By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer In the course of one year, Oliver Askew went from karting to earning a scholarship to race in the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires in 2018. Not bad. For the Jupiter, Florida native, the road was a long one. He had to endure the scrutiny of the judges ahead of the Team USA Scholarship panel, the Team USA shootout and then the Formula Ford Festival in England and the Walter Hayes Trophy Race. After Askew finished second in the finalsRead More

By Road to Indy The Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires – the most effective driver development platform in the world – concluded its best season to date this month with thrilling championship battles punctuated by thriving off-track initiatives that firmly position the INDYCAR-sanctioned ladder series for future growth and global presence. The relevance of the Mazda Road to Indy in assisting drivers to the pinnacle of the sport was highlighted in the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 where 24 of the 33 starters were graduates ofRead More

By Road to Indy One day after the championship titles for all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires open-wheel driver development program were decided at the famed Watkins Glen International road course, 250 drivers, families, teams and sponsors gathered on Monday evening at the nearby Harbor Hotel for the traditional Championship Celebration banquet. A total of more than $2.6 million in Mazda Scholarships and other awards was distributed at the upscale venue on the shores of Seneca Lake. The major winners included Kyle Kaiser,Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — After a 2017 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season that was, for the most part, one to forget, Aaron Telitz was able to earn his second victory of the season and his first since the first race of the year in St. Petersburg in some very wet conditions. Polesitter Colton Herta led at the start but Telitz took the lead shortly thereafter and so began one of the best on track battles of the season. Santiago Urrutia,Read More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — After a racing season that started with Victor Franzoni not knowing what he would be driving, the Brazilian took his second win of the weekend at Watkins Glen International and his seventh of the season on his way to winning the 2017 Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires. Franzoni led from the start over Team Pelfrey’s Carlos Cunha while Anthony Martin’s Cape Motorsports car went from fifth to third. Franzoni pulled away by a large margin inRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Pabst Racing’s Rinus VeeKay needed to win the final race of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda in order to win the championship. Win he did, but Cape Motorsports’s Oliver Askew was able to finish second to secure the championship and with it the scholarship that allows him to move up to the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires. VeeKay got around Askew at the start and would pull away to an early lead. AskewRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Victor Franzoni got closer to the 2017 Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires trophy and the Mazdaspeed scholarship by winning the first of two Pro Mazda races this weekend at Watkins Glen International for Juncos Racing. The race began with Franzoni leading from the pole but Cape Motorsports’s Anthony Martin would take over the lead heading to the inner loop on the first lap. Martin would lead the first two laps but unfortunately  the green flag wouldn’tRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Ahead of the Soul Red Finale weekend at Watkins Glen, New York for the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires are two championship battles that are very close between two drivers and one that is close to being clinched. Let’s take a look at all three battles ahead of the four races this weekend. Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires Juncos Racing’s Kyle Kaiser has the easiest championship position this weekend for Indy Lights. Kaiser simplyRead More

By Road to Indy For Victor Franzoni, as with rival Anthony Martin, winning the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires will provide an opportunity to move on to Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires – one step away from the Brazilian’s ultimate goal, a career in the Verizon IndyCar Series – in 2018. The fact that Victor Franzoni entered the 2017 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires at all was something of a miracle. But after inking a deal with Juncos Racing mere days before the season opener,Read More