BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Cape Motorsports officials have announced the second driver for its Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship lineup, as Jackson Lee joins previously announced Jagger Jones behind the wheel of the team’s new Tatuus USF-22s.
Lee will drive the No. 2 IU Simon Cancer Center/Browning Chapman/Cape Motorsports USF-22.
“We’re looking forward to competing in the USF2000 Championship once again next season,” said Dominic and Nicholas Cape. “With some exciting upgrades to the car being introduced and a wonderful 2022 schedule, the series firmly remains the hardest fought championship of the Americas single-seater scene.
“Jackson is a very talented young driver and we’re delighted to welcome him to the team. He put in a superb performance for us at the Chris Griffis test in early October, and if his early testing is anything to go by, we’re confident he’ll be challenging for podiums all year as well.”
Born in Indianapolis and now residing in Avon, Ind., the son of longtime NBC motorsports announcer Kevin Lee began racing quarter midgets before moving to karts and then formula cars. Lee, 19, won a scholarship in the Cooper Tires Lucas Oil School of Racing Karts to Cars Shootout in 2018 and then multiple races in the 2019 Lucas Oil Formula Car Series and 2020 FRP F1600 Championship. He finished fourth in points both seasons but was in second position in the 2020 F1600 Championship for RiceRace when he was chosen as a Team USA Scholarship recipient. Leaving the US to compete at three Formula Ford events in England, Lee earned a 10th place finish in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and reached the Grand Final in the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.
Joining the USF2000 series and the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires in 2021, Lee competed in 15 of the 18 races for Jay Howard Driver Development with a season-high finish of ninth and a best starting position of fifth. He had the fastest lap in one race and won the Tilton Hard Charger Award for most positions gained in two races. Testing with Cape Motorsports at October’s Chris Griffis Memorial Test, Lee set the second quickest time of the weekend, with only his teammate Jones ahead, and finished in the top three in three of the six sessions.
“I am beyond excited for the opportunity to race with Cape Motorsports,” said Jackson Lee. “After testing with the team, I felt like this was the best place for me. What I learned last year, combined with the help of Dominic and Nicholas Cape and the rest of the team, will give me a great opportunity to compete for the championship in 2022. I am also excited to use my platform as a racing driver to give back and help with several causes that are important to me and my family. Thank you to everyone who has supported my career and has helped me get the opportunity to do what I love.”
Lee’s primary sponsor is the Indianapolis-based Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, which celebrates 30 years of accelerating lifesaving research next year.
“We are excited to support Jackson and his team this year as there are many parallels between racing a car and racing to save lives,” Kelvin Lee, MD, (no relation) cancer center director, explained. “When you watch a race team compete, you see the precision, determination and the science behind the sport. That’s a lot like cancer research and care.”
The IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, which was established in 1992, serves as a central hub of cancer research across Indiana University. The center has more than 260 researchers who conduct all phases of cancer research, from laboratory studies to clinical trials to population-based studies that address environmental and behavioral factors that contribute to cancer. It is Indiana’s only Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute, the nation’s top cancer agency, and one of only 51 in the nation to hold that status.
Browning Chapman Specialty Contractors returns in 2022 as a co-primary partner.
“Browning Chapman is excited to help support Jackson again in 2022 as he continues to work toward his goal of becoming an IndyCar driver,” said Browning Chapman President Allan Browning. “Gordon and Gary Chapman and I are big race fans, and we are enjoying the partnership tremendously. We found great value in entertaining guests around Jackson’s program last season and can’t wait to get back to the track in 2022.”