Spencer Pigot is America's first racing champion of the new season. Pigot, 20, won last month's four-race Cooper Tires Winterfest Pro Mazda championship and hopes to carry his momentum into a successful assault on this year's Pro Mazda title.

Scott Hargrove and his Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing team continued their impressive Pro Mazda learning curve by scoring a fine victory this afternoon at Barber Motorsports Park in only their fourth start. Hargrove, 19, from Vancouver, B.C., Canada, slipped past pole-sitter Spencer Pigot into Turn One and led the remainder of the 20-lap race, albeit not by much as Pigot remained within a few car lengths to secure the Cooper Tires Winterfest for the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires crown and team championship honors for Juncos Racing.

Spencer Pigot might have relinquished his advantage in Round 2 of the Cooper Tires Winterfest for Pro Mazda at NOLA Motorsports Park last Saturday, but he well and truly made amends this afternoon when the four-race mini-series reconvened for the first of two more races at the scenic and challenging Barber Motorsports Park.

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.

The fourth annual Cooper Tires Winterfest will kick off on Friday, February 21, with an expanded portfolio, plenty of track time for all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder and two new venues.