Nikita Lastochkin will join Exclusive Autosport for the 2019 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tires season.

The Russian-born Road to Indy veteran will race in Pro Mazda for the third consecutive season but his first with the Canadian-based Exclusive Autosport, which hopes to run as many as three Tatuus PM-18 chassis in 2019.

“I am thrilled to welcome Nikita to the Exclusive Autosport Pro Mazda program,” said team principal Michael Duncalfe. “Nikita’s experience in the Road to Indy and maturity are great assets to the EA program. Overall, Nikita is a great fit with the Exclusive Autosport team. We are looking forward to a very positive and successful year with him in Pro Mazda.”

Lastochkin has raced in Road to Indy Series since 2015 when he began racing in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, where he earned a combined 24 top-10 finishes over two seasons. In 2017, he set his sights on Pro Mazda and the 28-year-old finished fifth in the championship standings, posting eight top-fives and 11 top-10s with a season-high result of third in both races at Road America. Last year, he was ninth overall in the championship fight with 10 top-10 finishes.

“I’m extremely excited to come into the season and join Exclusive Autosport,” Lastochkin enthused. “From the testing we’ve completed so far, the car feels very quick and suits my driving style well. Michael (Duncalfe) has been very welcoming and helped me feel at home right away and I think we are going to have a great year ahead of us.”