Parker Locke signs to drive for Canadian Team
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| Parker Locke |
Exclusive Autosport is pleased to confirm that San Antonio, TX native Parker Locke will compete with the team in the full 2019 season of the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires series, which is a part of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires. The impressive Tatuus PM-18 chassis continues as the spec car, and remains powered by the Mazda MZR-PM18 engine. Coming off a full year in US F4 Championship and a trio of races in the F3 Americas Championship, the 17-year-old Locke is more than ready to get behind the wheel of the Exclusive Autosport PM-18.
Parker also competed in this year’s Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand in January and February and was presented with the Most Improved Driver of the Year award. Exclusive Autosport will continue off-season testing, including the series test at Homestead Miami Speedway (March 2-3), to get Parker primed and ready for the season opener at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (March 8-10).
“We are thrilled to welcome Parker Locke to the Exclusive Autosport Indy Pro 2000 program and to be working with him for the 2019 season," enthused Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “Parker has a solid background in open wheel racing and has adapted well to the PM-18 during testing so far.
Parker had an outstanding test with us at the Road To Indy open test at Homestead in December topping the time sheets. We will continue to build from that test and expect solid results from Parker this year."
Locke began his racing career in 2015 at a local San Antonio, TX kart track. In 2016, while continuing to run karts in Texas, he stepped up into cars by attending a pair of courses at the Skip Barber Racing School. When 2017 began, Locke jumped fully into the sport to run a full season in the F4 US Championship, where he learned the ways of wheel-to-wheel competition. His best finish was 15th at Circuit of the Americas in the season finale. Last year, Locke competed in five of the six US F4 Championship weekends, where he gained eight top-16 finishes in a field of 32 plus competitors. Locke capped off the season by gaining crucial experience in the F3 Americas Championship, competing in the final three series events, recording three podiums.
“I’m very excited to be joining Exclusive Autosport for the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 season," Locke enthused. “The Road to Indy series seems to be a very professionally run series with many very competitive and talented drivers. I am looking forward to the competition and to try proving myself in such an accomplished field of drivers. Exclusive Autosport has proven in the past to be top tier team producing great results throughout the season. I can’t wait to see how much I improve over the course of the season under their guidance."
The team is ready and the cars have been prepared for the next official test for the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, which will take Exclusive Autosport back to South Florida for official Spring Training at Homestead on March 2-3, followed immediately by the 2019 season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 8-10. A number of additional private tests are scheduled for the next couple months, so drivers interested in joining the Exclusive Autosport team are invited to contact Exclusive Autosport at www.exclusiveautosport.ca/contact-us/. The entire Exclusive Autosport staff is motivated to begin their third season of Road to Indy competition to build off their tremendous successes of 2017 and 2018.