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Indy Pro 2000 Weekend at Mid-Ohio Leaves Thompson Looking For More

Jul 29, 2019

Indy Pro 2000 Weekend at Mid-Ohio Leaves Thompson Looking For More

MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE – LEXINGTON, OHIO

Involved in a tight battle for the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship presented by Cooper Tires, Abel Motorsports driver Parker Thompson entered Rounds 10 & 11 of the series this weekend at Mid-Ohio ranked second in the overall standings. With only 5 points separating three drivers for that second-place position, every point earned in the two-race event would play a significant role in the standings going forward. After a great qualifying performance, Thompson was struck by misfortune during race action. A mechanical issue forced his retirement early in Race 1. A fourth-place finish in Race 2 saw him lose further ground to Championship contenders Lindh and Kirkwood.

Qualifying in third position for Race 1, Thompson made an early move into second place before a transmission shift actuator failure forced his retirement. With multiple incidents on track in the opening laps, Thompson would register an 11th place finish in the fourteen-car field.

After reparations were made for Race 2 on Sunday, Thompson was again able to improve on his third-place qualifying position and take second early in the race. He would comfortably hold the position until a full course yellow brought the field together on lap twenty. With only five laps remaining Thompson would lose two positions on the restart, and finish in fourth.

Parker Thompson
“This was definitely not the weekend that we were looking to have. We’ve experienced a range of highs and lows in this Indy Pro 2000 season, but I’m proud to have the great crew with Abel Motorsports by my side. We’ve had such a dependable car all year. The shift actuator failure that we experienced this weekend feels like one of those incidents of bad luck that happens sometimes in racing. The team had no issues getting the car back together for Race 2 today. We had a great start, and I felt like we had the pace to challenge for the lead early on. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the jump I needed during a re-start late in the race. The guys behind me were ready to pounce. This one hurts. We’ll look to do better in Round 12 next month at Gateway.”

 

NEXT EVENTS

AUG. 02 – 04, 2019 – GT3 Cup Canada – Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
AUG. 09 – 11, 2019 – CTCC – GP3R, Trois Rivieres, QC

Parker Thompson Breaks New Ground With Incredible Two Series Weekend at Toronto Indy

Jul 17, 2019

Parker Thompson Breaks New Ground With Incredible Two Series Weekend at Toronto Indy

TORONTO, ONTARIO

Parker Thompson may be the busiest road racing driver on the continent. Since March, the young Alberta native has raced 27 times in four different series. Challenging for championship titles in both open-wheel race cars and sports cars, Thompson has shown incredible skill and versatility. That was most evident this weekend when Thompson raced in both the Indy Pro 2000 by Cooper Tires series, and the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada series as part of the Honda Indy Toronto event. With four alternating races, Thompson demonstrated an adaptability seldom seen in motorsports. In an incredible performance, he earned three podium finishes and the Yokohama Tires Hard Charger award. The result puts an exclamation mark on his accomplishments so far this year, and further reinforces his status as one of the continents top young drivers.

With a busy ten session schedule over the three day weekend, Thompson could often be seen hurrying between the Porsche GT3 and Indy Pro 2000 paddocks located at opposite ends of the event site in downtown Toronto. Competing in two series during the same event presented a variety of challenges not typical of most race weekends.

“There is a lot of work and preparation that goes into every single session we do on the race track. Balancing two different series this weekend would never have been possible without incredible support from my teams, Abel Motorsports [Indy Pro 2000] and Sports Car Boutique [IMSA GT3 Canada]. Getting the maximum out of two very different cars was a tremendous challenge. The Porsche GT3 Cup Car, and the Tatuus PM-18 Indy Pro 2000 car are not only very different in size and handling characteristics, but they also require a very different strategy and approach during race action. Going back and forth between vehicles, and jumping straight into race pace really tested my concentration and ability to remember key markers and set-up notes for this very unforgiving Streets of Toronto track. This was probably my most stressful weekend of racing ever, but I’m overjoyed by our results! In these two highly competitive series, I always feel blessed to stand on the podium. Doing that three out of four times this weekend feels like a huge achievement.” – Parker Thompson

The first of three podiums came with Abel Motorsports in Indy Pro 2000, where Thompson began his first race of the weekend from seventh position in the thirteen car line up. Navigating traffic and multiple yellow flag incidents on the challenging street course, Thompson maneuvered the #8 Abel Motorsports car to a 3rd place finish. 

Race 2 in Indy Pro 2000 featured a relentless duel between Thompson and championship leader Rasmus Lindh. Starting in P3 and P2 respectively, the two drivers exchanged places multiple times early in the race. Thompson would make a final pass in turn 3 of the Toronto street course, and hold off Lindh for the remainder of the race to earn a second place finish.

In GT3 Cup Challenge Canada, Thompson began Race 1 from 7th position after a heavy rain prior to race start created conditions that challenged a variety of drivers and teams. In a clear demonstration of car control, Thompson navigated the #3 SCB Racing / Porsche Centre Victoria car around the drying track, executing four passes in the first seven laps. The performance earned him the Yokohama Tires Hard Charger Award, and the final step on the podium.

