Archives for 2021 Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires Coverage

Christian Brooks (Exclusive Autosport) leads first official USF2000 test session of 2021 – nine drivers below track record

Barber Motorsports Park will be hosting three days of Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires spring training in preparation for the 2021 racing season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Exclusive Autosport’s Christian Brooks began the 2021 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship season, the way he ended the 2020 season; at the head of the timing screens.

The 20-year-old winner of the final race of the 2020 USF2000 season was the quickest of the 23 USF2000 drivers in the first test session of the year. His lap of 82.2309 seconds was 0.1448 seconds faster than fellow veteran Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Pabst Racing).

Brooks’ quick lap and the following nine drivers’ quick lap were all below the track record of 83.009 seconds set by Michael Epps (Belardi Auto Racing) during the 2014 Cooper Tires Winterfest.

Rounding out the top five in the first test session were Josh Pierson (Pabst Racing), Josh Green (Turn 3 Motorsports), and Nolan Siegel (DEForce Racing).

The first driver to turn a lap of the 2.3-mile, 17-turn natural terrain road course was newcomer Erik Evans (Velocity Racing Development).

At the one-quarter pole of the test session, Pabst Racing veteran Sundaramoorthy had completed seven laps. The University of Wisconsin student’s lap time was 83.3126 seconds and was the quickest of the 20 drivers that had turned at least one lap.

Sundaramoorthy’s Pabst Racing teammates Jace Denmark and Josh Pierson were also in the top five, along with Nolan Siegel and Kiko Porto.

Not long after the 15-minute mark of the session, Exclusive Autosport veteran Christian Brooks was the first driver under the seven-year-old track record, turning a lap at 82.9327 seconds.

The first and only red flag of the session came out with just under 35-minutes remaining in the session when the No. 16 Miller Vinatieri Motorsports USF-17 of Kent Vaccaro needed some help getting extracted from a gravel trap.

The two Turn 3 Motorsport drivers, Josh Green and Dylan Christie, were the only drivers that had not turned a lap yet.

Brooks still led the way but had lowered his quickest lap time to 82.8113 seconds. Sundaramoorthy, Denmark, Evans, Bijoy Garg (Jay Howard Driver Development), Porto, Pierson, Siegel, Prescott Campbell (DEForce Racing), and Grant Palmer (Exclusive Autosport) made up the remainder of the top 10.

The red flag was withdrawn with 29-minutes remaining, and the track was quickly buzzing with the distinctive note of the Elite Engine prepared 2.0L power plants.

Brooks was flying once he got his Cooper Tires back up to temperature, lowering the lap timekeeping at the top of the timesheet to 82.4736 seconds. Fellow veterans Siegel and Porto were the only other drivers under 83 seconds.

By the time the first USF2000 test session of the season was in the last 15-minutes, six drivers were below the track record, fellow veteran Josh Pierson and rookie Evans joining the party.

The Turn 3 Motorsports duo finally took to the track with just over ten minutes remaining in the session. It didn’t seem to hurt the Peter Dempsey-led team’s pace, though. Green ended the session with the fourth quickest time, and rookie Christie was the 12th fastest.

The 23 drivers completed 505 laps. Pierson and Jay Howard Driver Development rookie Jackson Lee completed 30 circuits, most of the entered drivers.

The Force Indy No. 99 of Myles Rowe was only able to complete five laps after running into electrical issues.

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship spring training at Barber Motorsports Park test session #1 timesheet.

RANK CAR NO. DRIVER TEAM QUICK LAP DIFFERENCE TOTAL LAPS
1 44 Christian Brooks Exclusive Autosport 1:22.2309 —— 21
2 22 Yuven Sundaramoorthy Pabst Racing 1:22.3757 0.1448 29
3 24 Josh Pierson Pabst Racing 1:22.4977 0.2668 30
4 33 Josh Green Turn 3 Motorsport 1:22.6861 0.4552 5
5 10 Nolan Siegel DEForce Racing 1:22.8192 0.5883 18
6 23 Jace Denmark Pabst Racing 1:22.8837 0.6528 26
7 12 Kiko Porto DEForce Racing 1:22.9457 0.7148 23
8 29 Erik Evans Velocity Racing Development 1:22.9625 0.7316 28
9 4 Michael d’Orlando Cape Motorsports 1:22.9718 0.7409 23
10 11 Prescott Campbell DEForce Racing 1:23.0273 0.7964 20
11 5 Spike Kohlbecker Cape Motorsports 1:23.1233 0.8924 25
12 34 Dylan Christie Turn 3 Motorsport 1:23.1975 0.9666 10
13 9 Peter Vodanovich Jay Howard Driver Development 1:23.1982 0.9673 27
14 90 Grant Palmer Exclusive Autosport 1:23.2003 0.9694 25
15 91 Billy Frazer Exclusive Autosport 1:23.2133 0.9824 23
16 6 Bijoy Garg Jay Howard Driver Development 1:23.3417 1.1108 15
17 2 Thomas Nepveu Cape Motorsports 1:23.5345 1.3036 27
18 3 Evan Stamer Cape Motorsports 1:23.5654 1.3345 27
19 8 Jackson Lee Jay Howard Driver Development 1:23.5808 1.3499 30
20 1 Ely Navarro DEForce Racing 1:23.5830 1.3521 25
21 16 Kent Vaccaro Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 1:24.3252 2.0943 21
22 63 Trey Burke Joe Dooling Autosports 1:24.4599 2.2290 22
23 99 Myles Rowe Force Indy 3:32.8888 130.6579 5

The bottom rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires will be back on track for a one-hour session at 2:50 pm.

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Road To Indy season gets started at Barber Motorsports Park – a TSO Ladder preview

A quartet of Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires cars exiting “Charlotte’s Web” in 2018 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

After an off-season featuring extensive private team testing, the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires season officially gets underway with a three-day test on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn Barber Motorsports Park natural terrain road course.

The last time that the 2.0L twin-turbocharged four-cylinder AER engines turned an official lap in anger was during a solitary March 13, 2020 practice session in St. Petersburg, Fla. That’s a way too long of a break of 358 days. It will be great to see the IL-15s back where they belong, on a race track,

The two-day Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000 test will be the first time that those two series have had official preseason testing on a track they will be returning to since a 2016 visit to the same circuit.

Questions

Can you determine the champion by who ‘wins’ testing?

The short answer to that question is no; the longer answer is a little more series-dependent.

The eventual Indy Lights champion has only led the combined timesheet in one of the nine official preseason tests since 2015. Oliver Askew, the 2019 champion, led an official preseason test at Circuit of The Americas.

The eventual champions in 2018, 2017, and 2016 finished third, third, and fifth respectively during a single preseason test in their title-winning seasons.

Aaron Telitz, at Barber Motorsports Park in 2016, is the only eventual Indy Pro 2000 champion to lead the combined timesheet during spring training.

  • In 2020, Sting Ray Robb was the 5th quickest on the combined timesheet.
  • In 2019, Kyle Kirkwood was the 3rd quickest on the combined timesheet.
  • In 2018, Rinus VeeKay was the 8th quickest on the combined timesheet.
  • In 2017, Victor Franzoni didn’t take part in spring training.

2016 Indy Pro 2000 champion on track during spring training at Barber Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

In USF2000, three of the five champions since 2016 were the drivers who topped the combined timesheet in spring training.

