Cooper Tires USF2000 Category

By Road to Indy PALMETTO, Fla. – The 2019 Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires open-wheel driver development program will kick off another exciting season of racing for all three levels as Andersen Promotions today confirmed that the traditional Spring Training Open Test will return to Homestead-Miami Speedway, in Homestead, Fla., on March 2-4, 2019. The proven ladder system, which offers a series of scholarships to assist young drivers in progressing all the way from the grassroots of the sport to the Verizon IndyCar Series, will continue for aRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer Mazda announced today that the automaker will conclude their involvement in the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires at the conclusion of the 2018 season. After announcing their involvement on the Road to Indy in late 2010, Mazda has handed out over $12 million in scholarships to drivers advancing their careers in motorsports, including Spencer Pigot (twice), Josef Newgarden, Kyle Kaiser, Oliver Askew (twice) and Victor Franzoni. This announcement comes at a critical time for the Road to Indy. The top two steps onRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor LEXINGTON, Ohio — Kyle Kirkwood captured the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda crown with a Friday win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He celebrated a new series record with his eighth-consecutive win on Saturday. On Sunday the Cape Motorsports star got out the broom for a weekend sweep. Kirkwood surged ahead of polesitter James Raven in the first two turns and drove off from there to claim another dominant victory in Sunday’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Mid-Ohio Grand Prix Race 3, tallying his ninth-straight victory andRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor LEXINGTON, Ohio — Notes, Quotes, Stories and Takeaways from the Road to Indy on Saturday at Mid-Ohio Indy Lights Talent, Drama… And Respect Among Andretti Autosport Teammates Make no mistake – Patricio O’Ward and Colton Herta want nothing more than to beat each other for the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship this year. But peel beneath their competitive fire and you’ll see something other than intensity and drive shared between the Andretti Autosport duo. Respect. “I think it’s a win-win situation for both ofRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor LEXINGTON, Ohio — With the 2018 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda title already secured, Kyle Kirkwood returned to the field on Saturday and continued the systematic beatdown that netted him the title midway through the summer. Kirkwood led every lap after starting second to claim his eighth-consecutive USF2000 victory in Saturday’s Cooper Tires Mid-Ohio GP Race 2. Pabst Racing’s Lucas Kohl followed in second, with Exclusive Autosport’s Igor Fraga completing the podium. Rasmus Lindh and Calvin Ming rounded out the top five,Read More

By Road to Indy LEXINGTON, Ohio – Kyle Kirkwood needed only a modest few results from this weekend’s Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda triple-header at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to put the championship crown beyond the reach of his rivals. The 19-year-old from Jupiter, Fla., did rather better than that. Kirkwood qualified comfortably on pole position – for the fourth time this season – and was never remotely under threat as he cruised to a dominant seventh consecutive victory for Cape Motorsports to lock up the $325,000Read More

By Road to Indy PALMETTO, Fla. – It’s coming down to crunch-time for all three tiers of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires open-wheel development ladder, which collectively offers scholarships and prizes valued at more than $3.5 million to assist drivers in their progression from the grassroots of the sport to the Verizon IndyCar Series. The title-chases for both Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires are finely poised heading into this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course,Read More

By Road to Indy CARMEL, Ind. – Prominent karting and junior formula team Jay Howard Driver Development (JHDD) today announced it will join the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires on a full-time basis in 2019. Led by Verizon IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 veteran Jay Howard, who himself has won championships in both USF2000 and Indy Lights, the team’s expansion furthers its mission of advancing drivers from the karting ranks to junior open-wheel categories en route to the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. After foundingRead More

By Road to Indy TORONTO, Ont., Canada – There were three main storylines to this morning’s ninth round of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda – a multi-car accident at Turn Three on the opening lap which delayed many of the front-runners, a tremendous effort by Brazilian Igor Fraga, and ultimately yet another well-earned victory for runaway championship leader Kyle Kirkwood and his Cape Motorsports team. Fraga snared a career-best second for the Canadian-owned Exclusive Autosport team, while Swedish rookie Rasmus Lindh (Pabst Racing) rose from 11th atRead More

By Road to Indy TORONTO, Ont., Canada – There’s no stopping Kyle Kirkwood. The runaway championship leader started only third for this morning’s eighth round of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, but a well-executed pass on polesitter Dakota Dickerson at the first corner vaulted his Cape Motorsports Tatuus-Mazda USF-17 into the lead at the first corner and he never looked back. Kirkwood, 19, from Jupiter, Fla., was never able to relax, with Dickerson’s ArmsUp Motorsports car following just a few car lengths in arrears. He was neverthelessRead More