In Race 2 of GT3 Canada, a rare mistake from Thompson saw his Porsche make contact with a tire wall in turn eight. Continuing the race from the back of the field, a lengthy yellow flag resulting from a crash between drivers Metni and Dussault allowed Thompson to rejoin the main group and improve his position. Piloting a car with front end damage, he would work his way up to 5th position before the 45-minute race expired.

Images Credit: Sandile Magadlela - 778-951-3984 - sandile@mgdla.com - @_mgdla

This incredible weekend marked the 100th race of Thompson’s young career, and performing double duty was a fitting celebration of that milestone. Since 2015, Thompson has had a steady career, earning wins in every type of car he has raced. In one-hundred races, he has earned 55 podiums and 26 race wins. His lifetime winning and podium percentages are outstanding by any measure, but Thompson’s numbers this season are even more impressive. In 2019, he has won exactly a third of his races, and placed on the podium more than three quarters of the time.

After one weekend off, Thompson will resume his busy schedule on July 26th with three consecutive race weekends in Indy Pro 2000, IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada, and the Canadian Touring Car Championship. He is currently second place in overall championship standings for Indy Pro 2000 and GT3 Canada, and he is leading the Canadian Touring Car Championship GTS standings.way up to 5th position before the 45-minute race expired.

IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada Round 7 & 8 – Honda Indy Toronto

 

NEXT EVENTS

JUL. 26 – 28, 2019 – Indy Pro 2000 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH
AUG. 02 – 04, 2019 – GT3 Cup Canada – Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
AUG. 09 – 11, 2019 – CTCC – GP3R, Trois Rivieres, QC

Parker Thompson Returns to Form in Indy Pro 2000 at Road America

Jun 25, 2019

Parker Thompson Returns to Form in Indy Pro 2000 at Road America

ROAD AMERICA CIRCUIT, ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN

The Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires visited the famed Road America Circuit this past weekend for its only event in the month of June. After a challenging month of May in the Road to Indy series, Parker Thompson returned to the form he has demonstrated throughout his young racing career. The Alberta native began the weekend by posting the fastest overall time for Race 1 qualifying. In two critical races during the weekend, Thompson would earn two podium finishes.

It was an important result for Thompson and team Abel Motorsports, who divided their crew between Road America, and Pittsburgh International Race Complex for the weekend, where Thompson’s teammate Jacob Abel is also contending for the F3 America’s championship. Veteran engineer on the Road to Indy, Thomas Knapp, was brought in to manage the Indy Pro 2000 crew for the weekend. His championship winning experience played a meaningful role in the team’s result.

In Qualifying 1, Thompson and the #8 Abel Motorsports machine posted the fastest time and earned pole position for the first race of the weekend. Qualifying 2 was more tightly contested. Thompson ran fourth fastest among the thirteen drivers, just one tenth of a second behind the leader.

In race action, that tight competition continued. Both Race 1 and 2 showed multiple position changes among the front runners. Thompson would finish 3rd, taking the final podium step each time. The results earned Thompson valuable points towards what is turning into a very close championship battle. He is currently second in the standings, trailing Swedish rookie Rasmus Lindh, and one point ahead of 2018 USF2000 Champion Kyle Kirkwood.

“It is great to get on the podium here in Road America. Given some of my recent results in this series, a strong showing here was important to staying competitive in this tight 2019 Championship. Wisconsin, and Road America, is also the closest thing that I have to a home outside of Canada. We’ve got a great group of fans and supporters here to cheer us on. We are so happy to be able to pull this result together and celebrate with them all.” 

The Indy Pro 2000 series continues on July 12 – 14, 2019 at the Streets of Toronto for the Honda Toronto Indy. As the only Canadian race on the Road to Indy, the event is always special for Thompson, but this year it will be of extra significance.

“As big of a crowd that we had out here at Road America, I expect to see even more fans and supporters in Toronto this year. Not only will I be racing in Indy Pro 2000, but I’ll also be competing in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. That’s going to make for a great weekend! It’s going to be extra special, because it will also mark my 100TH ever auto race. At my young age, I’m so fortunate to have had a great career, and I’m looking forward to some special festivities to celebrate that landmark.”

Montreal F1 Grand Prix Weekend – Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada & USA Results

Qualifying 1 (pdf)
Qualifying 2 (pdf) 
Race 1 – Round 6 (pdf)
Race 2 – Round 7 (pdf)
Overall Standings (pdf)

 

Next Events

JUN. 28 – 29, 2019– Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA – Watkins Glen International, NY 
JUN 29 – 30, 2019– CTCC Race 5 & 6 – Shannonville Motorsport Park, ON
JUL. 06 – 07, 2019– Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada – CTMP, Bowmanville, ON
JUL. 12 – 14, 2019– Indy Pro 2000 & Porsche GT3 Cup – Streets of Toronto, ON

Alberta Native Makes a Big Splash to Start the 2019 Road to Indy Race Season

Mar 15, 2019

Alberta Native Makes a Big Splash to Start the 2019 Road to Indy Race Season

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – The 2019 NTT IndyCar season began this weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Alberta native Parker Thompson was there to race in the Indy Pro 2000 category. A feeder series for the top-level IndyCar championship, Indy Pro 2000 is contested by young professional racers from all over the globe. Parker Thompson dominated the weekend. The Red Deer, Alberta native qualified on pole position for both Indy Pro 2000 races, set a new track record, and converted his starts from the lead position into victories for both races. With that he has established a big lead in the championship standings with Sweden’s Rasmus Lindh, and Singapore’s Danial Frost in second and third positions behind him.

