Afterburner Autosport is pleased to announce a new addition to its driver line-up for this year’s Cooper Tires Winterfest series, which will run on Thursday and Friday (February 19-20) at NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, La. Team USA Scholarship winner and Skip Barber series race winner Michai Stephens will join the squad, making his official USF2000 and Mazda Road to Indy debut. The 23-year-old Ivanston, IL resident will be under the Afterburner tent alongside Brazilian Victor Franzoni .

Team Pelfrey today confirmed that talented young Australian Luke Gabin will take his first steps on the Mazda Road to Indy and complete its four-car assault on this year’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.

JAY Motorsports is proud to announce the signing of Augie Lerch to its 2015 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda season. JAY Motorsports first entered the USF2000 Championship in 2012, claimed their first win in 2014 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix Circuit and finished fourth in the 2014 overall Team Championship.

Second-year Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda driver Jake Eidson will join the team for the 2015 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship.

In the world of competitive Mazda Road to Indy racing, it’s always important to get out of the gate quickly. For race-winning USF2000 Championship squad Afterburner Autosport, the first two official series tests of the 2015 season have gone according to plan. The team’s lead driver – series sophomore Victor Franzoni – was at the top of the timesheets at both Palm Beach International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway in late January as the team worked through a plan of attack to develop set-ups for early season events.