HUNTER MCELREA TOPS THE TIMES AT USF2000 TEST

Hunter McElrea has topped the time charts at the USF2000 Test on day two to be fastest overall.  The 2018 Australian Formula Ford series winner topped the times at the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 Open Test at Homestead Speedway in Miami.

“It was such a great experience to be driving a Pabst Racing USF2000 car again and learn another new track!” McElrea told Velocity.

“I had so much fun, learnt a lot and was really happy to end up P1 overall and topping both the sessions on Tuesday!”

The second day of the final Mazda Road to Indy Open Test of the 2018 season was brought to a premature conclusion by a heavy rainstorm which completely drenched the 2.21-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway road course in south Florida this afternoon. All three levels of the acclaimed Mazda Road to Indy – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda – were represented at the two-day test, although the initial rung on the ladder, USF2000, was the only one to complete two of today’s final three scheduled 40-minute sessions in dry conditions.

“I now switch my focus to the MRTI Shootout this weekend at Phoenix, Arizona. Can’t wait!” he said.

McElrea, 19, will now head next to Phoenix, Ariz., for the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K USD Scholarship Shootout and an opportunity to win a $200,000 prize to take into next year’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship. “I really enjoyed learning a new track, getting back into the USF2000 car and working with the Pabst team. It was great to finish P1 overall. Hopefully I get the opportunity to have another go.

“I have been racing on a treaded tyre with no aero all year,” he continued, “so that is going to be a big help preparing for the Formula Mazda at the Shootout which have slicks and wings. I can’t wait to put what I learned to use in Phoenix.”

McElrea narrowly edged out yesterday’s pacesetter Cameron Shields (Cape Motorsports), Shields, who hails from the same Queensland town, Toowoomba, as defending Indianapolis 500 champion Will Power, ended the first session at 1:20.4927 – a margin of just 0.0479 seconds behind McElrea – to continue his impressive form.

Photos: Hunter McElrea FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/hunterjmcelrea

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