Archives for Mazda Road To Indy PR

MAZDA INDY LIGHTS WATKINS GLEN GRAND PRIX RACE REPORT

Posted by  on Monday, September 4th 2017     
INDY LIGHTS PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES
MAZDA INDY LIGHTS WATKINS GLEN GRAND PRIX
PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES
RACE REPORT
09.03.17
Treacherous and rainy conditions couldn’t stop the field from wrapping up the 2017 Indy Lights season with an exciting, wet and wild 25-laps in today’s Soul Red Finale.

Action from the 2017 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season finale at Watkins Glen International airs Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

For more information, check out AndrettiAutosport.com and IndyLights.com.

No. 98 Deltro Energy Mazda
  • Started: 1st // Finished: 3rd
  • Championship: 3 / 15 (300 pts., unofficial)
  • Earned his seventh podium finish in his rookie season, adding to his seven poles, two wins and eight top-five finishes
“The last lap was dicey. I was looking behind and I could see Matheus [Leist] there and he tried to get me in Turn 8. We were super close – we might have touched. It was a fun race, though. It is good to end the season on a high and on the podium. It gives a lot of motivation going into the offseason, and I’m happy with that. I think we may have had a little bit more in the Deltro Energy car, but we’ll see what we have next year.”

No. 27 Synova Mazda
  • Started: 4th // Finished: 5th
  • Championship: 7 / 15 (269 pts. unofficial)
  • Earned his seventh top-five finish in addition to three wins, one pole and five podium finishes
“Overall, it was really a tough race. I ended up in the top-five and scored some points for the team so that’s a positive. I think we missed something in the rain. I had no real grip at all, and I felt like I was on slick tires the whole race, so we just tried to hold on and bring it home. Top-five isn’t bad, and we’ll move on to next year. It’s still been a really good season as a rookie. We’ve had three wins and tied for most wins this season. I’m very thankful for the opportunity this season with Andretti, and I want to thank my sponsors, Synova, who has been following me for many years as well and RelaDyne and The Stellrecht Company. We will have more success in the future, but overall I learned a lot which is a big positive.”

No. 48 Journey Mazda
  • Started: 7th // Finished: 10th
  • Championship: 11 / 15 (200 pts., unofficial)
  • Earned his 14th top-10 finish in his rookie season, competing today in his first rain race in an Indy Lights car
“At the beginning of the race, we were alright. I was right behind Nico [Jamin]. I’m not really sure what place we were in, but I made a small mistake and spun [the car] and put the back end in the wall, hurting the wing a little bit. We got going again, I don’t think the wing was affecting us too much, but hurt us a little bit. When they called us in for the red flag, we replaced the damaged wing but didn’t make it back out in time for the green flag with everyone. Given we made changes under a red flag, we would have faced a penalty anyway. It’s not the way we wanted to finish the season, but at the end of the day I want to thank Andretti Autosport and the crew for all the hard work they’ve given me all year and giving me a great car. I’m so thankful to be part of this great organization and I’m looking forward to next season.”

No. 28 K-Line Insulators USA Mazda
  • Started: 8th // Finished: 13th
  • Championship: 12 / 15 (198 pts., unofficial)
  • Ended his season on a low note after spinning on Lap 14 in the Bus Stop, his day was done early after sustaining damage from hitting the wall
“I’m really frustrated with how things ended up here in the last race of the season. I definitely wanted to end on a high note but we were really struggling for grip out there. I was trying to work my line, find where the grip was and couldn’t really figure that out. Going through the bus stop, I hit a little patch of water and hydroplaned and just looped it around. I had contact with the wall, which caused the end of our race. It is definitely frustrating for the No. 28 K-Line crew. These guys have worked hard all year. We had some success on the ovals and good pace on the road courses, but haven’t been able to put together a consistent race weekend. I’m a little frustrated overall we couldn’t have ended the season on a higher note.”
category: Andretti Autosport

Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires

Posted by  on Friday, September 1st 2017     

INDY LIGHTS PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES
MAZDA INDY LIGHTS WATKINS GLEN GRAND PRIX
PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES
PRACTICE REPORT
09.01.17

No. 98 Deltro Energy Mazda
Finished the day second overall with a best lap time of 1:32.9955
“It’s a good first session. I think judging on what we had a tire test, I knew that we were going to roll off good. We made some good gains and ended P2. We have a little more speed to find, but we made good gains on old tires and, I think, we know what to expect on new [tires]. I’m glad that we have another practice session, because it will be nice to try some new things with the car. But I think we have a really good car to roll off on, and that’s the main thing.”

No. 48 Journey Mazda
Finished the day eighth overall with a best lap time of 1:33.3368
“Practice went pretty well. If I wouldn’t have messed up the last Turn on the last lap, I think I would have gone fourth to third – the speed is there. I love this track so much and have had a lot of success here. We’ll go look over data, and hopefully look over our marks and qualify up front and then go and, hopefully, have a good race on Sunday.”

No. 28 K-Line Insulators USA Mazda
Finished the day 10th overall with a best lap time of 1:33.5364
“I think overall it was a productive session. We were working through a bunch of changes – we did four stops during the run. We’re trying to work on high-speed balance, that is going to be important to get the most out of our new tires. The car feels pretty good in the low speed corners. I think overall the pace is there, we just need to sit down and talk with the engineers and teammates to see what everyone is doing and go from there.”