However, it hasn’t happened in the past two seasons. 2020 champion Christian Rasmussen was the fourth quickest in spring training, and 2019 champion Braden Eves was the third quickest.

Cape Motorsports drivers Kyle Kirkwood (2018), Oliver Askew (2017), and Anthony Martin (2016) all led the combined timesheet in spring training for their championship seasons.


Will we see record lap times?

An empathic YES, is the answer to that question. The 2.3-mile, 17-turn natural terrain road course was recently repaved.

The current track records are:

  • USF2000 – 83.009 seconds set by Michael Epps (Belardi Auto Racing) during qualifying for Cooper Tires Winterfest in 2014.
  • Indy Pro 2000 – 76.2967 seconds set by Parker Thompson (Exclusive Autosport) during qualifying in 2018.
  • Indy Lights – 72.3865 seconds set by Spencer Pigot (Juncos Racing) during qualifying in 2015.

Michael Epps during the 2014 Cooper Tires Winterfest at Barber Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)


USF2000 basics, schedule, and entry list

The bottom rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires has 23 pilots taking part in spring training at Barber Motorsports Park on April 4 and April 5.

See below for a complete entry list, but here a few notes:

There are eight veterans, 14 rookies, and one driver for Exclusive Autosport that is still to be announced.

Exclusive Autosport’s Christian Brooks, a race winner in St. Petersburg, Fla., is one of nine drivers returning to the USF2000 series in 2021 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Force Indy, Joe Dooling Autosports, Turn 3 Motorsports, and Velocity Racing Development are the three teams that are making their Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship debuts in Alabama.

Cape Motorsports and DEForce Racing each have four entries, the most by any of the teams.

Eighteen of the 22 announced drivers were born in the United States. The other four drivers are made up of two New Zealanders, one Brazilian and one Canadian.

The average age of the 22 drivers is 17.7 years old, and the most senior driver is 20-years-old.

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Spring Training Schedule

Sunday

TIME EVENT
12:30pm-1:30pm USF2000 Test Session
2:50pm-3:50pm USF2000 Test Session

Monday

TIME EVENT
8:30am-9:30am USF2000 Test Session
10:50am-11:50am USF2000 Test Session
2pm-2:55pm USF2000 Test Session

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship 2021 Spring Training Entry List

CAR NO. DRIVER AGE TEAM HOMETOWN RESIDENCE LAST SERIES
1 Ely Navarro – r 16 DEForce Racing Las Vegas, Nev. Fishers, Ind. Lucas Oil Formula Car Series / karting
2 Thomas Nepveu – r 16 Cape Motorsports Oka, Quebec, CANADA Oka, Quebec, CANADA F4 United States Championship / Mexican FIA NACAM Formula 4 / karting
3 Evan Stamer – r 19 Cape Motorsports Maryville, Ill. Glan Garbon, Ill. Karting
4 Michael d’Orlando 19 Cape Motorsports Hartsdale, N.Y. Hartsdale, N.Y. USF2000
5 Spike Kohlbecker 18 Cape Motorsports St. Louis, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. F4 United States Championship / Toyota Racing Series
6 Bijoy Garg 18 Jay Howard Driver Development Stanford, Calif. Atherton, Calif. USF2000 / F4 United States Championship
8 Jackson Lee 18 Jay Howard Driver Development Indianapolis, Ind. Avon, Ind. F1600 Championship Series / UK Formula Ford
9 Peter Vodanovich 20 Jay Howard Driver Development Auckland, NEW ZEALAND Auckland, NEW ZEALAND Toyota Racing Series / New Zealand Toyota 86 Championship / Australian TR86 Series
10 Nolan Siegel 16 DEForce Racing Palo Alto, Calif. Palo Alto, Calif. USF2000 / F4 United States Championship
11 Prescott Campbell 20 DEForce Racing Newport Beach, Calif. Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM USF2000
12 Kiko Porto 17 DEForce Racing Recife, BRAZIL Recife, BRAZIL USF2000
16 Kent Vaccaro 19 Miller Vinatieri Motorsports Plattsburgh, N.Y. Burlington, Vt. USF2000 / Formula Regional Americas Championship
22 Yuven Sundaramoorthy 18 Pabst Racing Oconomowoc, Wisc. Guilderland, N.Y. USF2000
23 Jace Denmark 16 Pabst Racing Phoenix, Ariz. Scottsdale, Ariz. F4 United States Championship / karting
24 Josh Pierson 15 Pabst Racing Portland, Ore. Wilsonville, Ore. USF2000
29 Erik Evans 17 Velocity Racing Development Atlanta, Ga. Johns Creek, Ga. F4 United States Championship
33 Josh Green 18 Turn 3 Motorsport Mount Kisco, N.Y. Mount Kisco, N.Y. USF2000
34 Dylan Christie 17 Turn 3 Motorsport Columbus, Ohio Princeton, N.J. F1600 Championship Series / SCCA F1600
44 Christian Brooks 20 Exclusive Autosport Santa Clarita, Calif. Santa Clarita, Calif. USF2000
63 Trey Burke 16 Joe Dooling Autosports Park Ridge, Ill. Alvin, Texas Lucas Oil Formula Car Series / F1600 Championship Series / 305 & 410 Winged Sprint Cars
90 TBA Exclusive Autosport
91 Billy Frazer 18 Exclusive Autosport Auckland, NEW ZEALAND Pukekohe, NEW ZEALAND Toyota Racing Series / New Zealand Formula Ford
99 Myles Rowe 20 Force Indy Powder Springs, Ga. New York, N.Y. Lucas Oil Formula Car Series

Indy Pro 2000 basics, schedule, and entry list

The middle rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires has 17 drivers taking part in spring training at Barber Motorsports Park on April 4 and April 5.

See below for a complete entry list, but here a few notes:

There are six veterans and 11 rookies taking part in the two-day test.

Artem Petrov is one of three Indy Pro 2000 race winning veterans returning to the middle-rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires in 2021. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Velocity Racing Development is a newcomer to Indy Pro 2000, while Jay Howard Driver Development and RP Motorsport are series returnees.

Juncos Racing will have three drivers taking part in the test, the most of any team.

The 17 drivers were born in eight different countries. The United States, with ten drivers, is the only country with multiple representatives.

