LEEDS, ALA. – Rising American talent Spencer Pigot continued his impressive form over the past two days as the Cooper Tires Winterfest for Pro Mazda concluded with a pair of races at Barber Motorsports Park. Pigot, 20, from Orlando, Fla., guided the #7 Doug Mockett & Company/Rising Star Racing/ Vitamin-DPro App/California Scents/OMP entry to a decisive victory from the pole on Tuesday, and this afternoon posted a new lap record for Pro Mazda en route to a conservative second-place finish.
“It’s been a great week,” said Pigot. “Four days of hard work but the car was great. We worked really well together, the team and I, and we kept improving all the time. Every time we went out we set the fastest lap so I’m really happy with our pace and our performance. We came away with a couple of wins and the championship, so it’s all good. We’re just happy to be this competitive and we want to keep it going when we get to St. Petersburg for the first two races of the ‘regular season’ next month (March 29/30).”
Pigot took up on Tuesday in Alabama as he left off on Saturday in Louisiana by once again setting the pace as the Pro Mazda teams took to the undulating 2.3-mile track for the opening practice session. He was fastest also in qualifying, taking full advantage both of his Juncos Racing team’s excellent setup and the latest breed of Cooper tires by securing the coveted pole position with a new Pro Mazda track record time of 1:20.249.
He dominated the race, too, posting a series of fastest laps in the opening stages to open up a clear lead which he extended on every lap before easing off on the final circuit to cross the finish line 8.062 seconds clear of the field.
The final race this afternoon was a little more difficult. After posting the fastest lap in morning practice, Pigot found himself on the less preferential outside line heading into Turn Two and wisely tucked in behind Scott Hargrove. He pressured the Canadian throughout the 20-lap race, setting a new race lap record of 1:20.411, but had to be content with second place. It was easily enough to clinch the Cooper Tires Winterfest title by a commanding 26-point margin over Hargrove.
“Scott was able to hold the outside around Turn One so he had the inside for Turn Two, and this is a tricky place to pass with all the high-speed corners,” said Pigot. “As soon as you get close, you lose the aerodynamics. I was alongside him on the last lap going into the final corners but I didn’t need to take any risks so I came away with the championship which is what’s important. I’m really enjoying working with Juncos Racing so I can’t thank the guys enough and of course all my supporters as well.”
Spencer is proud to represent: www.mockett.com; www.vitamin-d-pro.com; www.risingstarracing.com; www.ompamerica.com.
ABOUT SPENCER PIGOT:
Spencer Pigot, 20, won numerous state and national karting championships before moving to cars in 2009. He won the 2010 BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Powered by Mazda, earning a MAZDASPEED Driver Development scholarship to contest the 2011 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. Pigot finished second in the title-chase with three wins, four poles and a track record to his name, and won five of six races to claim the 2012 Cooper Tires Winterfest. He also finished second in the 2012 title-chase, winning eight of the 14 races. Pigot was awarded Team USA Scholarships both in 2010 and 2011, and this year has been invited to join the new Rising Star Racing program, also designed to help fund deserving young drivers. His goal is to compete in the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. Follow Spencer at www.spencerpigot.com or on Facebook (Spencer Pigot Racing) and Twitter (@spencerpigot).