INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The rolling hills of Virginia provided the perfect landscape for the season finale doubleheader for the Cooper Tires USF2000 Series Powered by Mazda where Belardi Auto Racing came away with their 11th and 12th podium finish of the season.
Continually running in the Top 13 throughout both practice sessions at the 3.27-mile permanent road course, all three Belardi Auto Racing cars were able to bring that momentum to qualifying. Reigning 2011 Skip Barber Champion Scott Anderson started Friday's race in third, British Racing Driver Club Superstar Wayne Boyd in sixth and F1600 race winner Colin Thompson in 13th.
Boyd, who would be making his second start for BAR this season, engaged in a race-long battle for second with JDC Motorsports driver Neil Alberico and came away with his first podium of the season in third. Thompson, coming off a strong weekend at Baltimore, fought his way up three spots to finish the race in 10th. However, during a first corner incident, Anderson was forced off the track and was unable to take any laps in the No. 14
MAZDASPEED Motorsports/Neuropathy Testing Center/Laser Nail Centers/Belardi Auto Racing car and was shown in 26th place.
Race two on Saturday morning proved to bring much success for the second-year team. Continuing his impressive run after a year off of racing, British National Boyd was able to secure his second podium of the season coming away in second after just three starts. Teammate and Fort Collins, CO native Anderson was able to make his way through the field and finish sixth after starting dead last in 26th; he was awarded the Tilton Hard Charger Award for being the driver who gained the most positions during the race. The finale became another successful run for Marist College freshman Thompson who was able to maneuver his way to 10th to complete the weekend with two top-10 finishes.
To top off the successful weekend, Belardi Auto Racing received a few awards on Saturday evening at the series' Championship Banquet. The team received a beautiful trophy and a check for $2,500 for placing second in the team championship. They were also awarded with the clever Golden Wishbone Award for being the team that "logged the most frequent flyer miles" at series' parts supplier Carl Haas.
Not only was the team awarded, though, as Scott Anderson managed to capture third place in the Championship after a strong second half of the season including six podiums and two race wins. Anderson's teammate Roman Lagudi was able to secure a fifth-place finish in the Championship after his impressive five podiums during the year.
Although the season is now over, Belardi Auto Racing will continue to test to better prepare for the 2013 season. Be sure to follow their off-season efforts by checking their Facebook or Twitter.
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About Belardi Auto Racing
Belardi Auto Racing is a Cooper Tires Presents USF2000 Powered by Mazda and Firestone Indy Lights team based in Brownsburg, Indiana. The 2011 season saw two race wins, 10 podiums, 17 top-five finishes and 36 top-tens. Follow the team on Twitter, Facebook or their official website,
www.BelardiAutoRacing.com.