 | |
| Category | Open Wheel Racing |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 1991 |
| Drivers | 32 |
| Teams | 29 |
| Constructors | Tatuus |
| Engine suppliers | Mazda |
| Tire suppliers | Continental |
| Drivers' champion |  Max Garcia |
| Teams' champion | Pabst Racing |
| Official website | usfpro2000.com |
 Current season | |
TheUSF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tires, formerly known as theStar Mazda Championship,Pro Mazda Championship, and laterIndy Pro 2000 Championship, is anopen-wheel racing series serving as the third step on theRoad to Indy ladder system, between theUSF2000 Championship andIndy NXT. The series is sanctioned by theUnited States Auto Club (USAC) and operated by Andersen Promotions.[1] The series' champion is awarded a scholarship package to advance to Indy NXT competition for the following season. It competes on all open-wheel disciplines:road courses,street courses, andovals.
The series' primary sponsor is theGoodyear Tire and Rubber Company via their Cooper Tires brand.
Many Pro Mazda graduates have gone on to race in top-tier open-wheel series, including AmericanFormula One andNASCAR driverScott Speed,IndyCar Series driversMarco Andretti,Graham Rahal,James Hinchcliffe andRaphael Matos, andRolex Sports Car Series and NASCAR driverMichael McDowell.
In 1983, a number ofFormula Ford race cars powered byMazda rotary engines were built by Hayashi Racing inJapan and imported to theUnited States[2] for use by theJim Russell Racing School. Enough cars were constructed to run a one-make series, the Mazda Pro Series, which began in 1984[3] at theLong Beach Grand Prix. In late 1984, following modifications to the cars'rollover structures to bring them in line withSCCA regulations, the so-called "Formula Russell"[3] became so popular that numerous regional and divisional series were established by the Jim Russell Racing School.
Throughout the remainder of the 1980s, the series would gain six geographic divisions, each of which held their own championship.[citation needed] Early Mazda Pro Series competitors includedJohnny O'Connell,Tommy Kendall,Mike Groff,Jeff Krosnoff, Norm Breedlove (son ofCraig Breedlove), andJon Beekhuis.
The Star Mazda Championship debuted in 1991[1] atWillow Springs, with Mark Rodrigues driving for Valley Motor Center (the constructor of the new 1990 chassis) claiming the inaugural win. The series gradually rose in importance on the American open-wheel racing landscape, as similar series such as theBarber Dodge Pro Series,Formula BMW Americas andFormula TR 2000 Pro Series ceased to operate, and later emerged as the primary series of its kind in the US.
1996 marked the first Star Mazda Championship race as a supporting event on an Indy Racing League weekend at thePhoenix 200 in March, and the first nationally televised Star Mazda Championship race.[citation needed] A newtitle sponsor was gained in 1999, making the series theBest Western Star Mazda Championship; the same year, it became a national professional series supporting theAmerican Le Mans Series in its inaugural year.Joey Hand won five of the season's seven races and became the first driver in series history to win four races in a row. His prize included a newMazda Miata road car.[citation needed]
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In 2001, the series was renamed the Star Mazda North American Championship Presented by Goodyear.Scott Bradley with World Speed Motorsports claimed the championship.
In 2003, the decision was made to utilize theMazda RX-8's new13B-MSP Renesis engine in a new Star Mazda car. The Star Mazda "Pro" car was introduced the following year, with acarbon fiber chassis built byÉlan Motorsport Technologies and a power output of 250 hp (190 kW) from said Renesis engine (up from the previous 13B's 190 hp (140 kW)). Michael McDowell,Raphael Matos, andAdrian Carrio won the 2004, 2005, and 2006 championships, respectively.
2007 saw the formation of theMazdaspeed Motorsports Driver Development Ladder, created to provide funding for champions in various Mazda-powered series to move up in class.Dane Cameron became the first Star Mazda champion to move up to the Atlantic Championship via the Mazdaspeed ladder.Joel Miller, the 2007 Skip Barber Pro Series Champion, became the first driver to move up to Star Mazda via the ladder in 2008.
Also in 2008, the Star Mazda Championship changed from rolling starts to standing starts to better prepare drivers for moving up to theAtlantic Championship andChamp Car World Series. Bias-plyracing slicks were abandoned in favour of radials designed specifically for the series by Goodyear (the sole tire provider for the national series since its inception). Both Goodyear and Mazda signed 5-year extensions of their title sponsorship of the series, through the end of the 2012 season.
In 2009, the Star Mazda car underwent its first major mechanical upgrade since it was introduced, which included a revised aerodynamic package and engine and suspension modifications. This optional upgrade was designed to lower the cost of competition and make the car easier to maintain and tune. That year, Raphael Matos became the first Star Mazda driver to race in each Mazda-powered series (Skip Barber, Star Mazda, Atlantic) and graduate to IndyCar. Oval races also rejoined the Star Mazda schedule for the first time since 2006; events included theMilwaukee Mile (winnerAnders Krohn) and theIowa Speedway (winnerPeter Dempsey).