The average age of the 17 drivers is 19.4 years old. The youngest driver is reigning F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda champion Hunter Yeany, who will start the season as a 15-year-old. No driver is over 22 years old, and the test includes five teenagers and a dozen twenty-somethings

Indy Pro 2000 Spring Training Schedule

Sunday

TIME EVENT
1:40pm-2:40pm Indy Pro 2000 Test Session
4pm – 5pm Indy Pro 2000 Test Session

Monday

TIME EVENT
9:40am-10:40am Indy Pro 2000 Test Session
12:50pm-1:50pm Indy Pro 2000 Test Session
3:05pm-4pm Indy Pro 2000 Test Session

2021 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires Spring Training Entry List

CAR NO. DRIVER AGE TEAM HOMETOWN RESIDENCE LAST SERIES
1 Christian Rasmussen – r 20 Jay Howard Driver Development Copenhagen, DENMARK Copenhagen, DENMARK USF2000
3 James Roe – r 22 Turn 3 Motorsport Dublin, IRELAND Indianapolis, IND Formula Regional Americas Championship
5 Wyatt Brichacek – r 20 Jay Howard Driver Development Noblesville, Ind. Johnstown, Colo. USF2000
7 Cameron Shields – r 20 DEForce Racing Toowoomba, AUSTRALIA Palm Desert, Calif. USF2000
11 Hunter Yeany – r 15 Velocity Racing Development Charlottesville, Va. Virginia Beach, Va. F4 United States Championship / Formula Regional Americas Championship
18 Hunter McElrea 21 Pabst Racing Los Angeles, Calif. Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA Indy Pro 2000
20 Flinn Lazier – r 21 Legacy Autosport Vail. Colo. Vail, Colo. SCCA Formula Atlantic
21 Kyffin Simpson – r 16 Juncos Racing BARBADOS CAYMAN ISLAND F4 United States Championship / Formula Regional Americas Championship
22 Manuel Sulaiman 20 Juncos Racing Mexico City, MEXICO Puebla, MEXICO Indy Pro 2000
27 Colin Kaminsky 21 Pabst Racing Joliet, Ill. Homer Glen, Ill. Indy Pro 2000
40 Jack William Miller – r 17 Miller Vinatieri Motorsports Westfield, Ind. Carmel, Ind. USF2000
42 Artem Petrov – r 21 Exclusive Autosport Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA Indy Pro 2000
51 Jacob Abel – r 20 Abel Motorsports Louisville, Ky. Louisville, Ky. Indy Pro 2000 / Formula Regional Americas Championship
55 Reece Gold – r 16 Juncos Racing Miami, Fla. Miami, Fla. USF2000
74 Enzo Fittipaldi – r 19 RP Motorsport Miami, Fla. Davidson, N.C. FIA Formula 3 Championship
77 Enaam Ahmed – r 21 RP Motorsport London, UNITED KINGDOM London, UNITED KINGDOM FIA Formula 3 Championship
91 Braden Eves 21 Exclusive Autosport Gahanna, Ohio New Albany, Ohio Indy Pro 2000

Indy Lights basics, schedule, and entry list

The top rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires has 13 drivers taking part in spring training at Barber Motorsports Park on April 6.

See below for a complete entry list, but here a few notes:

The baker’s dozen pilots include only three veterans and ten rookies.

Robert Megennis, an Indy Lights race winner with Andretti Autosport, returns to the series with the same team in 2021 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Welcome Global Racing Group and Pserra Racing / AS Promotions as new teams to Indy Lights and welcome back championship-winning team Carlin.

A pair of tents will have four cars, each taking part in the test. Andretti Autosport/Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport and HMD Motorsports/Global Racing Group w/HMD Motorsports are the leaders in that category.

Five of the Indy Lights entries were born in the United States, with the other eight representing seven different flags, all born outside of the United States.

The average age of the 13 drivers is 21.3 years old. The test will include four teenagers, eight twenty-somethings, and one 30-year-old.

Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires Spring Training Schedule

Tuesday

TIME EVENT
10:30am-12:30pm Indy Lights Test Session
1:30pm-4:30pm Indy Lights Test Session

Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires 2021 Spring Training Entry List

CAR NO. DRIVER AGE TEAM HOMETOWN RESIDENCE LAST SERIES
2 Sting Ray Robb 19 Juncos Racing Payette, Idaho Payette, Idaho Indy Pro 2000 (2020)
5 Alex Peroni 21 Carlin Hobart, AUSTRALIA Tranmere, AUSTRALIA FIA Formula 3 Championship (2020)
7 Christian Bogle 20 Carlin Covington, La. Covington, La. USF2000 (2020)
11 Antonio Serravalle 18 Pserra Racing / AS Promotions Toronto, Ontario, CANADA Unionville, Ontario, CANADA Formula Regional Americas Championship (2020)
17 Devlin DeFrancesco 21 Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport Toronto, Ontario, CANADA Miami, Fla. Indy Pro 2000 (2020)
24 Benjamin Pedersen 21 Global Racing Group w/ HMD Copenhagen, DENMARK Seattle, Wash. BRDC British Formula 3 Championship (2020) / Euroformula Open (2020) / Formula Regional Americas Championship (2020)
26 Linus Lundqvist 22 Global Racing Group w/ HMD Stockholm, SWEDEN Indianapolis, Ind. Formula Regional Americas Championship (2020)
27 Robert Megennis 21 Andretti Autosport New York, N.Y. New York, N.Y. Indy Lights (2019) / European Le Mans Series (2020) / Intercontinental GT Challenge (2020) / IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (2021)
28 Kyle Kirkwood 22 Andretti Autosport Jupiter, Fla. Jupiter, Fla. Indy Pro 2000 (2019) / IMSA Prototype Challenge (2020) / IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (2020 & 2021)
51 Toby Sowery 24 Juncos Racing Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM Indy Lights (2019)
59 Nikita Lastochkin 30 HMD Motorsports Moscow, RUSSIA Los Angeles, Calif. Indy Pro 2000 (2019)
68 Danial Frost 19 Andretti Autosport SINGAPORE Miami, Fla. Formula Regional Americas Championship (2020) / Asian Le Mans Series (2020)
79 David Malukas 19 HMD Motorsports Chicago, Ill. Chicago, Ill. Formula Regional Americas Championship (2020)

Don’t miss any of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires action:


A note about our presenting sponsor. 

Once again, a huge thank you to Cooper Tires for coming back to be the presenting sponsor of TSO Ladder for the fourth season. Without them, we would not be able to bring you our extensive Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires coverage. If you require tires, I highly recommend them. Our family has the Discover ® AT3 4S  on our SUV and CS5 Grand Touring on our car.

Cooper Tires 2021 Spring Promotion runs through April 12 and has some great bargains. Click here to learn more and find out where to purchase your Coopers. 

Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires preview – Part #1 – The Anatomy of a Champion

The 2018 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires field streaming into Turn 1 in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

The Anatomy of an Indy Pro 2000 Champion is Part One of a multi-part preview that will get you ready for what is sure to be an exciting battle for the $718,065 scholarship and a seat in Indy Lights and one step closer to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

You can read the Indy Lights – Anatomy of a Champion here —> 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires preview – Part #1 – The Anatomy of a Champion 


Averages

Since 1998, the 23 Star Mazda/Pro Mazda/Indy Pro 2000 champions averaged 5.3 wins, 8.9 podiums, 5.1 poles, 0.6 did not finishes (DNFs) and 180.2 laps led (since 2012).

Since the inception of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires in 2010, those averages are 7.0 wins, 10.8 podiums, 6.4 poles, and 0.6 DNFs.


Wins

In 2013, Matthew Brabham (Andretti Autosport) won 13 of the 16 races contested, four more trips to victory lane than the next winningest champion, Kyle Kirkwood, in 2019. Brabham’s win percentage during his championship-winning season was an astonishing 81.3%

Matthew Brabham crosses the under the checkered flag at Lucas Oil Raceway, one of his series best 13 victories in 2013 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

No Indy Pro 2000 driver has won the championship without winning at least two races, and the last time that happened was in 2006 (Adrian Carrio).

The last five champions have averaged 7.2 wins.

Since 1999, the winningest driver has been the season-long champion in 16 of 22 seasons (72.7%). The last champion that didn’t win the most races during a season was Aaron Telitz in 2016.


Poles

While starting on the inside of the front row during a season won’t guarantee you the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires championship, it is a reasonably reliable indicator of who will be in championship contention.