No. 27 Synova Mazda
Finished the day 11th overall with a best lap time of 1:33.6826
“It’s my first time here at Watkins Glen, so I am just discovering the track and experiencing different lines. I wasn’t extremely comfortable with the car, so we made a few changes. At the end, I think, we were a lot better, but the tires just were not there anymore. We’ll look at some data tonight and then we have another practice session tomorrow. Having never been here before, it will be good to go back on track tomorrow with a fresh mind.”

category: Andretti Autosport
tags: , ,

Andersen Promotions Signs Three-Year Agreement with Green Savoree Racing Promotions

Posted by  on Tuesday, August 29th 2017     

PALMETTO, Fla. (August 29, 2017) – All three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires – the world’s most effective open-wheel development ladder – will continue to enjoy competition at three high profile venues as Andersen Promotions and Green Savoree Racing Promotions today announced a new multi-year contract.

Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will all be in action on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, through 2020. All three events respectively known as the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Honda Indy Toronto and Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be highlighted by rounds of the Verizon IndyCar Series.

“Eight years ago the Mazda Road to Indy’s relationship with Green Savoree began with USF2000 at St. Petersburg, and over the years it has been a tremendous partnership,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “This renewal to have the entire Mazda Road to Indy at all three Green Savoree events through 2020 is the perfect foundation for what we believe to be the best calendar of road courses, street circuits and oval venues designed to train young drivers for careers in professional racing. Kim [Green] and Kevin [Savoree] have three of the premier events on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule – a testament to their skills in organizing and promoting – and we are very pleased to be a part of their success.”

The waterfront street course at St. Petersburg, the cosmopolitan Toronto street circuit – the second longest-running street race – and picturesque Mid-Ohio Sports Car course have played host to the Mazda Road to Indy since the inception of the INDYCAR-sanctioned ladder system in 2010.

”The racing competition and the depth of driver talent showcased in the Mazda Road to Indy have been fantastic. Dan (Andersen) and his Andersen Promotions team have done a phenomenal job of building each step of the development ladder for open-wheel racing’s future stars,” said Kevin Savoree, president and chief operating officer of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “We’re proud to have all three series return and be key features at all three of our INDYCAR venues for an additional three years.”

The Mazda Road to Indy provides opportunities for drivers from around the world to progress all the way from the grassroots to the pinnacle of the sport in North America. This year, over $3.5 million in Mazda Scholarships and awards are on offer to help drivers take the next steps in their careers, with the Indy Lights champion claiming a prize valued at $1 million to ensure entry into three Verizon IndyCar Series events in 2018, including the 102nd Indianapolis 500. All three levels will wrap up the 2017 season this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

category: Andersen Promotions PR, Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires

MAZDA ST. LOUIS INDY LIGHTS OVAL CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES RACE REPORT

Posted by  on Sunday, August 27th 2017     
INDY LIGHTS PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES
08.26.17
As the sun set over Gateway Motorsports Park, Andretti Autosport’s Indy Lights drivers took the green flag for a wild 75-lap contest to the 1.25-mile track near St. Louis. Coverage of Round 15’s action-packed event airs Monday, Aug. 28, at noon ET on NBC Sports Network.
Wrapping up the 2017 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season, the teams take to Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, Sept. 2 and 3. For more information, check out AndrettiAutosport.com and IndyLights.com.

No. 98 Deltro Energy Mazda
  • Started: 7th // Finished: 3rd
  • Championship: 3 / 10 (277 pts., unofficial)
  • Qualified earlier in the day with an average two-lap speed of 160.110 mph
“We were starting seventh, so we knew a podium was possible. Late in the race, it really looked challenging. We came into the red flag seventh with seven laps to go. We made some good moves on the restart and got a clean line from the crash. We got up to third and I really think if we had a few more laps, we could’ve challenged for the win. I was catching and the car still felt really good and really fresh. I knew [racing two-wide] was possible from testing but I thought once you get a good, big group of fast guys, it was going to be tough. It proved wrong and you could really pass. It was a really good race, I think one of the best of the year.”

No. 28 K-Line Insulators USA Mazda
  • Started: 11th // Finished: 7th
  • Championship: 10 / 15 (190 pts., unofficial)
  • Qualified earlier in the day with an average two-lap speed of 159.603 mph
“Overall, it’s not a bad finish to the weekend. If you had to ask me how things were going during the middle of the race, it would’ve been pretty dower, but I think with that late caution coming out we were really able to capitalize on people’s mistakes and make some moves around the outside in Turn 1 and 2. Doing that classic [Ryan] Hunter-Reay short oval high-line move off the start seems to work pretty well for this race. I think that was probably the strongest part of our race was starts and restarts. We were definitely able to make up some positions there. Race pace, we were definitely struggling there. It was a pretty nervous car the whole time. Once things settled into a rhythm, I think we needed a little bit more as far as comfort and grip overall in the car and be able to challenge for the win, but we had a consistent car under us for the whole race so thanks to the Andretti crew for putting together a good package this weekend.”

No. 48 Journey Mazda
  • Started: 4th // Finished: 8th
  • Championship: 11 / 15 (189 pts., unofficial)
  • Qualified earlier in the day with an average two-lap speed of 160.272 mph
“At the beginning of the race, the car was just a handful and we had a couple of huge moments that I was actually surprised I caught those, but I kind of just let all the other cars go by me. Then mid-race, the car started coming to me and I was able to throw down some good lap times. On the restart, the tires were down again and it was just a handful in Turn 1. Me and Nico [Jamin] spun going through there and somehow saved that. After that, there was another restart and the temperature of the tires just never came and I was really never able to catch anyone. It was a fun weekend overall. I think we just missed a little bit of a setup during the race, but I think we had a good weekend and we’ll come back stronger at Watkins Glen.”

