Telitz scores hometown victory at Road America

Wisconsin native Aaron Telitz left his rivals in his wake as he led from green flag to checkered flags and captured his second Pro Mazda victory of the season around Elkhart Lake’s famous road course.

A faultless start from pole saw the Team Pelfrey driver hold the inside line into Turn 1, as his two nearest rivals on the grid, Jake Parsons of Juncos Racing and Nico Jamin of Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing were crippled by a collision.

An overambitious Jamin, starting from third on the grid, got suckered into braking too late for Turn 1 and struck the rear of Parsons’ machine, launching the front of his own car and going off course.

The strike would also have a dire effect on Parsons’ car, as over the ensuing laps, his rear wing would start collapsing in the slipstream. Eventually the hugely increased drag and reduced downforce would drop him to sixth.

It was thus left to Nicholas Dapero to uphold Juncos honor with a strong drive to second, after passing Pelfrey’s championship leader Pato O’Ward around the outside of Turn 1 at the start of Lap 4. Dapero could make no impression on Telitz however, and the winning margin of 3.3sec was more a reflection of Telitz paying out the line over the closing laps as he battled with a loose car.

After getting by his slowing teammate Parsons on lap 7, another Juncos driver Will Owen closed in on O’Ward finally passing him for third place around the outside of Turn 1 on lap 16, but by then was a dozen seconds behind Dapero.

O’Ward held on to finish fourth, with T.J. Fischer scoring fifth on his Pro Mazda debut with Pelfrey, ahead of Parsons.

Jamin pitted to get a new front wing following his opening lap faux pas, and returned to the track to set the fastest lap of the race, a 2min06.909sec.