Team Pelfrey Signs Spencer Pigot

Spencer Pigot

After winning both the drivers’ championship and the coveted teams’ championship – for the second successive year – during a stellar 2012 campaign, Team Pelfrey today laid out its plan for continued success by confirming that rising American star Spencer Pigot will spearhead its attack on this year’s Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires.

The signing represents a natural progression for Pigot, who caught the eye of team owner Dale Pelfrey during his initial season of professional racing in 2011 and served as a Team Pelfrey Development Driver last year. The 19-year-old from Orlando, Fla., finished a close second in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, winning eight of the 14 races while driving for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. He also co-drove with AR1.com staff to a dominant win in the 2012 St. Petersburg GP media go-kart race. To say the AR1.com team smoked the competition was an understatement.

“I'm really looking forward to the upcoming season with Team Pelfrey," said Pigot. “Dale has supported me for the past year, so now to be able to drive for his team is another great opportunity. I can't wait to get back on track and start working with the engineers to develop the car on Cooper Tires. It's going to be a very tough year but I'm excited about the new challenges. With a great team behind me I'm confident we can fight for wins."

Team Pelfrey has undergone some internal changes during the off-season and has attracted the services of hugely experienced and widely respected race engineers Stefan Dwornik (pronounced duh-VOR-nik) and Darrell Soppe (SOPP-ee) to maintain its championship-winning level of performance. Dwornik, who hails originally from England, has worked with a variety of teams and drivers in INDYCAR, Indy Lights, Formula 3 and Formula Atlantic during his 35-plus years in the sport, while Soppe also has an extensive background in the INDYCAR ranks since joining Penske Racing and working on Rick Mears’ cars in the late 1970s.

“I am very proud of what this team has achieved in just two years and excited to have Spencer on our team for this season," said Pelfrey. “He has shown his capabilities over the past few years and I know he is ready to make this next step. At the same time I am delighted that Stefan and Darrell have joined our team as we move forward. Their massive experience will be crucial in helping Spencer develop as a driver."

Team Pelfrey expects to confirm a second driver for the entire 2013 Pro Mazda season in the near future.