Race 1 results || Race 2 results
MONTEREY, Calif. – Nico Jamin’s goals for the 2015 Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda season were solidified soon after completing his first season of competition in the initial rung of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system.
He sought not only to build upon experience and continue to develop his race craft in a car prepped by championship-winning Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing, but be a title contender from the outset of the 16-race schedule.
He accomplished the latter, punctuated by a statement-making victory in Race 1 of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Grand Prix Powered by Mazda at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, while acknowledging the former remains a work in progress.
Jamin wrapped up the series championship in the penultimate race by winning from the pole by 8.2995 seconds over Anthony Martin of John Cummiskey Racing.
The first-place race trophy – an outline of the twisting 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course -- will be supplemented Sept. 14 at the Mazda Road to Indy banquet with a larger piece of hardware and a Mazda scholarship worth more than $381,000 to graduate to the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in 2016.
“(The championship) means everything to me, and thanks to Mazda and the prize money I’ll have the chance to keep racing in the U.S. next year and step up in the Mazda Road to Indy,” said Jamin, 19, a native of Rouen, France, who resides in Florida.
“It’s been an incredible year. I knew coming to Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing would be a huge help for me as I tried to fight for the championship. They are the best guys; they made my job so much easier.”
He doesn’t discount moving to Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires – the transition series to the Verizon IndyCar Series – if an opportunity arises. His victory broke JR Hildebrand’s record of 13 podium finishes in the 2006 season. On Sept. 11, he reset Sage Karam’s series record of 11 poles in 2010.
“I didn’t think I would dominate,” Jamin said. “The competition this year has been so strong. Even if I got poles and wins, every race the competition has been so tight and close. It wasn’t easy at all. All the team at Cape Motorsports works together for the same target, and getting this win caps it off.”
Sweep for good measure
Jamin won the 21-lap second race by 8.4066 seconds over teammate Aaron Telitz. It was Jamin's 10th victory in 16 races (sixth in a row) and the 10th time that he scored the maximum points (30 base points for win, plus one point each for pole, most laps led and fastest race lap).
Eidson finished third and Martin was fourth. Forty of the 48 podiums featured the three drivers.
Cooper Tires USF2000 Grand Prix - Race 1 Podium
1. Nico Jamin; 2. Anthony Martin; 3. Jake Eidson
Cooper Tires USF2000 Grand Prix - Race 2 Podium
1. Nico Jamin; 2. Aaron Telitz; 3. Jake Eidson
