ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Cape Motorsports is thrilled to confirm its first driver for the 2018 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires campaign. The team will welcome Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires veteran Nikita Lastochkin back to the squad, having run the talented Russian-born driver in the USF2000 program in 2016.

Cape Motorsports is planning to run a trio of PM-18s on the second level of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires next season. Off-season testing has been extremely successful and the crew is highly-motivated to challenge for the title in 2018.

“We are very excited to have Nikita return to our team for 2018,” offered Nicholas and Dominic Cape. “Nikita has gone well at all the tests we have done, and we're looking for big things from him next year. He will play an intricate role in our 2018 assault on the championship.”

Lastochkin finished eighth in the 2016 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, running under the Cape Motorsports tent alongside Anthony Martin and Parker Thompson. Nikita scored an impressively consistent 11 top-10 finishes that year, with a season-high finish of fifth at Barber Motorsports Park. Last year, Lastochkin competed in the Pro Mazda category and finished fifth in the championship, posting eight top-five finishes during the 12-race schedule. The Los Angeles, California resident was at his best at Road America, scoring a pair of podium finishes, out-gunning both of his teammates.

“I am very happy to be able to join Cape Motorsports and to work with Dominic and Nicholas again,” Lastochkin added. “We had a great test together and I am excited to be back with them. Everyone on the team is dedicated to success and to be a part of that process is a real pleasure.”

The team just completed at test at Sebring earlier in the week and will be back on-track next week at Roebling Road. The entire staff is counting down the days to the MRTI season opener, which takes place in St. Petersburg. The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will kick off the new year on the March 9-11 weekend.