Robert Megennis has spent the offseason looking at colleges as he prepares to graduate from high school.
He’s already settled on a destination to continue his racing education.
The 17-year-old New York native will join Juncos Racing’s championship-winning Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires effort for the 2018 season - the second race-winning driver advancing from the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda to join the team for next season.
“I’m very excited to be joining Juncos Racing,” said Megennis, the 2016 USF2000 Rookie of the Year, who recorded his first USF2000 win at St. Petersburg in the 2017 season opener. “The team has proven itself in every series it’s contested, and I'm confident that we will perform with the new PM-18 (chassis debuting in 2018). I'm looking forward to a great upcoming year. I can't thank Juncos Racing and Palo Alto Networks enough for this amazing opportunity.”
Megennis made his first run with Juncos Racing at the 2017 Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in October. Although Megennis ran into electrical issues with the car the first day, he was able to put together a strong run to finish the final session of both days at the top of the speed charts.
“We had a great Chris Griffis test, where we led sessions on both days,” Megennis said. “I have a lot of confidence in Juncos' ability to not only give me the fastest car on the grid, but also to help me become a better all-around driver.”
Megennis joins Dutch teen Rinus VeeKay in a stout Pro Mazda lineup that team owner Richardo Juncos has put together to defend its 2017 team and driver’s championships. Juncos said Megennis is definitely a contender to do both.
“After what Rob showed us at the Chris Griffis test this past October, I am thrilled to add him to our Pro Mazda driver lineup,” Juncos said. “This test really tests a driver since everyone is watching, unlike most other tests when you are there without the pressure of others. Rob ran into some electrical issues the first day of the test, but that did not stop him from putting up the fastest time in the last session and he came back the next day and did it again.
“After seeing how he performed under this type of pressure, I am very confident he will have a great year in the Pro Mazda series. I want to thank Rob, his family and Palo Alto Networks for their commitment to our team, and I look forward to a solid year with Rob in the Pro Mazda championship.”