Florida-born, third-generation racer Matthew Brabham put down a marker by besting a huge, 36-car field and winning this afternoon’s opening round of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda at Sebring International Raceway.

With talented racers Heamin Choi and Timmy Megenbier behind the wheels, the Minnesota-based team enters the prestigious 60th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida event doubleheader positioned to fight for a place on the podium in its series debut.

Interest in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, the first step on the Mazda Road to Indy ladder, has skyrocketed over the winter, such that a high-quality field of 35 entries is poised to take the green flag in the opening rounds of the 14-race championship.

The annual chase for wins and a championship title commences for JDC MotorSports this week (March 15-16), when the squad unleashes a five-car assault on the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda at Sebring International Raceway.

The pursuit of a second North American junior formula car title commences for American rising talent Neil Alberico this coming week (March 15-16), when the opening rounds of the 2012 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda takes place at Sebring International Raceway.