USF2000 rookie Peter Vodanovich says he is enjoying his experience driving in the United States and is building a solid rapport with his new team.
Last month, the Kiwi departed stateside to link up with USF2000 squad Jay Howard Development for the 2021 championship.
For Vodanovich, it means adapting to an entirely new lifestyle away from New Zealand and learning a new car and set of race tracks.
Catching up with Velocity News a few days after his first time in the USF2000 car, Vodanovich said he is already getting comfortable with the unfamiliar environment and is eagerly waiting for the start of the season.
“I’ve had a really good experience with the team since arriving in America,” Vodanovich said.
“They have done a great job at getting me comfortable with the car, new tracks, and new country. We’ve been on the road pretty much the whole time.
“I’m also lucky to have caught up with Scott Dixon, it’s been nice to get advice from another Kiwi that knows what it takes to perform.
“I had a solid first test at Barber Motorsport Park and also a day at Putnam Park, just getting to grips with the new car.
“It was great having the opportunity to try out different setup changes with the engineer and discuss what does what.
“My feedback will be critical towards how we perform in the race weekend so it’s really cool to be able to try these things out before the first round.”
Vodanovich had yet to experience a single-seater until late last year when he partook in a Toyota Racing Series test session.
The former Toyota 86 champion then landed a spot on the TRS grid in January. He claimed three podiums over his debut season and went on to finish fifth in the championship.
However, the USF2000 is an entirely different beast to the TRS car and is a new challenge Vodanovich will have to overcome.
“[The USF2000] feels different to the TRS car, to be honest,” Vodanovich said.
“You can carry a lot of speed into the corners, which will make for some good racing.”
Vodanovich is currently on the road back to Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama for the official pre-season Spring Test, which starts on April 4.
The first round will also be held at Barber on April 16-18.