Archives for 2020 Road To Indy Coverage

Turn 3 Motorsport expands to USF2000 – signs Josh Green as first pilot

Posted by  on Monday, December 21st 2020     

Josh Green will be joining Turn 3 Motorsport for a sophomore USF2000 campaign (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Turn 3 Motorsport, a two-car Indy Pro 2000 team in 2020, will be expanding their Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires footprint to include USF2000. The team’s first signed driver is Josh Green, who will be conducting his sophomore campaign on the first rung of the Road To Indy.

Green, who just turned 18-years-old, is coming off a successful Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship rookie season that saw him finish in sixth place in the season-long title chase. The second-highest finishing rookie collected three podiums, six top fives, and only four drivers to be running at the finish of all 17 races.

“I’m extremely excited about joining Turn 3 Motorsport for the 2021 season,” said Josh Green. “Each day of our testing was extremely effective and maximized in every aspect, which is the most important thing from pre-season tests. We now go into the off-season with our heads held high, and lots of valuable information in our back pockets heading into the season. Peter and Richard (Lyons) both come from backgrounds steeped in talent and success, and I can’t wait to continue to grow and learn throughout the year with them. As for the season, the goal is a championship, as it is for everyone. But, no matter the outcome, the most important thing is each one of us leaves the season knowing we put 110% into our campaign. If we’re successful in that, I have no doubt that a championship is within reach.”

After multiple state and national karting championships, Green moved to cars in 2019, just missing out on winning the hotly contested F1600 Championship Series. He had eight wins, five poles, and 18 podiums. That performance earned him a place in the prestigious Team USA Scholarship program. Green finished in the top ten at the Formula Ford Festival and was the quickest qualifier at Silverstone for the Walter Hays Trophy event.

A render of the No. 33 Turn 3 Motorsport USF-17 that Josh Green will pilot in 2021. (Photo Courtesy of Turn 3 Motorsport)

Turn 3 Motorsport, which is led by Indy Lights and Indy Pro 2000 race winner Peter Dempsey, has plans to run two cars in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship alongside their established Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires program.

The Mundelein, Ill.-based squad got their start in Radical Cup before moving to the Indy Pro 2000 series in 2019. In 2020, the team won their first Road To Indy race with Danial Frost, who also scored six podiums, finishing third in the season-long championship.

Turn 3 Motorsport joins DEForce Racing, Exclusive Autosport, Legacy Autosport, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports, and Pabst Racing, as teams running in the bottom two rungs of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder.

“I’m thrilled to announce that we are expanding our program to the USF2000 Championship in 2021,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “Coming off the back of a very strong Indy Pro 2000 season this year, to be able to enter USF2000 next year with a driver like Josh is a huge boost to our program, and he brings a season of experience with him to the team as well. Josh did a phenomenal job over the six days of testing we did, and we gelled together very well. We have a great group of talented people on the team, and I feel we have the ability to have a strong debut season in 2021.”

“Hopefully over the coming weeks, we will be able to announce a second driver for our USF2000 program along with some news on our Indy Pro 2000 program,” continued Dempsey. “I’ve been a part of the Road to Indy since 2008 as a driver, coach, and now team owner, so to be able to expand my team within the ladder system is fantastic as we really enjoy developing young talent in this country.”

Green’s sophomore season won’t be the first time that he has driven for a Dempsey. His adventures in the United Kingdom were with Cliff Dempsey Racing, a team founded and run by Peter’s family.

Green has been joined in USF2000 testing by fellow Team USA Scholarship winner Bryce Aron along with Christian Weir.

You can follow Josh Green on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can follow Turn 3 Motorsport on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The 2021 USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 season officially starts on February 22, 2021, with a pair of testing days on the Homestead-Miami Speedway road course. The first race of 18 scheduled will get the green flag in St. Petersburg, Fla. on March 6, 2021.

category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage
tags: , , , , ,

Carlin in conjunction with Jay Howard Driver Development return to Indy Lights with Alex Peroni

Posted by  on Sunday, December 20th 2020     

Alex Peroni, a 21-year-old from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia will be joining Carlin to take on the 2021 Indy Lights season. (Photo Courtesy Alex Peroni)

By Steve Wittich

Carlin and Alex Peroni have an early Christmas present for Indy Lights fans. The former championship-winning team is returning to the top rung of the Road To Indy with Aussie Alex Peroni.

“I’m seriously pumped to be joining the 2021 Indy Lights field and to be doing it with a team such as Carlin who I know have been successful in the series before and of course I know well from Europe,” said Peroni. “I’m so thankful to Blundstone and the state of Tasmania for their continued support and for allowing me to follow my dream.

“No doubt there will be a lot to learn in terms of both the car and the different circuits, but I am absolutely ready for the challenge and know I will have a great team behind me to bring me up to speed.”

The 21-year-old from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia pilot has spent the past two seasons in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, standing on three podiums and collecting ten top-ten finishes. Peroni took part in the Formula Renault Eurocup Championship in 2017 and 2018, winning twice and grabbing two poles.

