Russian Talent Artem Petrov to Make Debut
The challenge to win the title in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship is getting more and more alive. The seventh round of the American series will see RP Motorsport chasing a new success with Kyle Kirkwood determined to confirm his extraordinary escalation to the top of the rankings on the oval at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. The young American driver has won five of the last six races, achieving an exciting recovery that now sees him only 13 points away from the points held by Rasmus Lindh.
The battle promises to be particularly balanced as anticipated by the series test held in recent days at the track. The Italian team’s driver managed to prevail for a few thousandths against Lindh, improving on the pole position time achieved in the previous race last year.
In addition to the adrenaline rush to the title that will see the young driver from Jupiter, Fla., as the protagonist, the race in Illinois will also present further reasons of interest for RP Motorsport. Alongside Kirkwood, the team led by Fabio Pampado will also field an absolute debutant in the American series: Artem Petrov, a 19-year-old Russian driver with important high-level experience behind him in European competition.
Born in St. Petersburg on January 14, 2000, Petrov made his debut at the age of eight in the karting world before landing in 2016 in single-seaters, taking part in the Italian Formula 4 Championship and obtaining two podium finishes in his first season. The following year he confirmed his value in the same championship, winning two races and finishing in fifth place in the overall standings while taking part in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship at the same time. In 2018, Petrov carried out a new and important step in his career which saw him compete in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. He finished three times in the points zone, accumulating precious experience on some of the most prestigious European racetracks.
For the young Russian driver it will not be his first experience with the RP Motorsport colors having taken part this year in the inaugural stage of the Euroformula Open championship held on the Paul Ricard circuit. For Petrov a new adventure beyond the ocean will arrive, in a completely new and also very stimulating context.
Fabio Pampado (Team Principal RP Motorsport): “We have now reached the final rush of the championship and from now it will be no longer possible to make a mistake. Our performance in the last few races has been almost perfect, so we want to confirm ourselves also on this occasion to continue our climb towards the top of the standings. Kyle is very determined, the team is supporting him in the best way and the positive feedback of the test day gives us confidence and awareness in our potential. We also welcome Artem to the team, who will be dealing with a completely new adventure. The precious experience already accumulated in his previous seasons will surely be useful to help the team with an important contribution."
Kyle Kirkwood: “We arrive to this race after a sequence of successes and we want to continue the positive period. On an oval circuit the variables will be multiple and it will be essential to start from the front. We know it will be a very hard battle, but everyone in the team is 100% focused and we hope things can go in the best way."
Artem Petrov: “I would like to thank the RP Motorsport team for this wonderful opportunity. I have already had the occasion to work briefly with them in the past and I was able to appreciate their professionalism and determination. This is a new experience for me, starting from the car to the type of circuit. However, I must say that the test day was fundamental for me to prepare for the race weekend, so I expect to progressively grow and do my best to try to help the team and my teammate."