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Thompson Focused as Indy Pro 2000 Season Resumes

Jul 8, 2020

Thompson Focused as Indy Pro 2000 Season Resumes

ROAD AMERICA, ELKHART LAKE, WI

Parker Thompson will begin his campaign to win the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship presented by Cooper Tires, as the Road to Indy series begins official race action this weekend at Road America. The event marks the beginning of a condensed nine weekend (18 race) schedule following the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg’s cancellation in March due to COVID-19. Thompson joins team DEForce Racing, campaigning the #9 car for the entire schedule.

The Canadian driver joined DEForce Racing early in the new year and has been focused exclusively on the Indy Pro 2000 Championship since. Entering his third season with the series, Thompson has already proven himself to be a championship contender with five wins and twelve podium finishes in 2018 and 2019. The full scope of Thompson’s 2019 race season was a real showcase of his talents. The 22-year-old campaigned forty races across three different championship series, winning the 2019 Canadian Touring Car Championship, placing second in the 2019 GT3 Cup Challenge Canada, and earning 3rd place in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship. With his sights set solely on Indy Pro 2000 in 2020, Thompson expects that his experience will elevate him to his first Road to Indy Championship.

Parker Thompson
“With the highest expectations for the coming Indy Pro 2000 Championship, I couldn’t be more excited to be with DEForce Racing as racing kicks off! There is no doubt that it’s been a roller-coaster of a year for everyone to date. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to join DEForce Racing, who has been unwavering in their commitment to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship. Throughout the past few months, we’ve stayed focused, working together closely to plan and prepare for this condensed 2020 season. Given the amount of time-off that everyone has had, there is no doubt that many drivers will be looking to light it up here for Race 1. I know that I’m as eager as anyone, but we are looking at the full eighteen race schedule ahead. With all of those races happening in only four months, everyone’s preparation is certain to be tested. That is where I expect that the great work that we’ve done the past few months, and our full experience in previous years, will give us a great opportunity to win the Indy Pro 2000 Championship.”

EVENT SCHEDULE

INDY PRO 2000 by Cooper Tires Round 01 & 02
Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI

Thursday, July 09, 2020
Test Session 1 – 09:00
Test Session 2 – 11:45
Test Session 3 – 14:30
Practice – 17:00

Friday, July 10, 2020
Qualifying Session – 08:50 
Race 1 – 12:15
Race 2 – 15:30

All times CDT. Stay tuned to RoadtoIndy.tv for live results.

Road to Indy Season Under Suspension Due to COVID-19 Outbreak

Mar 16, 2020

Road to Indy Season Under Suspension Due to COVID-19 Outbreak

RED DEER, ALBERTA

Amidst concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus outbreak, the Road to Indy and IndyCar racing seasons have been suspended. NTT IndyCar has released the following statement.

NTT IndyCar
“After careful consideration, including regular communication with our event promoters, health officials, and the city administrations in our respective race markets regarding COVID-19, we have made the decision to cancel all NTT INDYCAR Series events through April. This begins with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg which was to begin today and run through Sunday, March 15 and continues through the AutoNation INDYCAR Challenge at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas which was to take place April 24-26. Although we are disappointed to delay the start to this INDYCAR season and will miss our incredible fans who support us each year in St. Petersburg, Birmingham, Long Beach, and Austin, the safety of our fans, participants, staff, partners, and media will always remain our top priority. We will continue to coordinate with public health experts and government officials as we determine the appropriate plans for resuming our schedule.”

 

Parker Thompson remains committed to the Road to Indy. When race action resumes, he will join team DEForce Racing to take on the Indy Pro 2000 Championship. “The team at DEForce Racing and I were as ready as ever to start this season in St. Petersburg, but of course, have great respect for the situation ongoing throughout the world and the measures being taken to mitigate them.” – PARKER THOMPSON

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tentative Schedule as of March 26, 2020

June 19-21, 2020    Road America (Triple Header Rounds)             
July 02-03,2020    Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Double Header Rounds)      
July 10-12, 2020    Streets of Toronto (Double Header Rounds) 
August 07-09, 2020    Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Triple Header Rounds) 
August 21-22, 2020   Lucas Oil Raceway-Freedom 90
August 28-29, 2020    World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
September 11-13, 2020   Portland International Raceway (Double Header Rounds)
September 18-20, 2020  WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (Double Header Rounds)
Dates TBD    Streets of St. Petersburg (Double Header Rounds)

SSI Lift Boosts Parker Thompson for 2020

Mar 11, 2020

SSI Lift Boosts Parker Thompson for 2020

HOUSTON, TEXAS

Inventive oil and gas services company SSi Artificial Lift Systems (SSi), has partnered with Parker Thompson to take on the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship presented by Cooper Tires. Based in Houston, Texas, the industry-leading rod pump producer and well services provider will join Thompson, and Houston based DEForce Racing team in Florida this weekend as the ten-event championship schedule kicks off with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

 

Parker Thompson
“Innovation and commitment to quality are critical to performance on the racetrack, and also to creating a business that positively impacts communities and industry. DEForce Racing and I examine every possible angle to gain an advantage over our competition, and I see the same determination from the team at SSi Artificial Lift Systems. I could not be more excited to have them with me as I take on the Indy Pro 2000 Championship in 2020.”

