PALMETTO, FLA.- After completing a weekend of testing at Roebling Road Raceway in Georgia, Calvin Ming prepares for the 2016 F1600 Formula F Championship season by joining forces with Team Pelfrey.
Ming has previously worked with Team Pelfrey. In October 2015, Ming raced once in a bright yellow F1600 Team Pelfrey car.
“I had the opportunity to experience the professional expertise of the team last year, and I am very glad to be a member of the team competing in the F1600 series this year.”
The relationship proved to be a success as he collected a second place finish at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex racing with Team Pelfrey.
“I feel confident working with the team,” said Ming. “I will be well equipped and prepared to compete successfully in the series this year.”
The 20-year-old Florida International University student graduated from Skip Barber Racing School in 2015. Ming has a couple sponsors headed into the 2016 season. One of them hisfather, and another sponsorship from his father’s Corporate Associates based at his home in Guyana.
“My father has supported all my racing activities since I started karting when I was 6 years old, during the past year of karting in the USA and racing in the Mexican FIA F4 championship series,” said Ming. “Thanks to my father, I have also obtained further sponsorship from Corporate Associates in Guyana, where I was born and raised until I moved to the USA in 2014.”
Ming is looking to advance his sponsorships throughout the season. He officially joins the team at the 2.54 mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta track April 7-10 for the first round of the F1600 Championship series. This is Ming’s first F1600 race of the season, and he is excited for his debut with Team Pelfrey after enjoying highly successful Winter Exhibition outings at Palm Beach International Raceway and Sebring International Raceway, where he won on both occasions.
“I am looking forward to working very closely and constructively with all the members of the team to ensure that we have the best chances of being very competitive and winning the F1600 championship this year.”
For more information on Calvin Ming visit www.calvinmingracing.com. Follow Team Pelfrey on social media, @TeamPelfrey on Twitter, for updates on Ming’s career, race days and all team information.
Lindenhurst, New York (April 5, 2016) – Group-A Racing is proud to announce they have signed 16 year old Canadian, Raphael Forcier, to compete in the inaugural FIA United States Formula 4 Championship. Raphael will drive the #62 Parizeau Pawulski Architects Formula 4 car fielded by Group-A Racing.
Canadian Raphael Forcier has joined Group A Racing for the upcoming F4 U.S. Championship (Photo courtesy of F4 U.S. Championship)
Forcier is a 16 year old Canadian who is born and raised in Montreal. He is fluent in two languages speaking both French and English. Raphael got his start in motorsports, first racing dirt bikes before transitioning to four wheels competing in the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship. He most recently earned a top 5 championship result in the points standings before making the move up to cars in the 2015-2016 Skip Barber Winter Series. In his first season racing cars Raphael earned a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway and 6 podium finishes on his way to a 4th place finish in the championship standings during his rookie car campaign.
Raphael will now step up to compete in the inaugural season of the U.S Formula 4 Championship with Group-A Racing, looking to further develop his career with the tools both the FIA and the Group-A Racing team has to offer.
With Forcier joining Group-A Racing Formula 4 program he will get the unique opportunity of working with Ian Brown as his engineer who has over 25 years in Indy Car. He will be learning the engineering side of the sport from one of the best in the business who has seen it all at the top levels.
“I am really excited to have Raphael graduate to Formula 4 with our team” said Group-A Racing team manager Jonathan Scarallo. “He has done a really nice job during his rookie season in cars and with the coaching and engineering expertise he will receive from us he will continue to get better during every test and race weekend to achieve great results.”
“I am very grateful to have a seat with Group-A Racing for the opening season of the FIA U.S Formula 4 Series” said Forcier. “I am really excited to be working with Jonathan Scarallo & my engineer Ian Brown. I am looking forward to achieving success throughout the season with great teamwork.”
Raphael will get his first experience with the team and the Crawford built Formula 4 car during a 3 day test in 2 weeks. He will then get more days of pre season testing in May looking to hit the ground running for the season opener at Lime Rock Park.
The first Indy Lights session of the weekend ran caution free here on the 1-mile oval in Avondale, AZ.
However the session was not completely without incident. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian rookie Andre Negrao did tell IndyCar Radio that he made light contact with the wall, doing some damage to the right side suspension on the right side of the No. 77 Mazda/Dallara.
The session was led by Felix Serralles with a lap of 166.769mph, that’s a time of 22.0617 seconds. He was followed by Ed Jones and Dean Stoneman. Rounding out the Top-5 were Kyle Kaiser and Zach Claman de Melo.
As we noted in the preview, Ed Jones ran a non-winged sprint car earlier this week over at Perris Auto Speedway near LA. He told IMS Radio that he actually learned a lot from running that car. One part that stood out from his remarks was that he said things are so close right now that every little thing you can learn – even in a different car – can be an advantage.
RJB Motorsports Begins USF2000 Quest with Top-10 Finish in Florida
Driver Michai Stephens Showcases STEM Education at Turner/Bartels K-8 School
STURGIS, Mich. (March 28, 2016) – RJB Motorsports marked its debut in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda with a top-10 finish on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., and is now setting its sights on the next two races which will take place in support of the Verizon IndyCar Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., on April 22-24.
The USF2000 series, which will be contested over 16 races this year, represents step one on the acclaimed Mazda Road to Indy open-wheel development ladder which provides scholarships at every level to assist drivers in graduating from the grassroots of the sport to the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. After four years of racing in the SCCA’s Formula 600 category, RJB Motorsports is running a pair of USF2000 Van Diemen-Mazda cars for former F600 champion Clint McMahan, from Covington, Ga., and Team USA Scholarship winner Michai Stephens, from Evanston, Ill.
