ROOM

10.23.2012 (Via IndyCar.com) – The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda has announced its 2013 schedule, which will see the series expand its reach across the United States and into Canada. Seven premier circuits will host a minimum of 14 rounds of competition, providing up-and-coming drivers with experience on a blend of three permanent road courses, three temporary street circuits and one oval event.

“I am extremely pleased with our schedule for next year,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, the series promoter. “We are expanding into three new and key markets in California, Texas and Canada, returning to circuits that have provided great racing and training for our competitors and increasing our number of events with the IZOD IndyCar Series to five. These high-profile races will allow us to showcase our rising stars and, coupled with our pre-season Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship and testing schedule, will provide our drivers with more track time than ever before. 

“Add in the Mazda Road to Indy Summit off-track educational program and I couldn’t be more delighted about what we have to offer as a series. We enjoyed average car fields of just under 30 cars per race in 2012 and next year is looking just as promising. I have to thank INDYCAR, Mazda and Cooper Tires and all of our terrific partners for their efforts in supporting our series and helping the Mazda Road to Indy grow and be the place for career-minded racers.” 

The USF2000 2013 season will open in Florida. The first two rounds of competition will be held at Sebring International Raceway in support of the American Le Mans Series and the 61st running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on March 14/15. The series will head to the streets of St. Petersburg the following weekend on March 23/24 for a double-header in support of the opening race of the IZOD IndyCar Series calendar.

The lone oval event will be the traditional “Night Before the 500” on May 25 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, Ind. The race will be preceded by a Mazda Road to Indy Oval Clinic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 9 and a test day at Lucas Oil Raceway on May 10.

The series will make its debut in Canada on July 13/14 with a pair of races in support of INDYCAR during the popular downtown Toronto street circuit event. USF2000 will again pair with INDYCAR on August 3/4 for a triple-header round at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

In September, the series will make its first appearance in support of GRAND-AM with a doubleheader – and potentially a tripleheader – weekend of racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. 

USF2000 will again move into new territory at Houston, Texas, for its season finale on October 5/6 at the Reliant Park street circuit with a pair of races in support of INDYCAR.

“The growth in the Cooper Tires USF2000 championship has been fantastic,” said John Doonan, Director of Mazda Motorsports. “In just two years, the series has become the ideal bridge between Skip Barber and Star Mazda as an integral part of the Mazda Road to Indy. I can’t say enough about the Andersen Promotions teams on both a professional and personal level. Thanks to their efforts we have the potential to see 30-car fields in 2013 which is simply amazing. The feedback from the teams about the power, reliability and durability of our Mazda MZR engine is a great point for us. Having them come to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the first time is obviously very special to everyone at Mazda.”

In addition to more racing action in 2013, the Mazda Road to Indy Summit program will continue to provide valuable off-track training. The first round of activities will take place during the St. Petersburg race weekend. This year’s curriculum included a presentation on what team owners look for in a driver, formal media training, a social media and marketing class and Mazda’s Business of Motorsports seminar.

The Summit will move to Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May. Activities this year included a team owner meet-and-greet, shop tour, spotter seminar and fitness and wellness class in addition to pace laps around the track with IZOD IndyCar Series drivers and participation in an autograph session on Community Day. The winner of the “Night Before the 500” will have the opportunity to pace the Freedom 100 Firestone Indy Lights race and be introduced before the start of the Indianapolis 500.

The series also provides its own classroom training for drivers on a variety of subjects including competing on street circuits and in large fields, and offers support via two driver coaches.

USF2000 will enter its fourth season of sanction by INDYCAR in 2013. Past champions include Sage Karam (2010), Petri Suvanto (2011) and Matthew Brabham (2012). Over $520,000 in prize money and awards is on offer. The 2013 champion will receive a scholarship package to advance to Star Mazda competition – the next rung on the ladder system – in 2014. The series’ National Class winner will receive a scholarship package to advance to the Championship Class the following year. In addition, the series is part of the prestigious MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder which assists young drivers advancing from the Skip Barber Racing School – the official racing school of the IZOD IndyCar Series – to USF2000.

2013 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda Schedule

*potentially a three-race event

Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship (Six-Race Mini-Series)
February 5/6      Sebring International Raceway
February 9/10    Palm Beach International Raceway

Series Open Tests/Oval Clinic:
May 6/7            Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
May 9               Oval Clinic – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
May 10             Lucas Oil Raceway

Andretti joins Veach, Blackstock at Putnam Park Mazda Road to Indy Test

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 5, 2012) – Andretti Autosport announced today that they will test Jarett Andretti in one of the team’s USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda cars on October 7 at Putnam Park Raceway in Greencastle, Indiana.

Andretti, is a third generation driver hailing from the familiar Andretti racing legacy. The 19-year old student of NC State is son of stock car and open-wheel driver John Andretti and grandson of retired open-wheel racer, and twin brother to Mario Andretti, Aldo Andretti.