The last time a champion wasn’t the driver who at the very least tied for starts from the pole was Victor Franzoni in 2017.

81.8% (18 of 22) of eventual champions since 1999 was the driver that started from the pole more than their competitors.

Jack Hawksworth, who started from the inside of the front row 11 times in 2012, is the champion with the most poles in a season.

Watch Hawksworth’s impressive pole lap on slicks from a damp Barber Motorsports Park:

Ian Lacy’s (1998) pole-winning percentage of 76.9% (10 of 13 races) is the highest among the 23 champions since 1998.

The lowest pole total for an eventual champion is two. The last time that occurred was in 2015 when Team Pelfrey’s Santi Urrutia started from the pole in only two races.


Podiums

Similar to Indy Lights, the best indicator to aid in determining an eventual champion is not standing on the top step of the podium; it’s standing on any step of the podium.

Nineteen of the 22 (86.3%) of champions since 1999 was the driver that stood on the most podiums.

Kyle Kirkwood (2019), Spencer Pigot (2014), and Tristan Vautier (2011) all won the Indy Pro 2000 championship without leading the podiums category.

Matthew Brabham, who collected 15 podium hats in 2013, is the Indy Pro 2000 champion with the most podiums during his title season.

The American-born Aussie is one of seven Indy Pro 2000 champions to stand on at least 80% of the possible podiums during their title-winning season. That list includes:

  • Victor Franzoni (2017) —> 100% (12 of 12 races)
  • Matthew Brabham (2013) —> 93.8% (15 of 16 races)
  • Conor Daly (2010) —> 92.3% (12 of 13 races)
  • Bernardo Martinez (2000) —> 87.5% (7 of 8 races)
  • Joey Hand (1999) —> 83.3% (5 of 6 races)
  • Aaron Telitz (2016) —> 81.3% (13 of 16 races)
  • Michael McDowell (2004) —> 80% (8 of 10 races)

An emotional Victor Franzoni after his 12th podium in 12 races helped him clinch the 2017 Indy Pro 2000 championship (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)


Laps led

TSO’s laps led data is only reliable going back to 2012, so all of the analysis below is for the last nine seasons.

In that time frame, the champion has led the most laps in six of nine seasons. Victor Franzoni (2017), Aaron Telitz (2016), and Santi Urrutia (2015) are the Indy Pro 2000 champions that have not led the most laps.

Matthew Brabham led 359 laps on his way to the 2013 Pro Mazda Series title, the most of any championship-winning driver since 2012.

Those 359 laps led equated to Brabham leading 81.2% of the laps contested in 2013. It is also the only season since 2012 that the champion has led over 50% of the season’s laps.

Only one driver has led less than 100 laps on the way to an Indy Pro 2000 championship. In 2015, Santi Urrutia led only 50 laps on the way to winning the scholarship.


Finishing

Mirroring Indy Lights, crossing the finish line, and avoiding DNFs are crucial to bringing home the big trophy and scholarship that goes with it.

Since 1999, the series champion has averaged a minuscule 0.5 DNFs during their title season.

Seven champions: Sting Ray Robb (2020), Victor Franzoni (2017), Aaron Telitz (2016), Tristan Vautier (2011), Conor Daly (2010), Adam Christodoulou (2009), Raphael Matos (2005), Michael McDowell (2004), Luis Schaivo (2003), Guy Cosmo (2002) and Scott Bradley (2001) were all still running at the end of every race during their championship seasons.

The most DNFs by an eventual champion is two. 2019 Indy Pro 2000 champion Kyle Kirkwood’s two DNFs in the first and last races of the season were balanced by nine wins and 11 podiums in the other 14 races.

A driver doesn’t have to complete every lap of a season to become champion, but finishing at least 90% of the laps contested does help.

Completing every lap will go a long way to aiding a driver in taking home the Indy Pro 2000 title.

Over half of the champions in the 22 seasons since 1999 have been running at the end of every race. That includes 2020 scholarship winner Sting Ray Robb.

Sting Ray Robb on track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 champion completed every lap during the season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Only twice – Santi Urrutia (85.9% in 2015) and John Edwards (85.1% in 2008) has the Indy Pro 2000 champion not completed at least 90% of them during their championship season.


Age and Experience

As of this writing, the 16 confirmed pilots for the 2021 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires season is rookie heavy, with only five veterans.

Statistically speaking, the five veterans – Jacob Abel (Abel Motorsports), Braden Eves (Exclusive Autosport), Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing), Hunter McElrea (Pabst Racing), and Artem Petrov (Exclusive Autosport), have a better chance of winning the scholarship at the end of the season, but it is close. Since 1999, veteran drivers make up 59.1% of the previous champions, with 40.1% of the titles being collected by freshman drivers.

Strictly by the numbers, rookie drivers have won 9 championships, second-year drivers have won 11 times, third-year drivers have won one title, and one fourth-year Indy Pro 2000 pilot won the championship – Sting Ray Robb last season.

That last rookie driver to win the championship was Kyle Kirkwood in 2019. Victor Franzoni (2017) was the most recent second-year driver to take home the title, while Luis Schiavo (2003) was the lone third-year driver to win the season-long battle.

In 2020, Robb was 19-years-old when his championship season came to a close in St. Petersburg, Fla.

That is younger than the 20.1 average age of the Indy Pro 2000 champions since 1999.

The age range for championship-winning drivers ranges from 17-years-old – Rinus VeeKay (2018), John Edwards (2008), and Adrian Carrio (2006) – to 25-years-old – Guy Cosmo (2002) and Scott Bradley (2001).

Edwards, the youngest of the trio of 17-year-old champions, was 17 years, seven months, and seven days when the 2008 season wrapped up WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.


Tables

Number of wins by the Indy Pro 2000 champion (1998 to present)

YEAR DRIVER WINS
2020 Sting Ray Robb 7
2019 Kyle Kirkwood 9
2018 Rinus VeeKay 7
2017 Victor Franzoni 7
2016 Aaron Telitz 6
2015 Santi Urrutia 3
2014 Spencer Pigot 6
2013 Matthew Brabham 13
2012 Jack Hawksworth 8
2011 Tristan Vautier 4
2010 Conor Daly 7
2009 Adam Christodoulou 3
2008 John Edwards 4
2007 Dane Cameron 3
2006 Adrian Carrio 2
2005 Raphael Matos 4
2004 Michael McDowell 7
2003 Luis Schaivo 4
2002 Guy Cosmo 4
2001 Scott Bradley 2
2000 Bernardo Martinez 2
1999 Joey Hand 4
1998 Ian Lacy 7

Number of poles by the Indy Pro 2000 champion (1998 to present)

YEAR DRIVER POLES
2020 Sting Ray Robb 5
2019 Kyle Kirkwood 5
2018 Rinus VeeKay 6
2017 Victor Franzoni 5
2016 Aaron Telitz 10
2015 Santi Urrutia 2
2014 Spencer Pigot 5
2013 Matthew Brabham 10
2012 Jack Hawksworth 8
2011 Tristan Vautier 5
2010 Conor Daly 9
2009 Adam Christodoulou 2
2008 John Edwards 4
2007 Dane Cameron 6
2006 Adrian Carrio 2
2005 Raphael Matos 4
2004 Michael McDowell 6
2003 Luis Schaivo 5
2002 Guy Cosmo 2
2001 Scott Bradley 2
2000 Bernardo Martinez 2
1999 Joey Hand 3
1998 Ian Lacy 10

