No matter if it is a championship or a race, getting off to a fast start can be key, and Rising Star Racing driver Spencer Pigot did exactly that this week when he won the opening race of the 2014 Cooper Tires Winterfest for Pro Mazda at NOLA Motorsports Park on Friday.

Finishing off our week at NOLA Motorsports Park, Canadian Grist and American Blackstock ran their second pre-season race on the 2.75-mile road course.

This afternoon’s second round of the Cooper Tires Winterfest for the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires was decided at the start when outside front row qualifier Garett Grist jumped clear of the field at the rolling start. The teenaged rookie from Whitby, Ont., Canada took full advantage by romping to a decisive win for Andretti Autosport.

Spencer Pigot began the new season precisely as he wanted at NOLA Motorsports Park. The 20-year-old from Orlando, Fla., qualified on pole position for 2010 championship-winning team Juncos Racing, jumped into a clear lead at the start and was never seriously challenged. Pigot also set the fastest lap of the race for good measure to ensure he would start from the pole in Race 2 tomorrow afternoon.

Andretti Autosport's Pro Mazda freshman and sophomore drivers competed in the first round of racing in 2014 today at NOLA Motorsports Park for Race 1 of Winterfest.