The newest Andretti to step into a car at the Andretti Autosport stable first began racing in March of 2010, starting in go-karts. After winning various events he began competing in the USAC Ford Focus midget events. In 2011, he enjoyed his first full year of racing and competed in his first WKA Manufacturers Cup race. Since then, he has gained valuable experience in a Formula 2000 car, as well as gained dirt midget experience at local dirt tracks across Indiana.

”I’m really looking forward to testing the USF2000 car, this will be my first outing with this car and I can’t wait to see how it goes,” said the young Andretti. “For me the goal is to make it to the IndyCar Series and this is the first step to get there. I have to thank Michael (Andretti) and all of the Andretti Autosport sponsors for giving me this opportunity.”   

Andretti’s dad, John Andretti, has been a driver in various series for many years. He most recently raced in the 100^th Anniversary 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Andretti Autosport, driving the No. 43 Team Window World entry.

Joining Andretti on track at Putnam Park will be current Star Mazda driver Zach Veach, testing in a Firestone Indy Lights car.  This will be his second test in that car, after driving it for the first time on August 14^th also at Putnam Park. Veach is coming off his first full season in the Star Mazda Series, where he finished ninth in the championship point standings.

The final name on the Putnam Park Raceway test roster will be Shelby Blackstock. Blackstock completed his first full season in the Mazda Road to Indy ladder in 2011 driving in the USF2000 series for Andretti Autosport, where he recorded six top-10 finishes. Sunday’s test will mark his first outing in a Star Mazda Championship machine.

9.26.2012 (Via IndyCar.com) – The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda today announced the schedule for its increasingly popular Cooper Tires Winterfest – a six-race mini-series offering drivers and teams a head start on their 2013 campaigns. Two premier Florida circuits will once again play host to the third annual pre-season championship which will take place in early February. The event drew 20 drivers representing 10 teams this year.

The first three races will be held on February 5/6 at Sebring International Raceway, as a prelude to the anticipated American Le Mans Series’ Winter Test. Two practice sessions, one qualifying round and three 30-minute races will be contested on the 3.7-mile, 17-turn road course. This stage provides vital track time at the site of the season-opening rounds of the 2013 USF2000 Championship, which will host its first-ever tripleheader event at the circuit in support of the 61st running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on March 16 – America’s oldest and most prestigious sports car endurance race.
 
From there the Winterfest championship will move south to Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR) for an identical schedule on February 9/10. USF2000 made its debut at the 2.034-mile, 11-turn circuit during the 2012 Winterfest to accolades from its teams and drivers. The series will be offering track time to Star Mazda competitors at PBIR for pre-season testing during the event.

“We are extremely pleased to announce our third annual Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship, which has become a key program in our series,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, the series promoter. “Our schedule of six races over six days gives drivers and teams a chance to develop their programs and further their new relationships in a competitive environment that is cost effective. It is the perfect lead up to the start of our season-long championship and, as a series, it allows us to dust off the cobwebs from the winter break. I personally really look forward to this event for a first glimpse of the new talent we have on board for another highly anticipated year of racing.”

Move-in dates for teams are February 4 at Sebring and February 8 at Palm Beach with the opportunity to remain in the Sebring paddock between race events. 

This year’s Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship was dominated by Spencer Pigot of Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing who won five of the six races. Teammate Trent Hindman finished second with newly crowned 2012 USF2000 champion Matthew Brabham third.

“This has been fantastic,” said Brabham at the conclusion of the 2012 Winterfest. “I had a lot of fun and got some really, really good experience before the actual start of the season, which is the most important thing – learning about the racing. I have never had that before in any series I’ve competed. It was a good little test to see where our cars are on race pace, and it was good for myself having never done rolling starts. I still need to work on those a little bit, but it was great getting the restarts with the safety car and just learning how drivers race over here. There were highs and a few lows as well which was not good at the time but definitely character building and I gained a bit of experience on how to get out of those situations and pass a lot of cars while starting from the back. I am pleased with how everything went.”

Brabham, who wrapped up the champion’s title in the USF2000 season finale at Virginia International Raceway, was awarded a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to the next level on the Mazda Road to Indy – the Star Mazda Championship – in 2013. He was also recently announced as a recipient of a prestigious Team USA Scholarship and is currently testing in England to prepare for his European debut in a pair of Formula Renault BARC UK Championship races on October 6/7. 

The National Class Championship was won by Henrik Furuseth, also of Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing. Furuseth was awarded a scholarship package to advance to the USF2000 Championship Class next year.

USF2000 will be announcing its full schedule of 2013 races and tests in the coming weeks.

Drivers and teams interested in the 2013 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship are invited to contact Series Manager Michelle Kish at 941-723-3900 or via info@usf2000.com.