2012 Media Guide
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2012 MEDIA GUIDE 2012 Schedule of Events March 15/16 Round 1 Sebring International Raceway Round 2 3.7-mile, 17-turn road course Supporting American Le Mans Series March 24/25 Round 3 Streets of St. Petersburg Round 4 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit Supporting IZOD IndyCar Series May 26 Round 5 Lucas Oil Raceway (Indianapolis) 0.686-mile oval Supporting USAC/“Night Before the 500” August 4/5 Round 6 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Round 7 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course Supporting IZOD IndyCar Series, American Le Mans Series August 17/18 Round 8 Road America Round 9 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course Round 10 Supporting American Le Mans Series September 1/2 Round 11 Streets of Baltimore Round 12 2-mile, 12-turn street circuit Supporting IZOD IndyCar Series, American Le Mans Series September 14/15 Round 13 Virginia International Raceway Round 14 4.1-mile, 21-turn road course Supporting American Le Mans Series • Live timing with full race commentary for all events is available at www.usf2000.com. • USF2000 will be featured in the new Mazda Motorsports Hour debuting on Velocity in April. • Five weekends of racing will have international television coverage via ESPN International. Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda Drivers today have a clearly defined ladder system as they aspire to reach the top echelons of the sport, and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda represents the first official step on the Mazda Road to Indy. Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the series provides a vital training ground for rising stars in addition to a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to Star Mazda, the next rung on the ladder. While debuting a new generation in 2010, the series boasts a rich history as a revival of the highly regarded national USF2000 series which ran from 1990 through 2006, launching the careers of many of today’s top drivers. It is also part of the prestigious MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder which assists young drivers in advancing from the Skip Barber Racing School to USF2000. 2012 Overview: Interest in USF2000 is at an all-time high. Seven new teams are entered for 2012 and a series record 30+ drivers are expected to be on the starting grid. Competitors will have an opportunity to showcase their talent in 14 races this season. Supporting INDYCAR and the American Le Mans Series at premier venues, the expanded schedule includes four permanent road courses, two street circuits and one oval event. Administrator: The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda is administered by Andersen Promotions. Principals of Andersen Promotions include Dan Andersen, Owner/CEO who founded the original USF2000 National Championship, and Michelle Kish, Series Manager. Contacts: Andersen Promotions Public Relations: 10101 U.S. Highway 41 North Tamy Valkosky Palmetto, FL 34221 949.459.9172 Office 941.723.3900 949.842.3946 Cellular [email protected] [email protected] www.usf2000.com Series Staff Owner/CEO......... Dan Andersen Series Manager......Michelle Kish Race Director........Paul Walter Technical Director......Craig Brooks Technical Manager Butch Winkle Technical Assistant ....Bill Hunter Pit/Paddock Director .............John Andersen Equipment/Hospitality Manager ..Greg Hayden Registrars...Suzi Shinji, Jackie Young Driver Coach...Gerardo Bonilla Technical and Driver Consultant (courtesy of Cooper Tires).....Johnny Unser Marketing/Hospitality......Ken Burris Public Relations..Tamy Valkosky Photographer ...John Hendrick Event Administrative Assistant ..Shelia Hunter Series Chaplain....David Storvick First Event The series’ first event was a double-header on March 27/28, 2010, at the street circuit in St. Petersburg, Fla., supporting the IZOD IndyCar Series’ Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Both races were won by Sage Karam of Andretti Autosport who went on to become series champion. Drivers The Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda is open to drivers age 16 and up (with 15-year-olds eligible through approval by INDYCAR). Drivers who have honed their skills in USF2000 include Indy 500 winners Dan Wheldon, Sam Hornish Jr. and Buddy Rice, rising stars JR Hildebrand and Charlie Kimball, and sports car talents Andy Lally, Memo Rojas and Memo Gidley. Prize Money The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will distribute over $500,000 in prizes and awards in 2012. The winner of the Championship Class will receive a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to Star Mazda competition in 2013. The winner of the National Class will receive a scholarship package to advance to the Championship Class the following year. Point System Championship Class per race: 1st .. 