Juncos Racing debuted strongly in the 2015 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season with two podiums and two top-five finishes in the Mazda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Peninsula Pipeline doubleheader in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“Everyone has worked hard on the new Dallara IL-15 and it showed at St. Pete. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but I know if we continued to stay focused we will only continue to accomplish more,” said team owner Ricardo Juncos.
The 60-minute race April 19 on the streets of Long Beach awaits Juncos and rookie drivers Spencer Pigot and Kyle Kaiser. Both transitioned from the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires when Juncos Racing expanded its operation.
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Pigot, who won the 2014 Pro Mazda championship, appreciates the familiar environment.
“It has definitely been easier to move up with Juncos Racing,” he said. “We had a great year in 2014 and remaining with the same team is just one less thing I've had to learn. There are so many new things about Indy Lights this year it's good to have something familiar. They're a great team and I wouldn't want to drive for another team so I'm glad they moved up as well.”
Kaiser drove to two top-five finishes at St. Petersburg and played an integral role in Juncos Racing’s overall team victory in the 2014 Pro Mazda season. Kaiser too appreciates making the jump with Juncos Racing.
"During the preseason, the only variable to worry about was learning the new car since I already knew how to work with the team and my teammate," he said.
Unlike their race team, the 1.968-mile, 11-turn Long Beach circuit is unfamiliar to the drivers.
“Long Beach is always a track I've wanted to race at, it has so much history and you can't beat the location. I'm really looking forward to it,” said Pigot.
Both drivers welcome the challenge of the Dallara IL-15, powered by the 450-horsepower, 2-liter turbocharged Mazda MZR-R engine. The Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship race car peaked at nearly 4 mph faster at St. Petersburg than last year.
“Moving up into the new IL-15 from the Pro Mazda was a good-sized jump, but I acclimated to the speed fairly quickly,” Kaiser said. “The team and I have developed a better understanding of the nuances after preseason testing, so now we are in the stages of fine-tuning. Every time I get to drive the car I can’t help but smile because it’s such an adrenaline rush.”
“It's a unique opportunity to be able to develop a car from scratch,” added Pigot.
Pigot started his 2014 season with four consecutive wins. After two third-place finishes at St. Petersburg, he has set a modest goal.
“I think it gets harder as you move up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder to be dominant like that,” he said. “There are so many good teams and drivers in Indy Lights this year. We always strive to win so I don't think another winning streak like that is impossible but we just want to focus on winning our first race right now.”