The RJB team began its quest by taking part in the two-day Mazda Road to Indy Spring Training test session at scenic Barber Motorsports Park on March 6-7 – a final opportunity to prepare for the first two races on the unforgiving street circuit in St. Petersburg. RJB then made a stop at Turner Bartels K-8 School in Tampa, Fla., to introduce its students to auto racing and help promote its focus on #STEM education featuring Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. RJB driver Michai Stephens showcased his #19 Wild Boar Energy Drink/Metalloid race car, answered questions for the students and shared his unique story of how he became a racing driver.
RJB Motorsports pilot Michai Stephens at a stem even prior to the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (photo courtesy of RJB Motorsports)
“It took me back to where my journey all started,” said Stephens. “Seeing their faces light up was a pleasant reminder as to just how far I have come.”
Then it was on to St. Petersburg for the first two races of the season. The two RJB cars lined up in 17th (Stephens) and 20th (McMahan) after qualifying for the first race but immediately moved forward through the extremely competitive 26-car pack. McMahan emerged in an astonishing fifth place following an incident on the first corner with Stephens just a couple of places farther back in seventh. An action-packed 30-minute race ended with McMahan in seventh, earning the Tilton Hard Charger Award, and Stephens in 11th.
Unfortunately, Stephens’ car had sustained damage in the first race which, despite the crew’s best efforts, could not be repaired in time for Race Two later in the afternoon. Flying the RJB flag alone, McMahan once again made good progress, rising from 20th to 13th and reporting over the radio that his car was performing better than ever, before his day ended prematurely just a couple of laps shy of the finish following contact with another car.
Class is in session
Lucas Oil School of Racing is pleased to announce our 2016 training schedule. The schedule sees the School visit six different race tracks in six states between March and September. Each two-day block of training includes a Basic 2-Day program and a pair of Test Days, designed to cater to rookies and experienced racers alike.
Experience the most advanced open wheel racing school (photo courtesy of Lucas Oil School of Racing)
Training Events
Basic 2-Day ($4,400) – The first step in your driver development program. Two eight-hour days of instruction combined with 5 hours of on-track time get you acclimated with the art and science of driving a modern race car. Available at many popular tracks around the country, successful completion of a Basic 2 Day program qualifies you for a provisional SCCA Regional Competition License.
Test Day ($1,800) – Step 2; gain speed, gain confidence or just learn new tracks. A minimum of three 30-minute sessions will get you up to speed, while available post-session data debrief and video analysis allow you to maximize your results.
Schedule March 28-29 – Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla. (Club Circuit) May 9-10 – Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, Pa. May 16-17 – Virginia International Raceway (South Course), Alton, Va. June 20-21 – Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Conn. August 8-9 – Lime Rock Park August 22-23 – Pittsburgh International Race Complex August 29-30 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Oh.
September 13-14 – Virginia International Raceway (North Course Day 1, Full Course Day 2) Look for additional dates and locations in future updates.
Today we train, tomorrow we race
To prepare for the launch of the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series, we are running a pair of standalone, non-points Race Events, April 22-23 at Palm Beach International Raceway, and August 20-21 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Each Race Event features an á la carte format that will give you as much or as little seat time as you need.
It was a beautiful morning for racing here in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires field hit the track for their 45-lap feature race under bright, sunny skies. Despite having a poor race yesterday after starting from second, Belardi Auto Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist started today’s race from the pole position, alongside his teammate Zach Veach. Yesterday’s pole sitter, Kyle Kaiser, started from third, while Saturday race winner Felix Serralles and Andre Negrao comprised the rest of the top five starting positions.
Rosenqvist, it was determined after yesterday’s race, accidentally engaged the “rain” fuel map setting on his car, dialing his Mazda engine back to about 70% of its normal power output. That lack of power was the reason Rosenqvist dropped so quickly from the front row, plummeting from second to seventh by the end of the race. With the full brute power of Mazda behind him, Rosenqvist was hopeful of a significantly better outcome this morning.
It was a better start, with Rosenqvist cleanly away at the front of the field, while Kaiser was able to return the favor to Veach and squeeze past the American and into second. Serralles and Negrao held onto fourth and fifth, respectively. Behind them, there was a coming together between yesterday’s runner-up, Team Pelfrey’s Scott Hargrove, RC Enerson, and Shelby Blackstock. With the three stopped on track, the field was slowed under the race’s only full course caution. All three were able to continue, with the trio stopping in pit lane for minor repairs.
Rosenqvist made an excellent getaway on the restart, solidifying his lead at the front. Hargrove was just in front of Rosenqvist after the green flag, but soon yielded to the lead group to allow their battle to continue uninterrupted. By Lap Six, Rosenqvist had built his advantage to 1.7 seconds, as the top three set relatively similar lap times. Behind the leaders, the battle for sixth was quite intense, with Zach Claman De Melo, 2015 victor Ed Jones, and rookie Dean Stoneman running nose-to-tail for several laps.
Jones made the move on Claman De Melo on Lap Nine, while Stoneman tried to overtake the Canadian on the next lap but couldn’t make the move stick in Turn 10. The following lap, Claman De Melo pulled off course in the Turn 7 runoff, retiring with an apparent mechanical issue. Meanwhile, 2015 Pro Mazda champ Santi Urrutia had made contact with an unknown competitor, resulting in significant front wing damage. He tried to soldier on, but his failing wing resulted in a black flag from Race Control to pit and make the necessary repairs.
While Rosenqvist continued to build a bigger lead, up to 2.1 seconds by Lap 15, it got dicey further back in the field. A contemptuous dice for position resulted as Juan Piedrahita tried to pass Dalton Kellett, but Kellett was having none of it from the Colombian. Kellett threw a questionable block into Turn 10, but paid for it in Turn 13 as he spun in the final corner. He continued, and Piedrahita had the position.
Rosenqvist’s lead had grown to more than three seconds when he encountered traffic, with Blackstock and Urrutia engaged in battle for position. Stuck behind the two for several laps, with Race Control giving the two drivers the OK to continue battling and not yield to the leaders, Rosenqvist’s lead quickly shrunk. Kaiser had the gap down to 1.1 seconds in several laps, but eventually Urrutia and Blackstock elected to let the leaders by. Rosenqvist made it through cleanly while Kaiser had to wait several turns, and before long Rosenqvist was rebuilding his lost advantage.
As Rosenqvist had a healthy lead at the front, the attention turned further back in the field. Jones, who was still battling Negrao for fifth, eventually made a mistake, losing the rear under braking on Lap 36, narrowly missing the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver. Jones would only lose one position, falling to seventh. With three laps to go, Neil Alberico got impatient in the race-long battle between himself, Enerson, and Scott Anderson. As Enerson swung wide on entrance into Turn 4, Alberico apparently thought he’d be able to take the inside. Enerson went to move slightly inside, and Alberico clobbered him. Alberico would retire in the runoff, Enerson would limp home a lap down, and Anderson would finish ninth.
For Rosenqvist, it was an important victory and a great rebound after yesterday’s disappointment. “Yesterday was a big disappointment, with a big screw-up on our side,” Rosenqvist recalled. “The car was great, the driver felt great, it was such a hard race and difficult to keep the concentration up. The only hard part was someone in front of me at the middle of the race. I was going crazy on the radio trying to get them to move them out of the way. But the car was great, and it was great to take the win.
“The whole team is such a great organization and the chemistry with me and Zack. When everyone is working the same direction, even being the smallest team, it’s great to see everyone working forward.”
Kaiser was happy just to move forward after falling back from pole position in yesterday’s race. “Starting in third the goal was to move forward,” said the Juncos Racing driver. “Yesterday I fell back, so it was just about going forward. I did, so I’m really happy.”
Kaiser praised the team for making the right call on the setup for the race, helping him claim his first podium of the year. “For the longer run you want to have more downforce because of the tires, so I feel like we had the right setup.
“Confidence is high right now. I feel like last year was a great learning year. I have a different mindset, I have more patience. It’s a learning experience and it takes a lot to adjust to the new car.”
Veach was just happy to finish the race, after the electrical gremlins yesterday robbed him of a potential victory. “I’ve never wanted to throw up when I’ve gotten out of a race car, but I definitely did yesterday after losing what could have been a win,” lamented Veach. “It wasn’t something we could control with it being a software issue. I’ll never forget that race, but I’m happy to come back here and finish third. From here on out we’ve just got to be thinking championship and not make any more mistakes.”
Indy Lights will return in three weeks for their first oval event of the season, joining the Verizon IndyCar Series at Phoenix International Raceway.
Felix Rosenqvist picked up the win in the second Indy Lights race at St. Pete this weekend.
Posted by Steve Wittich on Thursday, March 10th 2016
The first official Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda session of the season got under way under the setting sun on the shores of Tampa Bay.
Originally scheduled for 30 minutes, the session was shortened to 20 minutes due to earlier track delays. Most drivers were only able to get in six to eight laps laps of the 1.8 mile 14-turn street circuit before the checkered flag fell to end the day.
There was one red flag in the session and according to this tweet from the voice of the Mazda Road To Indy, Rob Howden it was caused by Parker Thompson (Cape Motorsports with /WTR)
This is not how Parker Thompson wanted to start his St. Pete @USF2000 weekend. He'll come back strong in the AM pic.twitter.com/mhT948WDAg
Leading the way were a group of sophomore drivers led by Anthony Martin (Cape Motorsports with /WTR) who’s top lap time was 1:15.458. Yufeng Luo (Pabst Racing), Victor Franzoni (ArmsUp Motorsports), Jordan Lloyd (Pabst Racing) and Nikita Lastochkin (Cape Motorsports with /WTR) rounded out the remainder of the top five.
Here is your complete time sheet.
A great shot of the setting sun courtesy of Team Pelfrey:
Posted by Steve Wittich on Thursday, March 10th 2016
During 2015, a trio of super sophomores (Nico Jamin, Jake Eidson and Aaron Telitz) dominated the USF2000 season, standing on 40 of 48 possible podiums. Meanwhile, positions four through ten in the 16 race championship were held by rookie drivers, and all seven of those drivers are returning in the hopes that the sophomore domination of 2015 will continue into 2016.
It certainly won’t be easy for the top sophomores as two returnees (Victor Franzoni and Jordan Lloyd) and a great crop of rookies will be looking to join the fight from the drop of the green flag for the Priority Marine Construction Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Andersen RacePark on Saturday.
Need proof that it won’t be easy? The quickest dozen drivers were all within one second of the quickest time during testing at Barber Motorsports Park last week.
This year’s pair of races will be the 13th and 14th USF2000 events that have been contested on the Streets of St. Petersburg. Previous winners include: current IndyCar drivers Sage Karam, and Spencer Pigot, current Indy Lights drivers Scott Hargrove and RC Enerson, and current Pro Mazda driver Jake Eidson, who won both races one year ago.
Current USF2000 teams with wins at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg include: Cape Motorsports with /WTR (5 victories), Pabst Racing (2 victories) and Afterburner Autosport (1 victory)
Does winning the season opening race at St. Petersburg matter? So far, no. Of the three times that USF2000 has opened up on the shores of Tampa Bay, a winner during the inaugural weekend has gone on to win the season championship just one time.
