Birmingham, Alabama – Will Owen, driver of the #23 Juncos Racing machine went home with 36 points towards the standings of the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires after the Mazda North American Operations Presents the Pro Mazda Grand Prix of Alabama this past weekend. The 21 year-old brought experience into the weekend as Barber Motorsports Park is the track he is most familiar with out of all of the other circuits on the calendar.
In a qualifying session that proved the competitiveness of the Pro Mazda field, Owen put himself in the 5th position to start both races from for the weekend. Race one ran in perfect weather conditions with a few moments of action during the 40 minute contest. Owen managed to avoid all incidents and run a clean, strong race in a line of competitors that made it impossible to gain any positions, resulting in a 5th place finish.
Race two proved more exciting for Owen. Teammate Australian Jake Parsons and Pelfrey competitor, Malaysian Weiron Tan, came together on the first lap. Tan’s car went into a slow roll from which he exited unharmed. The incident resulted in three laps behind the Safety Car which cut into the competitive 40 minutes for the drivers to move up the field. Owen, made up for lost time by making an impressive pass, one of the only passes made throughout the entire race, at a difficult spot on the 16-turn track. The pass earned the 21 year-old the Staubli Award along with a fourth-place finish. This is his best finish with 12 races left in the season.
The pilot of the #23 Juncos Machine and the rest of the Pro Mazda competitors will meet again mid-May for one of the most anticipated events of the year - The Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Owen has history here after winning this race in his rookie season of the USF2000 Championship and finishing 2nd last year in his rookie season of the Pro Mazda Championship.
Will Owen - Driver
#23 AMR/Juncos Racing /Pro Mazda/Cooper Tires
"It wasn't a bad weekend here at Barber after qualifying 5th, finishing 5th in race one, and then 4th in race two. One of the highlights for me was making one of the only passes of race two at a difficult spot of the track. I'll remember that pass for a long time and will probably think back to that example when I need some motivation.
The raceing was good and really tough. The track had lower grip than expected and the car Juncos gave me was good. Everybody had the same situation and struggled with the grip, so getting to the end of the weekend was diffulcult being so loose. Other than that, everything was good and we are all happy with the results. I'm looking forward to The Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May.".
About Will Owen:
Will Owen began karting in 2010 at the age of 15 and quickly developed a passion for racing. After completing his first year competing for local clubs, he moved up to regional and national races. He quickly gained speed and racing experience over the next couple of years, competing in the Rotax Challenge of the Americas, Florida Winter Tour, SKUSA Supernationals and many other series.
Continuing his racing career, Will began testing in a Formula Mazda and by August of 2013 had competed in five Formula Mazda events finishing 1st in three of the races. In 2014 Will completed a full season of USF2000, part of the Mazda Road to Indy series. He ended up achieving four top ten finishes, including one historic win at the Inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix.
In 2015 he added to his MRTI resume moving up to the Pro Mazda Championship with series winning team, Juncos Racing. His rookie season brought him a rewarding six podiums and 14 top ten finishes.
Before starting his second season of the Pro Mazda Championship with Juncos Racing in 2016, Owen took on the challenge of his first international racing endeavor. The Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand, consisting of five straight weekends spanning the country with a total of 15 races.
Will is also a student at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas where he is currently pursing his undergrad in Finance.
Date of Birth: March 23 1995
Hometown: Castle Rock, CO
Education: Student at Texas Christian University