Before his two seasons of Formula Renault Eurocup, a 16-year-old Peroni won 14 times on the way to a dominant championship in the 2016 V de V Challenge Monoplace (French Formula Renault)

In his last five seasons of European open-wheel action, Peroni has eight to one record against his teammates.

With at least six street course races on the 2021 Indy Lights calendar, Peroni’s past success on concrete-lined circuits should come in handy. At the tricky Circuit Pau, Peroni has one win, one pole, and two top-fives. At the iconic Circuit de Monaco, he has a win, a pole, and visits to the podium.

Carlin will be working in concert with Indy Lights champion Jay Howard, and the effort will serve as the top rung of Jay Howard Driver Development.

In three seasons of Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires action (2015, 2016, and 2017), Carlin drivers won one championship, Ed Jones in 2016, and finished in the top five of the championship on five occasions. The Delray Beach, Fla. visited victory lane a dozen times in three seasons. The team’s accolades also include 17 poles and 36 podiums.

Speaking about the team’s newest signing, Trevor Carlin said, “We’re really excited to be back in Indy Lights having been so successful in the series in the past. It’s a fantastic series to prepare drivers for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and it was always our aim to return to the junior formula once we had become more settled in INDYCAR.

“We’re very proud that Alex and his sponsors have chosen Carlin as the team to take his first steps into US racing. We know having raced against him in the immensely competitive FIA Formula 3 Championship what he is capable of and I can’t wait to see his potential evolve in the Indy Lights field.”

Ed Jones and the Carlin crew celebrate winning the 2016 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Peroni joins Devlin DeFrancesco (Andretti Steinbrenner Racing), Danial Frost (Andretti Autosport), Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Autosport), David Malukas (HMD Motorsports), and Benjamin Pedersen (Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports) as drivers confirmed for the 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season.

Indy Lights drivers and teams are currently taking part in private testing, with the first official test of the season taking place February 24, 2021, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The first race weekend of the season kicks off on March 5, 2021, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

 

You can help defray Peroni’s expenses while racing in Indy Lights here –> Alex To Indy Lights

category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage

Chris Griffis Memorial Test set for October at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – includes a one day NTT INDYCAR SERIES test for Indy Lights drivers

Posted by  on Wednesday, December 16th 2020     

 

Rinus VeeKay on track in an Indy Lights machine at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 2019 Chris Griffis Memorial Test (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

For the 10th time in the last 11 years, the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires season will come to a close at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test. The season-ending test, named after the late Chris Griffis, a well-loved Schmidt Motorsports Indy Light team manager, will take to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the eighth year. The test was held at Barber Motorsports Park in 2013 and Circuit of The Americas in 2015.

Current Formula One pilot Nicholas Latifi during the first Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2011 (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)

The three days of testing will take place October 29-31 and, for the first time, will include all for rungs of the Road To Indy ladder.

The first day of on-track action, Friday, October 29, is a newly added NTT INDYCAR SERIES test for the top-three finishers in the 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship. The 2020 Indy Pro 2000 champion, Sting Ray Robb, will also be awarded an NTT INDYCAR SERIES test if he does not finish in the top three of the Indy Lights championship.

“The ‘scouting combine’ experience, similar to other sports, will be an incredible opportunity for their great work and achievement from the 2021 season,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “From the engineer meetings to the test session on the track to the team debrief afterward, it’ll run the gamut. A ‘let’s see where you are’ type of test with NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams participating and observing.”

The USF2000, Indy Pro 2000, and Indy Lights drivers will spend Saturday, October 30, and Sunday, October 31, preparing for the 2022 season.

“As competitors continue to evaluate their plans for next season, we want to emphasize our commitment to assisting drivers in climbing our Road to Indy ladder to reach the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “We are extremely excited to work with INDYCAR to offer our top-three Indy Lights drivers an opportunity to test an Indy car, and to offer our reigning champions and 2021 champions in the junior series a chance to take the next step in their careers.

“The Chris Griffis test has always been one of my favorites. While it is exciting to see the new talent coming into our paddock, it is also especially rewarding to watch our current drivers move up and to hear their comments after first outings in the next level car.

“I also want to thank the Speedway for working with us to accommodate this event in a very busy month of October for them.”

The prize packages for all three Road To Indy series is increasing for the 2021 season. The Indy Lights champion will be awarded a scholarship with a value of $1,289,425. Part of the Indy Lights champion’s award is guaranteed entry into three NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including the 105th Indianapolis 500.

Current NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Pato O’Ward during the 2014 Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – the then 15-year-old was the quickest driver at the two-day test (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Awards for the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and USF2000 champions increased to $718,065 and $401,305. Those champions will also receive a test in Indy Pro 2000 and Indy Lights at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test.

All three series are busy with private team testing, with official testing kicking off at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 22, 2021, and the first races of the 2021 season taking place on the St. Petersburg Fla. street course beginning on March 5, 2021.