No. 27 Synova Mazda
  • Started: 3rd // Finished: 11th
  • Championship: 6 / 15 (252 pts., unofficial)
  • Qualified earlier in the day with an average two-lap speed of 160.782 mph
“I’m a bit disappointed with today’s run. We had a really strong race car. I fell down to fourth at the start and I worked my way back up to third and was catching onto [Juan] Piedrahita for second. I think I needed one or two more laps to get him and then we had the red flag. On the restart, the guy behind me was more trimmed than I was and had a good run on the outside. We both went deep in there and then all of a sudden my car broke crazy loose. I don’t know if someone hit me at the back – I’m not exactly sure what happened, but it broke loose and unfortunately I brought [Mateus] Leist with me. It’s just a race incident and it’s disappointing because we for sure had car good enough for podium  and maybe better. I’m confident for Watkins Glen. Things are getting better for us now.”

 

category: Andretti Autosport

Franzoni Reclaims Points Lead with Gateway Win

Posted by  on Sunday, August 27th 2017     
Madison, Ill. – The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires made its inaugural visit to Gateway Motorsports Park a memorable one as title rivals Victor Franzoni and Anthony Martin once again traded the lead of the championship as Franzoni claimed his fifth victory of the season in this afternoon’s St. Louis Pro Mazda Oval Challenge Presented by Cooper Tires. The pair now share five wins apiece.
Martin, of Cape Motorsports, took pole position in qualifying earlier this afternoon – his sixth pole of the season – with Juncos Racing’s Franzoni a close second. Martin held the advantage at the start but a yellow followed shortly after the green flag following a spin by Jeff Green (Juncos Racing) and Brendan Puderbach (Fat Boy Racing!). The battle for the lead resumed on Lap 3 with some entertaining side-by-side racing between the two.
Carlos Cunha of Team Pelfrey, who qualified fourth, managed to pass teammate TJ Fischer and briefly enter the fray at the front of the field. Franzoni made several attempts to get around Martin on the high side and finally made the move stick on Lap 18. Once past Martin, Franzoni romped to the checkered flag with a 4.6 second lead claiming the bonus points for most laps led and fastest race lap.
Cunha held off Fischer to claim his fourth podium of the season and narrow the gap to Fischer to just five points for third in the championship.
Jeff Green recovered from his earlier spin to pass the third Team Pelfrey car of Nikita Lastochkin and finish fifth, earning the Staubli Award. The Quarter Master Hard Charger Award went to World Speed Motorsports’ Sting Ray Robb with a gain of two positions. Juncos Racing earned the PFC Award.
Franzoni now leads Martin by two points (287 to 285) with the final two races on the docket coming down to the season finale at Watkins Glen International next weekend.
Victor Franzoni (#23 Juncos Racing): “After qualifying, I wasn’t sure we could do it, since I was three-tenths slower than him. We thought, we’ll make some big changes and just hope to survive and finish second. But when I passed him and started to pull away, I knew the changes worked. Here, we had to have a little bit more respect for each other, because the ovals are more dangerous and things happen so fast. But both of us were so focused on winning. I had to try outside in Turn One on the first lap and it was crazy oversteer, I thought I would go into the wall. I tried a couple of lines until I found one that worked. I think we’ll be really strong next weekend, so I’m very confident for the championship.”
Anthony Martin (#8 Mazda/Burgess BLA – Cape Motorsports): “We were fighting really hard at the start. We struggled with the car a little bit during the race while Victor and the Juncos team had a really good car and really good race pace. He was just able to make the car stick in Turn One and get around, and I couldn’t stay with him. We were fast all weekend so it’s a shame to finish it like that, but we took good points, and he’s only two points ahead. It doesn’t matter who’s ahead and who’s behind, you go in to win the race. At this point, I have to get all the points I can so you forget the championship, really. You have to win, there’s nothing else. I’m going to go into the last two races striving to do my best. Anything can happen at Watkins Glen so we’ll go in with guns blazing.”
Carlos Cunha (#81 Team Pelfrey): “I think ovals are amazing! I thought it would be easy but when we came here for the test two weeks ago, I realized it would not be easy. I actually touched the wall twice during the race. You need to be technical all the time and tell the engineers the right things because the car is the most important. You have to drive on the limit and you get what you get – and for us, that was third place today. Victor and Anthony had better place but for my first oval, it was good. I had no mistakes and we finished on the podium. I’m really excited to do another oval.”
category: Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires

Urrutia Wins a Thriller on Indy Lights Return to Gateway Motorsports Park 

Posted by  on Sunday, August 27th 2017     
Fourth-place Finish Means Kaiser Merely Needs to Start Practice at Finale
MADISON, Ill. – Santi Urrutia claimed a last-gasp victory in this evening’s Mazda St. Louis Indy Lights Oval Challenge Presented by Cooper Tires at the 1.25-mile Gateway Motorsports Park oval. The Uruguayan’s second win of the season for Belardi Auto Racing came after a tense battle with fellow South American Juan Piedrahita, who started from the pole position for Team Pelfrey but had to be content with a career-best second place finish.
Second-generation Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires racer Colton Herta finished third for Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing, narrowly ahead of fellow Californian Kyle Kaiser (Juncos Racing). The result means Kaiser merely needs to take the green flag for practice at next weekend’s season finale on the Watkins Glen International road circuit in upstate New York to put the coveted championship title beyond the reach of his rivals and secure a Mazda Scholarship valued at $1 million which will guarantee him entry into three Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2018, including the 102nd Indianapolis 500.
Indy Lights’ return to Gateway Motorsports Park following a 14-year absence proved to be a huge success as the large and appreciative crowd was treated to a thrilling 75-lap race.
Both Urrutia and Herta, who arrived at Gateway tied for second place in the championship, knew they needed to win the two remaining races to have any chance of beating Kaiser to the crown. In short, it was a long shot.
Urrutia, who lost out on the 2016 title in heartbreaking style at the season finale, did his level best to secure the additional championship point for pole position, only to be denied by series veteran Piedrahita – by a scant 0.006 of a second. Nevertheless, he knew his dream was still alive when he lined up on the front row of the grid.
The opening stages were marred by a succession of incidents. Aaron Telitz, last year’s winner of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, was particularly unfortunate when his Soul Red Belardi Auto Racing Dallara-Mazda was collected by a couple of spinners on the very first lap.
When the race finally got under way, with Piedrahita narrowly maintaining his advantage, Kaiser laid clean his intentions by passing Urrutia for second place around the outside in Turn Two. He didn’t hold it for long as Urrutia repaid the favor on Lap 15 and immediately began to pressure Piedrahita for the lead.
Kaiser, meanwhile, soon slipped back into the clutches of a battling Nico Jamin (Andretti Autosport), Herta – who earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award, Kaiser’s teammate Nico Dapero and Matheus Leist (Carlin), who had won the two previous ovals raced this season and quickly fought his way up from a lowly 12th on the grid.
Urrutia finally found a chink in Piedrahita’s armor on Lap 42, when he sliced past on the exit of Turn Four, but by then he had already lost any chance of gaining one of the other bonus points – for leading most laps. A little later in the race, on Lap 61, Zachary Claman DeMelo (Carlin) put the final bonus point – for fastest race lap – beyond Urrutia’s reach when he turned a lap in 28.0370 seconds, an average speed of 160.502 mph.
Still, Urrutia had eked out a margin of almost 1.5 seconds with 15 laps remaining, so at least the race win seemed to be well within his grasp. Furthermore, by then Kaiser had been overtaken firstly by Jamin and then by Leist and DeMelo.
But then the complexion of the race changed again when Carlin teammates Neil Alberico and Garth Rickards, who were battling for the 11th position, tangled with the slower car of debutant Chad Boat (Belardi Auto Racing), who earned the Staubli Award.
Officials wisely displayed the red flag while the wreckage was cleared away, leaving enough time for what was expected to be a five-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Piedrahita promptly made an opportunistic move around the outside of Urrutia at the restart, only for the yellows to fly again following an incident involving the third and fourth-placed cars of Jamin and Leist.
The green flew again with just three laps remaining. Urrutia knew it was now or never. He and Piedrahita battled side by side for almost two full laps before Urrutia completed the pass and sped away to a brilliant victory. Herta emerged in third, while Kaiser, who narrowly escaped becoming embroiled in the drama, crossed the line in fourth to ensure that his own dream was almost accomplished.
Kaiser now holds an unassailable 31-point edge as the series heads to Watkins Glen next weekend, although he will still need to turn up and practice for the race in order to be assured of the championship spoils.
The Team Championship remains more finely poised, with Andretti Autosport holding a 11-point lead, 364-353, over Belardi Auto Racing. Last year’s champions Carlin now trail in third on 345 points.
Santi Urrutia (#5 Belardi Auto Racing w/SPM): “It was one of the best races of the year – competitive, clean and really exciting. It was good racing against Juan. He was quicker than me on the straight and I was better in Turns One and Two so when he made a small mistake in Turn One, I was able to get past. When the red came out, I was worried because I thought he would be able to pass me on the restart. When that happened, I knew it was my last chance and I had to try to get by. I’m happy – I did what I had to do today; the rest was out of our control. We had a difficult start to the season but the second half we have been really strong, and I hope races like this will help me be in IndyCar next year.”
Juan Piedrahita (#2 Petrosur-Team Pelfrey): “There were two perfect cars this weekend: my car and Santi’s car. It just happened that his car was perfect in Turns One and Two and my car was perfect in Turns Three and Four, so we could get a run on each other but not hold it. I gave it my all today. It feels awesome to be up front, but I’m heartbroken not to get the win for the team. But Santi did a great job. I kept hoping the race would end, because it was so difficult mentally. I didn’t know what he was going to do. I had a run on him, then he had a run on me – it was crazy. We both did a great job and I hope I can get the win at Watkins Glen.”
Colton Herta (#98 Deltro Energy Mazda-Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing): “It was discombobulating, between the yellows and the red flag, so it was a tough race, but I also think it was one of the best races of the year. We came into the red flag in seventh and made some good moves on the restart. I think if we had a few more laps we could have challenged for the win. The year has gone so quickly, and I’m happy with what we’ve done this year. I didn’t expect to be in the title chase our first year; we planned on a two-year program. So we’re ahead of the game.”
—–
Pos Car # Driver Diff Laps Status
1 5 Santi Urrutia –.—- 75 Running
2 2 Juan Piedrahita 0.4518 75 Running
3 98 Colton Herta – R 0.9641 75 Running
4 18 Kyle Kaiser 2.5437 75 Running
5 31 Nicolas Dapero – R 3.0843 75 Running
6 13 Zachary Claman de Melo 3.1337 75 Running
7 28 Dalton Kellett 4.1024 75 Running
8 48 Ryan Norman – R 6.4154 75 Running
9 51 Shelby Blackstock – 74 Running
10 26 Matheus Leist – R – 73 Running
11 27 Nico Jamin – R – 68 Running
12 22 Neil Alberico – 61 Contact
13 11 Garth Rickards – R – 61 Contact
14 84 Chad Boat – R – 58 Contact
15 9 Aaron Telitz – R – 1 Contact
category: Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires

MAZDA ST. LOUIS INDY LIGHTS OVAL CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES PRACTICE REPORT

Posted by  on Saturday, August 26th 2017     

08.25.17

For a third and final time this season, Andretti Autosport’s Indy Light quartet hits an oval as the series takes to the 1.25-mile Gateway Motorsports Park in the shadows of the famed St. Louis Arch.

