All three ladder series – Indy Lights, Pro Mazda Championship and USF2000 Championship – to feature expanded calendars.
As interest continues to grow in the 2015 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires and the new Dallara IL-15 Indy Lights car, the Mazda Road to Indy schedules recently announced will highlight the month of May in Indianapolis. All three development series, including the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, will feature an expanded schedule of 16 races with some new venues added to the traditional mix of circuits.
The new turbo-powered Dallara IL-15 Indy Lights package, which rolled out to rave reviews in prototype testing, will make its competition debut at 10 tracks featuring a blend of four road courses, three street circuits and three oval events with six double-header rounds. All but one event will be in support of the Verizon IndyCar Series; the season finale for all three series will take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in September accompanying Pirelli World Challenge. Indy Lights competitors will vie for a new guaranteed three-race scholarship program to the Verizon IndyCar Series, including the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016.
The focal point in next year’s schedule will be the month of May at Indianapolis. The Grand Prix of Indianapolis, which proved popular with fans and racers alike during its inaugural running in 2014, will continue to feature all three Mazda Road to Indy series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Two weeks later, the crown jewel of the Indy Lights season – the Freedom 100 – will continue to be the traditional 100-mile race on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. The following day, the two junior development categories will stage their own Freedom 90 and Freedom 75 events at nearby Lucas Oil Raceway in conjunction with the USAC Silver Crown Series. These will shift to an afternoon pair of races to avoid scheduling conflicts with other activities taking place that day.
With the new scholarship and the new car, several new and returning teams are looking at coming into or expanding their presence in the Indy Lights series. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports w/ Curb-Agajanian is the latest team to commit to the rejuvenated series, placing a two-car order as they prepare to campaign for their ninth Indy Lights title next season. Multiple car orders have already been placed by Belardi Auto Racing, Juncos Racing and McCormack Racing – who were first in line to order the new chassis.
“Schmidt Peterson Motorsports is the only team that has competed in the Indy Lights series since its inception,” says team owner Sam Schmidt. “We believe that the series is a vital step to reach the Verizon IndyCar Series, and the number of current IndyCar drivers who previously participated in Indy Lights is proof that the system works. We are proud to announce our official entry into the series for 2015, and look forward to the incredible competition that will be created by the new chassis and its formula.”
Indy Lights will continue to enjoy one-hour race broadcasts on the NBC Sports Network with primarily same-day coverage as well as live broadcasts on the IMS Radio Network to Sirius XM Satellite Radio, indycar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR app from Verizon. ESPN International holds the international broadcast rights with races airing in Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Australia amongst others. The popular RoadToIndy.TV will continue to provide behind-the-scenes access to all competitors on the Mazda Road to Indy.
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires 2015 Schedule of Events
| Date | Venue | Circuit Type |
|---|---|---|
| March 27-29 | Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.* | 1.8-mile street course |
| April 17-19 | Streets of Long Beach, California | 1.968-mile street course |
| April 24-26 | Barber Motorsports Park* | 2.38-mile road course |
| May 7-9 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway* | 2.439-mile road course |
| May 22 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | 2.5-mile oval |
| June 12-14 | Streets of Toronto, Ontario, Canada* | 1.755-mile street course |
| July 11-12 | The Milwaukee Mile | 1.015-mile oval |
| July 17-18 | Iowa Speedway | 0.875-mile oval |
| July 31-Aug. 2 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course* | 2.258-mile road course |
| September 11-13 | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca* | 2.238-mile road course |
* Doubleheader Event
Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires 2015 Schedule of Events
| Date | Venue | Circuit Type |
|---|---|---|
| March 27-29 | Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.* | 1.8-mile street course |
| April 10-12 | NOLA Motorsports Park* | 2.75-mile road course |
| April 24-26 | Barber Motorsports Park* | 2.38-mile road course |
| May 7-9 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway* | 2.439-mile road course |
| May 23 | Lucas Oil Raceway | 0.686-mile oval |
| June 12-14 | Streets of Toronto, Ontario, Canada* | 1.755-mile street course |
| July 17-18 | Iowa Speedway | 0.875-mile oval |
| July 31-August 2 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course* | 2.258-mile road course |
| September 11-13 | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca* | 2.238-mile road course |
* Doubleheader Event
Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda 2015 Schedule of Events
| Date | Venue | Circuit Type |
|---|---|---|
| March 27-29 | Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida* | 1.8-mile street course |
| April 10-12 | NOLA Motorsports Park* | 2.75-mile road course |
| April 24-26 | Barber Motorsports Park* | 2.38-mile road course |
| May 7-9 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway* | 2.439-mile road course |
| May 23 | Lucas Oil Raceway | 0.686-mile oval |
| June 12-14 | Streets of Toronto, Ontario, Canada* | 1.755-mile street course |
| July 31-Aug. 2 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course** | 2.258-mile road course |
| September 11-13 | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca* | 2.238-mile road course |
* Doubleheader Event **Tripleheader Event