 

category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage
tags: , , , , , , ,
  • Comments Off on Chris Griffis Memorial Test set for October at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – includes a one day NTT INDYCAR SERIES test for Indy Lights drivers
  • Email to friend
  • Blog it
  • Stay updated

Experienced racer Benjamin Pedersen joins the 2021 Indy Lights field with Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports

Posted by  on Tuesday, December 15th 2020     

Benjamin Pedersen and Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway earlier this off-season (Photo Courtesy of Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports)

By Steve Wittich

Global Racing Group announced their entry into the 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires one month ago. Today, the team racing under the Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports tent announces that Benjamin Pedersen will be their first driver.

The 21-year-old has spent the past five seasons racing in both the United States and Europe and is excited to make a move to the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.

“I am looking forward to a new season and the new challenge that lies ahead,” said Pedersen enthusiastically. “I completed my first two-day test at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in November and am now testing at Sebring International Raceway as well to become comfortable with the car, new surroundings, new team members and everything that comes with entering a new series. We have several more tests planned within the coming months, and I will be working hard to ensure that I am 100% ready to go for the start of the season.”

Pedersen spent the 2020 season in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, winning once at the Silverstone Circuit and standing on the podium three times in the last three events of the season. The Dane also contested race in the Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered By Honda and Euroforumla Open series.

Pedersen’s 2019 season was a split F3 Americas Championship / BRDC British Formula 3 Championship. Despite missing six races, Pedersen finished second in the F3 Americas Championship, winning seven times in ten starts. Pedersen won once and finished on the podium twice in his partial British Formula 3 season.

Pedersen began his racing career in 2016, contesting the inaugural F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda season with Leading Edge Grand Prix. He remained in the series for the next two seasons, winning five times, starting on pole four times, setting four fastest race laps, and standing on ten podiums on the way to fourth and fifth place championship finishes.

“Benjamin has come up to speed pretty quickly in an Indy Lights car, and I think time between now and season start will only see continued steps forward” said Team Manager AJ Smith. “He is definitely talented and while almost every track on the calendar will be new to him, I am confident in the team that we have built around him to ensure success.”

Steve’s thoughts

  • Pedersen joins the Andretti Autosport duo of Kyle Kirkwood and Danial Frost along with Andretti Steinbrenner Racing’s Devlin DeFrancesco as drivers officially confirmed for the 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season.
  • Pedersen is an intriguing addition to the Indy Lights field. He has been a winner in five straight seasons of junior open-wheel action.
  • Watching how Pedersen adapts to the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires will be something TSO Ladder is watching. The Dane is the second driver to matriculate through the F4 United States Championship/Formula Regional Americas Championship to join Indy Lights. Kyle Kirkwood is the other driver, but the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 champ is no stranger to the Road To Indy.
  • The two seasons of BRDC British Formula 3 Championship action will serve him well. Recent (in the last five seasons) Indy Lights race winners Toby Sowery, Matheus Leist, Ed Jones, Felix Serralles, Jack Harvey, and Max Chilton, are all graduates of ‘British F3.’
  • TSO Ladder expects a few more driver announcements before the end of 2020. Please stay tuned to this space.
category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage
tags: , , , , ,

AFRICAN AMERICAN-LED OWNERSHIP GROUP TO COMPETE IN ROAD TO INDY

Posted by  on Thursday, December 3rd 2020     

Team Penske to mentor new team as it launches competition in 2021 USF2000 Series

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020) – African American business leader and former team
manager Rod Reid has announced the formation of Force Indy, a race team set to compete in
the 2021 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.

For 30 years, USF2000 has been the formative step of the popular Road to Indy Presented by
Cooper Tires ladder system, which culminates in scholarship opportunities in the NTT INDYCAR
SERIES. This program has grown into a proven pipeline for open-wheel racing’s future stars.

Force Indy Team Principal Reid brings years of karting and auto racing experience and a recently
expanded relationship with NXG Youth Motorsports Inc., which has introduced more than 2,300
students from under-represented communities, ages 11 to 15, to the educational benefits of
the sport. Force Indy’s race team will focus on hiring and developing Black American men and
women mechanics, engineers, staffers and drivers.

“I started a race team in 1984, and I have always had a desire to have a team of talented
individuals who look like me in the professional ranks of the sport,” Reid said. “I have been in
and around the sport for 40 years, and this is just the culmination of years of hard work. I
simply cannot wait to see this race team on the track this spring.”

The Force Indy announcement includes a mentorship from the legendary Team Penske, winners
of a record 18 Indianapolis 500’s and 16 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships. During its first
season, Force Indy will be based in Concord, North Carolina, as it receives guidance from Team
Penske’s key personnel.

“When the IMS and INDYCAR acquisition happened a year ago, I was pleased to learn of the
work Rod Reid was doing,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chairman Roger Penske said. “To lend
our support to an effort like this is a natural. Together, we’ll work to not only get this new team
off the ground but continue to support it and its mission as it continues down a path to
compete at the top level.”

