STORM BREWING: USF2000 drivers test at Iowa Speedway in 2010. The event marked the first time the entire 'Road to Indy' development ladder raced together at one venue.
(Photo: Ryan - JuniorOpenWheelTalent.com)
Are you looking to keep track of who’s racing with whom in the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder? Well, you’re in luck.
Make the jump to read about each of the USF2000 National Championship drivers who committed early for the 2012 season.
[Continue Reading...]
Trent Hindman became the first junior formula driver to commit to a 2012 program when he signed with Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing for the ’12 USF2000 National Championship today.
Hindman ran four races in the USF2000 Winterfest last year, compiling three podium finishes. This season he won the Ontario Formula Ford Championship and was named Rookie of the Year in the Skip Barber National Championship after finishing runner-up with six pole positions, three wins and nine podiums. In addition, he was chosen as one of the finalists for the 2011 Team USA Scholarship and will be competing in the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy in Europe this fall.
Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing earned the 2011 USF2000 National Championship title with Finland’s Petri Suvanto behind the wheel.
It goes without saying this will be an incredibly solid combination for Hindman and CM/WTR.
Jacob Wilson has signed with Belardi Auto Racing for the final two Indy Lights events of the 2011 season.
The 21-year-old sprint car driver passed his Indy Lights rookie test Thursday afternoon at Kentucky Speedway; running 225 miles in the No. 19 Belardi machine.
Wilson is set to compete next weekend at Kentucky before capping off the 2011 season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has been busy this season competing in the USAC Silver Crown Series, National Pavement Sprint Car Series, and the Xtreme Sprint Series.
Wilson — who, next weekend, will become the fifth driver with the last name of Wilson to compete in Indy Lights — is scheduled to join Anders Krohn and Jorge Goncalvez under the Belardi Auto Racing tent.
Sprint car driver Mike Larrison is scheduled to test an Indy Lights car at Kentucky this week in an effort to attain his rookie license.
The test comes as preparation for the Indy Lights season-finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where Larrison is scheduled to pilot the No. 26 Andretti Autosport entry.
Larrison, who was named Xtreme Sprint Series ‘Most Improved Driver’ in 2010, is currently ranked 11th in the 2011 driver standings.
Fellow sprint car driver Jacob Wilson is also expected to compete at the Las Vegas finale aboard a Belardi Auto Racing machine. His deal has yet to be confirmed.
Rusty Mitchell will return to the Indy Lights series for the final four races of the 2011 season, beginning with the Aug. 14 stop at New Hampshire MotorSpeedway.
Mitchell drove for Team E at both Long Beach and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, logging a best finish of seventh. The talented Texan will be looking to put together a full-time Indy Lights campaign in 2012.
Luigi Biangardi testing the No. 9 Belardi Auto Racing USF2000 car at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in Illinois. (Photo: Brad Ellingson)
Luigi Biangardi has signed with Belardi Auto Racing to compete in the final-six USF2000 National Championship races of the 2011 racing season.
The 15-year-old driver, who has experience in Skip Barber regional and national competition, recently tested with BAR at Illinois’ Blackhawk Farms Raceway, running approximately 400 miles during the two-day test. Biangardi will make his debut Aug. 6-7 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
It may take a bit to get up to speed, but Biangardi should be a solid addition to BAR and,by all reports, his two-day test was impressive. I would assume the Illinois-native will use the remainder of 2011 for seat time with hopes of running a full USF2000 campaign in 2012.
Canadians Daniel Morad and Tyler Dueck have entered the Indy Lights Twin 100s, scheduled to take place this weekend at the Edmonton City Centre Airport circuit.
Morad, who has been competing in GP3 this season, will drive for Team Moore Racing. Dueck, 24, who has been racing in the Italian Formula Renault 2.0 and Italian F3 Series over the past three years, will drive for Goree Multisports — a joint effort between Sam Schmidt Motorsports and race engineer Dave Goree.
Morad, 21, will replace Victor Garcia who was forced to withdraw from his Indy Lights campaign due to funding woes associated with the current turmoil surrounding the Spanish economy. Hopefully Garcia’s fortunes will turn around. It’s a shame to see him on the sidelines.
Both Morad and Dueck are talented karters and will be a welcome addition to the Indy Lights field. I expect both to be quick out of the box in their respective debuts.
For up-to-date information on junior formula open-wheel racing, follow @JOWT on Twitter.
Stefan Rzadzinski after a Indy Lights test with Davey Hamilton Racing at Putnam Park.
Edmonton-native Stefan Rzadzinski has secured an opportunity to compete in the 2011 Edmonton Indy Lights race.
The 18-year-old racer will take to the 13-turn, 2.556-mile, City Centre Airport Circuit July 23-24 aboard the No. 32 Davey Hamilton Racing machine with friends and family looking on. Rzadzinski has been working extremely hard to put this deal together, so it’s great to see him earn the opportunity.
In 2009, he finished second overall in the Ontario Formula Ford Championship earning Rookie of the Year honors. Last season, he repeated the feat, finishing runner-up in the championship for the second-consecutive season after compiling three wins, three pole positions and six podiums.
This past fall, the up-and-coming Canadian won a Skip Barber regional scholarship at the karting shootout at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
The jump to Indy Lights will be huge, but Rzadzinski already has a proven skill-set and recently spent two days testing the No. 32 Lights car at Putnam Park near Indianapolis.
Listen to an interview with Stefan Rzadzinski, courtesy of OpenPaddock.net, here.
Brazilian driver Bruno Andrade will join Bryan Herta Autosport on the Streets of Toronto for his Indy Lights debut.
Andrade, 20, finished second overall in the 2010 South American F3 Championship while driving for Cesario Formula. He has a pretty strong background in karting and won the Formula Ford Formula Sao Paulo Championship in his car debut.
That same season (2009), he finished third in the F3 South America Light championship one position behind Raphael Abbate who finished fourth in 2010 USF2000 National Championship.
Andrade tested with Bryan Herta Autosport prior to the signing.
Photo: www.oliwebbracing.com
Oliver Webb inked a deal with Jensen MotorSport last weekend to drive one of the team’s Indy Lights cars during next month’s stop in Edmonton.
This is a really solid recruit for Eric Jensen and the entire Jensen MotorSport team. Webb, 20, finished third overall in the 2010 British F3 International Championship with three wins, four pole positions and 14 podiums. In completed races, he averaged a 5.25 finishing position (28 races, 2 DNFs).
In 2009, Webb finished third in the Formula Renault UK Championship compiling two wins and 10 podiums in 20 starts.
Jensen MotorSport has finalized the Edmonton race with Webb, but plan to run him at Trois-Rivieres and Baltimore as well.
This season the talented Brit is driving in the World Series by Renault for Pons where his best finish, to date, is ninth at Monza. He plans to continue his WSR program in Europe while competing in the Indy Lights championship in North America.
For more information, read the full release at Jensen MotorSport’s website.
