Cooper Tires Winterfest launches 2013 USF2000 slate

A field of more than 20 drivers and 10 teams kicked off the 2013 Mazda Road to Indy season as the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda opened the six-race Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship on Feb. 5.

The pre-season mini-series takes place at two Florida circuits, each hosting triple-header events over a span of four days at Sebring International Raceway on Feb. 5 and 6 – the site of the first race on the regular season calendar – and Palm Beach International Raceway on Feb. 9 and 10.

"It is fantastic to see the interest level in our pre-season championship continue to grow with our biggest field to date expected when we go green at Sebring," said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, the series promoter. "This is the first time that many drivers and teams will work together in a race environment and we are thrilled that they are taking advantage of this opportunity. In looking at the entry list, I would be hard-pressed to pick who will walk away with bragging rights. There is a lot of talent and we are looking forward to some great racing this week."

Among the drivers who are competing: Austin Cindric with Andretti Autosport; Wyatt Gooden and Jake Eidson with Afterburner Autosport; Danilo Estrella, Matt McMurry and Daniel Burkett with Belardi Auto Racing; Neil Alberico, James Fletcher, Scott Hargrove and Jeroen Slaghekke with Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing; Florian Latorre with JAY Motorsports; Michael Johnson, Arthur Oliveira, Stefan Rzadzinski and Clark Toppe with JDC MotorSports; Jesse Lazare and Jason Wolfe with Pabst Racing Services; RC Enerson with ZSports Midwest with Team E Racing; plus several other drivers whose 2013 programs are yet to be announced.

The 2012 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship was won by Spencer Pigot and Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing with five victories.