Force Indy will make its debut at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, March 5-7, 2021.
The team will use No. 99 on the car in honor of the late Dewey “Rajo Jack” Gatson, who drove a
roadster with that number toward the end of his career in 1951. Gatson, one of the winningest
African American drivers and mechanics in racing history, never received an opportunity to race
in the Indianapolis 500.

Overall, the initiative is part of a broader picture in the INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor
Speedway “Race for Equality & Change,” announced in July. The goals include recruiting and
developing a diverse workforce throughout all levels of INDYCAR and IMS, ultimately creating a
community that fundamentally transforms the sport.

“Rod is a passionate leader and talented team builder who has demonstrated a fundamental
commitment to equality and opportunity in our sport,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said.
“IMS has been privileged to be a partner with Rod and NXG for more than a decade, and we
know he’ll bring the same commitment and drive for excellence to Force Indy.”

Sponsorship and driver for Force Indy’s inaugural season will be announced at a later date.

“We are fortunate to have Team Penske offer guidance and race-winning experience,” Reid
said. “Roger’s experience will be an invaluable resource in creating a successful organization.
There’s no better time than now to start a team.”

For additional information, please visit the team’s website: www.ForceIndy.com

category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage, USF2000 News/Results

Miller Vinatieri Motorsports set for two car Road To Indy effort – Jack William Miller steps up to Indy Pro 2000 and Kent Vaccaro joins for USF2000

Posted by  on Thursday, December 3rd 2020     

By Steve Wittich

For the third straight Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires season, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports will field two cars. Over the past two years, the team owned by former Indy car driver Jack Miller and legendary NFL kicker and four-time Super Bown champion Adam Vinatieri entered a pair of cars in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.

In 2021, the team will be stepping up to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires series with driver Jack William Miller while running one car in the USF2000 championship for Kent Vaccaro.

Despite being only 17-years-old, Miller will be entering his fifth season of action. The Westfield, Ind. resident spent two years in the F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda and two seasons in USF2000.

The No. 40 Miller Vinatieri Motorsports USF-17 of Jack William Miller on track in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Miller was one of the most improved USF2000 drivers in 2020, twice finishing on the podium, leading his first Road To Indy laps, and ending the season in eighth place in the standings. After only one top ten finish in his 2019 rookie USF2000 season, Miller finished in the top ten in ten races in 2020 and scored the sixth-most points over the season’s final ten races.

“2020 was a huge improvement from 2019, and we really came on strong with the engineering changes that we made,” explained Miller. “The goal of moving to the Indy Pro 2000 ranks in 2021 was always on the table and after two years in USF2000, the time is right. The 2021 grid is set to be the most competitive Indy Pro 2000 Championship grid to date, and I can’t wait to get the season started.”

Vaccaro made his USF2000 debut in the season’s penultimate event at the New Jersey Motorsports Park, improving his finishing position in all three races. The Plattsburgh, New York driver made his junior open-wheel debut in 2017 and has experience in the F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda, F2000 Championship Series, and Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered By Honda.

“I am excited to join both the Miller Vinatieri Motorsports program and the famed Road to Indy next season,” said Vaccaro, a student at Purdue University. “I have had the opportunity to spend some time with Jack and his entire crew and have come to know them well and enjoy spending time with them. The upward trend in 2020 speaks volumes of their program, which was evident in the one event that I competed at this season. I am looking forward to a fresh start and can’t wait to not only start our winter test program, but also the 2021 season.”

Kent Vaccaro will join Miller Vinatieri Motorsports for the full 2021 USF2000 season after taking part in three races with the team at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2020 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

“Right now, we will be a two-car program with Kent Vaccaro in USF2000 and Jack in Indy Pro,” explained co-owner Jack Miller. “We are looking forward to launching our winter test program and a successful 2021 season.”

Miller Vinatieri Motorsports would like to thank the following: Patterson Dental, CAO Group Inc, Blue Marble Premium Cocktails, Picasso Lite, and AMD Lasers, Lumist Advanced Teeth Whitening Strips, Indy Dental Group, Shadow Graphix, Edge Rock Realty, BMO Private Bank, Barnes and Thornburg, Express Auto Body, RTD Media & Management, Indiana Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, Biggs-Hansen Orthodontics, Bell Helmets, NDX Lumident, Indy Eye Physicians, Hamilton County Endodontics, Wolfies Bar and Grill, and K1 Racegear.

Side note from Steve on of the team’s partners – If you are on the north side of the Indianapolis metro, I highly recommend Wolfies Bar and Grill, they have plenty of locations to try out. 

Follow along here:

category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage
tags: , , , , , , ,
  • Comments Off on Miller Vinatieri Motorsports set for two car Road To Indy effort – Jack William Miller steps up to Indy Pro 2000 and Kent Vaccaro joins for USF2000
  • Email to friend
  • Blog it
  • Stay updated

Devlin DeFrancesco and Andretti Steinbrenner Racing make the jump to Indy Lights in 2021

Posted by  on Tuesday, December 1st 2020     

Devlin DeFrancesco and his second place Indy Pro 2000 trophy (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

After a second-place finish in the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 standings, Devlin DeFrancesco and Andretti Steinbrenner Racing will be making the jump up the Road To Indy for an assault on the Indy Lights championship and the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES Scholarship for at least three races.

