Just as Team Pelfrey’s Jack Aitken predicted following the first two rounds of the Cooper Tires Winterfest at NOLA Motorsports Park last week, the outcome of the pre-season mini-series went all the way down to the wire.

Team Pelfrey made a strong start to the Mazda Road to Indy season as the Cooper Tires Winterfest kicked off the past two days at NOLA Motorsports Park. Englishman Jack Aitken won two of the three Pro Mazda races on the 2.75-mile road course situated just a few miles from downtown New Orleans, while Garth Rickards led the team’s new four-car foray into USF2000 by securing a promising top-five finish.

The 2015 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires began with an action packed week during the first half of the Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship. Juncos Racing proved to be one of the most competitive line-ups in the Pro Mazda field in Races 1, 2, and 3 on the 2.75 mile, 16-Turn road course at NOLA Motorsports Park (North). Rookie Will Owen made an impressive debut in the Pro Mazda series claiming two podium finishes.

The Englishman and the Malaysian scored one win apiece and are now tied on points as the Mazda Road to Indy pre-season mini-series competitors head to Barber Motorsports Park for three more races next Wednesday and Thursday.

Two youngsters who have honed their skills in Europe in recent years staged a fine battle for the lead in this afternoon’s opening round of the Cooper Tires Winterfest, with Briton Jack Aitken (Team Pelfrey) narrowly holding off Andretti Autosport’s Weiron Tan at NOLA Motorsports Park.