Number of podiums by the Indy Pro 2000 champion (1998 to present)

YEAR DRIVER PODIUMS
2020 Sting Ray Robb 11
2019 Kyle Kirkwood 11
2018 Rinus VeeKay 10
2017 Victor Franzoni 12
2016 Aaron Telitz 13
2015 Santi Urrutia 10
2014 Spencer Pigot 7
2013 Matthew Brabham 15
2012 Jack Hawksworth 12
2011 Tristan Vautier 6
2010 Conor Daly 12
2009 Adam Christodoulou 9
2008 John Edwards 8
2007 Dane Cameron 8
2006 Adrian Carrio 7
2005 Raphael Matos 8
2004 Michael McDowell 8
2003 Luis Schaivo 6
2002 Guy Cosmo 6
2001 Scott Bradley 4
2000 Bernardo Martinez 7
1999 Joey Hand 5
1998 Ian Lacy 9

Number of laps led by the Indy Pro 2000 champion (2012 to present)

YEAR DRIVER LAPS LED
2020 Sting Ray Robb 152
2019 Kyle Kirkwood 217
2018 Rinus VeeKay 197
2017 Victor Franzoni 121
2016 Aaron Telitz 180
2015 Santi Urrutia 50
2014 Spencer Pigot 155
2013 Matthew Brabham 359
2012 Jack Hawksworth 191

Number of DNFs by the Indy Pro 2000 champion (1999 to present)

YEAR DRIVER DNFs
2020 Sting Ray Robb 0
2019 Kyle Kirkwood 2
2018 Rinus VeeKay 1
2017 Victor Franzoni 0
2016 Aaron Telitz 0
2015 Santi Urrutia 1
2014 Spencer Pigot 1
2013 Matthew Brabham 1
2012 Jack Hawksworth 1
2011 Tristan Vautier 0
2010 Conor Daly 0
2009 Adam Christodoulou 0
2008 John Edwards 1
2007 Dane Cameron 1
2006 Adrian Carrio 1
2005 Raphael Matos 0
2004 Michael McDowell 0
2003 Luis Schaivo 0
2002 Guy Cosmo 0
2001 Scott Bradley 0
2000 Bernardo Martinez 1
1999 Joey Hand 0

2004 Star Mazda champion and the most recent Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell did not have a DNF during his title winning season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)


Percentage of laps completed by the Indy Pro 2000 champion

YEAR DRIVER % LAPS COMPLETED
2020 Sting Ray Robb 100.0%
2019 Kyle Kirkwood 90.1%
2018 Rinus VeeKay 94.9%
2017 Victor Franzoni 100.0%
2016 Aaron Telitz 100.0%
2015 Santi Urrutia 85.9%
2014 Spencer Pigot 96.9%
2013 Matthew Brabham 96.8%
2012 Jack Hawksworth 90.7%
2011 Tristan Vautier 100.0%
2010 Conor Daly 100.0%
2009 Adam Christodoulou 98.8%
2008 John Edwards 85.1%
2007 Dane Cameron 91.3%
2006 Adrian Carrio 91.6%
2005 Raphael Matos 100.0%
2004 Michael McDowell 100.0%
2003 Luis Schaivo 100.0%
2002 Guy Cosmo 100.0%
2001 Scott Bradley 100.0%
2000 Bernardo Martinez 100.0%
1999 Joey Hand 100.0%

2003 Star Mazda champion Luis Schaivo on track at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. He completed all 214 laps contested that season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)


Age of Indy Pro 2000 champions

YEAR DRIVER AGE
2020 Sting Ray Robb 19
2019 Kyle Kirkwood 20
2018 Rinus VeeKay 17
2017 Victor Franzoni 21
2016 Aaron Telitz 24
2015 Santi Urrutia 19
2014 Spencer Pigot 20
2013 Matthew Brabham 20
2012 Jack Hawksworth 21
2011 Tristan Vautier 22
2010 Conor Daly 18
2009 Adam Christodoulou 20
2008 John Edwards 17
2007 Dane Cameron 19
2006 Adrian Carrio 17
2005 Raphael Matos 23
2004 Michael McDowell 19
2003 Luis Schaivo 22
2002 Guy Cosmo 25
2001 Scott Bradley 25
2000 Bernardo Martinez Unknown
1999 Joey Hand 20

Don’t miss any of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires action:


A note about our presenting sponsor. 

Once again, a huge thank you to Cooper Tires for coming back to be the presenting sponsor of TSO Ladder for the fourth season. Without them, we would not be able to bring you our extensive Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires coverage. If you require tires, I highly recommend them. Our family has the Discover ® AT3 4S  on our SUV and CS5 Grand Touring on our car.

Cooper Tires 2021 Spring Promotion runs through April 12 and has some great bargains. Click here to learn more and find out where to purchase your Coopers. 

2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires preview – Part #1 – The Anatomy of a Champion

The 2019 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires field at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Let’s start our previews for the return of the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires by looking at some of the numbers and statistics that comprise the anatomy of the first 34 champions on the top rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder.

The Anatomy of an Indy Light Champion is Part One of a multi-part preview that will get you ready for what is sure to be an exciting battle for the $1 million+ scholarship and a coveted seat in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Note from Steve: If you can’t tell, I have created a whole lot of fun new databases to use this season. 


Averages

In 34 previous Indy Lights* championship seasons, the driver who topped the standings at the end of the season averaged 4.5 wins, 8.5 podiums, 4.2 poles, and 1.2 Did Not Finishes (DNF).

Looking at only the five seasons of the IL-15 era and the champion has 5.4 wins, 10.8 podiums, 6.0 poles, and only 0.6 DNFs.


Wins

Greg Moore, the 1995 champion, won ten of 12 races, the most wins by any title-winning driver. The fewest wins by a champion occurred in 1999 when Oriol Servia did not visit the top step of the podium during his championship run.

<Insert Random Trivia Note – Casey Mears, who finished second behind Servia, was also winless in 1999>

The eventual champion is the winningest (outright or tied) driver in 73.5% of the 34 seasons of action. The last champion that didn’t win the most races in a season occurred in 2016 (Ed Jones – Carlin).


Poles

Winning the most poles is certainly not a guarantee of winning a championship, with just slightly more than a majority (58.8% or 20 of 34) of champions leading the way with the most poles. That list includes the last four NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions – Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden.

Five drivers – Bryan Herta (1993), Townsend Bell (2001), Thiago Mederios (2004), Jones (2016), and Pato O’Ward (2019) – have won eight poles in a season, the highest total for a champion.

Pato O’Ward recieves the Cooper Tires pole award for his record tying 8th pole at Portland International Raceway in 2018 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

The fewest poles in a season for an eventual champion is the lonely number one, which occurred twice. Both times, it was drivers from New Zealand who won the championship while only starting on the pole once – Dixon in 2000 and Wade Cunningham in 2005.


Podiums

The best indicator to aid in determining is not standing on the top step of the podium. Instead, it is standing on ANY step of the podium.

Thirty of the 34 (88.2%) previous Indy Lights champions have led (or tied) for the lead for the most podiums during their championship season.