The Toronto, Ontario, Canada born driver finished his impressive first season of Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires action in the top three in wins (two), poles (three), podiums (6), top tens (15), and laps led (94).

“I’m super excited to be back with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport for Indy Lights in 2021,” said the soon to be 21-year-old. “I think we had quite a successful Indy Pro 2000 season in 2020. Considering we have all the pieces for 2021 and Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport has an incredible history in Indy Lights. Mark Bryant, my engineer, had a lot of success in 2018 with Patricio [O’Ward] as well as INDYCAR experience with Andretti. I have a great team around me and can’t express how ready I am to get going.”

Andretti Steinbrenner Racing returns to the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires series after a two-year hiatus with the George Michael Steinbrenner IV squad moving to the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES with Colton Herta. In two seasons of Indy Lights competition, Andretti Steinbrenner Racing collected six wins, ten poles, and 20 podiums on the way to second and third-place championship finishes while campaigning Herta.

“We are excited to get Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport back into Indy Lights with Devlin for the 2021 season,” explained Steinbrenner. “We had a good amount of success in the Indy Pro 2000 series in 2020 with Devlin. We hope to build on that momentum and aim to field an entry comparable to the one Colton Herta piloted in 2017 and 2018.”

Devlin DeFrancesco and George Michael Steinbrenner IV celebrate a Indy Pro 2000 win at the World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway oval (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

After a standout career in karts, DeFrancesco made a move to cars as a 15-year-old in 2015. He made his debut in open-wheel cars in 2016, contesting the F4 British Championship while also racing in the ADAC Formel 4 Championship and Italian F4 Championship when time allowed. The then 16-year-old won three races, one pole, and had ten podiums on the way to a fifth place in the United Kingdom. DeFrancesco’s 2017 included a third-place finish in EuroFormula Open and few appearances in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. The Juan Montoya mentored driver spent the next two years in the GP3 Series and FIA Formula Three Championship before moving back to North America in 2020.

DeFrancesco joins the already announced Kyle Kirkwood and Danial Frost as the Andretti Autosport squad looks to win their fifth title on the Road To Indy’s top rung. Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward, the last two Andretti Autosport Indy Lights champions, finished the 2020 NTT INDYCAR® SERIES in third and fourth place, respectively. The twosome combined for one win, two poles, six podiums, and 13 top-five finishes in 2020.

“It is great to have to Devlin make the next step up to Indy Lights in the Road to Indy program,” said J-F Thormann, president, Andretti Autosport. “Devlin had an impressive rookie campaign in Indy Pro 2000 and we are excited to see what he can do in an Indy Lights car. We are also thrilled to have Steinbrenner Racing back in the Indy Lights paddock alongside Andretti Autosport. Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport has a history of success in Indy Lights and we are proud to be back in the field.”

The first official Indy Lights track activity will occur during spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 24, 2020. The 20-race calendar kicks off in St. Petersburg, Fla. on March 5, 2020.

Thoughts from Steve

  • I really hope that the bright livery returns for the No. 17. It was effortless to pick out on the track.

There was no chance of missing the bright No. 17 Andretti Steinbrenner Racing driven by Devlin DeFrancesco (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

  • It was great to have DeFrancesco back in North America in 2020. I pay close attention to North American’s racing in Europe. It became clear to me that the Toronto, Ontario born, Miami, Fla. resident was getting the opportunity to showcase his talent in his final two seasons in Europe.
  • DeFrancesco should be applauded for his results in an experienced 2020 Indy Pro 2000 field. The car and circuits were entirely new for the two-time winner, who had no time to test in a PM-18 before the season. Also, the car was completely new to Andretti Steinbrenner Racing.
  • DeFrancesco is the third driver announced for what is expected to be a four-car Indy Lights effort for Andretti Autosport/Andretti Steinbrenner Racing.
  • The car count for Indy Lights is shaping up to be much healthier in 2021. We expect four cars from Andretti Autosport, four cars from the recently announced HMD Motorsports/Global Racing Group tie-up. TSO also expects multiple entries from Juncos Racing and a new team to be named soon.
category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage

The 2020 USF2000 season by the numbers

Posted by  on Tuesday, November 24th 2020     

The 2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship streams down the front stretch at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

2020 season basics

 

  • Number of races: 17
  • Total laps: 369
  • Total miles: 741.096
  • Total drivers with at least one start: 26
  • Total cautions: 15
  • Average cautions per race: 0.9
  • Caution free races: seven
  • Total caution laps: 27
  • Average caution laps per race: 1.6
  • Total DNFs: 27
  • DNFs per race: 1.6
  • The average margin of victory: 2.9 seconds
  • The closest margin of victory: Eduardo Barrichello (Pabst Racing) finished a slim 0.2834 seconds ahead of Reece Gold on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in September.
  • The largest margin of victory: Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development) finished 12.7818 seconds ahead of Eduardo Barrichello (Pabst Racing) in the first of six races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Six different drivers representing five teams stood on the top step of the podium during the 17-race 2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship season.

