Oka (Quebec, Canada), February 23, 2022 – Thomas Nepveu is gearing up to start his second year in USF2000, but his maiden season with team DEForce Racing. The streets of St. Petersburg (Florida) will host the first two rounds of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship this Friday and Sunday.
“It is a city track, so it’s a very technical layout that requires commitment,” explained Thomas Nepveu, who will be driving the #10 Cromwell | Pétrole Bélanger | Home Hardware | Hamster Formula 2000 of DEForce Racing. “Everything is more difficult because of the walls; the narrow track doesn’t provide a lot of runoffs.”
This is why the qualifying session will be crucial for him, “as it is difficult to overtake, it will be imperative to set good times in qualifying,” said Thomas. “We don’t have a lot of track time, so I will have to maximize the 20 minutes of practice, as well as the advice from my coach.”
Although a new team, Thomas is already up to speed with DEForce Racing, “I developed good chemistry with the DEForce Racing crew during testing at Homestead last week,” Thomas continued. “The car is great, and I understand it well, so I’m really happy and confident going into the first two races this weekend.”
“We are excited to have our first official event with Thomas,” said David Martinez, co-owner of DEForce Racing. “We believe in him and his past experience; he has stood out with his successes at the track, including his win at Road America. We are looking forward to seeing what he achieves this season.”
Martinez added that “our strategy remains the same as in previous seasons; not to get distracted by the competition and to push ourselves race after race. It’s a long championship, so we have to be patient, but we are on the right track with our stellar drivers. Thomas can count on our support throughout the season!”
About the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RF Funding
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina.
Live streaming and timing are available here: https://www.usf2000.com/results/live-timing
Weekend Schedule
February 24
Practice – 3:45 p.m.
February 25
Qualifying – 9:20 a.m.
Race 1 : Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St-Petersburg – 12:40 p.m.
February 27
Race 2 : Foundation Building Materials Grand Prix of St-Petersburg – 10:45 a.m.
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