Jon Beekhuis (1988), Tristan Vautier (2012), Sage Karam (2013), and Kyle Kaiser (2017) were able to win the Indy Lights championship without leading the podiums category.

Oliver Askew, who stood on the podium an incredible 15 times in 2019, holds the record for the most top-three finishes by a champion. The fewest podium visits by a champion were four by 2002 champion A.J. Foyt IV.

Oliver Askew (closest) stands on his 15th and final podium during the 2019 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

<Insert Random Trivia Note – The 2002 season only featured seven races, so it isn’t overly representative. Drivers that won the championship with only five podiums include, Servia (2005) and Jon Beekhuis (1988) >


Laps led

The eventual champion has led the most laps in 22 of the 34 Indy Lights seasons contest through 2019.

Thiago Medeiros led 590 laps on his way to the 2004 Menards Infiniti Pro Series title, the most of any championship-winning driver. 

Thiago Medeiros leading one of the 590 laps he paced on the way to the 2004 Infiniti Pro Series Title (Photo courtesy of INDYCAR)

Paul Tracy, the 1990 Firestone American Racing Series Champion, led a phenomenal 71.8% (472 laps) during his nine-win title-winning season.

Mike Groff (56.1% in 1989), Paul Tracy (71.8% in 1990), Bryan Herta (52.7% in 1993), Greg Moore (64.3% in 1995), Townsend Bell (63.2% in 2001), Mark Taylor (52% in 2003), Thiago Mederios (50.1% in 2004), Alex Lloyd (50.1% in 2007) and Pato O’Ward (56.0% in 2018) all led more than 50% of the possible laps during their championship season.

Only three drivers have led less than 100 laps on the way to an Indy Lights championship, but it’s the 1999 champion Oriol Servia that leads on the bottom end of the laps led spectrum. The Catalan driver led only 35 laps or 5.1% of the totals contested during the 12-race season.


Finishing

Crossing the finish line is essential if a driver wants to win the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship.

In 34 seasons of action, the title winner has averaged a measly 1.2 DNFs and an even more minuscule 0.6 DNFs since the introduction of the IL-15 in 2015.

Seven champions: Pato O’Ward (2018), Kyle Kaiser (2017), Sage Karam (2013), J.K. Vernay (2010), Greg Moore (1995), Steve Robertson (1994), and Robbie Buhl (1992) were all still running at the end of every race during their championship season.

The most DNFs by an eventual champion is three, which occurred in 1998 (Cristiano da Matta) and 1990 (Paul Tracy).

A driver doesn’t have to complete every lap of a season to become champion, but finishing at least 90% of the laps contested does help.

Only seven of the previous 34 Indy Lights champions completed less than 90% of the laps contested during their title-winning season. Inaugural champion Fabrizio Barbazza has the lowest percentage of laps completed at 82.8%. A wreck in practice and a missed race on the Milwaukee mile accounts for almost all of the Italian’s missed laps.

The last Indy Lights champion that did not complete at least 90% of the laps while on the way to a championship was Mark Taylor, who completed 88% of a possible 819 laps.

Only three champions – Robbie Buhl (1992), Steve Robertson (1994), and Greg Moore (1995) – completed every lap during their championship season.


Miscellaneous

Fifteen of the 34 Indy Lights champions led (or tied for the lead) in wins, poles, podiums, and laps led during their championship season. Fabrizio Barbazza in 1986 was the first and Pato O’Ward in 2018 was the last.

Only a pair of drivers – Jon Beekhuis (1988) and Sage Karam (2013) failed to lead any of the four categories.

Sage Karam celebrates his 2013 Indy Lights championship (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)


Age and Experience

As of this writing, the 12 confirmed pilots for the 2021 Indy Lights season consist of a trio – David Malukas, Robert Megennis, and Toby Sowery – of second-year drivers and nine rookies.

Statistically speaking, the three veterans have a better chance of winning the scholarship at the end of the season, but it is close. Veteran drivers make up 55.9% of the previous champions, with 44.1% of the titles being collected by freshman drivers.

Strictly by the numbers, first-year drivers have won 15 championships, second-year drivers have won 14 times, third-year drivers have won four titles, and one fourth-year Indy Lights driver – Mike Groff – won the championship in 1989.

That last rookie driver to win the championship was Oliver Askew in 2019. Pato O’Ward (2018) was the most recent second-year driver to take home the title, while Kyle Kaiser (2017) was the last third-year driver to win the season-long battle.

In 2019, Oliver Askew was 22-years-old when he won the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Askew was younger than the average age of all 34 Indy Lights champions, which is 23.6-years-old. He’s also older than the 20.8-year-old average of the five champions in the IL-15 era of competition.

The age range for championship-winning drivers ranges from 18-years-old – A.J. Foyt IV (2002) and Sage Karam (2013) – to 32-years-old – David Empringham (1996). Every age, excepting 24-years-old, is covered by the 34 champions.

Foyt IV was 18 years, three months, and 20 days when he won the 2002 IRL Infiniti Pro Series title at Texas Motor Speedway on September 14, 2002.

A.J. Foyt IV, the youngest Indy Lights champ, during his 2002 Infiniti Pro Series championship season (Photo courtesy of INDYCAR)

Empringham’s 1996 PPG/Firestone Indy Lights Championship title followed 1993 and 1994 Atlantic and came when he was 32 years, eight months, and 11 days old. The Canadian is the last of four 30-something drivers to take home the title.


The end result

Of the 34 previous Indy Lights champions, 31 have made at least one Indy car start and have combined for a total of 2,495 starts in the top level of American open-wheel competition.

Indy Lights champions have accounted for 140 total Indy car wins.

Scott Dixon (six championships), Josef Newgarden (two championships), Cristiano da Matta (one championship), Tony Kanaan (one championship), and Paul Tracy (one championship) are the Indy Lights champions who have gone on also to win an Indy car championship.

Scott Dixon, the 2000 Indy Lights champion, helping develop the current iteration of the top level American open wheel ladder car. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)


Tables

Number of wins by the Indy Lights champion

YEAR CHAMPION WINS
2020 CANCELLED
2019 Oliver Askew 7
2018 Pato O’Ward 9
2017 Kyle Kaiser 3
2016 Ed Jones 2
2015 Spencer Pigot 6
2014 Gabby Chaves 4
2013 Sage Karam 3
2012 Tristan Vautier 4
2011 Josef Newgarden 5
2010 J.K. Vernay 5
2009 J.R. Hildebrand 4
2008 Raphael Matos 3
2007 Alex Lloyd 8
2006 Jay Howard 2
2005 Wade Cunningham 1
2004 Thiago Medeiros 6
2003 Mark Taylor 7
2002 A.J. Foyt IV 4
2001 Townsend Bell 6
2000 Scott Dixon 6
1999 Oriol Servia 0
1998 Cristiano da Matta 4
1997 Tony Kanaan 2
1996 David Empringham 3
1995 Greg Moore 10
1994 Steve Robertson 4
1993 Bryan Herta 7
1992 Robbie Buhl 1
1991 Eric Bachelart 4
1990 Paul Tracy 9
1989 Mike Groff 4
1988 Jon Beekhuis 2
1987 Didier Theys 3
1986 Fabrizio Barbazza 5

