FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Linares Racing announced today that one of Latin America’s most promising rising stars will drive one of its cars at the first official series test for the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires this weekend at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Fla.

Linares Racing’s Carlos and Gustavo Linares chose Francisco Cerullo for this opportunity only a month after Cerullo was presented with a prestigious American Award by the FIA in recognition of his spectacular 2012 season.

Cerullo, 27, of Caracas, Venezuela, won the LATAM Formula 2000 Challenge championship last year and he finished second in the Panam GP Series.

He finished every LATAM race and won six of the 16 events enroute to the championship.  He sealed up the title at Eagles Canyon Raceway near Dallas in October by winning the first half of that doubleheader and finishing second in the nightcap. 

The competition is very stiff in both the LATAM series and the Panam GP series.  The latter series is the replacement for the Mexican Formula 3 Championship.

Prior to his spectacular season last year Cerullo won the Venezuelan Formula Ford 2000 championship in 2008 and many karting titles.

This weekend’s test will be Cerullo’s second opportunity to drive this particular type of formula car. He tested a Star Mazda car one day last October during the Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy test on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Pro Mazda is the new name for the Star Mazda series.

Linares Racing is one of only a handful of teams that won Star Mazda races last season.  The team, which recently relocated from Brownsburg, Ind., to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was victorious in an event at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, last July.

Linares Racing joined the Star Mazda series at the beginning of the 2010 season as the first Venezuelan team to enter the series.

Cerullo has known the Linares family —including brothers Carlos and Gustavo Linares, who are both accomplished racers  — for many years, as he became acquainted with the family during his karting days.

For more information on the series, including the compete schedule, see promazdachampionship.com.  Linares Racing and Cerullo can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.