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With only two days of testing with Team Pelfrey before the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., back in March, Santiago Urrutia didn’t have high expectations.

And though he had never competed on a street circuit, which can be daunting with concrete barriers on both sides, a runner-up finish in Race 1 set the course for the season.

“That was good to know I was competitive already,” said Urrutia, who turned 19 on Aug. 30. “I knew I had to keep working hard, and I won the first race at NOLA (Motorsports Park two weeks later). That was really good for me and for the team.”

Confidence has augmented race craft on the diverse schedule and Urrutia recorded two other victories included in his eight total podium finishes in 14 races.

Now, heading into the twin Allied Building Products Pro Mazda Grand Prix of Monterey on Sept. 12-13, Urrutia is eyeing the series championship.

Urrutia paces the standings with 304 points, while Neil Alberico is 29 points behind in second and Timothe Buret of Juncos Racing is 47 points back in third. Also in contention are Weiron Tan of Andretti Autosport (-51 points) and Patricio O’Ward of Team Pelfrey (-72 points).

Champions also will be crowned after the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda doubleheaders on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca road course.

Real-time Timing & Scoring and track audio for all Mazda Road to Indy sessions, with streaming video added for the races, will be available on Racecontrol.indycar.com.

A Mazda scholarship of $590,300 will be awarded the series champion toward an Indy Lights program in 2016. Spencer Pigot, who is among the contenders for the Indy Lights title, was the 2014 Pro Mazda champion.

“It would change so much to win the championship. I could take the scholarship to Indy Lights,” said Urrutia, from Uruguay, competed in the GP3 Series last year. “I know the big teams are watching the Mazda Road to Indy, so maybe one of the big teams with IndyCar or Indy Lights will notice.”

Alberico, 22, of nearby Santa Clara, Calif., has posted four wins with Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing this season, including a sweep of the St. Petersburg doubleheader.

The former Team USA Scholarship recipient has moved up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder. He claimed six victories in the 2013 USF2000 season and moved to Pro Mazda in 2014, during which he notched four podium finishes.

“I can’t control what happens to anyone else. We just have to win some races and hope things work out for us,” Alberico said. “But I would love to get into an Indy Lights car next year. I think we’re ready to move on, regardless of what happens at the finale. The last two years, I’ve finished second or third. I’ve been really close and in the title fight coming to the last races.”