christopher deharde Tag

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

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer Cape Motorsports will be running two Soul Red Mazda liveries in the 2017 Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires as Anthony Martin and Oliver Askew have signed with the team to run the livery in their respective championships. For Martin, he’ll be racing the No.8 Burgess/BLA/Mazda entry in the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires while Askew will be piloting the No. 3 Mazda Racing entry in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda. Both drivers earned theRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer The worst kept secret in the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires has finally been made official as Mazda announced that Aaron Telitz will pilot their Soul Red Mazda paint scheme for Belardi Auto Racing in the 2017 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires. The 2016 Pro Mazda champion earned the right to race the Soul Red scheme after winning the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires in dramatic fashion and with it, the MAZDASPEED scholarship that funded theRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer After running the 2015 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda season for Team Pelfrey, the only Russian on the Mazda Road to Indy went to Cape Motorsports for the 2016 season before stepping up and coming home for 2017. Nikita Lastochkin has signed with Team Pelfrey to drive their No. 80 car in the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires to complete the team’s assault for their third consecutive Pro Mazda championship trophy. Tuesday’s announcement marks the eighth driver confirmationRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer Two time defending Pro Mazda champions Team Pelfrey have announced that Carlos Cunha will be their second driver in the teams’ Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires arsenal for 2017. Cunha has raced for eight years across Europe and South America, particularly in his native Brazil where he did Brazillian F3.  He will join TJ Fischer and possibly a third driver in the team. “I am super excited to be with Team Pelfrey,” stated the enthused Cunha. “They have the structureRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer After signing Parker Thompson and Luke Gabin to pilot their Nos. 90 and 91 Tatuus USF-17s, respectively, Exclusive Autosport announced that Dev Gore will drive the No. 92 USF-17 for the Canadian-based team in the 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda. Gore cut his teeth in karting, winning two Rotax championships in 2016 including the U.S. Open and U.S. Rotax Grand National titles.  Before those titles, Gore spent a few summers in Canada where he refined his craft. “This wasRead More