Coverage of Saturday’s 75-lap Round 15 race broadcasts Monday, Aug. 28, at noon ET on NBC Sports Network.

For more information, visit AndrettiAutosport.com and IndyLights.com.

No. 28 K-Line Insulators USA Mazda
  • FINISHED: 2nd
  • Turned a fastest lap of 162.138 mph for a time of 27.7542 seconds, 0.0513 behind leader Urrutia
“I feel pretty good overall. I’m definitely happy with where we ended up. When we tested here last week, we didn’t really get a lot of track time due to a pit lane incident – we only got about 50 laps or so. We were definitely behind the eight ball coming here. The first 50 laps we did in this session, we were just feeling the track out. The new surface is really hard. It’s just so smooth – it’s hard to feel what the car is doing. It took a while to get the confidence but once we figured it out, we were obviously pretty quick. I think we’ll have a good qualifying setup. This track is probably the hardest out of all the ovals to get up to speed quickly, so we’ll have to work on that for our setup and I think qualifying is going to be important. I think you can race here, but it’s always easier when you start up front.”

No. 27 Synova Mazda
  • FINISHED: 3rd
  • Turned a fastest lap of 161.705 mph at 27.8284 seconds
“We started off the weekend with a really good session. I’m very happy we’re third quickest in practice. It looks like we’ll have a really strong race car. We spent most of the night working on the race car, and then we did a race sim with a qualifying sim at qualifying trim – that was really fast as well. We were able to be quick, pretty fast into the run so that’s a very good point. I’m excited for qualifying tomorrow and the race, obviously. I think the race at night will be really cool.”

No. 98 Deltro Energy Mazda
  • FINISHED: 5th
  • Turned a fastest lap of 161.348 mph at 27.8901 seconds
“I feel like we had a really good race car by the end of [the practice session tonight]. We were really, mainly focused on the race setup than qualifying because that seems to be what we struggled with the most in Iowa. I think we have good qualifying speed, and I think how the tires work at this track will help me in qualifying because it takes a while for the tire temps to get up, and we seem to be good on cold tires. It’s going to be completely different tomorrow because the time we qualify is mid-day, so we’ll throw some stuff at it tonight and see how it goes.”

No. 48 Journey Mazda
  • FINISHED: 8th
  • Turned a fastest lap of 161.078 mph at 27.9367 seconds
“Our first practice session went pretty good. I think we have a good race car, but on our practice qualifying run, I think I just didn’t get up to speed quick enough so I wasn’t about to get the peek out of the car in two laps. But my teammates had fast cars, so I know we’ll be there and we’ll have a strong race car. We should be ready to go for tomorrow.” 
category: Andretti Autosport

Meet the Contenders: Matheus Leist

Posted by  on Friday, August 25th 2017     

Meet the Contenders: Matheus Leist

Brazilian rookie Matheus Leist made his mark in his debut season of Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires. With two races remaining, the teenager is in mathematical reach of points leader Kyle Kaiser of Juncos Racing and still has an outside chance of winning the championship for the Carlin team.

To say that this has already been an epic year for Matheus Leist might be an understatement. The 19-year-old Brazilian came to the United States after winning the BRDC British Formula 3 title, joining 2016 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires champions Carlin. A year after he took that championship, he lies fourth in the 2017 title chase, 48 points back, with an outstanding rookie season that saw him earn victories on two ovals, including the prestigious Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Add to that a test in an Indy car, and this has been a season to remember as Leist inches closer to his dream: a ride in the Verizon IndyCar Series.

Leist might have been a new name in America at the start of the season but he was already well known to the Carlin team, having earned the British F3 title over Carlin driver Ricky Collard. With the team’s championship-winning driver, Ed Jones, graduating to the Verizon IndyCar Series, Trevor Carlin’s eponymous team searched for a new driver to bring to the U.S. and looked no further than the driver who had cost them the F3 championship. Leist knew he had a significant mountain to climb with learning a new team, a new car and an entire series worth of new racetracks – in a new country.

Matheus Leist is one of three drivers in contention for the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tire title. (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)

“I knew a few of the Carlin guys from last year” said Leist, “so it was not hard at all to get used to the team. It was much more about getting used to the car, the tires and the tracks and just living in America. The team has helped me so much this year, to improve and to grow as a driver. I felt comfortable with them from the first day. It’s not just about the racing, it’s about being friends as well. I have a great relationship with my engineer Steve Barker and my mechanics Ryan Lall and Rob Hothi. We’re good friends away from the racetrack. I have a great relationship with my teammates as well. I live near Miami Beach, only about an hour from the Carlin shop, so I can go up to the workshop, hang out with them and do some simulator work, which is nice.”

The series schedule pushed Leist into the deep end of the pool at the outset, with his first race in America taking place in the narrow confines of St. Petersburg, Fla. Leist qualified a promising fourth for the opening double-header, but mechanical issues in both races meant he finished back in the field. He showed more form at Barber Motorsports Park, finishing fourth and seventh in the two races on the fast and flowing road course. He arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hoping to turn things around, but it was a well-timed conversation with Carlin team manager Colin Hale that really began to change his mindset.

“In the first qualifying session at the grand prix I was ninth and I thought ‘my God, I’m lost.’ Colin called me into the office and told me that he knew I could be up there, that I could be better than I was showing. From there, I did the fastest lap in Race One, qualified third for Saturday’s race and finished third to earn my first podium.”

