Irishman Advances from Formula Regional Americas to Join the Road to Indy

Mundelein, Ill. – Irish race car driver James Roe has signed with Turn 3 Motorsport for the 2021 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, securing the first seat in the program for the upcoming season. Roe, the winner of the 2019 Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year Award, will join the Road to Indy ladder after making his mark in the Formula Regional Americas series over the past two years achieving a win, several top five finishes, and two team championships.

In 2018, Roe won the F2000 Vice Championship and Rookie of the Year honors after a season of fantastic results including three wins and seven podiums at six different tracks. He also competed with the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship series at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway finishing fifth in Race 2 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix, the highest finishing rookie of the race. Before coming to the U.S.A., Roe enjoyed an excellent single seater career as a consistent frontrunner achieving lap records, wins, and podium finishes in the Ginetta Junior and Formula Ford 1600 series in Europe.

“I am extremely excited to be joining Turn 3 Motorsport for the 2021 Indy Pro 2000 season,” said Roe. “To be making my move into the Road to Indy and supporting the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with an Irish-owned team here in the U.S.A. is really special. After testing with the team over the winter and spending quite a lot of time at their shop in Chicago, it became very clear to me that the right personnel, knowledge, and level of experience is in place within the team to give myself and my partners the best opportunity to succeed.”

“Joining the team was a very easy decision for me to make,” continued Roe. “There is no doubt that this year is going to be extremely competitive as the level of competition is always very high on the Road to Indy. Competing on ovals and street courses will be a new experience for me as well, and I’m excited for that challenge. I have every bit of confidence in our package and believe we as a team have what it takes to be at the right end of the grid.”

Partnering with Roe for the 2021 season is returning sponsor Topcon Positioning Group, an industry leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of precision measurement and workflow solutions for the global construction, geospatial and agriculture markets. Topcon paving technologies were recently used to resurface the world renowned Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom, the Singapore Grand Prix track, and Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Las Vegas.

“It is an honor to be making the next step in my career with Topcon on board once again,” continued Roe. “To be moving onto the INDYCAR scene with Topcon is something we are all very proud of, and I am sure we will see the benefits of Topcon technology within the team throughout the year.”

With Roe heading Turn 3 Motorsport’s Indy Pro 2000 program and Josh Green and Dylan Christie representing its USF2000 program, the sophomore team – which finished third overall in the championship with Singaporean driver Danial Frost last year – is setting itself up with a talented pack of championship contenders in 2021.

“It is great to have James join our Indy Pro 2000 team for the 2021 season,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “James gave us the opportunity to conduct a two-day test at Sebring International Raceway back in December, and it went very well. He adjusted to the car quickly after driving the FR Americas car for the past two years. His experience racing in the USA over the past three years will really pay off going into Indy Pro 2000 and allow him to showcase his true talent with Turn 3 Motorsport in the 2021 season.”

“It is also very cool to have James be the first Irish driver to join our team,” continued Dempsey. “As an Irishman myself, I’m hopeful that over the next few years we will be in a position to have more young Irish talent join Turn 3 Motorsport as well. As a team, we learned a lot during our 2020 season and have made improvements in many areas, so we are all excited and ready to kick off the 2021 season in April.”

The 2021 Road to Indy season is now set to open at Barber Motorsports Park April 15-18 followed by the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg April 23-25.

Remaining partnerships for Roe’s 2021 season will be announced in the coming weeks.

To stay up to date on Turn 3 Motorsport, follow the team on social media using the handle @turn3motorsport.

For more information or images, please contact Mandy Dempsey at turn3motorsport@gmail.com.

About Turn 3 Motorsport: Turn 3 Motorsport is a full-service operation specializing in racecar preparation, engineering, and driver development. Founded and managed by racecar driver and coach Peter Dempsey, T3M is focused on professional service, team member growth, and high-level performance across multiple racing series.

In 2019, the team secured the Blue Marble Cocktails Radical Cup North America championship titles in the 1340cc, 1500cc, and overall classes. Later that year, Peter and Turn 3 Motorsport achieved a record-breaking win at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race, piloting the #10 Eastern Racing / Turn 3 Motorsport Radical SR3 RSX 1340 to a dominating win, leading 638 out of 672 laps, and becoming the first car under two liters to achieve the overall win.

In the team’s rookie season, Turn 3 Motorsport attracted attention out of the gate by winning the season opener of the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in a sweeping performance with Singaporean driver Danial Frost. Frost and the team went on to achieve a pole position, six podium finishes, and third overall in the championship in 2020.

In 2021, T3M will expand its presence in the Road to Indy by introducing a two-car program into the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship alongside its Indy Pro 2000 Championship campaign.

About Peter Dempsey: Peter is an Irish racecar driver, engineer, and driver development leader with a lifetime of motorsport experience. Peter’s racing record includes nine wins in the Indy Pro 2000 (formerly Star Mazda) series and a title of Vice Champion, an Indy Lights series win that was one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and being one of only two drivers to win the prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy three times. In addition to his own racing resume, Peter has enjoyed mentoring and coaching many young drivers to reach their full potential as they climb the motorsports ladder.

About Topcon Positioning Group: Always one step ahead in technology and customer benefits, Topcon Positioning Group is an industry leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of precision measurement and workflow solutions for the global construction, geospatial and agriculture markets. Their core technologies include high-accuracy GPS systems, precision off-highway equipment automation systems, terrestrial and mobile high-resolution scanning systems, and various software systems for surveying, design, site management and connecting workflow in the industries we serve. Learn more at topconpositioning.com.