Series champion Christian Rasmussen won nine races, including the first six races of the season.

The only team to have multiple race winners was Cape Motorsports, with Reece Gold winning twice and Michael d’Orlando winning once.

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship driver wins

RANK DRIVER WINS
1 Christian Rasmussen 9
2 Eduardo Barrichello 3
3 Reece Gold 2
4T Michael d’Orlando 1
4T Kiko Porto 1
4T Christian Brooks 1

Christian Rasmussen, in the Jay Howard Driver Development No 6 pulls into victory lane at Road America, the Dane’s first of nine wins during the 2020 USF2000 season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

 

For the first time since 2010, Cape Motorsports was not at the very least tied for the series lead in the team wins category.

Over the past two seasons, Jay Howard Driver Development, which topped the 2020 wins list, has 12 wins, leading Cape Motorsports (ten wins) and Pabst Racing (seven wins).

Kiko Porto’s trip to victory lane in St. Petersburg was the Texas-based team’s first USF2000 win, making them the 15th different team to win a race since the series was reconstituted in 2010.

Since the rebirth of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires in 2010, Cape Motorsports leads all teams with 85 trips to victory lane.

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship team wins

RANK TEAM WINS
1 Jay Howard Driver Development 9
2 Cape Motorsports 3
3 Pabst Racing 3
4 Exclusive Autosport 1
5 DEForce Racing 1

 

Seven different drivers started from the inside of the front row, with Jay Howard Driver Development champion leading the way with eight pole starts.

Rasmussen (seven), Eduardo Barrichello (once), Christian Brooks (once), and Reece Gold (once) were the four drivers that led from pole to checkered flag in 2020.

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship driver poles

RANK DRIVER POLES
1 Christian Rasmussen 8
2 Eduardo Barrichello 3
3 Kiko Porto 2
4T Reece Gold 1
4T Nolan Siegel 1
4T Cameron Shields 1
4T Christian Brooks 1

Jay Howard Driver Development sophomore duo start at the front of an USF2000 race at the New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Not surprisingly, Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development) led all drivers with an average starting position of 2.6. The Dane never started a USF2000 race in 2020 outside of the top three rows and started on the front row in 11 races.

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship average driver starting position

RANK DRIVER AVG START
1 Christian Rasmussen 2.6
2 Reece Gold 4.6
3 Eduardo Barrichello 4.9
4 Christian Brooks 6.6
5 Michael d’Orlando 7.2
6 Josh Green 7.8
7 Kiko Porto 8.1
8 Cameron Shields 8.2
9 Jack William Miller 8.3
10 Matthew Round-Garrido 8.4
11 Yuven Sundaramoorthy 8.9
12 Nolan Siegel 9.7
13 Simon Sikes 13.0
14 Kyle Dupell 13.3
15 Prescott Campbell 13.5
16 Nico Christodoulou 13.8
17 Wyatt Brichacek 14.6
18 Bijoy Garg 14.7
19 Christian Bogle 16.1
20 Josh Pierson 17.0
21 Ayrton Ori 17.0
22 Max Kaeser 17.3
23 Josh Sarchet 17.7
24 Kent Vaccaro 17.7
25 Gil Molina 18.5
26 Michael Myers 18.8

Fourteen of the 26 drivers that took part in at least one USF2000 race in 2020 contested all 17 races.

The only driver to complete all 369 laps in 2020 was Pabst Racing sophomore Eduardo Barrichello.

The ALE Combustmveis sponsored No. 22 of Eduardo Barrichello (Pabst Racing) on track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

However, with seven caution-free races and four races not seeing any DNFs, 13 drivers completed over 90% of the 741.069 miles contested.

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship % of laps completed

RANK DRIVER %
1 Eduardo Barrichello 100.0%
2 Michael d’Orlando 99.5%
3 Prescott Campbell 98.9%
4 Josh Green 98.4%
5 Wyatt Brichacek 97.8%
6 Kyle Dupell 97.6%
7 Reece Gold 96.7%
8 Christian Bogle 95.4%
9 Jack William Miller 95.1%
10 Matthew Round-Garrido 93.8%
11 Christian Rasmussen 93.2%
12 Josh Pierson 93.2%
13 Christian Brooks 91.3%
14 Cameron Shields 88.9%
15 Nolan Siegel 88.3%
16 Yuven Sundaramoorthy 84.0%
17 Kiko Porto 76.2%
18 Max Kaeser 68.3%
19 Bijoy Garg 56.4%
20 Simon Sikes 40.4%
21 Michael Myers 38.5%
22 Nico Christodoulou 21.4%
23 Ayrton Ori 19.8%
24 Kent Vaccaro 16.3%
25 Josh Sarchet 14.9%
26 Gil Molina 10.8%

Seven different drivers representing five different teams started from the inside of the front row, with champion Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development) leading the way with eight poles.

Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development) led all drivers with eight poles during the 2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship driver poles

RANK DRIVER POLES
1 Christian Rasmussen 8
2 Eduardo Barrichello 3
3 Kiko Porto 2
4T Reece Gold 1
4T Nolan Siegel 1
4T Cameron Shields 1
4T Christian Brooks 1

 

The 2020 USF2000 season had 11 different drivers stand on the podium, with a pair of sophomores in Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development) and Reece Gold (Cape Motorsports) lead the way with ten trips to the podium each.

The pair shared the podium on five different occasions.

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship driver podiums

RANK DRIVER PODIUMS
1T Reece Gold 10
1T Christian Rasmussen 10
3 Eduardo Barrichello 9
4 Michael d’Orlando 5
5 Kiko Porto 4
6T Josh Green 3
6T Christian Brooks 3
8T Nolan Siegel 2
8T Cameron Shields 2
8T Jack William Miller 2
11 Prescott Campbell 1

A trio of Cape Motorsports drivers, Reece Gold, Michael d’Orlando, and Josh Green, stood on the podium a total of 18 times, the most of any team.

Cape Motorsports drivers Michael d’Orlando (left) and Reece Gold (right) celebrate a one-two finish at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Four races in 2020 saw at least two Cape Motorsports drivers share the podium.

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship team podiums

RANK TEAM PODIUMS
1 Cape Motorsports 18
2 Jay Howard Driver Development 12
3 Pabst Racing 9
4 DEForce Racing 6
5 Exclusive Autosport 4
6 Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 2

Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development), the 2020 USF2000 champion, led 200 laps, by far the most of the 11 drivers that led at least one lap during the 17 race season.

The Danish driver led 54% of the possible 369 laps.

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship laps led

RANK DRIVER LAPS LED
1 Christian Rasmussen 200
2 Eduardo Barrichello 41
3 Michael d’Orlando 25
4 Kiko Porto 24
5 Reece Gold 22
6 Christian Brooks 20
7 Jack William Miller 17
8 Cameron Shields 13
9 Nolan Siegel 3
10 Simon Sikes 3
11 Josh Green 1

Seven of the 17 race winners turned the quickest lap of that race, proving that you can win without being the absolute fastest driver in a race.

However, you do need to have a good pace. The average of the race winner’s lap was 2.8.

Cape Motorsports race winner, Michael d’Orlando, was the most consistently quick of the USF2000 field. The New Yorker never had the fastest lap of the race but never had worse than the 10th fastest lap.

The Focused Project Management/DB Collaborative sponsored No. 4 Cape Motorsports machine of Michael d’Orlando on track during the 2020 USF2000 season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship fastest race lap average

RANK DRIVER AVG.
1 Christian Rasmussen 3.4
2 Michael d’Orlando 4.5
3 Eduardo Barrichello 5.1
4 Reece Gold 5.7
5 Kiko Porto 7.8
6 Josh Green 7.9
7 Matthew Round-Garrido 8.6
8 Christian Brooks 8.6
9 Nolan Siegel 9.0
10 Jack William Miller 9.1
11 Cameron Shields 9.4
12 Simon Sikes 11.3
13 Kyle Dupell 11.8
14 Gil Molina 12.0
15 Yuven Sundaramoorthy 12.3
16 Prescott Campbell 12.7
17 Bijoy Garg 13.0
18 Wyatt Brichacek 13.6
19 Nico Christodoulou 14.4
20 Christian Bogle 15.5
21 Ayrton Ori 16.0
22 Kent Vaccaro 16.3
23 Max Kaeser 16.6
24 Josh Pierson 17.2
25 Michael Myers 18.9
26 Josh Sarchet 19.3

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship number of races with the fastest lap

RANK DRIVER RACES
1 Christian Rasmussen 7
2 Reece Gold 3
3 Kiko Porto 2
4 Eduardo Barrichello 2
5 Prescott Campbell 1
6 Nolan Siegel 1
7 Jack William Miller 1

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship number of races with one of the five fastest race laps

RANK DRIVER RACES
1 Christian Rasmussen 15
2 Michael d’Orlando 12
3 Eduardo Barrichello 10
4 Reece Gold 9
5 Josh Green 8
6 Christian Brooks 6
7T Kiko Porto 5
7T Matthew Round-Garrido 5
7T Jack William Miller 5
10 Cameron Shields 4
11 Nolan Siegel 3
12T Prescott Campbell 1
12T Simon Sikes 1

Track Records set in 2020

Qualifying

  • New Jersey Motorsports Park – Eduardo Barrichello (Pabst Racing) – 77.1488 seconds
  • St. Petersburg Street Circuit – Christian Brooks (Exclusive Autosport) – 71.9662 seconds

The Hot Wheels/Chaco Flaco/Bell Helmets sponsored No. 44 of Christian Brooks (Exclusive Autosport) on track in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Race

  • New Jersey Motorsports Park – Nolan Siegel (Jay Howard Driver Development) – 77.750 seconds
  • St. Petersburg Street Circuit – Kiko Porto (DEForce Racing) – 72.2279 seconds
category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage
tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DANIAL FROST RETURNS TO ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT INDY LIGHTS PROGRAM FOR 2021 SEASON

Posted by  on Monday, November 23rd 2020     

Danial Frost in the Dan-Jet sponsored No. 68 Andretti Autosport Dallara during practice on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

INDIANAPOLIS (11.23.2020) –  Andretti Autosport confirmed today that Danial Frost returns to the team’s Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires effort for the 2021 season. The Singaporean is slated to step into the No. 68 Dallara for the 18-race schedule.

