Champions from India, Mexico and Canada Join International Lineup
PALMETTO, Fla. – Three additional series have been confirmed for the Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout – an unprecedented event which will bring together champions from around the world to vie for a $200,000 Mazda scholarship to join the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda – the first step on the Mazda Road to Indy, the world’s premier open-wheel development ladder – in 2017.
India’s MRF 1600 Championship, Mexico’s Formula Panam and Canada’s Formula Tour 1600 are the latest and final additions to the inaugural event. Each participating series will be able to offer its 2016 champion an “entry ticket” to the Shootout, which will take place in the fall of next year, and will be designated as an Official Feeder Series of the Mazda Road to Indy.
“The Madras Motor Race Track has nurtured the making of many national champions as well as international drivers Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan,” said Vicky Chandhok, Madras Motor Sports Club Chairman of National Racing Championships. “While we have the rungs of the ladder in place for national level progression, this is the first time for us to tie up with a formally structured program which will certainly attract more participation from India into the sport. We’re very excited about 2016 and look forward to seeing who will be the first champion from India at the Shootout.”
The Shootout will comprise 17 champions representing eight countries.
"We are very exited to become a Mazda Road to Indy feeder series and give our champion the opportunity to represent Formula Panam in the Shootout and have a chance to progress their career into USF2000,” said Hector Richards, Series Director. “There has been a lack of Mexican drivers in IndyCar for the past 10 years, and this partnership gives drivers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Adrian Fernandez, Michel Jourdain and Mario Dominguez to reach the Mazda Road to Indy and eventually the Verizon IndyCar Series."
Full competition details on the “knockout style” Shootout and program structure will be distributed in the coming months.
“We have a great lineup in place for our inaugural Shootout and I have to thank all the participating series for their support of this program,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “We are excited to have them as partners. We look forward to bringing champions from around the world together on the grid next fall in what will be a highly anticipated event, and to helping the next rising star on their career path in the Mazda Road to Indy.”
"To see the addition of more series from more continents is validation for what the Mazda Road to Indy and Andersen Promotions are striving to achieve as the top open-wheel ladder system around the globe,” said John Doonan, Director of Mazda Motorsports in North America. “We look forward to having their champions join us next year for the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout."
The full list of series participating in the Shootout include:
- Australian Formula Ford (Australia)
- BRSCC F1600 (England)
- Cubik Formula Ford Super Series (England)
- F1600 Formula F Championship (USA)
- F2000 Championship Series (USA)
- Formula Car Challenge Presented by Goodyear (USA)
- Formula Panam (Mexico)
- Formula Tour 1600 (Canada)
- MMSC 1600 Indian Championship (India)
- New Zealand Formula Ford Championship (New Zealand)
- Pacific F2000 (USA)
- ROTAX MAX Challenge (USA)
- SCCA Runoffs – F1600
- SCCA Runoffs – FC
- Scottish Motor Racing Club Formula Ford 1600 Championship (Scotland)
- Skip Barber Race Series (USA)
- Team USA Scholarship (USA)