Later that month came the series’ marquee event: The Freedom 100, held on Carb Day ahead of the Indianapolis 500. It would be Leist’s first race on an oval, but anyone who expected him to be intimidated could not have been familiar with either the young Brazilian’s demeanor or the oval aptitude of the Carlin team.

“It was so crazy, my first time racing on an oval. I remembered seeing interviews with some of the European drivers saying that they would never race on an oval, that it was crazy. It is crazy, but only a little bit! The first day at Homestead was a bit difficult but it was exciting. It was so fast and so fun. To be honest, after this summer, I’d rather race on an oval than a road course. That’s crazy.

“The car was just perfect that whole week at Indianapolis and I felt very comfortable,” Leist continued. “Everything was perfect. From the first lap of practice to the green flag at the Freedom 100, we did not make any changes to the car – it was just sit down and drive. I was very relaxed the morning of the race. I told my father that it would be a very tough race, because there had been so many passes in the previous years. I was on pole but I did not expect to be out front all race. And then I led every lap and won the race. It was just unbelievable for everyone, with all the people in Victory Lane. I felt like I was dreaming.”

With his Freedom 100 success fresh in his mind, Leist qualified a disappointing 10th for the second oval race of the year, at the .894-mile Iowa Speedway. In hindsight, his sudden appearance at the front of the field at the restart should probably not have been a surprise.

“The week before the race, I watched a lot of races from past years and everyone was saying that you needed to qualify up front because it was so difficult to overtake. When I qualified 10th I thought ‘what am I supposed to do now?’ I was trying to pass another car about 15 laps into the race and I couldn’t get by, so I tried the high line and it worked very well. Coming back to the restart after the yellow, I stayed high and overtook two or three cars in Turn Two. I figured out from there how to win and I think it was one of the best races of my life. It was really cool.”

Before Indy, Leist was 10th in the championship, 52 points out of the lead. But with the podium at the grand prix, the victory in the Freedom 100 and another win on the road course at Road America, Leist found himself in the thick of the title chase, up to second position and only 21 points out. Heading to Gateway, he lies fourth, 48 points behind. It’s a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.

“I was last in the championship coming away from St. Pete and it seemed impossible. I was still figuring out how to drive the car at Barber and getting used to the longer races, and everything changed at Indy. I started dreaming of the championship. I still think I can win, even though it is difficult. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs this season but I do think it’s been impressive, with the important races we’ve won – especially the two ovals. It doesn’t matter if we win or not, we’ve already done many good things.”

Matheus Leist leads the field at Road America (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)

Among those “good things” in 2017 was a test of Andretti Autosport’s Indy car at Road America in June. It was almost a surreal moment for Leist, realizing just how far he had come in such a short amount of time.

“It’s crazy to think about it. Colin reminds me that last year at this time I was driving British Formula 3 at Oulton Park, and this year I won the Freedom 100 and tested an Indy car! It was another dream come true for me, it was so amazing. I remember being young and my brother and I talking about IndyCar and Formula One and now I was driving one of those cars. It makes me want to move forward and do my best, to impress people so I can one day be winning the Verizon IndyCar Series championship and the Indy 500.”

category: Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires
tags: ,

BELARDI AUTO RACING ARMED WITH FOUR INDY LIGHTS PILOTS FOR GATEWAY

Posted by  on Thursday, August 24th 2017     

USAC star Chad Boat expands driver trio to quartet for high-speed oval contest

 BROWNSBURG, IN (August 23, 2017) – As announced earlier this season, the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires driver line-up at Belardi Auto Racing will expand to four for this weekend’s 75-lap race at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, IL.  The team’s season-long trio of Aaron Telitz, Shelby Blackstock and Santi Urrutia will be joined by full-time USAC Midget driver Chad Boat for the Friday–Saturday show, which will feature with the Indy Lights Mazda St. Louis Oval Challenge Presented by Cooper Tires on Saturday at 6:00 pm Central.

“We’re excited Chad will finally be able to join our stout stable of drivers,” offered Brian Belardi, Team Owner. “As you know, he was unable to race in Iowa due to medical reasons, so to have four cars up and running is a great sight.  We tested here a couple weeks ago and everyone was fast and comfortable.  Look for us on top of the scoring pylon this weekend.”

Gateway Motorsports Park is a unique track for the Indy Lights series, as it was added to this year’s schedule of races as the third oval event for the drivers at the top rung of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.  The track measures out at 1.25 miles and the turns are banked between 9º-10º. The front and back stretches flatten out to the small banking between the turns at just 3º, which will present a significant challenge for the drivers. The Mazda-powered Dallara IL-15s in the Indy Lights series are expected to reach top speeds of over 165 mph during qualifying.

The team tested on the challenging and physically demanding oval two weeks ago, hitting the track on Thursday, August 10.  The team’s progress during the test was extremely positive and the drivers are primed and ready to battle for the win in the 15thevent of the 16-race schedule.

Miguelete, Uruguay’s Santiago Urrutia is coming off strong weekend at the Mid-Ohio doubleheader in late July. The Uruguayan was able to win the Saturday opener, his first of the year, and came home with a strong second in the longer Sunday race.  This was huge for Santi’s momentum and confidence, as it advanced him in the championship point battle, as he now sits tied for second overall.  The 20-year-old has showed speed on the ovals this year, finishing fifth in the Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis 500 before advancing to an impressive second at Iowa in Indy Lights race in July. Urrutia has momentum going into this race and is poised to gain much needed points in his effort to win the 2017 championship.

