2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires

[Visit RoadToIndy.Info for a full overview of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.]

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.

RP Motorsport USA's Kyle Kirkwood and Juncos Racing's Rasmus Lindh held a season-long battle in the 2019 title chase with Kirkwood claiming the champion's crown by a mere two points and the scholarship to advance to Indy Lights in 2020 - his second consecutive Road to Indy scholarship.

In total, seven drivers representing five teams shared podium honors with four drivers capturing race wins in the 16-round season.

The Tatuus PM-18, introduced in 2018, continued to impress with 10 new track records in 2019, and will remain in competition through at least five more seasons through 2024 providing drivers with the proper training aboard a state-of-the-art chassis as they advance up the motorsports ladder.

For 2020, a total event and year-end prize package valued at over $808,000 is on offer, including a champion's scholarship valued at $594,820 to advance to Indy Lights in 2021.

HISTORY

Indy Pro 2000 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 and rising stars Oliver Askew and Rinus VeeKay.

SCHEDULE 

The 2020 Indy Pro 2000 calendar will consist of a nine-event, 18-race schedule alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at premier venues which include two ovals, five road course and two street course venues. In support of the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500, both Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000 will return for the Carb Night Classic on August 22 at Lucas Oil Raceway.

+Single race events

*Tripleheader rounds

2020 test days are currently scheduled for the Homestead-Miami Speedway road course on March 7/8, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course June 10/11 and Lucas Oil Raceway on August 20, with the remainder TBA.

SERIES PARTNERS

Cooper Tires, AiM Sports, Allied Building Products, AMR INDYCAR Safety Team, Bell Helmets, Carl Haas Auto, Cosworth, Dynamic Suspensions, Elite Engines, Hi-Tide Boat Lifts, Hyperco, INDYCAR Ministry, Kids On Track, Lucas Oil School of Racing, PFC Brakes, RACER, Racer Ink, Racing Communications, Rotiform, Sabelt, SimMetric Driver Performance Labs, Tatuus, Tilton, Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand, VP Racing Fuels

COVERAGE

Road to Indy TV, the broadcast production arm of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, will return for Season 7 in 2020 with an expanded programming platform to provide increased coverage for race fans, competitors and series partners. [Full details here.]

In 2016, the Road to Indy became the first American racing series with a dedicated broadcast channel on demand and also the first open-wheel series to have an official App on Xbox One. In 2020, all shows will now be available on demand as well as live on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. The shows will also be live streamed on the free Road to Indy TV App (which launched in 2015), on RoadToIndy.TV and its social media platforms and on the respective series websites – indylights.com, indypro2000.com and usf2000.com – and social media outlets.

Road to Indy TV will now be producing full live race shows with over three hours of streaming content daily on race weekends which includes a dedicated pre-race show, and race and post-race coverage of each series highlighted by special segments Paddock Pass, RTI Insider and The False Grid.

The social media component of the video content plan will include regular one-minute features with individual Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000 race weekend highlights as well as Beyond the Grid, Road to Indy 101, Tech Talk, Story of the Moment and Weekend Recap segments. Fuller two to five-minute edited segments will be produced the week following a race event and will include Beyond the Grid, Road to Indy 101, Tech Talk, Story of the Moment and Race Recap.

All creative content will be supported by social media marketing, providing better brand recognition among a wider audience and more exposure for series competitors.

CAR | ENGINE

The Tatuus PM-18 debuted to rave reviews in 2018, and will remain in competition through at least 2024. 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 2020 champion's scholarship is valued at $609,245, which includes a $500,000 scholarship to advance to Indy Lights the following year, awards from Cooper Tires, Bell Helmets and Sabelt, and race entry fees, with that package valued at $109,245 towards the champion’s next step on the ladder. The value of the total event and year-end prize money and awards on offer is $823,185.

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

+ = two lap average  

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.