing/J&M Trophies/Oakley/Bondurant School of High Performance Driving/SafeisFast/eFormulaCarNews.com entry, Alberico enters rounds three and four on the 14-race Pro Mazda Championship calendar set to build on strong previous runs during the off-season, as well as the season-opener in Florida. The Rising Star Racing driver was among the lead pack last time the Pro Mazda cars were at the picturesque 2.38-mile road course in Alabama, taking home two top-five finishes during the 'off-season' Winterfest series. He further showcased his intentions with two sixth-place finishes in his season-opener races on the challenging St. Petersburg street circuit. Given Alberico's proven track record, which includes 11 USF2000 Championship wins last season, the goal is to be part of the fight for supremacy come race time at Barber.
"I'm very much looking forward to racing at Barber," commented Alberico. "We have had plenty of track time this year between series testing and the Winterfest to collect data on this track. I believe that as a team we are well prepared for the race, however, we need to continue to work hard to get ahead, not just be on par. Myself and all the Cape Motorsports boys will approach Barber just like any other event, and continue to build on our success thus far. I can't wait!"
The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires cars first take to the Barber Motorsports Park road course on Thursday (April 24) with two promoter's day sessions. The official action starts one day later for Alberico, with a single morning practice run, followed by the lone qualifying run in the afternoon. Race one in Alabama is scheduled for 11 am local time on Saturday (April 26), with race two a day later at 8:50 am local time.
About Neil Alberico:
A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Alberico first started racing karts at the age of 10, competing in IKF Region 11 action. Over the course of four seasons (2004-07), the young talent captured the Junior Sportsman, Junior Super Sportsman, and Junior Puma championship titles. Continuing to race in the karting ranks while raising funds to pursue a career in motorsports, Alberico won the Snap-On Stars of Karting Series National finale in Las Vegas in 2009, before finishing third in the CKI National TaG Senior championship, and winning the 2010 TaG Senior class in the WSK North American Series. That same year, Alberico won the Bondurant Championship Race Series, winning 10 races as a junior formula car rookie. In 2011, Alberico made his European racing debut, competing in the world-renowned Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain with Irish-based Cliff Dempsey Racing. Finish ninth in his maiden FF season, the Californian earned a Team USA Scholarship, subsequently capturing a Semi-Final win and third place finish in the historic 40th Formula Ford Festival. Alberico joined the Mazda Road to Indy program in 2012, earning a podium finish and nine top-fives in his rookie season of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. The California standout followed that up with 11 wins in 2013, en route to the Cooper Tires Winterfest title and second in the USF2000 Championship with multiple champion Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing.