All posts by Christopher DeHarde

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — INDYCAR has announced that all four major auto manufacturers involved in this year’s Verizon IndyCar Series have announced multi-year extensions with IndyCar racing. Representatives from Honda, Chevrolet, Firestone and Dallara confirmed that each supplier has signed a multi-year extension to remain with the IndyCar Series for an unspecified amount of years. Each partner has a storied history with IndyCar racing. For Honda, the extension continues a presence in American open wheel racing that began in 1993 with the formationRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In the first official practice session for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season, Honda is at the top of the charts in preparation for Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Marco Andretti’s No. 27 Andretti Autosport Honda timed in at 1 minute 3.7559 seconds (101.638 mph), leading a quartet of Honda cars as Ganassi Racing’s Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon were second and third, while James Hinchcliffe brought his No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda to fourth.Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer The 2017 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires begins with a host of changes. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports closed their Indy Lights team, but their cars were destined to see the grid with other teams. Andretti Autosport and Carlin both expanded to four cars, while Belardi Auto Racing expanded to three cars. Team Pelfrey Juan Piedrahita returns to the yellow and black squad in the No. 2 entry, while Pato O’Ward has the No. 3 machine at his disposal for St. Petersburg. O’WardRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer The 2017 Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires is undergoing a transitional year. This year is the last year of the older Star-manufactured car before a transition into the new Tatuus PM-18, a car based off of the USF-17 that is running in USF2000 this year. Despite low car counts during the Chris Griffis Memorial Test and the preseason testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the series has managed to have some late additions before heading to St. Petersburg for the first raceRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer The final step of the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires has offered some fantastic racing over the past few years. The Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires has seen some close finishes and tighter action with its fair share of dicing passes and chaos behind the wheel. Drivers are looking to move up to the Verizon IndyCar Series with the Mazda scholarship award and a few drivers look like they’re on the right track to do just that. Aaron TelitzRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer The 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda season starts this weekend with the doubleheader race day on Saturday at the Streets of St. Petersburg. It will mark the culmination of a massive changing of the guard in the first step on the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires. A new chassis makes its debut in St. Petersburg as the Tatuus USF-17 will replace the aged Van Diemen DP08 in the championship class. The Van Diemen has been inRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer In the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda, quite a few drivers have their eyes set on the Mazda  scholarship award that will move them up to the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires.  However, each driver has something working against them, so let’s take a look at five drivers who could win the USF2000 championship, and why they might not. Oliver Askew Askew has many years in karting and represented Team USA in the Formula Ford Festival and atRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer Victor Franzoni was set to drive in the 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda, but a last minute deal with Juncos Racing has allowed him to join the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires. Franzoni tested with the Juncos team during the Chris Griffis Memorial Test in October and dominated every session. This announcement helps bolster the Juncos lineup that was thought to have disappeared for 2017. Team owner Ricardo Juncos had announced that the team would not beRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer During the offseason after the 2016 racing season, Cape Motorsports underwent some changes both big and small. The largest change was that the team decided to expand their operations further down the ladder by expanding into the F4 United States Championship.  Team co-owner Nicholas Cape explained the teams’ reason for expanding during the F4 U.S. testing at NOLA Motorsports Park. “Well, pretty much it’s for our internal ladder system.  There’s a gap between karting and USF2000- USF2000’s quite a big step soRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer As the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires wrapped up their spring testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway, several drivers emerged as contenders and other announcements were made that would help shape the different series for 2017. Let’s take a look at each series. Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires Colton Herta will be a driver to watch.  The second generation driver was in the top three in every practice session on both the oval and road course in his first drive inRead More