
2021 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship
[Visit RoadToIndy.Info for a full overview of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.]
The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship debuted in 2010 and is a continuation of the highly regarded USF2000 series which ran from 1990 through 2006, launching the careers of many of today’s top drivers. Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the series is the first official step on the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires - a clearly defined path to reach the top echelons of the sport. In addition to providing a vital training ground for rising stars, the series champion will earn a scholarship package to advance to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, the next step on the ladder system.
Christian Rasmussen of Jay Howard Driver Development claimed the 2020 championship and a scholarship valued at $328,225 which includes guaranteed entry into a full calendar of Indy Pro 2000 in 2021 as well as an Indy Lights test at the end of season.
In 2021, the champion's scholarship will increase to a value of $401,305 and will again guarantee a full season of competition in Indy Pro 2000 in 2022. In total, over $470,600 in prize money and awards are on offer including the Cooper Tires Pole Award at $1,000 per race.
The Tatuus USF-17, introduced in 2017 will continue through 2026, with updates in both 2021 and 2022, providing drivers with the proper training aboard a state-of-the-art chassis as they advance up the motorsports ladder.
HISTORY
USF2000 has served as a formative step for drivers dating back to 1990. Drivers who have honed their skills in the series include Indy 500 winners Dan Wheldon, Sam Hornish Jr. and Buddy Rice and sports car talents Lawson Aschenbach, Austin Cindric, Andy Lally, Bryan Sellars and Jonathan Bomarito. Recent graduates include Spencer Pigot, Colton Herta, Zach Veach, Oliver Askew and Rinus VeeKay to name a few.
2021 SCHEDULE - Eight Events, 18 Races
ROUND |
DATE |
TRACK
|
VENUE |
1/2 |
March 6/7
|
Streets of St. Petersburg |
1.8-mile street course |
3/4
|
April 10/11
|
Barber Motorsports Park |
2.3-mile road course |
5/6/7
|
May 14/15
|
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
|
2.439-mile road course |
8
|
May 28
|
Lucas Oil Raceway |
.686-mile oval |
9/10
|
June 19/20
|
Road America
|
4.014-mile road course |
11/12/13
|
July 3/4
|
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
|
2.258-mile road course |
14/15 |
July 10/11
|
Streets of Toronto
|
1.786-mile street circuit
|
16/17/18 |
August 28/29
|
New Jersey Motorsports Park
|
2.14-mile road course
|
The annual Spring Training for USF2000 will take place at the Homestead-Miami road course on February 22/23. Six pre-event test days include Barber Motorsports Park on April 8, Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 13, Lucas Oil Raceway on May 27, Road America on June 18, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 1 and New Jersey Motorsports Park on August 27.
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
Coverage of USF2000 will feature worldwide live streaming on RoadToIndy.TV, the Road to Indy TV App and the series’ respective website usf2000.com as well as live and on demand coverage on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku.
DRIVERS
The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship is open to drivers age 15 and up (with 14-year-olds eligible pending review and acceptance of a driving resume by the series and approval by INDYCAR).
CARS
The Tatuus USF-17 was introduced in 2017 and will remain in competition through the end of 2026. It is a full carbon composite and aluminum honeycomb monocoque chassis meeting current FIA F4 safety standards and utilizes the Mazda MZR 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine with additional safety features to meet the specific needs of racing in the United States. These features include full Zylon side intrusion panels and reinforced bulkheads to strengthen the chassis for racing on oval circuits. The USF-17 also features other upgrades such as a six-speed paddle shift gearbox, four-way adjustable dampers, specific design aluminum Motegi Racing wheels, Cosworth data system, LCD steering wheel and ECU, four piston caliper PFC brakes and IndyCar-specific quick jack and roll hoop attachments.
VP Racing Fuels is the Official Fuel of USF2000.