Twenty-one-year-old Thompson is an established racer who has had the attention of the racing community since childhood. At age thirteen, he was ranked 3rdon the globe in Rotax Max karts. 2017 saw him dominate the Canadian F1600 Super Series Championship. The Road to Indy has been Thompson’s most recent conquest. Having twice finished second in the season championship, he is still seeking an overall title win. Double victories in St. Petersburg indicate that 2019 could be Thompson’s best season yet. Uncertainties off the track though, mean that his focus is not solely on driving.

In St. Petersburg, Thompson joined Kentucky based Abel Motorsports as their team took on the Indy Pro 2000 series for the first time. Thompson did so with a single-race contract which leaned on his experience in the series to help the Abel Motorsports team, and young lead driver Jacob Abel, adapt their experience in other series, to Indy Pro 2000. The partnership worked. Twin pole positions, twin victories, and a new track record mark a monumental achievement for a rookie team in the series. With such a strong performance, Thompson demonstrated that his skill and understanding of the car and series are second to none. A full season commitment, however, will require extended sponsorship support.

With the next event in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship occurring May 9th to 11th in Indianapolis, Indiana, Thompson has nearly two months to solidify the partnerships that will allow him to continue his pursuit of a championship title in 2019, and set the stage for a rise into IndyCar.

“IndyCar is the end goal. I’ve had my sights on it ever since I started racing cars. Many of my experiences suggest that I already have the skills to pilot the big cars, but auto racing is often about more than performance behind the wheel. At every level, it is a team sport that requires involvement from a big group of people both on and off the track. For now my focus is set on the second stop of the Indy Pro 2000 series. I had a great weekend in St. Petersburg with Abel Motorsports, and I’d love the opportunity to repeat that in Indianapolis this May.” – Parker Thompson

THOMPSON AND ABEL MOTORSPORTS SWEEP ST. PETE WEEKEND

Mar 9, 2019

THOMPSON AND ABEL MOTORSPORTS SWEEP ST. PETE WEEKEND

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Parker Thompson and Abel Motorsports ensured a virtually perfect commencement to their fresh partnership as the gifted Canadian led from start to finish in today’s Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Allied Building Products.

Thompson, who celebrated his 21st birthday just one week ago, backed up his victory in yesterday’s opening round of the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires by posting the fastest time in qualifying earlier this morning. The native of Red Deer, Alb., Canada, then catapulted immediately into a lead he never looked likely to relinquish.

Kyle Kirkwood, from Jupiter, Fla., who won last year’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, the first step on the unique Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires open-wheel development ladder, bounced back from a disappointing result on Friday to finish second for RP Motorsport USA. Danial Frost, from Singapore, overcame a two-position grid penalty to complete the podium for Exclusive Autosport.

After being jumped on the start yesterday, Thompson this time made an exemplary getaway to lead outside front row qualifier Kirkwood into Turn One on the first of 30 laps. Behind, Frost made amends for being assessed a two-grid-positions penalty this morning after failing to acknowledge the checkered flag at the end of qualifying by vaulting from sixth on the grid to third ahead of Juncos Racing teammates Sting Ray Robb, from Payette, Idaho, and Rasmus Lindh, from Gothenburg, Sweden. Moises de la Vara, from Guadalajara, Mexico slotted into sixth for DEForce Racing ahead of Los Angeles, Calif.-based Russian Nikita Lastochkin (Exclusive Autosport).

Thompson turned a string of quick laps in the early stages to extend his advantage over Kirkwood to a hair under two seconds at the end of Lap Eight. The margin grew as high as three seconds with two-thirds of the race completed, whereupon Kirkwood found some extra pace and whittled the deficit to just 1.4334 seconds at the checkered flag. Kirkwood also “stole” an additional championship point from under Thompson’s nose by posting a new fastest race lap on the 29th and penultimate lap.

After picking up Abel Motorsports’ second PFC Award of the weekend for the winning car owner, Thompson holds an early 19-point lead, 64-45 over Lindh in the quest for a scholarship valued at nearly $600,000 to graduate into Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the top step of the Road to Indy, in 2020. Up next are two more races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on May 10-11.

“It is unbelievable to sweep the weekend. All the credit goes to Abel Motorsports – coming for a brand-new team on the Road to Indy, racing in a completely new category, to take both wins, that is amazing. I can’t thank them enough for this opportunity. We went into St. Pete not thinking anything past this weekend, so hopefully you’ll see more of us this season.”

 

The next races of the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 season take place on May 10th & 11th at the Indianapolis road course. 

For more information on schedule and standings visit: https://promazda.com/