The fleet of identically prepared Lucas Oil School of Racing cars at the Thermal Club (Photo Courtesy of Lucas Oil School of Racing)

By Steve Wittich

The Lucas Oil School of Racing – a popular training ground for professional race car drivers since 2015 – is awarding a $250,000 scholarship to the winner of the five-round, 15-race 2023 Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series.

The quarter-of-a-million-dollar prize, an unheard-of three times the cost of a full-season entry ($75,000), can be utilized in any approved series. Early approved series include USF2000, F4 United States Championship, and TCR.

“Traditional ladder series scholarships normally do not provide a top award that is significantly
more than the full season cost to run the series you are competing in, and the scholarship is
limited to be utilized only in the next step in that series,” said RC Enerson, Lucas Oil School of
Racing Director of Operations and Lead Instructor. “It’s exciting to see a scholarship of this size and this diverse. The champion has the choice of being able to take the scholarship to multiple series, and that really lets the champion driver determine their own future direction within their budget.”

The arrive-and-drive series has produced race winners and championship contenders in North America’s most competitive open-wheel and sports car ladder series. Recent Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series alums include Reece Gold (INDY NXT by Firestone), Myles Rowe (USF Pro 2000), Bryson Morris (F4 United States Championship), and Will Holtz (F1600 Championship Series)

2018 Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series champion celebrates a USF Pro 2000 win at Portland International Raceway in September 2022. Gold will be moving to INDY NXT by Firestone for the upcoming season

The Lucas Oil School of Racing race car is based on the successful Ray Formula Ford/F1600 chassis and utilizes the ultra-reliable MZR engine featuring Lucas Oil lubricants. The equal mechanical platform and coaching from the best instructors in the business ensure a driver-focused championship where skill matters most.

“Most experts agree when aspiring drivers move from karts to cars, they should first obtain a
fundamental education of mechanical grip in a non-aero car before advancing onto cars
with aerodynamic grip,” added NTT INDYCAR SERIES competitor Enerson. “Our 20-car fleet of proprietary purpose-built school cars provides that essential education, as illustrated by so many other drivers that have come through theLucas Oil School of Racing schools and race series, it isn’t just the champion that gets a leg up moving on to the professional ranks. On the back of an unrivaled education in the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series, many of our drivers, have gone on to compete in a wide array of other series, and we are very proud of that.”

The 2023 Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series calendar includes 15 races at five events spread over five months.

  • June 19-20 – Sebring International (Full Course) – Sebring, Fla.
  • July 18-19 – NCM – Corvette Museum – Bowling Green, Ky. (Full Course)
  • August 2-3 -Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – Lexington, Ohio.
  • September 18-19 – Homestead-Miami International Speedway (Road Course) – Homestead, Fla.
  • October 16-17 – FINALE – Sebring International (Full Course) – Sebring, Fla.

Interested drivers can find full details and qualifications for this opportunity on the Lucas Oil School of Racing website.