Minneapolis, MN’s Aaron Telitz has had an up-and-down year, however in Mid-Ohio, he was able to make big gains duringSunday’s race, and in May fought for the lead in the Freedom 100.  These successes bode well for Aaron this weekend. As the 2016 Pro Mazda Champion who competes in Indy Lights with the Mazda scholarship, Aaron sports the prestigious Soul Red Mazda colors on his Dallara IL-15 and with two ovals under his belt this season, he’s ready for some high-speed wheel-to-wheel action. The 25-year-old was very pleased with the results of the test and he is focused on continuing the pace that he displayed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Charlotte, NC’s Shelby Blackstock currently sits ninth in the championship standings and is coming off an extremely strong outing at Mid-Ohio.  Shelby raced hard and was rewarded with a pair of top-four finishes, highlighted by a third in Race #2 that came after some thrilling wheel-to-wheel action. Blackstock has enjoyed a consistent year with nine top-10 finishes in the 14 races, and with a top career Indy Lights oval result of fourth in the 2016 Freedom 100, he’ll be aiming for the podium this weekend.

Belardi Auto Racing welcomes Cornelius, NC’s Chad Boat to the team for the Gateway event.  The 25-year-old is a full-time USAC Midget driver, and will be adding one Indy Lights race to his already-stacked 31-race schedule. He currently sits seventh on the National Midget Series standings. Boat competed in a total of 14 events on the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series as well, finished 22nd at Iowa Speedway that year. Boat’s performance at last week’s test was impressive, and he is excited about this new opportunity.

The weekend schedule for this year’s Indy Lights Mazda St. Louis Oval Challenge Presented by Cooper Tire at Gateway Motorsports Park will begin with a 45-minute practice session on Friday, August 25 at 7:45 pm CT.  Saturday will consist of a single-car, two-lap qualifying session at 1:45 pm CT and the race will be run at 6:00 pm CT ahead of the Verizon IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500. The race will be broadcast live on the Road to Indy TV app, IndyLights.com and theIndyCar.com Race Control page with audio provided by IndyCar Radio.  It also airs on NBCSN on August 28, 12:00 pm ET.

BELARDI AUTO RACING – DRIVER INFORMATION

SANTIAGO URRUITA – #5

Age: 20

Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay

Residence: Miguelete, Uruguay

Sponsors: ARROW Electronics, BSE, ANCAP, Antel, Ministerio de Turismo, AgroLavalle, SuperMatch, Fadisol, SINTEPLAS, Secretaría Nacional de Deporte, BMW MotorHaus

Social Media:

Website: www.santiurrutia.com.uy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Santiago-Urrutia-Oficial

Twitter: @Santi_Urrutia

Driver Input: “I feel the test went very well at Gateway, I drove it to the edge to get everything out of my car.  I’m going into the race with confidence, ready to win, and then head to Watkins Glen winning there too, to win the Championship.”

AARON TELITZ – #9

Age: 25

Hometown: Birchwood, WI

Residence: Minneapolis, MN

Sponsors: Mazda, Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Rising Star Racing, Morrie’s Chippewa Valley Mazda, Fred Thomas Resort, Cooper Tires, Bell Helmets, Sparco, Team USA Scholarship

Social Media:

Website: www.aarontelitz.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaron.telitz

Twitter: @aarontelitz

Instagram: @aarontelitz

Driver Input: “We had a great team test here at Gateway last week. The cars are working really well in race trim. We’ll use practice to dial in qualifying setup and then go for pole!”

SHELBY BLACKSTOCK – #51

Age: 27

Hometown: Nashville, TN

Residence: Charlotte, NC

Sponsors: Starstruck, Sparco, AMPED Apparel/Optics, Arai Helmets

Social Media:

Website: www.shelbyblackstock.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShelbyBlackstock

Twitter: @shelbilly

Instagram: @shelbyblackstock

Driver Input: “The recent test at Gateway Motorsports Park went great for the Belardi Auto Racing team!  The car was very quick over the run and good in traffic! I’m really looking forward to getting back there on the 25th.”

CHAD BOAT – #84

Age: 25

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Residence: Cornelius, NC

Sponsors: Pristine Auction, K&C Drywall

Social Media:

Website: www.chadboat.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChadBoat84

Twitter: @ChadBoat

Instagram: @ChadBoat

Driver Input: “I am looking forward to my first Indy Lights race and using what I learned at the test to have the best possible race weekend. The repave at Gateway has made the track very smooth, so it should make for some great racing. I know the Belardi Auto Racing team will have a great car prepared for the event. None of this would be possible without Pristine Auction and all of our sponsors.”

