Auckland's Callum Hedge has become the first young driver to earn an invitation to the third annual Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout after clinching the New Zealand Formula 1600 Championship at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon.

The Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout will continue for a third successive year in 2018, extending its reach to now include 11 countries where 20 champions of junior open-wheel and karting series from around the world will join together in the December event.

Brazilian Lucas Kohl recently announced his decision to return to Pabst Racing and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda for a third season – his second with the Oconomowoc, Wis.-based team that won the Team Championship in 2017.

Drivers and teams are getting ready for the 2018 season!

It’s safe to say that few people in America had heard of Keith Donegan before his stunning victory at last month’s Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout. The young Irishman had been working his way up through the ranks, seemingly poised for a move to the States or to Europe, when he made one of the most difficult decisions any young race car driver has had to make: he gave up racing to pursue college.