Louisville, KY – Championship-winning open wheel development team Abel Motorsports of Louisville, Ky., has never backed off from a challenge. Now in its tenth year, Abel Motorsports will tackle an unprecedented task: going for victories in both Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires competition at Road America in Wisconsin, and in F3Americas action at Pitt Race in Pennsylvania.
Team Principal Bill Abel says the team is ready for the challenge. “This is really exciting for us. The weekend represents another step in the evolution of our team. We never thought we’d be so far along at this point, but we are ready for the challenge!”
To contend for wins in both series this coming weekend, Abel Motorsports has added veteran crew chief Thomas Knapp, who will oversee the team’s Indy Pro 2000 effort at Road America. Knapp, who won an IndyCar title with driver Greg Ray, has a years-long record of success helping young drivers mature and reach the sport’s highest levels. Knapp will engineer the Abel Motorsports No. 8 for young ace Parker Thompson of Red Deer, Alberta, CA, currently 4th in the Championship. Veteran Team Manager Mark Gibbs will oversee Abel Motorsports’ operation at Road America.
“Thomas joining our team is a strong move for us,” commented Abel. “He has an amazing track record of success in Indy cars, sports cars, and development series like Indy Pro 2000. He’s been hand-picked to work with us in pursuit of getting Parker back on top of the Championship. There’s lots of tough competition in the Road to Indy. Parker had a great car at Lucas Oil Raceway on 500 weekend, but the results didn’t show it. Now, with Thomas on board, we’re confident of good things happening.”
Thompson, from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, sits 4th in the Indy Pro 2000 standings, just 27 points out of the lead. He’s tied for the Series lead in wins with 2 on the year, both coming on opening weekend at St. Petersburg, FL.
Parker has four career top-five finishes in four Road to Indy starts at “America’s National Park of Speed” in Elkhart Lake, WI, the site of this weekend’s Indy Pro 2000 doubleheader. “You couldn’t put two guys together who are hungrier to win. It’s the longest track, the fastest track we visit, so I can’t wait to get to work. We’ve got pretty high expectations. We have to go for the wins this week to get back in the Championship hunt,” said the young Canadian contender.
The other half of the squad, with lead driver Jacob Abel of Louisville, will go for the team’s third F3Americas Championship victory at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Beaver Falls, PA, some 45 miles north of the Steel City. Abel Motorsports is the defending F3Americas Champion. Young Abel, a newly-minted high school graduate, is clinging to a one-point lead in the F3Americas standings, after scoring his first two professional victories in the previous race weekend at Road Atlanta.
“Jacob has had a lot of time in the car since Road Atlanta,” team principal Bill Abel noted. “He’s driven more in the last two months than ever before, and he’s excited about trying to build his points lead at Pitt Race. We had success there a year ago, and there’s no reason to believe that can’t continue.” As for the team’s Road to Indy efforts this weekend, “Parker has big plans for Road America. Having Thomas Knapp join our effort gives Parker his dream team, so to speak. There’s plenty of formidable competition in Indy Pro 2000, but we’re confident Parker will have a couple of great runs at Road America this weekend. We can’t wait to get going at both race tracks!”