Number of poles by the Indy Lights champion

YEAR CHAMPION POLES
2020 CANCELLED
2019 Oliver Askew 7
2018 Pato O’Ward 8
2017 Kyle Kaiser 3
2016 Ed Jones 8
2015 Spencer Pigot 4
2014 Gabby Chaves 2
2013 Sage Karam 3
2012 Tristan Vautier 5
2011 Josef Newgarden 3
2010 J.K. Vernay 3
2009 J.R. Hildebrand 6
2008 Raphael Matos 5
2007 Alex Lloyd 5
2006 Jay Howard 2
2005 Wade Cunningham 1
2004 Thiago Medeiros 8
2003 Mark Taylor 3
2002 A.J. Foyt IV 4
2001 Townsend Bell 8
2000 Scott Dixon 1
1999 Oriol Servia 3
1998 Cristiano da Matta 3
1997 Tony Kanaan 3
1996 David Empringham 3
1995 Greg Moore 7
1994 Steve Robertson 2
1993 Bryan Herta 8
1992 Robbie Buhl 3
1991 Eric Bachelart 3
1990 Paul Tracy 7
1989 Mike Groff 3
1988 Jon Beekhuis 2
1987 Didier Theys 5
1986 Fabrizio Barbazza 3

Number of podiums by the Indy Lights champion

YEAR CHAMPION PODIUMS
2020 CANCELLED
2019 Oliver Askew 15
2018 Pato O’Ward 13
2017 Kyle Kaiser 8
2016 Ed Jones 8
2015 Spencer Pigot 10
2014 Gabby Chaves 11
2013 Sage Karam 9
2012 Tristan Vautier 7
2011 Josef Newgarden 10
2010 J.K. Vernay 9
2009 J.R. Hildebrand 10
2008 Raphael Matos 7
2007 Alex Lloyd 13
2006 Jay Howard 7
2005 Wade Cunningham 10
2004 Thiago Medeiros 9
2003 Mark Taylor 9
2002 A.J. Foyt IV 4
2001 Townsend Bell 8
2000 Scott Dixon 7
1999 Oriol Servia 5
1998 Cristiano da Matta 8
1997 Tony Kanaan 7
1996 David Empringham 6
1995 Greg Moore 11
1994 Steve Robertson 7
1993 Bryan Herta 9
1992 Robbie Buhl 11
1991 Eric Bachelart 9
1990 Paul Tracy 9
1989 Mike Groff 6
1988 Jon Beekhuis 5
1987 Didier Theys 6
1986 Fabrizio Barbazza 7

Number of laps led by the Indy Lights champion

YEAR CHAMPION LAPS LED
2020 CANCELLED
2019 Oliver Askew 141
2018 Pato O’Ward 367
2017 Kyle Kaiser 93
2016 Ed Jones 145
2015 Spencer Pigot 182
2014 Gabby Chaves 123
2013 Sage Karam 163
2012 Tristan Vautier 315
2011 Josef Newgarden 395
2010 J.K. Vernay 172
2009 J.R. Hildebrand 241
2008 Raphael Matos 190
2007 Alex Lloyd 399
2006 Jay Howard 124
2005 Wade Cunningham 106
2004 Thiago Medeiros 590
2003 Mark Taylor 426
2002 A.J. Foyt IV 212
2001 Townsend Bell 385
2000 Scott Dixon 228
1999 Oriol Servia 35
1998 Cristiano da Matta 239
1997 Tony Kanaan 80
1996 David Empringham 121
1995 Greg Moore 375
1994 Steve Robertson 181
1993 Bryan Herta 303
1992 Robbie Buhl 145
1991 Eric Bachelart 139
1990 Paul Tracy 472
1989 Mike Groff 315
1988 Jon Beekhuis 82
1987 Didier Theys 130
1986 Fabrizio Barbazza 153

Number of DNFs by the Indy Lights champion

YEAR CHAMPION DNFS
2020 CANCELLED
2019 Oliver Askew 1
2018 Pato O’Ward 0
2017 Kyle Kaiser 0
2016 Ed Jones 1
2015 Spencer Pigot 1
2014 Gabby Chaves 1
2013 Sage Karam 0
2012 Tristan Vautier 1
2011 Josef Newgarden 1
2010 J.K. Vernay 0
2009 J.R. Hildebrand 2
2008 Raphael Matos 1
2007 Alex Lloyd 1
2006 Jay Howard 1
2005 Wade Cunningham 1
2004 Thiago Medeiros 2
2003 Mark Taylor 2
2002 A.J. Foyt IV 1
2001 Townsend Bell 1
2000 Scott Dixon 2
1999 Oriol Servia 2
1998 Cristiano da Matta 3
1997 Tony Kanaan 1
1996 David Empringham 2
1995 Greg Moore 0
1994 Steve Robertson 0
1993 Bryan Herta 1
1992 Robbie Buhl 0
1991 Eric Bachelart 1
1990 Paul Tracy 3
1989 Mike Groff 2
1988 Jon Beekhuis 2
1987 Didier Theys 2
1986 Fabrizio Barbazza 2

Kyle Kaiser, the 2017 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires champion, is one of the title winners to finish every race during his championship season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)


Percentage of laps completed by the Indy Lights champion

YEAR CHAMPION % LAPS COMPLETED
2020 CANCELLED
2019 Oliver Askew 93.5%
2018 Pato O’Ward 99.8%
2017 Kyle Kaiser 99.8%
2016 Ed Jones 97.1%
2015 Spencer Pigot 93.0%
2014 Gabby Chaves 98.6%
2013 Sage Karam 99.8%
2012 Tristan Vautier 92.4%
2011 Josef Newgarden 99.2%
2010 J.K. Vernay 99.0%
2009 J.R. Hildebrand 90.3%
2008 Raphael Matos 97.8%
2007 Alex Lloyd 94.2%
2006 Jay Howard 95.7%
2005 Wade Cunningham 92.6%
2004 Thiago Medeiros 97.1%
2003 Mark Taylor 88.0%
2002 A.J. Foyt IV 96.0%
2001 Townsend Bell 98.0%
2000 Scott Dixon 86.4%
1999 Oriol Servia 99.1%
1998 Cristiano da Matta 89.9%
1997 Tony Kanaan 94.4%
1996 David Empringham 89.2%
1995 Greg Moore 100.0%
1994 Steve Robertson 100.0%
1993 Bryan Herta 99.3%
1992 Robbie Buhl 100.0%
1991 Eric Bachelart 99.3%
1990 Paul Tracy 89.0%
1989 Mike Groff 95.0%
1988 Jon Beekhuis 85.3%
1987 Didier Theys 91.3%
1986 Fabrizio Barbazza 82.8%

Number of season long categories – wins, poles, podiums and laps led – that the Indy Lights champion led or tied for lead.

