RED DEER, Alberta -- In a season that has seen Parker Thompson take part in races belonging to four different championship series, a tight Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires Championship battle has been a source of renewed energy and motivation.
Between Indy Pro 2000, GT3 Cup Challenge, and the Canadian Touring Car Championship, the young Alberta native has competed in 27 races this year. Driving the No. 8 car of Abel Motorsports, Thompson currently holds second place in the overall Indy Pro 2000 Championship standings. He is coming off a double-duty weekend at the Honda Indy Toronto, where he combined for three podiums and four top-five finishes in Indy Pro 2000 and GT3 Cup events.
"In terms of action on the track, this season has certainly been busier than I could have ever imagined. Maybe at some point I'll grow tired of racing almost every weekend, but that is pretty hard to imagine when we are caught up in championship battles like this one in Indy Pro 2000. The Road to Indy is where I started my racing career, and a championship here would mean so much to me. It's a hard fight though. There are three of us [Kirkwood, Frost and Thompson] all within five points of each other for 2nd place in the standings. And I'm sure that each of us are looking up at Lindh in that first-place position more than we are looking at each other."
The series travels to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend for Championship Rounds 10 & 11. The 2.25-mile track is one familiar to Thompson. He earned a win there earlier this year in GT3 Cup. Given the tight nature of the Indy Pro 2000 championship race, a win again seems like the only sure way for Thompson to improve his position in the standings. With experience at multiple levels on the Road to Indy though, Thompson takes a slightly different stance.
"Of course winning is always the objective, but this is a long season that often rewards consistency. After winning the first two races in St. Petersburg, I've been reminded often how important that consistency is. With Abel Motorsports, we've made a lot of headway this year. One single performance isn't going to earn us the title. If our group can continue in the direction that we've been headed over the last couple of weekends though, then I'm very excited about our chances."