TSO’s (Steve) predictions:
Number of different race winners: 6
Number of drivers with a chance to win the title heading to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in September: 3
Champion: Anthony Martin
Rookie of the Year: James Munro
Winners of the past four driver’s championships, Cape Motorsports with /WTR certainly didn’t waste any time signaling that they had no plans on giving up the top spot by signing Anthony Martin (4th in 2015), Parker Thompson (5th in 2015) and Nikita Lastochkin (8th in 2015).
Martin (No. 8) and Thompson (No. 2) were both very impressive in one car teams during the 2015 campaign and should benefit greatly from being able to share data with their two other teammates.
Anthony Martin is in a playful mood as he heads into 2016 Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda campaign as a championship favorite. (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)
Martin, a 21-year old from Perth, Australia was the more consistent of the two drivers, nailing down five podiums and 14 top fives in 16 races, and after leading testing at Barber Motorsports Park heads into the 2016 season as the odds-on favorite to win the title.
The 18 year-old Thompson was a little more erratic with five races outside the top 10, but the Red Deer, Alberta native certainly punched above his teams weight and if testing is any indication he will spend 2016 fighting for top spot on the podium with his new teammate.
The No. 2 sponsored by Weyburn Energy and piloted by Parker Thompson should spend a lot of time at the head of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda field in 2016 (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)
Moscow, Russia native Lastochkin was the model of consistency as he had 12 of 16 results fall within 7th and 10th place. The 25 year-old will need to increase his pace if he wants to keep up with his very quick teammates.
Last year wast he first year for the Team Pelfrey USF2000 program and while struggle might be too strong of a word, the team was certainly not happy with their overall effort. The Palmetto,Florida based team has made wholesale crew changes for 2016 and adding experienced USF2000 pilot Aaron Telitz to the Pro Mazda side of the house could pay dividends as he helps the team sort out their USF2000 cars.
Kiwi rookie James Munro (No. 83 ) was second quickest in testing at Barber Motorsports Park and should give the team its best chance at unseating Cape Motorsports with /WTR. The 19 year-old Munro has oodles of open wheel experience to draw upon, including Formula Ford (2013 champion) Formula Masters China (2014 champion) and three season of his home country’s Toyota Racing Series.
Also driving the familiar yellow and black Team Pelfrey entries will be:
TJ Fischer (No. 82), a 22 year-old who spent the last two season racing Formula Renault in Europe. Fischer, originally from Wilsonville, Oregon, was also a scholarship Wide Receiver for Pacific Lutheran University. Fischer might not be a household name, but the driver with an engineering background was the second quickest rookie in testing and should contend for top fives as the season progresses.
Fourteen year-old Jordan Cane (No. 81) is the closest thing to a phenom that the Mazda Road To Indy has ever had. Described as a “natural” by more than one person that would know, the Bognor Regis, UK native won seven races and scored 10 podiums on the way to a fourth place F1600 Formula F Championship Series finish in 2015. This despite missing the first two events due to age restrictions. It would not be surprising to see Cane up front on occasion; however, this will be his first time racing on street-circuits and ovals, so our excitement is tempered just a little.
The fourth member of the Team Pelfrey squad is 16 year-old Robert Megennis (No. 80), who after a stand-out karting career, scored eight podiums in the F1600 Formula F Championship Series during his debut season in cars. Expect this to be a year of learning for the New York, New York native.
Slowly, but surely, Pabst Racing has been catching up to the front running Cape Motorsports with /WTR (Jake Eidson was right on champion Nico Jamin’s heels all season long), and with three quick sophomore drivers, this could be the year they overtake them.
Returning to the team is Los Angeles, California resident Yufeng Luo (No. 23). Luo had an up and down rookie USF2000 season where errors muted some solid finishes, but the 17 year-old was able to score three top five finishes on the way to a solid seventh place championship finish. Luo and Pabst Racing were able to finish off 2015 on a high note, taking victory in the Formula Continental Class at the SCCA Run-Offs. If Luo can cut down on his errors, there is no reason he can not challenge for podiums in 2016.
Making the move from Team Pelfrey to Pabst Racing is sophomore Garth Rickards (No. 22). The Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania native was the quickest of the Pabst drivers at the recent test, and should be in contention for podiums and wins in 2016. With 11 top 10’s in 2015, the 23 year-old graduate of Shippensburg University showed plenty of pace, but had some awful luck interfere with some good results.
Making a return stateside is Toowoomba, Australia native Jordan Lloyd (No. 21). Lloyd began 2015 contesting the USF2000 championship with John Cummiskey Racing, but funding issues sent him home after only four races. Lloyd, who was a stand-out Formula Ford racer, joined the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship where he won 12 races on the way to the championship and a $200,000 “Road to the World” scholarship. Lloyd had five top five finishes, including one podium in the nine USF2000 races he took part in (Cooper Tires Winterfest, and regular season), and was near the top of the time-sheets in testing. It would not be surprising to see that Lloyd is still in the championship hunt as the series wraps up at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
John Cummiskey Racing had an impressive first full USF2000 season, despite losing one of their two Aussie drivers early on and spending the majority of the events as a one car team. Former Penske crew chief and team owner John Cummiskey is meticulous with his car preparation, and experienced engineer Louis D’Agostino has a way of speaking the language of young drivers. The team was close to a win with Rookie of the Year Anthony Martin in 2015, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them contend for a wins in 2016.