YEAR DRIVER CATEGORIES LED
2018 Pato O’Ward 4
2015 Spencer Pigot 4
2009 J.R. Hildebrand 4
2007 Alex Lloyd 4
2004 Thiago Medeiros 4
2003 Mark Taylor 4
2002 AJ Foyt IV 4
2001 Townsend Bell 4
1998 Cristiano da Matta 4
1996 David Empringham 4
1995 Greg Moore 4
1993 Bryan Herta 4
1990 Paul Tracy 4
1987 Didier Theys 4
1986 Fabrizio Barbazza 4
2019 Oliver Askew 3
2012 Tristan Vautier 3
2011 Josef Newgarden 3
2010 J.K. Vernay 3
2008 Rafa Matos 3
2000 Scott Dixon 3
1991 Eric Bachelart 3
1989 Mike Groff 3
2016 Ed Jones 2
2014 Gabby Chaves 2
1999 Oriol Servia 2
1994 Steve Robertson 2
2017 Kyle Kaiser 1
2006 Jay Howard 1
2005 Wade Cunningham 1
1997 Tony Kanaan 1
1992 Robbie Buhl 1
2013 Sage Karam 0
1988 Jon Beekhuis 0

J.R. Hildebrand, the 2009 Indy Lights champ, led all four categories – wins, poles, podiums and laps led – during his championship season (Photo courtesy of INDYCAR)


Age of Indy Lights champions

AGE #OF CHAMPIONS DRIVERS (alphabetical)
18 2 A.J. Foyt IV – Sage Karam
19 1 Pato O’Ward
20 3 Scott Dixon – Greg Moore – Josef Newgarden
21 7 Gabby Chaves – Wade Cunningham – J.R. Hildebrand – Ed Jones – Kyle Kaiser – Spencer Pigot – Paul Tracy
22 5 Oliver Askew – Tony Kanaan – Alex Lloyd – Thiago Medeiros – J.K. Vernay
23 3 Fabrizio Barbazza – Bryan Herta – Tristan Vautier
24
25 4 Cristiano da Matta – Jay Howard – Oriol Servia – Mark Taylor
26 1 Townsend Bell
27 2 Mike Groff – Raphael Matos
28 1 Jon Beekhuis
29 1 Robbie Buhl
30 2 Eric Bachelart – Steve Robertson
31 1 Didier Theys
32 1 David Empringham

 

* Indy Lights includes the American Racing Series (1986-1990), Indy Lights (1991-2001), Indy Pro Series (2002-2007), and Indy Lights (2008-2021).

Also, we are looking for access to Indy Lights photos from 1986 to 2001. They would help enhance some of these historical stories. We would be happy to pay to be able to use them. If anybody has access to them, please get in contact with us.


Don’t miss any of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires action:


A note from our presenting sponsor. 

Once again, a huge thank you to Cooper Tires for coming back to be the presenting sponsor of TSO Ladder for the fourth season. Without them, we would not be able to bring you our extensive Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires coverage. If you require tires, I highly recommend them. Our family has the Discover ® AT3 4S  on our SUV and CS5 Grand Touring on our car.

Cooper Tires 2021 Spring Promotion runs through April 12 and has some great bargains. Click here to learn more and find out where to purchase your Coopers. 

 

Competitors Primed for Opening Round of TireRack.com eSeries

PALMETTO, Fla. – A talented field of 30 drivers is slated to take the green flag this Wednesday as the TireRack.com Road to Indy iRacing eSeries Presented by Cooper Tires begins the first of its five round, 10-race tour. The Hyperco Grand Prix of Road America will feature two virtual 20-minute sprint races around the 4.014-mile road course – a favorite track amongst drivers and a long-time fixture on the real-life Road to Indy calendar.
Competitors across all three levels of the highly acclaimed driver development ladder – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the USF2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires – will be joined by a host of rising talent with an eye on the Road to Indy as a future career step.
“I’m thrilled with the driver line-up we have for this new edition of our eSeries,” said Road to Indy Series Development Director Rob Howden, who will handle commentary duties in the virtual racing world alongside Scottish announcer Peter MacKay. “We have an intriguing cross-section of drivers from all three of this year’s Road To Indy series grids, and they’re going to have their hands full with a talented group of young prospects who I expect to see in our program in the coming years. I can’t wait to start the official season at Barber in April, but our eSeries is going to truly start the excitement of competition in 2021.”
A practice session Sunday evening marked the first time drivers were able to gain a look at the entry list and who they will battle for a shot at a $3,500 prize package, including the champion’s prize of $2,000 and one hour of sim time at every race on the 2021 schedule provided by SimMetric Driver Performance Labs, the Official Sim Partner of the Road to Indy.
The driver gaining the most positions on track in each round will be awarded the Sabelt Hard Charger Award featuring a pair of Sabelt Hero racing gloves. Additionally, the Andersen RacePark Move of the Race will feature bragging rights and a $100 cash award.
A pre-race show and qualifying will take place at 6:45 p.m. EST tomorrow followed by the doubleheader Hyperco Grand Prix of Road America. Coverage can be found on the Cooper Tire Facebook page, the Road to Indy TV website and App, ApexRacingTV’s YouTube and Facebook and the series’ respective websites. In addition, live coverage will be carried by REV TV Canada.

Toby Sowery Joins Juncos Racing for the 2021 Indy Lights Championship

Toby Sowery celebrates his first Indy Lights win at Portland International Raceway in 2019 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Indianapolis, Indiana (January 21, 2021) –Juncos Racing is pleased to announce Toby Sowery has joined the team for the 2021 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season. Sowery is the second driver announced to the two-time Indy Lights champion team.

Sowery, of Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom, will return to the final step of Road To Indy after previously competing in the Indy Lights series during the 2019 season. Sowery’s successful year included one win and seven podiums, finishing third overall in one of the most highly competitive fields in the Indy Lights series.
“To sign with a championship winning team like Juncos Racing is an exciting opportunity for me and to be able to announce it so early in the year is going to be a great help to prepare for the season ahead,” said Sowery. “I know the team can help me build on my previous experience and work together to challenge for the title this season. The team has proven themselves by winning the championship in different series, so I am very enthusiastic about our partnership and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel again!”
Team Owner Ricardo Juncos said, “We are really looking forward to working with an experienced driver like Toby. I have been watching his progress and he has continued to grow each year, in particular in 2019, so we look to build on this progress and take it in to this season. Toby is not only a great addition to our team, a proven winner in Indy Lights, but as a person we look forward to working and competing with him and making the most of the 2021 after a difficult 2020.”
The 2021 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season kicks off alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES April 9-11th at Barber Motorsports Park located near Birmingham, Alabama.
Source: Juncos Racing PR

Road To Indy adjusts early 2021 calendar – adds Indy Lights to Barber Motorsports Park

Indy Pro 2000 at Barber Motorsports Park ((Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the 2021 Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires schedule will see some adjustments.

The traditional season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. has been moved to the weekend of April 24-25, making the event at Barber Motorsports Park on the weekend of April 10-11 the season opener for all three steps on the Road To Indy ladder.

When the original Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires schedule was announced, the top-level junior open-wheel category still had one event to be announced. Today’s calendar adjustment includes the addition of an Indy Lights doubleheader to the Barber Motorsports Park event, filling out the 20 race Indy Lights schedule.

Spring training for USF2000, Indy Pro 2000, and Indy Lights was set for Homestead-Miami Speedway in late February but will be rescheduled for late March or early April.

“It’s inevitable in these current times that changes will be necessary, and it is good to be able to distribute the news early, so everyone has a chance to plan appropriately,” said Dan Andersen, Owner, and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “With the adjustment to the St. Petersburg race dates, it makes the most sense to move our Spring Training to a more appropriate time closer to the start of the season.

“We looked at several options to fill the two-race TBA on the Indy Lights schedule, and are excited to share that the series will return to Barber Motorsports Park, which will now feature all three levels of the Road to Indy. I would like to thank George Dennis for being able to accommodate all of our series on a popular and action-packed race weekend.”

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