Dave Kennedy, CEO, SSI Artificial Lift Systems
“SSi Artificial Lift Systems is proud to be supporting DeForce Racing and Parker Thompson. At SSi, we offer our oil-producing clients highly intelligent, reliable, surface-based artificial lift systems that outperform the competition in every regard. Like our clients, Parker and the DeForce team rely on quality, intelligence, and outperforming the competition at every turn, too. We’re excited about our partnership and look forward to seeing Parker on the podium!”

About SSi Artificial Lift Systems

SSi Artificial Lift Systems manufactures, sells, and services surface-mounted artificial lift systems used to optimize production in oil and gas wells in onshore applications. The SSi design maximizes well production while reducing operating and maintenance costs, providing clients with low acquisition and installation costs on +1,300 units to-date.

Website: https://ssilift.com

Parker Thompson Recipient of the 2020 Nossack Athletic Ambassador Grant

Mar 10, 2020

Parker Thompson Recipient of the 2020 Nossack Athletic Ambassador Grant

RED DEER, ALBERTA

Parker Thompson is proud to receive the 1st Nossack Athletic Ambassador Grant (NAAG), which rewards athletes who are actively involved in the local Red Deer community in a positive way.  Born in Red Deer, Alberta, Parker Thompson began the career of a professional race car driver at a young age when he moved to Italy to compete in the World Series of Karting. Now 22 years-old, Thompson is an established race car driver earning championships in both open-wheel and sports-car racing series. For 2020 Thompson is enrolled in the Indy Pro 2000 series on the Road to Indy, competing in ten events throughout North America. 

While his athletic pursuits often take him all over the continent, Thompson remains committed to the Red Deer community where he resides in the offseason and educates drivers across the province about the dangers of distracted driving. His road safety campaign, “Drive to Stay Alive,” was founded in 2015 and since that time has reached more than 100,000 students and safety industry professionals.

Parker Thompson
“I’m so proud to receive the Nossack Athletic Ambassador Grant for 2020. Many thanks to Svitlana and the entire team at Nossack Food Group for taking the initiative to establish this amazing grant. The NAAG will not only help me further develop my career in racing, but more importantly, it will support my road safety campaign Drive to Stay Alive in 2020 and beyond. As a proud Albertan and Red Deer native, I often feel like the businesses and athletes in our community don’t get the recognition they deserve. I feel fortunate to have been recognized myself, and I am proud to wear the Nossack logo on my racing suit as I pursue the Indy Pro 2000 Championship in 2020.”

Svitlana Nossack – Nossack Food Group
“Nossack Food Group and Get Golden Fundraising are excited to announce Parker Thompson as the first recipient of the Nossack Athletic Ambassador Grant (NAAG). We appreciate Parker’s positive attitude and strong work ethic with everything he does, and know that the NAAG is in great hands! Parker is engaged in our local community with Drive to Stay Alive as well as representing Red Deer and Alberta across the nation, and internationally with Parker Thompson Racing. We look forward to this partnership and shared success in 2020!“

About the Nossack athletic ambassador grant

Established by the Nossack Food Group and their fundraising division, Get Golden Fundraising, the Nossack Athletic Ambassador Grant recognizes a need in the Red Deer community for increased sports funding during these tougher economic times. Over the past 25 years, they have been helping clubs, sports teams, community groups, and charities with convenient, local, profitable, and experience-based fundraising solutions. As a family-owned and operated company, they have been proud to help these organizations reach their fundraising goals and are excited about this next step! The NAAG awards $10,000 ($5,000 each to two recipients) annually. 

Applications for the 2021 NAAG will open in April. More information is available here: http://bit.ly/nossack-naag.

 

Thompson Joins DEForce Racing to Take on the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship

Dec 17, 2019

Thompson Joins DEForce Racing to Take on the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship

HOUSTON, TEXAS

Parker Thompson is proud to announce his return to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship presented by Cooper Tires for 2020, running with team DEForce Racing. After multiple years with rookie teams on the Road to Indy, Thompson will join an experienced DEForce Racing team and veteran drivers, Moises de la Vara and Kory Enders. Piloting the #9 DEForce Racing entry, Thompson sees an overall championship victory as the only way to improve upon the 3rd-place overall finish he earned in the series last year.