30 11 th ....10 2nd . 25 12 th ......9 3rd . 22 13 th ..8 4th . 19 14 th ...7 5th . 17 15 th ...6 6th . 15 16 th ...5 7th . 14 17 th ...4 8th . 13 18 th ...3 9th . 12 19 th ...2 10 th ... 11 20 th +.....1 One bonus point is awarded for pole position, most laps led and fastest race lap. National Class and Team Championship per race: 1st ....... 22 6th 8 2nd .. 18 7th .6 3rd ... 15 8th .4 4th ... 12 9th .2 5th ... 10 10 th +.1 Classes and Cars: There are two classes of competition within the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda – Championship and National. The Championship Class features open-wheel, single-seat, open-cockpit cars with front and rear wings. As a cost constraint, the rules package requires a one-make chassis. Only Van Diemen Elan cars manufactured from 2001 on are eligible to compete. This allows teams to amortize their purchase over multiple years. The cars are low-budget, easy to work on mechanically and offer multiple tuning adjustments with cornering speeds matching the next level car (Star Mazda). The cars are powered by the Mazda MZR 2-liter powerplant – a four-cylinder, double-overhead-cam, fuel-injected engine generating approximately 170 horsepower and capable of powering cars to speeds of 150 mph. All Mazda MZR engines are prepared and sealed by Elite Engines of West Bend, Wis. The National Class offers a cost-effective alternative program with the opportunity for advancement to the Championship Class. National Class cars are open-wheel, single- seat, open-cockpit cars with slightly less horsepower. All National Class entries utilize Van Diemen chassis complying to current SCCA Formula Continental class regulations with a manufacture date of 1999 or newer. The cars are powered by a Zetec 2-liter powerplant. Carl Haas Auto is the official parts supplier to the series. For 2012, the class has been expanded to include SCCA Enterprises’ Formula Enterprises (FE) cars which conform to SCCA General Competition Rules and Specifications (GCR). FE cars are powered by the Mazda Duratec engine. Tires: Thirteen-inch slick and rain tires co-branded COOPER/F2000 as manufactured by Cooper Tires are mandatory in both classes. Additional Benefits: The Mazda Road to Indy Summit and Oval Clinic is a three-part educational and promotional program held during the season. The platform not only provides valuable education on a variety of topics including marketing/business, media training, career growth and development, social media and a comprehensive introduction to oval track racing, but also features activities such as a networking reception, shop tour and question and answer session with an IZOD IndyCar Series team and high-profile autograph sessions. Additionally, the winner of the “Night Before the 500” will pace the Firestone Freedom 100 Indy Lights field on Carburetion Day and be interviewed in front of the Indianapolis 500 crowd only minutes before the race. PARTNERS Mazda www.mazdausa.com Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America. Thousands of Mazda-powered grassroots racers compete in various classes within the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world’s largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. In 2006 Mazda established the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder to assist racers in moving up through the ranks. In 2010 this was expanded to include the Mazda Road to Indy. Key to Mazda’s success is strategic partnerships with the Skip Barber Racing School and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. MAZDASPEED Motorsports is managed by Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). MNAO is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario; and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. Consumer information can be found at www.mazdausa.com with press information at www.mazdausamedia.com. Racers and fans can follow the action on Facebook (Mazdaspeed Motorsports). Cooper Tire & Rubber Company www.coopertires.com Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company with affiliates, subsidiaries and joint-ventures that specialize in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car and light truck tires. The company also has subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located in 10 countries around the world. Mazda Road to Indy www.indycar.com The Mazda Road to Indy is INDYCAR’s developmental ladder system to prepare drivers for the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. It includes the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, and Firestone Indy Lights. All three affiliated “junior” series offer the challenge of racing on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits, and program participants can showcase their drivers and teams in front of IZOD IndyCar Series team owners each year. All four series will also be in action in Indianapolis over the Memorial Day weekend.