Indy Lights

By Christopher DeHarde, Staff Writer The final step on the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires might have the smallest field, but top to bottom the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires has an extremely stacked field going for a one million dollar scholarship package to move to the Verizon IndyCar Series. First, let’s look at the schedule. The 2018 schedule is identical in layout to 2017 except for two changes. The final race weekend is now at Portland International Raceway and it’s also a doubleheader weekend instead ofRead More

By Pato O’Ward, Driver Columnist Editor’s note: Pato O’Ward will be contributing to Motorsports Tribune selectively throughout the 2018 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season. The 18-year-old Texas-based Mexican racer pilots the No. 27 Mazda/Dallara IL-15 for Andretti Autosport. A Rolex 24 at Daytona winner and series champion in the Prototype Challenge class a season ago in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, O’Ward will be looking for similar success during his rookie campaign in the top rung of the Mazda Road to Indy. I can’t believe the first race of the IndyRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer Ahead of each Verizon IndyCar Series race weekend, Motorsports Tribune offers an in-depth look at the details and storylines going into the weekend’s event(s). Verizon IndyCar Series Race(s): Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (110 laps, 198 miles) Circuit: Streets of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg, Fla.) Track Details: Clockwise – 14 turns, 1.80 miles Track Record: 107.561 mph (Will Power, 2016) What Happened Last Year: Sebastien Bourdais overcame a disastrous qualifying crash to rise from last to first and claim his first win in St. Pete, establishing himself and DaleRead More

Indianapolis, Ind. – Team Pelfrey announced today Shelby Blackstock will compete in the signature yellow No. 3 Team Pelfrey Indy Lights Mazda to begin the 2018 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season. The 28-year-old Nashville, Tenn. resident will enter his seventh season on the Road to Indy alongside his new teammate, Neil Alberico. Last season, Blackstock finished a career-best third-place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. His highest finish on the Streets of St. Petersburg came last year when he finished fourth in Race One. “I’m really looking forward toRead More

By Road to Indy PALMETTO, Fla. – All three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires open-wheel development ladder will hit the ground running in Florida this coming weekend, March 9-11, in support of the headline Verizon Indy Car Series as part of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Drivers representing at least 18 states and 14 different nations from around the world are expected to be among the starting lineups when Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper TiresRead More

Indianapolis, Ind. (March 5, 2018) – Team Pelfrey announced today that 25-year-old Indy Lights driver Neil Alberico will drive the No. 2 Team Pelfrey Indy Lights Mazda for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Weekend. “I would like to thank Rising Star Racing (RSR) and Team Pelfrey for granting me this opportunity. I have been working hard over the course of the offseason, both in the United States and in the Philippines to generate support and awareness for my career and the sport of open-wheel racing,” Alberico said. “The GrandRead More

By Road to Indy HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Just 10 days before the start of the new Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires season, Uruguay’s Santiago “Santi” Urrutia (Belardi Auto Racing) laid down an early marker by posting the fastest time of the day as the traditional Mazda Road to Indy Spring Training pre-season test concluded this afternoon on the 2.21-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway road course. Urrutia, who has finished second in the Indy Lights championship in each of the past two years, took full advantage of Mazda Road to Indy CompetitionRead More

Indianapolis, IN (February 23, 2018) – Juncos Racing announced today that Mexican Alfonso Celis Jr. will join the team for the 2018 Indy Lights Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. Celis is the second driver to commit to the reigning 2017 Indy Lights Champions. Alfonso Celis Jr. (Puebla, Mexico) joins the Indy Lights Championship after a successful season in the World Series Formula V8, where he claimed one pole and one win to finish third in the championship. Celis was also a Formula One Reserve Driver for Sahara Force India FormulaRead More

By Road to Indy PALMETTO, Fla. – A new season of competition in the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires is almost set to commence. All three rungs on the world’s premier open-wheel development ladder – the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires – will be in action beginning Friday, February 23, for the annual Spring Training open test which will take place over four days at Homestead-Miami Speedway in South Florida.Read More