The young Canadian’s introduction to the team came during October’s Chris Griffis Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he showed promising pace and an instant connection with the DEForce Racing crew. The two parties recently came together at team headquarters in Houston to finalize their partnership and prepare for the coming season.

Parker Thompson
“I’m delighted to be with DEForce Racing, and back in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship for 2020. The Road to Indy is close to my heart. I’ve had some great success in both USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000, and after a strong season in 2019, I think that DEForce Racing provides me a great opportunity to advance to another level. The team is well established on the Road to Indy and is composed of some very experienced individuals. I want to thank David and Ernesto of DEForce Racing for this opportunity. My teammates Kory and Moises have graciously welcomed me onboard. After some great results by each of them last season, I’m excited to build on those performances in 2020. The goal is nothing less than a championship win!”

About the Series

The 2020 Indy Pro 2000 calendar will consist of a 10-event, 18-race schedule alongside the NTT IndyCar Series at premier venues, which include two ovals, six road courses, and two street course venues. It is the second official step on the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder system, bridging the gap between the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires. For 2020, a total event and year-end prize package valued at over $808,000 is on offer, including a champion’s scholarship valued at $594,820 to advance to Indy Lights in 2021.

 

2020 Indy Pro 2000 Schedule

Mar. 14 – 15, 2020     Streets of St. Petersburg
Apr. 25 – 26, 2020      Circuit of The Americas
May 08 – 09, 2020     Indianapolis Motor Speedway
May 22, 2020            Lucas Oil Raceway
Jun. 20 – 21, 2020     Road America
Jul. 11 – 12, 2020       Streets of Toronto, Ontario
Aug. 15 – 16, 2020     Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Aug. 22, 2020            World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
Sep. 05 – 06, 2020     Portland International Raceway
Sep. 19 – 20, 2020     WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

 

Important Links

https://indypro2000.com
https://www.deforceracing.com

 

Parker Thompson Concludes the 2019 Season with a Massive Performance to Earn the Porsche GT3 Cup Vice Championship

Oct 1, 2019

Parker Thompson Concludes the 2019 Season with a Massive Performance to Earn the Porsche GT3 Cup Vice Championship

CIRCUIT MONT-TREMBLANT – MONT-TREMBLANT, QC

It has been an unforgettable season of racing for Red Deer’s Parker Thompson. Campaigning forty races across three different series, Thompson entered the year’s final weekend of racing having already clinched a title in the Canadian Touring Car Championship while placing third in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship on the Road to Indy. Holding third in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Championship, Thompson and team SCB Racing were looking to move up with strong finishes in races on Saturday and Sunday at Circuit Mont-Tremblant. The 21-year-old series rookie did exactly that. A fourth place and a second-place finish gave Thompson enough points to leap-frog rival Jeff Kingsley and take second place in the overall 2019 Porsche GT3 Cup Championship.

With cool fall conditions and light rain, the weekend began with Saturday morning’s qualifying session and a supreme performance from Thompson. After great results in rain earlier this season, including a Porsche win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the Alberta native demonstrated his wet-weather prowess once again at Mont-Tremblant. Thompson piloted the #3 GT3 Cup Car of SCB Racing to the fastest time of the qualifying session, with more than a half-second cushion over second place.

Although performance during the qualifier should have given him the pole position for Race 1, a team infraction led to the disqualification of all lap times. Late in qualifying, the car was brought into the pits for last-minute adjustments that unfortunately were not completed before the session ended. As a result, Thompson was forced to start Race 1 from the back of the grid. 

On the drying track, Thompson showed incredible pace. He drove the black and gold #3 car from 14th to 4th place not once, but twice, after a drive-through penalty was assessed to him for jumping the race start. He would finish in 4th, clocking the fastest lap of the race.

Thompson’s performance on Saturday allowed him to start Sunday’s Race 2 from pole position. On a dry track, he found himself in an intense battle with championship leader Roman DeAngelis. The two drove nose to tail through 20 laps of the 4.2-kilometer road course before DeAngelis executed a pass that left Thompson in second place when the checkered flag fell.

These two strong finishes gave Thompson sufficient points to take second position in the overall championship. The result is an exclamation point at the end of a 2019 season where he has been impactful in every race that he competed in.  

Parker Thompson
“That was again a great weekend of racing, and I’m proud to end the year on a high note. Obviously, we are a bit disappointed about the penalty that took us off of the pole position for Race 1 in the rain. It’s hard not to think about what could have been. That said, we came into the weekend looking to take the second spot in the overall championship, and we met our target there! Many thanks to Ilker Starck, SCB Racing and our sponsors Porsche Centre Victoria and Island Circuit for a great year. I really can’t thank them enough for all their help this year. When I joined the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was in for. We were a young team but I think we smashed all expectations. I’d love to come back to the series in 2020 and build on our achievements this year.”

Images credit @motorsportlivemedia