In 2010, the Star Mazda Championship became a part of theIRL-sanctioned Mazda Road to Indy program, alongside theU.S. F2000 andIndy Lights. Through the Mazda Road to Indy program, the Star Mazda champion would receive funding to compete in Indy Lights the following year. The first Road to Indy race was held with all three series at the same event, the 2010Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Championship winnerConor Daly became the fourth driver in Star Mazda history (after Joey Hand in 1999, Michael McDowell in 2004, and Raphael Matos in 2005) to win four races in a row.[citation needed]Andretti Autosport joined the series in 2011, becoming the first team to compete at every level of the Road to Indy, including IndyCar.Tristan Vautier andJack Hawksworth respectively won the 2011 and 2012 championships.
In December 2012, Star Mazda series founder Gary Rodriguez announced that the series had been sold to Dan Andersen's Andersen Promotions (which already sanctioned the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda) and would be renamed the Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen previously owned a multi-car Star Mazda team,Andersen Racing.[4] Following the departure ofMazda from the Road to Indy program at the end of 2018, the series was rebranded to the Indy Pro 2000, with Andersen Promotions maintaining its ownership of the series.[5] RookieMatthew Brabham of Andretti Autosport won the 2013 championship, withGabby Chaves,Sage Karam,Jack Hawksworth, andZach Veach advancing to Indy Lights.
in 2014,Juncos Racing'sSpencer Pigot and Wayne Taylor Racing'sScott Hargrove battled down to the wire, with the championship title changing hands three times through the last race. Pigot, leading going into the race, came together with Hargrove and fell to the back of the field, only to see his championship hopes return when Hargrove's gearbox failed. Pigot took the title by 10 points and earned the Mazda scholarship into the Indy Lights series. Also graduating to Indy lights were Pigot's Juncos teammateKyle Kaiser and Andretti Autosport'sShelby Blackstock.
UruguayanSantiago Urrutia earned the 2015 title over AmericanNeil Alberico with three wins and 10 podium finishes. Uruttia earned a $590,300 scholarship into the Indy Lights series, where he would be joined by Alberico and Andretti'sDalton Kellett.
Team Pelfrey teammatesPato O'Ward andAaron Telitz battled throughout the 2016 season, with O'Ward taking six of the first seven victories and Telitz taking five of the final seven. Telitz's run of nine straight podium finishes (including a sweep of the victories at his home track ofRoad America) to end the season sealed his championship victory and the $601,700 scholarship into the Indy Lights series.
With the new Tatuus PM-18 car coming into use in 2018, increased incentives made the 2017 Pro Mazda Championship an attractive prospect. The scholarship to Indy Lights was increased to $790,300, the top three in the final championship standings would be awarded an Indy Lights test, and the top rookie would receive a Mazda road car.[citation needed] Juncos Racing'sVictor Franzoni and Cape Motorsports'Anthony Martin enjoyed a spirited fight from the season opener, with the pair splitting the first 10 races of the season. At theWatkins Glen finale, Franzoni scored both victories to take the 2017 championship over Martin by 18 points. Franzoni graduated to Indy Lights with Juncos Racing, who fielded a team in the 2018Indianapolis 500.
 | |
| Category | Star Mazda (Formula Mazda) |
|---|---|
| Constructor | Star Race Cars |
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | Carbon fiber compositemonocoque[6] |
| Suspension | Pushrod, inboard with two-way adjustableshock absorbers, adjustable rear anti-roll bar, cockpit adjustable frontanti-roll bar.[7] |
| Engine | Mazda "Renesis" 1.3 L (79.3 cu in)2-rotorwankelmid-engined |
| Transmission | 6-speedsequential manual |
| Power | 240–260 hp (180–190 kW)[8][9] |
| Weight | ~ 1,090 lb (494.4 kg) |
| Tyres | Cooper |
| Competition history | |
| Debut | 2004 |
TheStar Mazda Pro is anopen-wheelformula racing car, designed, developed and built byStar Race Cars, for the North AmericanPro Mazda Championship spec-series, between 2004 and 2017.
| Category | Indy Pro 2000 |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Tatuus USF-17 |
| Successor | Tatuus IP-22 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | Carbon fiber and aluminum honeycombmonocoque built toFIA F4 standards |
| Suspension | Double-wishbonepush-rod (front and rear) |
| Axle track | 1,560 mm (61.42 in) (front) 1,510 mm (59.45 in) (rear) |
| Wheelbase | 2,750 mm (108.27 in) |
| Engine | MazdaMZR-PM18A 1,999 cc (122 cu in)inline-4 |
| Transmission | Sadev SL82 6-speedsequential withMagneti Marelli gear shift system |
| Power | 275 hp (205 kW) |
| Weight | Approx. 500 kg (1,102 lb) dry |
| Brakes | Performance Friction Brakes ZR24 4-piston monobloc calipers with 274 mm (11 in) discs (front and rear) with driver-adjustable bias |
| Tires | Cooper |
| Competition history | |
| Debut | 2018 |
TheTatuus PM-18,[10][11] used from 2018 through 2021, is based on the previous year's USF-17 chassis to help control teams' operational costs.
The Tatuus IP-22[12] is the replacement for the PM-18, now featuring ahalo.
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