USF2000 pair passes a total of 29 cars in two races, earning top ten finishes
Elkhart Lake, Wis. (June 15, 2022) – Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship drivers Christian Weir and Spike Kohlbecker showed strong race runs at this weekend’s Road America race event with both drivers racing their way into the top 10 and passing a combined 29 cars over the double-header event.
Rookie Christian Weir qualified 15th and 18th for Race 1 and Race 2 following a disappointing qualifying session that didn’t reflect the capability of the #32 car program. With the work cut out for him, Weir climbed his way up to a seventh place finish in Race 1 and an 11th place finish in Race 2, showing his racing capability and improving a total of 15 positions.
#32 Christian Weir // USF2000 Championship
ProFlo / Ferguson / eComfort.com
“This was a rough weekend but we still came out unscathed,” said Weir. “We were struggling on pace all weekend and didn’t know where to find it. Through our frustrations, we still ended up being competitive during the races. With not very many opportunities, we ended up lower than where we wanted, but there is always another time where we can show our true potential. I just want to thank the whole team for helping persevere through these hard times. These are the weekends that we can learn a lot from.”
Teammate Spike Kohlbecker also started deeper in the field for both races, but like Weir, knew he had the package to be racing at the front. Kohlbecker rose to the challenge, passing a total of seven cars in Race 1, finishing P9, and setting himself up for another solid run in the #33 car in Race 2. In Race 2, Kohlbecker had a great start and gained five positions up from P17 on the opening lap alone. Following an impressive drive in the 12-lap contest, Kohlbecker crossed the start/finish line in P10 to round out the weekend.
#33 Spike Kohlbecker // USF2000 Championship
Ignite Autosport / Margay Racing / TierPoint / PSL / RSolution / TrueTitle / Ruckus Racing / Messmer Cares / Alvear / Cfx
“Road America was definitely a learning weekend for me,” said Kohlbecker. “As a team, we struggled, but we all kept our heads up and tried to learn as much as we could through the weekend. I’m looking forward to the next event at Mid-Ohio in a couple of weeks!”
“We headed in the weekend with high expectations after a very good test here last year, but unfortunately the weekend proved quite challenging to give the drivers the balance they needed,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “They both struggled in each qualifying session which left them on the back foot for the races, but I’m proud of the efforts they put in to drive the cars forward, and we gained a lot of positions in both races. We will regroup as a team and make sure we go to Mid-Ohio with a stronger program to allow the drivers to show their true potential.”
Next up for USF2000 is Rounds 11/12/13 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course June 30 – July 3.
To stay up to date on Turn 3 Motorsport, follow the team on social media using the handle @turn3motorsport.
For more information or images, please contact Mandy Dempsey at turn3motorsport@gmail.com.
About Turn 3 Motorsport: Turn 3 Motorsport is a full-service operation specializing in racecar preparation, engineering, and driver development. Founded and managed by racecar driver and coach Peter Dempsey, T3M is focused on professional service, team member growth, and high-level performance across multiple racing series.
In 2019, the team secured the Blue Marble Cocktails Radical Cup North America championship titles in the 1340cc, 1500cc, and overall classes. Later that year, Peter and Turn 3 Motorsport achieved a record-breaking win at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race, piloting the #10 Eastern Racing / Turn 3 Motorsport Radical SR3 RSX 1340 to a dominating win, leading 638 out of 672 laps, and becoming the first car under two liters to achieve the overall win.
In the team’s rookie season, Turn 3 Motorsport attracted attention out of the gate by winning the season opener of the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in a sweeping performance with Singaporean driver Danial Frost. Frost and the team went on to achieve a pole position, six podium finishes, and third overall in the championship in 2020.
In 2021, T3M expanded its presence in the Road to Indy by introducing a two-car program into the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship alongside its Indy Pro 2000 Championship campaign. In its debut USF2000 season, the team found victory at the season finale with American driver Josh Green as well as earning an additional podium and fifth overall in the championship. The team earned further accolades in the Indy Pro 2000 series with a race win at the season finale by Irish driver James Roe as well as a pole position at World Wide Technology Raceway and seventh overall in the championship.