Sophomore Ayla Agren (No. 33) will lead the Indianapolis, Indiana based team. If the USF2000 path of the 22 year-old is anything like her measured F1600 Formula F Championship Series journey which saw her win the championship in her second try in 2014, she should be in contention for wins and a championship. The Baerum, Norway certainly started the season strong in testing at Barber Motorsports Park, leading the final test session and finishing with the fourth quickest time, only one tenth of a second off of leader Martin.
Joining Agren at John Cummiskey Racing will be 17 year-old rookie Lucas Kohl (No. 34). The Santa Crus do Sul, Brazil native was a highly touted karting prospect, but does not have much experience in cars. Kohl’s transition will be eased by his coach and mentor, former F1 and IndyCar driver Roberto Moreno. Kohl was impressive in testing, and after he gets used to the downforce and power of a USF2000 car, he should be fighting for top tens.
JAY Motorsports driver and former Skip Barber Championship shootout winner Luke Gabin spent the 2015 season with Team Pelfrey. Gabin, a 20 year-old has plenty of natural pace, which combined with experienced and successful engineer Daryl Bear (engineer for RC Enerson when he was USF2000 runner-up) should be able to produce a run at the championship.
A surprise returnee and late addition to the field, Victor Franzoni, becomes an immediate championship threat as the two time USF2000 winner joins ArmsUp Motorsports for the full season. Franzoni spent part of 2015 in USF2000 and Pro Mazda, and has shown that he has plenty of speed no matter what team he is driving for. If legendary F2000 engineer John Walko can harness Franzoni’s pace and combine it with some patience, the rest of the field will have their mirrors full of the Sao Paulo, Brazil native.
Joining Franzoni at ArmsUp for a second season of USF2000 action is 22 year-old Max Hanratty (No. 6). The Milwaukee, Wisconsin resident had a steady 2015 season and will look to learn from his speedy teammate.
Afterburner Autosport makes their full-time return to the grid with Mazda Scholarship winner and San Diego, California native Dakota Dickerson (No. 18) and 17 year-old youngster Felipe Ortiz (No. 17). This should be a learning year for both drivers.
Sturgis, Michigan based RJB Motorsports will be making their USF2000 debut with two-time Team USA Scholarship winner Michai Stephens (No. 19) and former F600 champion Clint McMahan. (No. 20) A new team with rookie drivers isn’t always a recipe for success, but if the 24 year-old Stephens can-do-attitude rubs off on the team, then they should steadily improve as the year goes on.
Another new team on the grid will be Chastain Motorsports. Derived for the former Indy Racing League team, the team has been competing in the F1600 Formula F Championship Series prior to their move to the Mazda Road To Indy.
The first driver for the Noblesville, Indiana based team is Sam Chastain (No. 77). The 23 year-old is an experienced F1600 Formula F Championship Series pilot, who scored an impressive pair of top 10’s at on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in his only two USF2000 starts in May, 2015.
Austin McCusker (No. 5), a high school senior from Glen Head, New York will be Chastain’s second driver. The 18 year-old Team USA Scholarship nominee has experience in both the F1600 Formula F Championship Series and F2000 Championship Series series and should get up to speed quickly.
JDC Motorsports rounds out the Championship Class grid with rookie Tazio Ottis (No. 72) . The 20 year-old native of Berkely, California is the reigning Formula Mazda category champion in the Formula Car Challenge Presented by Goodyear. Ottis will benefit from the experience of the John Church led team and should consider any top 10 finishes a win.
Making a return to USF2000 in 2016 is the SCCA spec based National Class which will have two entries at St. Pete. Spencer Motorsports has entered Eric Filgueiras and JDC Motorsports has entered local Tampa Bay TV broadcaster Robert Allaer.
Posted by Steve Wittich on Thursday, March 10th 2016
Pop on your helmet, lock down that visor and cinch your belts tight, as the 18 race battle for the 2016 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tire title, $1million Mazda Motorsports Advancement Scholarship and three race Verizon IndyCar Series ride that goes with it begins right now.
AND, IT’S GOING TO. BE. AWESOME!!!
The top-rung of the American open wheel ladder has gone from eight car fields and life-support only two years ago, to what TSO rates as the deepest Indy Lights field since 1999, with at least a dozen drivers that could contend for victories.
So what’s changed? A gorgeous new Mazda powered Dallara with all the latest technology, a schedule that is more driver friendly, and most of all, a commitment to the kids who are the future of American open wheel racing by Dan Andersen and his Andersen promotions crew.
Of the 16 cars entered for the Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Lucas School of Racing double-header, eight will be piloted by veterans and eight will be piloted by rookies. Of some note, only one of the past five Indy Lights champions has been a veteran, with Gabby Chaves winning the title as a sophomore in 2014.
The larger fields could certainly play a larger role in deciding the 2016 Champion. In the past five seasons, a poor finish caused by a mistake, generally wouldn’t make or break your championship. But with more cars on the grid, poor finishes will be amplified more than ever, and while one DNF might not kill your season, more than one will put a serious dent in any driver’s championship plans. Watch for the more experienced and mature drivers to manage their results and maximize their points.
This year’s pair of races will be the 17th and 18th that have been contested on the Streets of St. Petersburg. Previous winners include: current Indy Lights driver Ed Jones, IndyCar star Marco Andretti who won the inaugural Indy Lights race in 2005, current IndyCar drivers Jack Hawksworth and Josef Newgarden, and Rafa Matos, who’s three wins top the St. Pete win chart.
Current Indy Lights teams with wins at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg include: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (7 victories), Andretti Autosport (3 victories) and Carlin (2 victories).
