Victor Franzoni Tag

By Road to Indy PALMETTO, Fla. – Victor Franzoni burst onto the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires scene in 2014, winning his first-ever race in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. With his irrepressible grin and unfailingly positive attitude, Franzoni made fans on and off the racetrack. As the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires came down to the wire last September, with Juncos Racing’s Franzoni and Cape Motorsports’ Anthony Martin fighting tooth-and-nail for every inch ofRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer After a thrilling championship, Victor Franzoni won the 2017 Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires driving for Juncos Racing. Franzoni will be moving up to Indy Lights in 2018 in a yet-to-be-announced drive for Juncos Racing. This move up the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires was possible thanks to a scholarship presented to the Pro Mazda series champion valued at just over $790,000. But what advice would past Pro Mazda champions give to Franzoni about moving up toRead More

By Road to Indy BN Racing burst onto the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires scene early this season and made an immediate impact, scoring a pole position and podium finish with former karting star David Malukas at the team’s second race weekend in their home event at Road America. The Chicago-based squad now has plans to expand into the 2018 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, having purchased two Tatuus PM-18s that will make their race debut next year. The team is led by Englishman BrynRead More

By Road to Indy There is a great deal of symmetry between the histories of Juncos Racing team owner Ricardo Juncos and driver Victor Franzoni. Both came to the U.S. from South America with little more than the money in their respective pockets, and the passion and drive to make their racing dreams happen. In an all-or-nothing, pressure-packed scenario, the story of their 2017 Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires title run became one of the feel-good narratives of the year. Juncos’ story is well-known: as a successful autoRead More

By Road to Indy Forty drivers representing all three rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires were in action this weekend during the two-day Chris Griffis Memorial Test held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Over 5,300 laps were turned around the 2.439-mile road course in the seventh annual outing as teams and drivers focused on 2018 preparations. The highly anticipated debut of the brand-new PM-18 – with the first container of 15 chassis sold out and additional cars and conversion kits on the way – tookRead More

By Road to Indy A little more than a month after the conclusion of a hard-fought 2017 season, teams and drivers from all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires will officially begin preparations for the 2018 campaign this weekend. At least 40 drivers representing more than 16 nations and 11 different teams will grasp an opportunity to drive on the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course located in Speedway, Ind., during the seventh annual Chris Griffis Memorial Test on October 21/22. TheRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer After a Verizon IndyCar Series season filled with highs and lows, let’s look at some of the more memorable moments in 2017 both on and off track. 10. New teams on the horizon The year witnessed two new teams in the series with Juncos Racing and Harding Racing making their debuts at the Indianapolis 500. Ricardo Juncos has been a Mazda Road to Indy stalwart for the past few seasons and after returning to Indy Lights competition in 2015, the Speedway, Indiana-basedRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer A week before the 2017 Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires was set to begin, Victor Franzoni was working as a go-kart mechanic during the SuperKarts! USA WinterNationals at NOLA Motorsports Park. During that weekend, a deal was put together that would affect his future in motorsports. Jeff Green bought the two Pro Mazda cars that Ricardo Juncos owned and tested at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After that test, Green wanted a teammate for the 2017 season and Franzoni was the top choice.Read 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 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