2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires

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Re-branded for 2019 and beyond, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires debuted as the Pro Mazda Championship in 2013, replacing the Star Mazda Championship which ceased operation in 2012 after 22 years. The series is sanctioned by INDYCAR and owned and operated by Andersen Promotions. It is the second official step on the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder system, bridging the gap between the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires.

Juncos Racing's Rinus VeeKay and Exclusive Autosport's Parker Thompson battled for top honors throughout the 2018 season, with VeeKay claiming the champion's title and the scholarship to advance to Indy Lights in 2019.

2018 was an exciting season for the series, with the introduction of the new Tatuus PM-18 chassis, completing the revitalization of all three levels. State-of-the-art chassis are in service across the board meeting the highest safety standards, including the Dallara IL-15, which debuted in Indy Lights in 2015, and the Tatuus USF-17 that was introduced to rave reviews in 2017.

The PM-18 will be the series’ standard for at least the next five years. It replaced the Élan chassis which was introduced in 2004 and provided the basis for a long list of talented young drivers to develop their skills.

HISTORY

The series has served as a vital step on the career path of many of today's top drivers since 1991. Graduates include NTT IndyCar Series drivers Marco Andretti, Gabby Chaves, Conor Daly, James Hinchcliffe, Sage Karam, Kyle Kaiser, Spencer Pigot, Graham Rahal and Zach Veach. 

SCHEDULE 

The 2019 Indy Pro 2000 calendar will consist of a nine-event, 16-race schedule alongside the NTT IndyCar Series which includes two ovals, five road course and two street course venues. In support of the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500, both Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000 will return for the Carb Night Classic on May 24 at Lucas Oil Raceway, which is undergoing a $10M-plus renovation.

*Doubleheader Round  

SERIES PARTNERS

Cooper Tires, Allied Building Products, Elite Engines, Tatuus, Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Motegi Racing, Hyperco, Dynamic Suspensions, Cosworth, Tilton, RACER, Hi-Tide Boat Lifts, Royal Purple, VP Racing Fuels, Performance Friction, Racing Communications, INDYCAR Ministry

COVERAGE

The popular RoadToIndy.TV and RoadToIndy.TV App will continue to provide behind-the-scenes content, race recap episodes, special features, live streaming and live shows of Road to Indy on and off-track activities.

In 2016, the Road to Indy became the first American racing series with a dedicated broadcast channel on demand via Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku and, most recently, the Xbox One Official App.

CAR | ENGINE

The Tatuus PM-18 debuted to rave reviews in 2018. The PM-18 uses the USF-17 chassis - introduced in 2017 - as the base car to help control the operational costs for teams who wish to move up. The chassis is a full carbon composite and aluminum honeycomb monocoque manufactured by Tatuus Racing meeting current FIA F4 safety standards including side impact panels, front and rear impact structures, HANS-compliant IndyCar head restraint, front and rear wheel tethers, upgraded uprights and an upgraded front bulkhead structure for USA specific oval racing circuits.

Enhancements over the USF-17 include more sophisticated aerodynamics with an adjustable dual-element rear wing and single-plane carbon fiber front wing with adjustable flaps and Indy Pro 2000-specific front and rear endplates; larger Motegi Racing forged Technomesh monoblock alloy wheels with Cooper tires (13"x10" fronts and 13"x12" rears); and a 275 HP 2.0-liter Mazda MZR-PM18A motor developed by Elite Engines, utilizing a fly-by-wire throttle system and Cosworth SQ6 engine management system. The power is delivered via a Sadev SL82 six-speed sequential transmission and limited-slip differential.

VP is the Official Fuel of the Indy Pro 2000 series.

TIRES

Slick/rain tires co-branded COOPER/INDYPRO2000 as manufactured by Cooper Tires.

POINT SYSTEM

ROAD/STREET COURSES

7th............................... 14             14th.............................. 7

One additional point is awarded for pole position, most laps led and fastest race lap

OVALS

7th............................... 21             14th..............................11

One additional point is awarded for pole position, most laps led and fastest race lap

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

Single car teams will receive three bonus points as an equivalency to multi-car teams. Only the two best results will count in the team championship for teams fielding more than two entries.

PRIZE MONEY AND AWARDS

The 2019 champion's scholarship is valued at $596,700, which includes a $500,000 scholarship to advance to Indy Lights the following year and $96,700 in Cooper tires and entry fees towards the champion’s next step on the ladder. The total event and year-end prize money and awards on offer totals over $761,100.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

The Road to Indy Summit and Oval Clinic is a three-part educational and promotional program held during the season. The platform provides valuable education on a variety of topics including marketing/business, media training, career growth and development, fitness and wellness, social media and a comprehensive introduction to oval track racing led by industry experts. It also features activities such as high-profile autograph sessions and fan Q&As, networking reception, team owner meet-and-greets and race shop tours. Additionally, the current points leader will pace the Freedom 100 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires field on Carb Day and be interviewed in front of the Indianapolis 500 crowd only minutes before the race.

CURRENT TRACK RECORDS

MILESTONES:

PAST CHAMPIONS:

(*) Series switched from tube-frame cars to carbon-fiber cars in 2004.
(+) First season of unified national Star Mazda Championship series. From 1991 – 1999 the series crowned regional and oval-track champions.