Does winning the season opening race at St. Petersburg matter? Not really. Of the seven times that Indy Lights has opened up on the shores of Tampa Bay, the winner of the inaugural race has gone on to win the season championship three times.
TSO’s (Steve) predictions:
Number of different race winners: 8
Number of drivers with a chance to win the title heading to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in September: 4
Freedom 100 winner: Zach Veach
Champion: a coin flip between RC Enerson, Ed Jones and Felix Rosenqvist
Rookie of the Year: Felix Rosenqvist
Juncos Racing
After a false-start that saw three drivers make six forgettable appearances in 2012, Juncos Racing made a proper leap from their Pro Mazda success into the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire championship in 2015. Leap might not actually be descriptive enough. The two car team led by former driver Ricardo Juncos and technical director Ernesto “Ernie” Gonella vaulted into the 2015 Indy Lights championship when Spencer Pigot scored six wins and the championship in his rookie season.
Pigot, the recipient of the $1million Mazda Motorsports Advancement Scholarship has moved onto the Verizon IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but Kyle Kaiser will return and will be joined by rookie Zachary Claman De Melo.
Heading into his second Indy Lights and fourth MRTI season, Kaiser will need to limit his mistakes to improve on his two podiums and sixth place Championship finish in 2015. Not known for mistakes prior to last year, and not certainly not lacking in race pace, the 20 year-old should find himself in the mix for wins and possibly even the championship in 2016. The Santa Clarita, California native has had past success on the Streets of St. Petersburg with two podiums and five top fives in six visits to St. Petersburg, so don’t be surprised to see the InterVision/NetApp/Juniper Networks sponsored No. 18 near the front this weekend.
Juncos Racing sophomore Kyle Kaiser is enjoying the Arizona sun during a break in testing at Phoenix International Raceway (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)
At only 17 years age, Claman De Melo is the youngest driver in the field. The Montreal, Quebec native won numerous provincial and national karting championships in Canada before moving to Europe in 2015 for his first season in cars. De Melo gained plenty of seat time in Europe, competing in the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC, Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup, and Formula Renault 2.0 Alps series as well as winning eight races in the MotorSport Vision Formula Three Cup. With the deep field, this should be a great year for De Melo to learn the North American circuits and grow as a driver. Getting accustomed to much higher horsepower and downforce while learning new tracks is a lot to throw on a young driver’s plate, but so far in testing De Melo has not set a wheel wrong. The pilot of the Ugg/Seven for All Mankind/Vince/ Vilebrequin sponsored No. 13 appears to be willing to take the wise route and work-up to getting quicker as each session progresses.
Andretti Autosport
After persevering as a one car team in 2015, Andretti Autosport will be back in 2016 with a more traditional multi-car team. Shelby Blackstock returns to the Indianapolis based team in 2016 and the sophomore will be paired up with Andretti Autosport Pro Mazda veteran Dalton Kellett, and European veteran Dean Stoneman. The extra data provided by engineering grad Kellett and GP3/F2/WSR 3.5/GP2 veteran Stoneman should help move the team forward significantly in 2016.
Shelby Blackstock will be part of the Andretti family for the fifth straight season after spending one year in USF2000, two seasons in Pro Mazda and 2015 as the teams lone Indy Lights entry. The 26 year-old didn’t get his start in racing until after his freshman year of college and has a total of one win, and 14 podiums in 60 MRTI starts. Despite his late start in racing (and outside of a very tough Indy Lights campaign in 2015), the Nashville, Tenessee native has shown improvement each and every year and 2016 shouldn’t be any different. Blackstock, who will be piloting the No. 51 sponsored by Starstruck, does not make many mistakes, and despite a very deep field, it would not be surprising to see him contending for top fives.
Is Andretti Autosport rookie Dean Stoneman asking teammate Shelby Blackstock; so do I really only turn left? (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)
Dalton Kellett, who had two podiums and 18 top 10 finishes in a two season Pro Mazda career is making the step up to Indy Lights in the familiar teal and black K-Line Insulators USA, Inc sponsored No. 28. The 22 year-old, who is a veteran of 58 Mazda Road To Indy starts, recently moved to Indianapolis, Indiana after completing a degree in engineering physics at the prestigious Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and will have racing as his sole focus for the first time in his career. The Toronto, Ontario native is a heady driver with measured race craft who often takes advantage of others mistakes. Don’t expect Kellett to contend for a championship as an Indy Lights rookie, but definitely look for him lurking right around the top five when the checkered flag falls.
The third member of the Andretti Autosport Indy Lights squad and pilot of the Stellrecht sponsored No. 28 is European open wheel veteran DeanStoneman. Stoneman, a 25 year-old “rookie”, began his racing journey in 2006 contesting various Formula Renault championships before winning the FIA Formula 2 Championship as a rookie in 2010. Stoneman, who was signed to compete in the 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 campaign was forced to withdraw after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in February of 2011. A resident of Southhampton, England, Stoneman took the year off of racing to contest the biggest race of his life, the one that saw him beat cancer. Stoneman tested an Indy Lights car for Andretti Autosport in 2012, but instead of making the move to the U.S.A. took to the water, dominating the P1 SuperStock Powerboat Championship. In 2013, Stoneman returned to cars, with five wins, 10 podium finishes and two poles in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Series. A move back to open wheel cars and GP3 followed in 2014, where Stoneman finished second in the Championship to Alex Lynn with five wins and six podiums. Gaining Red Bull support in 2015, Stoneman moved to the Formula Renault 3.5 series where four podiums netted him a fourth place championship finish. If Andretti can make improvements in their Indy Lights program, Stoneman is talented enough that he should be contenting for wins and the championship. The only thing that might hold him back is his inexperience on ovals and having to learn brand new tracks each weekend.
