Indy Lights Tag

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer INDIANAPOLIS — Several drivers in the Indianapolis 500 only run that race as a part of the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. Many do it by choice, many do it by circumstance, some have done both. J.R. Hildebrand is one that has done both. The 2009 Indy Lights champion drove for Panther Racing in the 2011-2013 Indianapolis 500s, earning Rookie of the Year in 2011 and nearly winning. After the 2013 race, Hildebrand was unceremoniously fired from his ride and resorted to doingRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer INDIANAPOLIS — Ed Jones finally hit the big time. After moving his racing aspirations to the U.S. and racing in Indy Lights for two years, he won the Indy Lights championship in 2016, securing the Mazdaspeed Scholarship and parlayed that into a full time ride in the Verizon IndyCar Series with Dale Coyne Racing. But how has his first season been on the IndyCar side of the fence compared to his expectations? “This is always what I was aiming for eventually soRead More

By Road to Indy Matheus Leist led from pole position to checkered flag in today’s Freedom 100 to earn a well-deserved maiden Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires victory. But this was no walkover for the Carlin team’s Brazilian rookie, who came under intense pressure from several other contenders during an exciting 40-lap, 100-mile race in front of a bumper crowd on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fellow rookie Aaron Telitz (Belardi Auto Racing) barely edged Canadian Dalton Kellett (Andretti Autosport) for second place on the run toRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana- Jack Harvey’s first go in the Verizon IndyCar Series has gone about like his journey to get there. Tough.  The two-time runner up of the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires in 2014 and 2015, Harvey’s $75,000 check he received at the Mazda Road to Indy banquet in September 2015 was nowhere near enough to secure him an IndyCar ride. How was the journey from September 2015 to this year, finally getting a ride in the Indianapolis 500? “Terrible. It’s anRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer INDIANAPOLIS — In recent years, many stars of the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires have had some difficult luck breaking into a full time ride in the Verizon IndyCar Series so many drivers are accepting one-off drives, including Zach Veach. Veach was given the task of driving the No. 21 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing at Barber Motorsports Park after regular driver JR Hildebrand was on the mend from a broken hand. Veach now isRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer SPEEDWAY, Indiana- Kyle Kaiser had been knocking on the door all season for a victory. Two runner-up finishes at Barber Motorsports Park got the Californian up to second in the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires standings, but a win eluded him until the second race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course where Kaiser took home the victory in dominating fashion. Early in the race, Kaiser had a spirited battle with 2016 series runner up Santiago Urrutia. Urrutia had gotten pastRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer SPEEDWAY, Indiana- After earning his first Indy Lights victory at Barber Motorsports Park, Andretti Autosport driver Nico Jamin scored his second Indy Lights win of 2017 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Friday afternoon. Starting on pole, Jamin was able to keep ahead at the start and hold off teammate Colton Herta early in the race before managing a closing gap to Zachary Claman De Melo late in the going. For Claman De Melo, the start was abysmal. He fellRead More

By Nico Jamin, Driver Columnist Providing an inside look for the fans, Nico Jamin will be contributing to Motorsports Tribune selectively throughout the 2017 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season. For his opening column, the 21-year-old Frenchman goes into his maiden series win with Andretti Autosport, taking to sports cars and readying for a busy month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Being a rookie and getting my first Indy Lights win in Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park was amazing and following it up with a podium the nextRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — After a hectic start to the first race of the weekend for the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires at Barber Motorsports Park, Nico Jamin picked up his first Indy Lights win for Andretti Autosport. In an aborted start, Colton Herta, Santi Urrutia and Pato O’Ward all suffered damage that severely hampered their race performances as they started second, fourth and sixth. When the green flag came out, Jamin started second behind polesitter Kyle Kaiser. Jamin was able toRead More

By Road to Indy Now in its 32nd season and firmly established as the final stepping stone for drivers who aspire to compete in the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires will celebrate its 400th race on April 23 at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala. The major milestone will occur on Sunday in the second of two races at the challenging, 2.3-mile road course which will comprise the Mazda Indy Lights Grand Prix of Alabama Presented by Cooper Tires. “It is aRead More