Brazilian driver Lucas Kohl will return to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda with Pabst Racing, the team he helped win the series’ team championship in 2017.

The 19-year-old Kohl will race the No. 22 Pabst Racing entry during the 14-round 2018 season.

“We built a solid relationship with Lucas in 2017 and we are thrilled to continue building his program into 2018,” said team owner Augie Pabst. “Lucas now has the confidence and experience to be a contender every weekend.”

Kohl finished seventh in the 2017 championship. With more experience under his belt, he is anxious to build on the chemistry cultivated in his first year with the team.

“The whole Pabst Racing team works really well together and for me it is an honor to be part of the team,” Kohl said. “We come from a strong 2017 where we won the team championship, and I hope we can go for more in 2018!

“For me the highest point was our Road America weekend, and in 2018, the main goal is to be competitive and fight for wins and podiums every race weekend.”

Born in Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil, Kohl began his racing career in karts at the age of 10, winning in his first race. Kohl eventually moved on to open-wheel cars in 2014, winning the Formula Junior National Championship with eight victories in 16 races. In 2015, he gained experience in Endurance Racing driving a P3 Prototype for the State and National Endurance Series in Brazil, earning three podiums.