Mazda withdraws its Road to Indy funding
Mazda will end its support of the Road to Indy programme, which has been a potential career stepping stone for the winner of the British Racing and Sports Car Club’s National Formula Ford Championship since 2016.
Backing from the Japanese manufacturer will cease at the end of 2018 after nine years and will affect Indycar’s feeder categories Indy Lights, Pro Mazda and USF2000.
Irishman Keith Donegan won the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout last year – claiming a ticket with runner-up spot at the Brands Hatch Festival – and with it a $200,000 (£150,000) scholarship to race in the USF2000 series this season.
Other British drivers to have won a ticket to the Shootout include Jamie Thorburn, Ollie White, Neil Maclennan and Luke Williams.
Mazda will ensure that the 2018 Indy Lights, Pro Mazda and USF2000 champions will receive scholarships into the next category, and the 2018 Mazda Road to Indy Global Shootout will be held in December again.
The programme has provided scholarships for the champion of each category, with recent Indy Lights champions such as Spencer Pigot, Ed Jones and Kyle Kaiser earning part-time Indycar seasons off the back of their feeder category victories.
The manufacturer’s influence meant that 27 of the 35 drivers who attempted to qualify for the 2018 Indianapolis 500 were Indy Lights graduates.
Indycar is the sanctioning body of the Road to Indy and it confirmed that the programme will continue in some, yet to be revealed, capacity.
“The Road to Indy programme has staged great racing over the years while developing teams and drivers for the Indycar Series, and that will continue with plans soon to be announced,” said a statement.