category: Belardi PR

Mazda Road to Indy Fields Set for Revived Gateway Oval Challenge 

Posted by  on Thursday, August 24th 2017     
Kaiser Seeks to Clinch Indy Lights Title, while Pro Mazda Duel is Finely Poised
PALMETTO, Fla. (August 23, 2017) – Much is at stake as two of the three steps on the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires open-wheel development ladder – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires – prepare for a brand-new challenge this weekend at the recently repaved Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill. Both series will hold races on Saturday evening in conjunction with the headline Bommarito Automotive Group 500 for the Verizon IndyCar Series, which will return for the first time since 2003.
Indy Lights also last visited the venue in 2003, while Pro Mazda will be making its debut appearance at the 1.25-mile oval situated just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Mo.
Kaiser has his Eyes set on $1 Million Prize 
A Mazda Scholarship valued at $1 million, which will guarantee entry into three Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2018, including the 102nd Indianapolis 500, is still up for grabs for this year’s Indy Lights champion.
Now in his third season of Indy Lights, Juncos Racing’s Kyle Kaiser, 21, from Santa Clara, Calif., has opened up a commanding 42-point advantage over primary rivals Colton Herta (Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing) and Santi Urrutia (Belardi Auto Racing), who are currently tied for second place. Many different scenarios are possible with one more race remaining after this weekend – at the Watkins Glen International road course in upstate New York on September 2 – but the bottom line is that Kaiser will put the scholarship 100 percent out of reach if he finishes second on Saturday. With a third or fourth-place finish – and a win by Herta or Urrutia including the three bonus points for fastest race lap, pole position and most laps lead – Kaiser would merely need to qualify at Watkins Glen to wrap up the title.
“Going into Gateway, I feel very confident,” said Kaiser. “We had a really strong test day and I know we’re going to have a good baseline starting the weekend. I know we have a car to win, so if everything falls in place that’s the result I’m expecting. I’m aware of the championship implications but that isn’t the focus for this race. I’m going to go out and drive the best I can and let the rest take care of itself.”
And even if Kaiser strikes misfortune – as he did in the most recent race weekend at Mid-Ohio, where he claimed only a pair of disappointing 12th-place finishes – both Herta, from Valencia, Calif., and Urrutia, from Miguelete, Uruguay, would require at least a third-place finish, plus one of the available bonus points (for pole, leading most laps or fastest race lap) to maintain any hope of wresting away the top prize from Kaiser’s grasp.
Herta, with two wins and a season high six poles to his name, and Urrutia, whose win and second-place finish at Mid-Ohio helped to erase the memory of a disappointing early part of the season after finishing a close second in the 2016 title-chase, certainly have momentum on their side, but there is no shortage of other contenders trying to knock the top three off their perch.
Among them is Brazilian rookie Matheus Leist (Carlin), who also still has an outside chance of snatching the top prize. To do so he would need to win both of the last two races and secure at least one bonus point, then hope that Kaiser finished last on each occasion. While that might seem like a tall order, Leist scored emphatic victories in both of the previous two oval races this year – the Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and at Iowa Speedway – then underscored his versatility by adding another win on the road course at Road America.
Canadian Zachary Claman DeMelo (Carlin), Frenchman Nico Jamin, winner of the 2015 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda who has won three times this year for Andretti Autosport, and fellow rookie Aaron Telitz (Belardi Auto Racing), from Birchwood, Wis., who won last year’s Pro Mazda crown, also are within just 22 points of second place in the championship with two races remaining.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the experience spectrum, oval specialist Chad Boat will finally be making his Indy Lights debut for Belardi Auto Racing. Boat, 25, from Phoenix, Ariz., who has garnered success in sprint cars, midgets and stock cars, was originally scheduled to debut at Iowa Speedway in July, but was prevented from doing so by a short-track accident the previous weekend. Boat, whose father Billy made 11 Indy Lights (American Racing Series) starts in the 1980s, is now fully recuperated and eager to continue his progress from an encouraging test at Gateway last month.
After a single 45-minute practice session on Friday, August 25, competitors in the Mazda St. Louis Indy Lights Oval Challenge Presented by Cooper Tires will qualify at 1:45 p.m. CDT on Saturday, and the 75-lap race will see the green flag at 6:00 p.m. The race will be broadcast on NBCSN at 12:00 pm EDT on Monday, August 28.
Martin Vs. Franzoni Rivalry Takes to the Oval 
The battle for this year’s Pro Mazda crown, plus a Mazda Scholarship worth $790,300, looks like it will go down to the wire. After nine of 12 races, Australia’s Anthony Martin (Cape Motorsports) leads Brazilian Victor Franzoni (Juncos Racing) by a scant four-point margin. The pair has been separated by mere fractions of a second, and that trend looks set to be continued as they prepare for Saturday evening’s 55-lap St. Louis Pro Mazda Oval Challenge Presented by Cooper Tires.
The series’ only visit to an oval track this season will mark its debut at Gateway Motorsports Park, and the only single-race event on the schedule. It promises to be an intriguing contest.
The season began with Martin, last year’s USF2000 series champion, sweeping both races on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. Next time out, on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix circuit in Indiana, it was Franzoni’s turn to shine as he claimed a pair of comfortable victories. Since then the pair have shared the honors between them. Each won once at Road America, Wis., while the most recent triple-header round at Mid-Ohio was edged by Martin who claimed two wins to his rival’s one.
“My mindset is the same as Mid-Ohio – to maximize every championship point I can get,” said Martin. “I have to really focus on working with the team to make my car perfect from practice through to the race.
“We tested here two weeks ago,” continued Martin. “We learned a lot with the car and we were able to get faster and faster each session. The surface is brand new and it is soooooo smooth. It really is like a billiard table! I have never driven an oval that is high speed like this one so it is definitely different to be driving around corners at those speeds.”
The battle for third place in the overall championship also is being keenly fought – among Team Pelfrey teammates TJ Fischer, Carlos Cunha and Nikita Lastochkin, who are separated by just 16 points. Fischer, from Los Angeles, Calif., set out his stall early with four consecutive podium finishes, while rookies Cunha, from Campinas, Brazil, and Los Angeles-based Russian Lastochkin have made steady progress in their quest to challenge the leaders.
Payette, Idaho’s Sting Ray Robb, the youngest driver in the field at age 15, enjoyed the most competitive outing of his rookie season in the most recent race at Mid-Ohio, where he finished a strong fifth for World Speed Motorsports.
The Pro Mazda contestants will start their weekend with a 45-minute practice session on Friday evening. Qualifying will take place at 1:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday, followed by the 55-lap race at 4:55 p.m.
Coverage of the Mazda Road to Indy can be found on a series of platforms including Road to Indy TV, the Road to Indy TV App and dedicated broadcast channels on demand via Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku and, most recently, the Xbox One Official App as well as live streaming and live timing on the series’ respective websites and indycar.com. Indy Lights is also featured on the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts on Sirius 214, XM 209, IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app.
category: Mazda Road To Indy PR
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