By alley - Dec 10, 2016, 1:30 PM ET

LIGHTS: Kaiser returns to Juncos Racing

Kyle Kaiser is returning to Juncos Racing for the Indy Lights Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in 2017, the team announced Saturday.

The 20-year-old native of Santa Clara, California, started his second season of Lights with three consecutive podiums, including a dominant win on the one-mile Phoenix oval, and wound up with a win at Monterey, three poles and nine podium finishes to finish third in the standings.

"I'm excited to announce I'll be back with Juncos Racing for the 2017 Indy Lights season," Kaiser said. "Ricardo (Juncos) is an extremely passionate and dedicated team owner, and it has been a privilege to drive for him the past three years. The work ethic from everyone in the team has made Juncos competitive every race weekend, and I'm thrilled to be returning for another year. It's great to be working with a group of guys that I know so well and can trust to do everything it takes to win a championship."

Kaiser first joined Juncos Racing for the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. That year Kaiser won the season finale at Sonoma Raceway, and earned multiple podiums, helping Juncos Racing win the team championship. The following year Kaiser moved up to the final step of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder to compete in the 2015 Indy Lights Championship. Kaiser went on to record two podiums and seven top-5 finishes in his rookie season.

"I'm very happy to have Kyle (Kaiser) returning for another season with us at Juncos Racing in 2017," team principal Ricardo Juncos said. "The relationship we have built over the years is second to none and positions us very well for the upcoming season. Kyle has grown tremendously as a driver these past three seasons, and I fully expect him to be in the title hunt again next year. I know everyone at Juncos Racing will be working hard towards this goal, especially Kyle, who wants to add his name to the list of Indy Lights champions."

Juncos Racing recently

celebrated the opening

of its 40,000-square-foot headquarters in Speedway, Indiana, which includes eight car bays, a paint booth, simulator room, and machine shop along with parking for multiple transporters.

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The team announced in late November that young Argentinean Nicolas Dapero will move up to the final step of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder for the 2017 Indy Lights championship.