The Dutch prodigy remained unflustered after a miscue at the initial start which caused his Juncos Racing Tatuus-Mazda PM-18 to be shuffled back in the pack after having claimed the pole position during qualifying yesterday morning

Teenager Rinus VeeKay faced plenty of challenges prior to the opening round of the new Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, but he put all that behind him this afternoon as he swept to an impressive victory for Juncos Racing in the first of two races which will comprise the Pro Mazda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Allied Building Products.

After some debut events in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda in 2017, BN Racing is now set for their 2018 campaign. Competing in both the previously mentioned USF2000 program as well as the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, the Chicago, Ill.-based team is ready to tackle the upcoming season with its four-driver lineup.

Exclusive Autosport will begin the new MRTI season with a pair of Canadian drivers in Pro Mazda and a trio of talented pilots in USF2000. Veteran Parker Thompson will lead the charge in Pro Mazda, joined by rookie Antonio Serravalle. In USF2000, Jayson Clunie, Manuel Cabrera and Igor Fraga will chase the team’s fourth series victory, adding to the impressive three-win season delivered by Thompson in the team’s debut in 2017.

Cooper Tire and Mazda continue their efforts to assist young drivers in developing their brand and message with platforms that include the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires Hashtag Program, which rewards drivers and teams for utilizing the #MRTI and #TeamCooperTire hashtags on Twitter and Instagram.