FEEDER SERIES NEWS
Sao Paulo Driver Wins Brazilian Kart Open
SAO PAULO, Brazil – The third edition of the Mazda Road to Indy in Brazil already has its champion. Eighteen-year-old Allan Croce, who won the Brazilian Kart Open in the Graduated category on June 23, will represent his country in the Mazda Road to Indy $200K Scholarship Shootout at the end of the year in the United States. In the competition at the Granja Viana kart track in Cotia, Sao Paulo, Croce, who began racing at the age of 12, dominated the two qualifying rounds (15 laps each) and the final race (20 laps).
Croce, who is a native of Jaú, in the interior of São Paulo, will be the third Brazilian to vie for the $200,000 Shootout prize to enter a full season in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, the first step for pilots who dream of competing in the Verizon IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 .
In 2016, Marcel Coletta, 15, represented Brazil in the Shootout and last year Olin Galli came close to the title, finishing in the top five. The Shootout in December will bring together drivers from around the world representing at least 11 countries and 20 champions.
“It's incredible because drivers do not have many opportunities like this,” said Croce, who has speed in his blood as the grandson of former driver Fernando Croce. “It’s a huge chance to demonstrate your skills and determination. My grandfather is the person I most follow as an example to this day. Without a doubt, I was influenced by him. I have a love for this sport and I intend to pursue a career in racing.”
Fernando Croce, who passed away four years ago, was an accomplished karter who competed alongside Paulo Carcasci, representative of the Mazda Road to Indy in Brazil, and organizer and technical manager for the event in the country.
“It was a great fight for the position and I was happy to see the grandson of Fernando, who shared tracks with me in the past, reach the title,” said Carcasci, a seven-time Brazilian kart champion, Formula Ford European and Japanese Formula 3 champion, a Gold Cup winner in F3000 and current driver coach. “The Brazilian Kart Open attracted top drivers from the country, including Olin Galli, who won the Mazda Road to Indy Brazil last year. We will once again go to the United States to participate in the Shootout for this unique opportunity, where a driver can advance their career depending on talent and results.”
The Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires is one of the most successful driver training programs in the world. With its scholarships, the driver development ladder provides the opportunity for a driver to start in USF2000 and earn scholarships to progress next to the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and then Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires before moving on to IndyCar.
Since Mazda began supporting the project in 2010, drivers have been attracted from numerous countries around the world. Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, Ireland, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Spain, Britain, Venezuela and many more have had representatives on the grid, showing their talents in a mix of street, road and oval circuits in the United States.
Final result of the Brazilian Kart Open:
1. #061 Allan Croce; 2. #077 Marcus Borges; 3. #999 Guilherme Peixoto; 4. #017 Lucas Okada; 5. #001 Olin Galli; 6. #221 Sergio Roberto Crispim; 7. #212 Alain Sisdeli; 8. #070 Vinicius Ponce; 9. #119 Pedro Goulart; 10. #029 Victor Backes .
For more information about the event in Brazil, go to: http://mazdaroadtoindy.com.br/.