Carlin
European junior formula stalwarts Carlin didn’t waste any time making their mark in America with the trio of Ed Jones, Max Chilton and Nelson Piquet scoring score four wins, seven poles and 13 podiums during the teams debut Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire season. The Trevor Carlin led team has expanded to three cars in 2016, with returnee Jones joined by one time F3 rival and Indy Lights sophomore Felix Serralles and Mazda Road To Indy veteran, but Indy Lights rookie Neil Alberico.
Ed Jones will return to a brilliant blue Mazda powered Carlin car for his second season in the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire series. (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)
After spending the first four years of his formula car career in Europe, Ed Jones will return to Carlin for a sophomore Indy Lights season and a chance to win the championship that the Dubai born driver missed by only 33 points in 2015. After three wins, seven podiums, three poles, 148 laps led and four quickest race laps in 2015, the 20 year-old’s quick but steady style might very well pay dividends in a larger field where minimizing your poor finishes will be the key to winning the $1million Mazda Motorsports Advancement Scholarship. The No. 11 sponsored by Jebel Ali Resorts and Hotels found victory lane twice at St. Petersburg in 2015 and Jones will be looking to repeat that feat to get the jump on his championship rivals.
Joining Jones in the Carlin brilliant blue No. 4 will be fellow Indy Lights sophomore Felix Serralles. The Ponce, Pueto Rico native got his racing start in the U.S.A. (USF2000 and Skip Barber), but in 2011 made the move to Europe where he remained until coming back to race in the Indy Lights championship for Belardi Auto Racing. The 23 year-old had an up-and-down rookie campaign that included one win, two podiums and more often than not, pace that did not equal results. The Milwaukee Mile winner has shown during testing that he is right on pace with Jones and if he can cut down on mistakes, should find himself in the hunt for wins and the championship.
All Neil Alberico, the third Carlin entry and MRTI veteran, does is win races and score podiums. Unfortunately, the Los Gatos, California native’s 10 wins and 21 podiums in 58 career MRTI races has netted him two second (USF2000 in 2013 & Pro Mazda in 2015) and one third (Pro Mazda in 2014) place championship finishes. Fantastic results, but not quite enough for the lucrative advancement scholarships. Fortunately for Neil Alberico, he has strong backing from Rising Star Racing and Doug Mockett, who have made it possible for the 22 year-old to make the jump to Indy Lights in 2016. So far in testing, Alberico and his Rising Star Racing/Penn Grade Motor Oil/ Mobe/Doug Mockett & Company No. 22 have struggled to come to grips with maximizing his tires while on a qualifying simulation, so his ultimate times don’t look quite as competitive as he would like. However, his race pace has been on point and while wins and a championship would be asking a lot from the rookie, Alberico should be expected to hang out around the top five all year.
Belardi Auto Racing
Belardi Auto Racing had a mixed results in 2015, but were still able to extend their consecutive seasons with a win streak to three, when Felix Serralles won the oval event at the Milwaukee Mile. The Brownsburg, Indiana based team joined the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire series for the first time in 2011, and won their first race with Peter Dempsey at the wheel of a thrilling Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2013. The Brian Belardi owned and John Brunner managed team, who captured the 2014 Indy Lights crown with Gabby Chaves, has signed two highly touted drivers from very different backgrounds in an attempt to take back the title from Juncos Racing.
I wonder what Zach Veach is telling his new Belardi Auto Racing teammate, Felix Rosenqvist? (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)
Joining the team, rejoining the Indy Lights series, and becoming an automatic championship contender will be Zach Veach. The 21 year-old has three wins, five poles and 10 podiums in two previous Indy Lights seasons with Andretti Autosport. The Stockdale, Ohio native was forced to miss a season open wheel competition when a potential Verizon IndyCar Series ride failed to materialize at the last minute, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t keep busy. The avid rock climber contested an TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race, served as an instructor at the MINI Performance Motoring School at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, drove an IndyCar two seater, and served as a driver analyst on the INDYCAR Radio Network (it must be nice to be young). Veach had a year of “rust” to shake off, but has quickly gotten his No. 4 Mazda powered Dallara up to speed. The combination of experienced veterans Veach and engineer Kent Boyer should contest for wins right out of the box in St. Pete.
Veach’s teammate Felix Rosenqvist is one of the more highly decorated European drivers that has ever made the move to the American Open Wheel ladder. The 24-year old is the reigning FIA European Formula 3 Champion. The Värnamo, Sweden native has 28 F3 wins to go along with his first (2015), second (2013) and third (2012) place championships. Rosenqvist topped the time-sheet in his first official Indy Lights test in the Karlsson Svensson Projekt No. 14 on the Miami-Homestead Speedway road course and finished second the recent spring training at Barber Motorsports Park. Street circuits can sometimes be a problem for drivers new to American open wheel racing, but that should not be a problem for the easy going Swede who has won the last two Macau Grand Prix on the very concrete lined Guia Circuit With what Rosenqvist has shown so far in testing, he should be an immediate contender for wins and one of at least six names mentioned as a Championship contender. So what “could” hold him back? Focus. Rosenqvist, who has been supported by Mercedes for most of his F3 career, was recently named a reserve driver for the German manufacturers DTM squad and will also team-up with former Indy Lights champion Tristan Vautier to pilot a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the Blancpain Sprint Series. Expect his manager and mentor, former F1, Indy Car and sports-car driver Stefan Johansson, to keep him laser focused on each different task.
