The USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire, formerly known as the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, is a racecar driver development program, providing a scholarship-funded path to reach the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. [1] Sanctioned by IndyCar, the Road to Indy is owned and managed by Andersen Promotions. On December 9, 2010 it was announced that Mazda would become the title sponsor of the program and provide scholarships for series champions to advance to the next rung of the ladder [2] with all three series running on Cooper Tires.
Since its launch in 2010, the Road to Indy ladder system has attracted competitors from around the globe. Drivers from Albania, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Guatemala, Guyana, India, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Venezuela and Zimbabwe have been part of the grids, showcasing their talents at premier venues on a mix of road courses, temporary street circuits and ovals.
Participating series (in order from lowest to highest ranking)
| Series Name | Description | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|
| USF Juniors | A first step on the pathway for younger drivers. Sanctioned by USAC | 2022 |
| USF2000 Championship | Competing for a scholarship to the next stage of the pathway. Sanctioned by USAC | 1990 |
| USF Pro 2000 Championship | Competing for a scholarship to the next stage of the pathway. Sanctioned by USAC | 1991 |
| Indy NXT | A developmental championship supporting IndyCar Series at specific races across the season. Sanctioned by IndyCar |
1977 (predecessor) 1986 (original) 2002 ( IndyCar sanctioned) |
| IndyCar Series | Highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars. Sanctioned by IndyCar | 1996 with history going back to the early 1900s |
In 2021 Kyle Kirkwood won the Indy Lights championship and became the first driver to win a championship and thus scholarship at every rung of the ladder on their way to IndyCar. However, both Sage Karam and Matthew Brabham won scholarships from U.S. F2000 and made it to IndyCar. Karam, Brabham, Tristan Vautier, Oliver Askew and Spencer Pigot have all won two scholarships on their way to IndyCar. In 2017, Josef Newgarden became the first Road to Indy graduate and scholarship winner to win the IndyCar Series championship.
Mazda Road to Indy Shootout
From 2016 to 2018, a shootout race for up and coming talents was held. In a knock-out format, drivers who won championships in various beginner-level series were invited ti compete for a $200,000 scholarship to race in the USF2000 series.
Shootout winners
| Year | Track | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca |
Oliver Askew
|
| 2017 | Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park |
Keith Donegan
|
| 2018 | Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park |
Hunter McElrea
|
Champions
References
- ^ "Mazda Road to Indy". Retrieved 25 March 2014.
- ^ Mazda to sponsor Road to Indy program Archived 2010-12-12 at the Wayback Machine, IndyCar, December 9, 2010, Retrieved 2010-12-09