“I’m very happy to announce my re-signing with Andretti Autosport for the 2021 Indy Lights season,” said Danial Frost. “I’m looking forward to this coming year with my expectations being at the highest. I believe myself joining Andretti Autosport will help me succeed and achieve the goals I have set: winning. Thank you to everyone making this possible including my family, friends, sponsors, fans and Andretti Autosport.”

Most recently, in lieu of the 2020 Indy Lights season, Frost competed in the Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda with Andretti Autosport as well as the Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires series with Turn 3 Motorsport. The 2021 Indy Lights season will mark Frost’s fourth season in the Road to Indy. Frost has captured three wins, two pole positions and more than 10 podium finishes. In 2020, Frost finished third in the Indy Pro 2000 championship.

“We are excited to welcome Danial back to the Indy Lights program,” said J-F Thormann, president, Andretti Autosport. “Given the circumstances of the 2020 season, Frost handled his experience in FR Americas and Indy Pro 2000 very well and it will be great to see him in Indy Lights for the 2021 season.”

Frost joins Kyle Kirkwood as the second driver announced to Andretti’s 2021 lineup. The duo will strap into their Andretti Autosport machines as the 2021 Indy Lights season kicks off on the streets of St. Petersburg for the first doubleheader of the 2021 season, March 5-7, 2021.

For more information, visit AndrettiAutosport.com.

category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage
tags: , , , , ,

Kirkwood joins Andretti Autosport for 2021 Indy Lights season – 2019 Indy Pro 2000 champ looks for third Road To Indy championship

Posted by  on Wednesday, November 18th 2020     

Kyle Kirkwood chats with team owner Michael Andretti after the lone Indy Lights practice session of the 2020 season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

With the 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season fast approaching, Kyle Kirkwood, who will pilot the No. 28 Dallara for Andretti Autosport, is the first official driver announcement on the top rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.

After winning the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 championship, Kirkwood was set to join Andretti Autosport for the 2020 season, but those plans were put on hold when Indy Lights was put on hiatus until 2021.

“I am so incredibly excited to get this rolling again in Indy Lights with Andretti Autosport,” said Kyle Kirkwood. “2020 was an unfortunate year for Indy Lights taking a season hiatus, but it has given us as a team plenty of time to focus towards having a perfect year in 2021. Our lineup is very strong this year and fortunately, we are pretty close friends. Our readiness and preparation is incredible and I cannot wait to kick off the 2021 season in a few short months.”

Kirkwood led Indy Lights pre-season before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, bringing the season to an abrupt and unexpected halt.

Kyle Kirkwood behind the wheel of the Andretti Autosport No. 28 Dallara during spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March 2020. The Jupiter, Fla. native led the spring test. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

However, he was able to keep busy in 2020, making starts in the IMSA Prototype Challenge series and the GTD class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Kirkwood won once, stood on the podium twice, and had the quickest lap of the race in all four races of IMSA Prototype Challenge action with Forty7 Motorsports. Kirkwood joined the AIM Vasser Sullivan squad for the final pair of endurance races in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship behind the wheel of a Lexus RC F GT3.

The 22-year-old pilot’s incredible rise up the American junior formula career ranks began with a partial season of F1600 Championship Series action in 2015. Since then, Kirkwood has won 47 races and four championships, including the 2017 F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda, the 2018 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, the 2018 F3 Americas Championship Powered by Honda.

In two years of Road To Indy action, Kirkwood has two championships, 21 wins, ten poles, and has stood on the podium in 80% of his 30 USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 starts.

If the Jupiter, Fla. wins the Indy Lights championship, he would be the first driver to win the scholarship on all three rungs on the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder.

What better team to accomplish that feat than Andretti Autosport? The team has won four driver’s championships, including Pato O’Ward in 2018 and Oliver Askew in 2019.

The Indianapolis, Ind.-based team is expected to enter the 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season with a four-car effort, and more announcements will be forthcoming.

category: 2020 Road To Indy Coverage
tags: , , , , , ,
  • Comments Off on Kirkwood joins Andretti Autosport for 2021 Indy Lights season – 2019 Indy Pro 2000 champ looks for third Road To Indy championship
  • Email to friend
  • Blog it
  • Stay updated
Page 1 of 11:1 2 3 4 »Last »