Andrés Méndez makes an adjustment during the 2011 SKUSA SuperNationals XV in Las Vegas.
(Photo: JuniorOpenWheelTalent.com)
Andrés Méndez signed with Team GDT for the 2012 Star Mazda Championship.
The 19-year-old Colombian driver has been actively competing in karts for the past several years and has limited experience in the car ranks. He competed in the 2009 Jim Russell Future Driver Search and has tested a F2000 car. Additionally, he is a regular in the 6 Horas de Bogotá race.
Team GDT plans to announce a few more drivers to partner with Méndez in the coming weeks.
For up-to-date news and views on karting and junior formula racing follow @JOWT on Twitter or follow on Facebook.
Petri Suvanto showcased his raw speed during the Chris Griffis Memorial Road to Indy test with Team Pelfrey at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last October.
It was officially announced this morning that Petri Suvanto will join Team Pelfrey for the 2012 Star Mazda Championship, completing the team’s already-potent roster.
Suvanto, who won the 2011 USF2000 National Championship in dominating fashion with five wins, will join Gustavo Menezes and Jack Hawksworth in the three-car Pelfrey camp.
The 19-year-old driver is currently at home in Finland where he is completing his mandatory military National Service, but is looking forward to a return to North America and auto racing.
“Moving up to Star Mazda isn’t going to be easy, but I’m welcoming the challenge with open arms,” Suvanto said in a team release. ”The theme of the year is learning, and the more I learn the better the results are going to be. Things have changed a lot over the last 12 months. Last year at this time I was wondering whether I would be able to ever race again, but from the moment I learned about the Mazda Road to Indy, I knew what I wanted. It worked out pretty well. 2011 changed my life and I’m very thankful to all the people who were part of it, especially everyone at Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing [his USF2000 team]. Now it’s time to start a new chapter full of new challenges. I’m already counting the days until the first race.”
Suvanto makes the jump to Star Mazda as a reward for winning the 2011 USF2000 National Championship, thanks to funding provided by the Mazda Road to Indy scholarship ladder. Last fall, he showcased his adaptability by touring the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with speeds capable of producing a top lap time (within the top-3 both days), during the Chris Griffis Memorial Road to Indy test.
Suvanto is an excellent signing for Team Pelfrey and the combination could, indeed, produce a championship season.
For up-to-date news and views on karting and junior formula racing follow @JOWT on Twitter or follow on Facebook.
Brandon Reed will join Team Stange for several Star Mazda Championship races in 2012, joining teammate Lázaro Selegar.
While a full schedule is in the works, Reed has committed to drive Barber Motorsports Park, St. Petersburg, and the Night Before the 500 in Indianapolis. Reed’s past experience includes karting, Skip Barber, Bridgestone F2000, and SCCA Formula 500 racing. According to his website, Reed also tested an IndyCar in 2007 at Houston for Colorado Indy.
For up-to-date news and views on karting and junior formula racing follow @JOWT on Twitter or follow on Facebook.
The newly announced Team Stange has locked down a driver for the 2012 Star Mazda Championship.
According to a release sent out earlier this week, Brazilian driver Lázaro Selegar, 17, will join the squad this season. Selegar’s previous experience includes karting and testing a Formula 3 machine in South America.
The 2012 Star Mazda Championship will again open its season on the Streets of St. Petersburg. (Photo: Eric McCombs)
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 Star Mazda Championship drivers who have committed early for the 2012 season.
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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...]
The Star Mazda Championship announced its 18-race schedule for 2012 this morning. Several events will be run with the IndyCar Series, presenting drivers with an opportunity to shine under the watchful eyes of IndyCar team owners and fans alike.
The tentative schedule — which will run over the course of 10 weekends – currently has two events yet to be announced; one on June 22-24 and the other in October. The preliminary schedule consists of two road courses, five street courses, and one oval.
Make the jump to see the full Star Mazda schedule for 2012.
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According to a spreadsheet that hit my inbox today, the Oct. 28-29 Chris Griffis Memorial ‘Road to Indy’ test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has 43 cars entered between the three feeder series, with seven more entries in limbo. Those numbers seem to be in question, though, as more information arrives. Stay tuned for final numbers and updates.
Hopefully, the entries remain — or grow — when the teams begin to unload their cars this week. I’ll try to update the list below as additional information becomes available.
The USF2000 National Championship and Star Mazda Championship provided driver and team information. My Indy Lights contact hasn’t provided any information at this point. Per today’s spreadsheet:
- USF2000: Seven teams, 14 cars with four additional entries on the fence.
- Star Mazda: Five teams, 7 drivers and 13 cars with one additional entry on the fence.
- Indy Lights: 10 teams, 16 cars with three additional entries on the fence.
Make the jump to see who will be testing with whom in the USF2000 and Star Mazda ranks.
[Continue Reading...]
IndyCar announced the following this afternoon:
Mazda Road to Indy teams will get a jump start on 2012 when INDYCAR hosts a two-day test open to USF2000 National Championship, Star Mazda Championship and Firestone Indy Lights teams at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course on Oct. 28-29. The Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Open Test is dedicated to the memory of Chris Griffis, the team manager of Sam Schmidt Motorsports’ Firestone Indy Lights team, who died unexpectedly on Sept. 12.
Read the full release here.
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[Update] – View the entry list for the Chris Griffis Memorial ‘Road to Indy’ test.
Posted September 26, 2011 at 5:21 pm
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Star Mazda
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Star Mazda drivers were awarded for their performance in the 2011 championship Sunday evening following the Series’ season-finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. In addition to the traditional place-prizes, several other awards were doled out. The list of the award winners can be found below.
Rookie of the Year: Sage Karam
Clutch Performer Award: Joao Jardim
Hard Charger Award: Carlos Linares
Most Improved Driver: Tatiana Calderon
The 2011 USF2000 National Champion Petri Suvanto earned a scholarship, with funding from the Mazda Road to Indy, to move up to the Star Mazda Championship in 2012. Suvanto, 18, capped off an impressive USF2000 season with five wins and 11 podiums in 12 starts.
