Alberico Returns to Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing for 2015

Neil Alberico

Rising Star Racing is thrilled to announce that driver Neil Alberico will return to Pro Mazda competition for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing in pursuit of the 2015 championship title.

Alberico, who took third in the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship after a storming second half of the season, will look to improve on his rookie efforts. He earned seven top-five finishes throughout the year, including runner-up results at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, the streets of Houston, and at Sonoma Raceway.

The young California native will benefit from continuity on several fronts, as the key Road To Indy category is set to visit several of the same tracks as in 2014. Alberico and his Cape Motorsports team will return with a valuable set of data and familiarity of those courses, as they look to convert lessons learned last year into new triumphs in 2015.

“It feels really good to be heading into the year with a full season of Pro Mazda racing already under my belt," said Alberico. “We learned a lot last year and were able to get some solid results. This year has a lot of the same tracks as last so I’m really confident about those weekends and having some good data from last year to build on. I think Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing has proven that they are one of the best teams out there and I know I’ll have the best equipment under me. I’m stoked to get going at St. Pete and hopefully get the year started out with a good finish there."

The off-season effort to develop the funding required to return to Pro Mazda showed that Alberico has another strong team behind him in Rising Star Racing. The organization has stepped up to generate new commercial partnerships that will support Alberico’s sophomore season.

“At the end of the season last year we knew we had an uphill battle to get the 2015 budget in place, but the Rising Star Racing guys worked relentlessly to find funding and I’m really grateful to be racing again this year," said Alberico. "Without their help, I’d just be watching but because of the faith they put in me, I’ll have the chance to hopefully be fighting for a championship."

In addition to some featured favorites, the Pro Mazda championship will visit some new venues as well in 2015. The series will debut along with the Verizon IndyCar Series at NOLA Motorsports Park and will also make first-time appearances through the streets of Toronto, around the Iowa Speedway oval, and at the scenic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Alberico’s home state of California.

Much like last year, the Pro Mazda Championship is set to feature several double-header events with back-to-back races on Saturday and Sunday of each race weekend.

As part of the Rising Star Racing organization, Alberico will also have the opportunity to take part in events away from the track with fellow Rising Star Racing drivers Josef Newgarden (IndyCar) and Spencer Pigot (Indy Lights). From hospital and school visits, to helping promote the race events in-market, the trio looks forward to making a positive impact on each community.

“It’s really cool to get the chance to give back as part of our race events," said Alberico, who visited several different hospitals around the country last season. “Being able to visit with children in each community and help put a smile on their faces just adds to the excitement of being back with the Mazda Road to Indy."

The 2015 Pro Mazda Championship features a 16-race season with a mix of street, road, and oval circuits. The season gets underway on March 28 with a double-header event at the Grand Prix of St. Pete. Alberico will look forward to some private testing ahead of the official season, as he and Cape have elected to not participate in the Winterfest Championship.