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A New Ladder System Is “The Road To Indy”

An official “Ladder System” has been put into place as a route for drivers to take to the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Conceived in 2009, and being implemented this year, the “Road to Indy,” is a cooperative venture between the Indy Racing League, the Star Mazda Championship and the USF2000 National Championship.

“In creating the ‘Road to Indy,’ we are trying to bridge the gap between the premier open wheel racing divisions and the entry level open wheel series by creating a clear path for aspiring race drivers,” said Brian Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations for the Indy Racing league.

The Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship is the bottom rung on the “Road to Indy” ladder. The series is a spec series that utilizes Mazda piston engines. The series runs on ovals, street, and road courses.

The principals of the series feel it is important their drivers learn to run ovals in order to further a career on the “Road to Indy,” as the ultimate goal, the IZOD IndyCar Series, runs on ovals.

In addition to being a part of the “Road to Indy,” the series is also part of the MAZDASPEED ladder, which awards the series champion a $350,000 scholarship to move up to Star Mazda the following season.

The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, is the next step up the ladder. Drivers in this series will have experience in more junior series’, preferably the USF2000 National Championship.

Star Mazda cars are powered by the Mazda ‘Renesis” rotary engine that produces 250 horsepower. With a race weight of 1,335 pounds, including fuel and driver, a Star Mazda car has a top speed of 160 mph and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. The cars feature a carbon fiber chassis, fully adjustable ‘pushrod’ suspension, sequential 6-speed gearbox and Goodyear radial racing tires.

Both of these series, plus the Firestone Indy Lights, ran with the IZOD IndyCar Series in the streets of St. Petersburg and all three series will run with the Indy Cars on the oval at Iowa Speedway.

In addition, the USF2000 National Championship and Star Mazda will be at O’Reilly Raceway Park to run with the USAC midgets at the “Night before the 500” event.

The final step in the “Road to Indy” is the Firestone Indy Lights, the primary support series for the IZOD IndyCar Series, and sanctioned by the Indy Racing League.

These cars are very similar in size and style to the cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series. However, they are less powerful and run on gasoline, while IndyCars run on ethanol.

Included in the “Road to Indy” program is an opportunity for young drivers to do more than just hone their driving skills. Several USF2000 and Star Mazda drivers participated in a “Road to Indy” summit held the Friday prior to the Indy 500. It included opportunities to learn from experienced drivers, an introduction to oval racing, and a seminar on off-track performance, including interviews, and marketing. There was also a session on teaching drivers and spotters to work together, and a host of other information to help drivers in their climb to the top.

“One of the goals of the Road to Indy is for drivers to develop skills needed to be successful off track and having this summit every year is a key way for us to reach that goal,” said Tony George, Jr., manager of business development for Firestone Indy Lights and an instrumental figure in the development of the Road to Indy.

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