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian
The seven-time Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire championship winning Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian will be aiming to win their first overall crown since Sage Karam won the title in 2013. With seven championships and 68 victories, the Indianapolis based team has set the standard in the Indy Lights paddock for over a decade. Leading the team as the only returnee will be RC Enerson. He will be joined by 2015 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Champion Santiago Urrutia, GP2 veteran Andre Negrao and a rotation of drivers, beginning with Scott Anderson in the the fourth car.
Even though he just turned 19 years-old, RC Enerson will start the 2016 Indy Lights season as one of the early favorites to win the title. Enerson began 2015 on a three year Indy Lights plan to get to the Verizon IndyCar Series, but after exceeding expectations with one pole, one win and five podiums in 2015, don’t be surprised to see continued growth and a serious championship run in 2016. So where does Enerson hold an advantage over his championship rivals? On the high-speed left-turn only ovals. Enerson scored the most points of any driver on the three oval events in 2015, and started off 2016 by scorching the field during an open test at Phoenix International Raceway. The Indy Lights Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by Lucas School of Racing is Enerson’s home race, and after being taken out in Race #1 and suffering a mechanical in Race #2 last year, the New Port Richey, Florida native will be hoping for a better start to his season.
New Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian RC Enerson and reigning Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire champion Santiago Urrutia look like they have already hit it off (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)
In last year’s TSO Pro Mazda preview Steve predicted that Santiago Urrutia would be competing for top fives by the end of the season. Steve was just a little bit off. The 19 year-old Urrutia scored three wins and 15 top fives (out of 17 races) on the way to a convincing Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire Championship. Even though he is an Indy Lights rookie, don’t be surprised if the the Montevideo, Uruguay native is in the championship hunt as the season rolls into September. Mentored by former Verizon IndyCar Series driver Eliseo Salazar, Urrutia has been at or near the top of the charts at all three official series tests. The Mazda/SPM with Curb-Agajanian sponsored Soul Red No. 55 was second fastest on the Homestead-Miami Speedway road course, second quickest at the Phoenix International Raceway oval test and topped the most recent test at Barber Motorsports Park.
Competing in Europe since 2008, Andre Negrao is an experienced driver that should provide a mature teammate to help push his two 19 year-old teammates to become better. The 23 year-old already has three seasons of Formula Renault 3.5 and two seasons of GP2 experience, and while his results weren’t outstanding, Negrao was always competitive with his teammates, which in Europe can be just as telling as overall results. After missing the Homestead-Miami test, the Campinas, Brazil native impressed in Phoenix (3rd quickest lap) and Birmingham (9th quickest lap – within a half a second of the top lap turned by his teammate Urrutia). If experience in high downforce, high horsepower cars counts for anything, it won’t be surprising to see the Novac Sports sponsored No. 17 piloted by Negao hanging around the top half of the deep Indy Lights field in 2016.
With 61 Mazda Road To Indy starts to his name, Scott Anderson is certainly one of the more experienced Indy Lights pilots. The 26 year-old will return to Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian for a second year, and is expected to share the Anderson Podiatry Centers/Laser Therapy, Surgery and Neuropathy/Curb Records sponsored No. 77 with Heamin Choi and possibly James French. The Fort Collins, Colorado native is a steady and mistake free pilot who will have to show a little more pace if he wants to compete with this deeper Indy Lights field.
Team Pelfrey
With the announcement in October that they would be absorbing the 8Star Motorsports Indy Lights program, Team Pelfrey became the only Mazda Road To Indy team that currently competes on all three steps of top level American open wheel ladder.
The Indy Lights program will be based out of the former 8Star Motorsports shop in Pompano Beach, Florida, while the Pro Mazda and USF2000 operations will continue to be operated out of the team’s current home base in Palmetto, Florida. Team manager Gary Neal, engineer Yves Touron and an experienced team of mechanics from the 8Star operation that won two Indy Lights races in 2015 have remained with the new organization and they should be competitive from the first practice in St. Petersburg. The team will head into the first race with Juan Piedrahita signed for a full season and Scott Hargrove signed for the first event.
Although Juan Piedrahita has contested an impressive 82 Mazda Road To Indy races across the three series, he is still only 23 years-old. The steady Columbian native who started his Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tire career with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian in 2014, moved to Belardi Auto Racing in 2015 and scored one podium on the way to an eighth place finish in the championship. The driver who is popular among his peers, is always smiling and should be a threat to score top fives on any of the three ovals.
Scott Hargrove didn’t have much luck in testing, with a sour engine limiting his running time with Team Pelfrey (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography)
Scott Hargrove, who began the 2015 Indy Lights season with a one-off appearance at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with 8Star Motorsports where he ended the weekend with a solid fourth and sixth, will return for the season opener with the renamed squad. Hargrove is the 2013 Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda champion and 2014 Pro Mazda presented by Cooper Tire vice-champion. The Surrey, British Colombia native could not find the funding to continue for the rest of the season in Indy Lights, but was able to keep himself busy by taking part in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin championship. The 20 year-old has 13 wins in 18 races in the last two seasons of the popular one-make championship that utilizes the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The pilot of the Gap Guard sponsored No. 3 was third quickest in recent testing at Barber Motorsports Park and should be a regular threat for wins and podiums if the funding for a full season can be found.
Weekend Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tire schedule
Friday 3/11/2016
8:50 AM-9:20 AM Practice 1
2:10 PM-2:40 PM Practice 2
Saturday 3/12/2016
7:55 AM-8:25 AM Qualifying
12:55 PM-1:45 PM Race 1
Sunday 3/13/2016
9:45 AM-10:55 AM Race 2
Don’t miss any of the action
On TV – the broadcast will air Thursday, March 24 at 11:00 pm ET.
