1.      Jakes joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for 20132.      Ferreira returns to Juncos Racing3.      Cooper Tires Winterfest launches 2013 USF2000 slate 1. Jakes joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for 2013: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced that it will field a second full-time entry for the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season for James Jakes.Jakes, 25, of England, will drive the Honda-powered No. 30 Acorn Stairlifts car as a teammate to another first-year team member, Graham Rahal. It will be the first time the team has run two full-season programs since 2007 (Scott Sharp and Jeff Simmons, who was replaced for Mid-Ohio at mid-season by Ryan Hunter-Reay)."I wanted to put myself in a position where I could get results that I believe I am capable of and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is a good fit for me," said Jakes, who had made 31 series starts the past two seasons with Dale Coyne Racing."If you look back at the results and the product that Bobby and the team have put on the track, he's always got a car that is running up front and the team does things first class. I had negotiated with Bobby when I first came to the series but we weren't able to put a program together until now.  It will be great for the team to have two full-season cars to move ourselves forward and push us to where Bobby and the team want us to be - at the top of the grid."Jakes recorded two top-10 finishes last season, with a best of eighth at Toronto after starting 24th. He began racing in 2002 in the British T-Car series and graduated to the British Formula Renault Series in 2004. In 2005, he returned to the British Formula Renault Series, finishing second in points after seven podium finishes and two poles. That year, he was also named a Rising Star by the British Racing Drivers' Club and was a McLaren Autosport Award finalist.He progressed to the British Formula 3 Series and on to the Formula 3 Euro Series (2007-2008). He earned two podiums in the GP2 Asia series (2008-2009) and a pole and two podiums in GP3 (2010) and finished eighth in series standings despite missing four races because of injury.

In 2011, he moved to the IZOD IndyCar Series after a test with Dale Coyne Racing."I am really pleased that James is joining our team," said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. "I have seen him run competitively on numerous occasions and have felt all along that given the environment we can create for him he can achieve the success he has sought in Indy car racing. He and Graham get along and communicate well and I think that is important for the team. We're pleased to have him and we think it will be a good combination."Graham Rahal, who competed the past two seasons at Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing, joined his father's team in autumn. He's already tested in the No. 15 car at Sebring International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park. The season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is March 24. Rahal won the event in 2008 and started from the pole in '09."For us to be a two-car team is a natural progression," Bobby Rahal added. "A year ago we restarted the team to really build toward this time.  We positioned ourselves in Indianapolis to take advantage of everything the open-wheel industry can provide us with and obviously, as was proven last year, a one-car team can be competitive."But there is no doubt in my mind that a two-car team is a much more efficient and productive way to go racing. There is twice as much information, twice as much everything, and that helps you progress that much quicker. James is obviously an aggressive, competitive driver and I think that having both he and Graham on board raises the performance of the team as a whole."2. Ferreira returns to Juncos Racing: Venezuelan driver Diego Ferreira will return to Juncos Racing for a second season in the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires.Ferreira, 18, will drive the No. 57 Juncos Racing/Team Viso Venezuela car. He finished sixth in the 2012 Star Mazda Championship point standings with seven top-five finishes. Ferreira was named the series' 2012 "Most Improved Driver of the Year."

"I'm very excited to renew my contract with Juncos Racing and the Team Viso Venezuela for this year," said Ferreira. "This will be my second season in the championship, and I feel so strong to fight for the championship this year. I have to say thanks to all my sponsors from Venezuela, and to the team believing in me to go for the championship. This is going to be a great season with a lot of new tracks and we will be working hard to get the results. We have a big calendar with many days of testing and simulations to help us claim the championship."Ferreira joins Scott Anderson in Juncos Racing's multi-car lineup. Team owner Ricardo Juncos is confident Ferreira can be a top contender for the Pro Mazda Championship."I'm extremely happy to sign Diego for a second year," said Juncos. "He's proved to everyone what he can do and how strong he can finish after last season's results. The chemistry between Diego and the team is perfect and we all feel very strong for this 2013 season."3. Cooper Tires Winterfest launches 2013 USF2000 slate: A field of more than 20 drivers and 10 teams kicked off the 2013 Mazda Road to Indy season as the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda opened the six-race Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship on Feb. 5.The pre-season mini-series takes place at two Florida circuits, each hosting triple-header events over a span of four days at Sebring International Raceway on Feb. 5 and 6 - the site of the first race on the regular season calendar - and Palm Beach International Raceway on Feb. 9 and 10."It is fantastic to see the interest level in our pre-season championship continue to grow with our biggest field to date expected when we go green at Sebring," said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, the series promoter. "This is the first time that many drivers and teams will work together in a race environment and we are thrilled that they are taking advantage of this opportunity. In looking at the entry list, I would be hard-pressed to pick who will walk away with bragging rights. There is a lot of talent and we are looking forward to some great racing this week."Among the drivers who are competing: Austin Cindric with Andretti Autosport; Wyatt Gooden and Jake Eidson with Afterburner Autosport; Danilo Estrella, Matt McMurry and Daniel Burkett with Belardi Auto Racing; Neil Alberico, James Fletcher, Scott Hargrove and Jeroen Slaghekke with Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing; Florian Latorre with JAY Motorsports; Michael Johnson, Arthur Oliveira, Stefan Rzadzinski and Clark Toppe with JDC MotorSports; Jesse Lazare and Jason Wolfe with Pabst Racing Services; RC Enerson with ZSports Midwest with Team E Racing; plus several other drivers whose 2013 programs are yet to be announced.The 2012 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship was won by Spencer Pigot and Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing with five victories.***The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season opens with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 24 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. The race will be televised live at noon (ET) by the NBC Sports Network (Verizon FiOS 90/590, DirecTV 220, DISH 159 and AT&T UVerse 640) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM and www.indycar.com. The 2013 Firestone Indy Lights season begins March 23 on the Streets of St. Petersburg. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 11 a.m. (ET) on March 24.