– Team Pelfrey announced today that James Munro will drive for Team Pelfrey in the 2016 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda season. Munro becomes the first New Zealander to race in the Mazda Road to Indy.“I'm really excited to be joining Team Pelfrey and the Mazda Road to Indy. I had a great test with the team last November which convinced me to join the team for this season,” said Munro.

The 19-year-old Christchurch native arrives at Team Pelfrey and the Mazda Road to Indy after competing in the Toyota Racing Series in 2015 with a career best finish of second place. Munro’s early racing career has seen consistency in TRS, along with an eight-win season in the Formula Masters China Series and claiming the driver’s championship in 2014. In 2013, Munro began his open-wheel career with immediate success in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. The Kiwi won 10 out of 15 races on his way to capture the championship in his rookie season.

“I think the team environment is great and that together we can challenge at the front of the field. I feel confident that I'm with the right team to move forward with my career. The ladder provided by Team Pelfrey on the way up to IndyCar is really great. It's always good to keep continuity with a team so I'm hoping that I can go all the way through the Road to Indy with the team.”

Munro will pilot the No. 83 Team New Zealand / Team Pelfrey Mazda when the season kicks off in St. Petersburg, Fla. on March 11.

“I'm looking forward to giving oval racing a go. It will be a new experience for me which is really exciting. To be able to race as a support class for IndyCar will be really cool as well. Everything will be new to me this year but I'm confident that with the experience I have and the help from the team, we will be competitive. This is a massive opportunity for me. I would like to thank Archibalds, Consortium Construction and my Club 5000 supporters for making this happen.”

The 2016 season will see Team Pelfrey become the only team to operate in all stages of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder, as well as the F1600 Formula F Championship Series.For more information about James Munro, visit jamesmunro.co.nz. Follow him on twitter @jamesmunro_nz and Team Pelfrey @TeamPelfrey.