Three more international series join list of championships that will provide an opportunity to earn a scholarship for USF2000.
The Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 Scholarship Shootout was already an unprecedented event, one 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 in 2017. With the addition of three more series that will be able to offer their champions an entry to the Shootout, the list expands in international scope and completes the racing championships that will be designated as Official Feeder Series of the Mazda Road to Indy.
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. The Shootout will comprise 17 champions representing eight countries.
“Mazda prides itself on providing the most comprehensive scholarship and ladder system for drivers in open wheel and sports cars,” said John Doonan, Director of Mazda Motorsports in North America. “Now, with the Scholarship Shootout, we can expand the Mazda Road to Indy entry-level opportunity to young champions from around the world. From an aggressive grassroots program to a well-defined ladder system to the top levels of racing in North America, Mazda strives to help develop superstars of the future.”
2015 drivers who have moved up the ladder with scholarship programs from Mazda include Luke Gabin, who entered USF2000 with a $200K scholarship after winning the Skip Barber Championship Shootout; Florian Latorre, the reigning USF2000 champion who graduated to Pro Mazda; 2014 Pro Mazda champion Spencer Pigot, who has now captured the Indy Lights Championship Presented by Cooper TIres and will run at least three races in IndyCar in 2016; and Gabby Chaves, who drives for Bryan Herta Autosport in the Verizon IndyCar Series after capturing last year’s Indy Lights crown.
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)
The event will take place in the fall of 2016. Full competition details on the “knockout style” Shootout and program structure will be distributed in the coming months.