MONTEREY, Calif. – Momentum is a valuable commodity to any driver and his or her race team, especially in the fight for race wins down the final stretch of a Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires championship. Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing and their talented Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires pilot Nico Jamin will bring loads of momentum and a new level of confidence to the final weekend of the 2016 schedule, thanks to a dominant sweep of the Mid-Ohio doubleheader in August.
This weekend’s season finale will take place at the 11-turn, 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the spiritual home of Mazda, the passionate company that supports Jamin with a scholarship thanks to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Presented by Mazda title that he won with Cape Motorsports in 2015. This event will be a unique tripleheader for the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, as the series will be making up for the cancellation of the single event that was scheduled for Iowa Speedway in July. Jamin won both USF2000 races in Monterey last September, and he will be looking to repeat that performance again this season to cap the schedule in style.
“We hope to continue our current form heading into Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,” offered Dominic Cape, who along with his brother Nicholas Cape has run both USF2000 and Pro Mazda teams since 2014. “We plan to have maximum attack in both races to try and secure the top step of the podium.”
As the reigning USF2000 champion, Jamin races with the support of Mazda as a result of winning the scholarship that accompanied his title, and he’s been impressive in his rookie Pro Mazda season. After a slower start to the season, the 20-year-old Frenchman turned things up at Road America with a strong podium finish in the second race of the doubleheader. Nico extended that podium streak to three with two strong finishes in Toronto (second and third) ahead of his Mid-Ohio sweep, where he scored his first two Pro Mazda victories in dominating fashion. Jamin enters the season finale 74 points behind Aaron Telitz in the Pro Mazda championship battle, and with just 12 cars on the entry list and nine points available for a last place finish, he’ll be aiming to steal second away from Pato O’Ward as the title is just out of reach. Putting an exclamation point on his rookie season with three wins is the total focus.
The tripleheader finale weekend for the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires will get underway on Friday, September 9 with practice at 8:45 am and 11:55 am PDT. Qualifying is scheduled for 8:35 am on Saturday ahead of the 30-minute Race #1 at 2:05 pm. Sunday will feature two races, beginning with another 30-minute battle at 8:00 am and capping with a longer 40-minute race at 2:35 pm. All times are Pacific Daylight Time.
DRIVER QUOTES:
Nico Jamin – Pro Mazda - #2 Mazdaspeed
“I am super excited to be back at Mazda Raceway with the great momentum we have right now. I had a great summer break and I feel ready to finish the season well. I love this racetrack and I was able to sweep the weekend last year in USF2000, so I'll definitely try to do the same thing with my Soul Red Mazda and honor these colors for their home race."
About Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing:
Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing was formed in 2010 as a partnership between two successful racing entities. With leadership from brothers Nicholas and Dominic Cape, and along with Wayne Taylor and his organization in Indianapolis, the team campaigns cars in the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda and the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. The goal of Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing is to provide unmatched driver development both on and off the track. It is difficult for a young driver to jump into a professional series and win, regardless of talent. Through coaching and mentoring, Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing provides young drivers with as much knowledge of motorsports to become as successful as possible.