Cullingworth single-seater racer Jack Hawksworth banished a torrid run of ill-fortune in the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights Championship with a podium finish in the Sukup 100 at Iowa Speedway.

After triumphing on his Indy Lights debut at St Petersburg and consolidating that success with a runner-up spot at Barber Motorsports Park a fortnight later, Hawksworth subsequently endured a brace of DNFs and an uncharacteristic last-place finish in the following three outings at Long Beach, Indianapolis and Milwaukee.

The 22-year-old was delighted with the way he performed at Iowa. He said: “We’d had three really rough races since Barber but each time we had picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves down and kept working away in the knowledge that eventually our bad luck would turn around.

“I managed to get a really good start to grab the initiative.

“I’m now looking forward to really building upon this result and returning to the victory lane.”