ENGINES
The USF-17 is powered by the Mazda MZR 2-liter powerplant prepared by Elite Engines which produces 175 HP and maximum torque of 160 Ft. Lbs., utilizing a fly-by-wire throttle system and Cosworth SQ6 engine management system.
TIRES
Thirteen-inch slick and rain tires co-branded COOPER/USF2000 as manufactured by Cooper Tires.
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.
CURRENT TRACK RECORDS
Streets of St. Petersburg |
Qualifying: Christian Brooks |
1:11.9662 = 90.042 mph |
10/24/2020 |
|
Race: Kiko Porto |
1:12.2279 = 89.716mph |
10/25/2020 |
Barber Motorsports Park
|
Qualifying: Michael Epps
|
1:23.009 = 99.748 mph
|
2/25/2014
|
|
Race: RC Enerson
|
1:23.456 = 99.214 mph
|
2/26/2014
|
Indianapolis Motor Speedway RC |
Qualifying: Braden Eves
|
1:24.5396 = 103.861 mph |
5/10/2019 |
|
Race: Braden Eves
|
1:24.7440 = 103.611 mph
|
5/11/2019
|
Lucas Oil Raceway
|
Qualifying: Aaron Justus
|
20.930 = 117.993 mph
|
5/25/2002
|
|
Qualifying: Scott Hargrove
|
42.833 = 115.313 mph+
|
5/25/2013
|
|
Race: Bryan Sellers
|
21.016 = 117.510 mph
|
5/25/2002
|
Road America |
Qualifying: Rasmus Lindh |
2:09.2583 = 111.795 mph |
6/22/2018 |
|
Race: Scott Anderson |
2:09.656 = 111.452 mph |
8/17/2012 |
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course |
Qualifying: Matthew Brabham |
1:20.250 = 101.293 mph |
8/4/2012 |
|
Race: Kyle Kirkwood |
1:21.2979 = 99.988 mph |
7/29/2018 |
Streets of Toronto
|
Qualifying: Kaylen Frederick
|
1:10.7699 = 90.852 mph
|
7/14/2018
|
|
Race: Rasmus Lindh
|
1:10.9853 = 90.576 mph
|
7/15/2018
|
New Jersey Motorsports Park
|
Qualifying: Eduardo Barrichello
|
1:17.1488 = 99.859 mph
|
10/10/2020
|
|
Race: Nolan Siegel
|
1:17.7495 = 99.087mph
|
10/11/2020
|
+ = two lap average
MILESTONES
Most Starts |
Scott Rubenzer |
72 |
1992-2006 |
Most Wins |
Chris Simmons |
13 |
1992-1994 |
Most Wins in a Season |
J.R. Hildebrand |
12 |
2006 |
|
Kyle Kirkwood |
12 |
2018 |
Most Poles |
Nico Jamin |
13 |
2015 |
Most Poles in a Season |
Nico Jamin |
13 |
2015 |
Most Podiums |
Jake Eidson |
22 |
2014-2015 |
Most Podiums in a Season |
Nico Jamin |
15 |
2015 |
POINT SYSTEM
ROAD/STREET COURSES
1st............................... 30 8th...............................13 15th............................ 6
2nd.............................. 25 9th................................12 16th............................ 5
3rd............................... 22 10th..............................11 17th............................ 4
4th............................... 19 11th..............................10 18th............................ 3
5th............................... 17 12th.............................. 9 19th............................ 2
6th............................... 15 13th.............................. 8 20th+.......................... 1
7th............................... 14 14th.............................. 7
One additional point is awarded for pole position, most laps led and fastest race lap
OVALS
1st............................... 45 8th...............................20 15th............................ 9
2nd.............................. 38 9th................................18 16th............................ 8
3rd............................... 33 10th..............................17 17th............................ 6
4th............................... 29 11th..............................15 18th............................ 5
5th............................... 26 12th..............................14 19th............................ 3
6th............................... 23 13th..............................12 20th+.......................... 2
7th............................... 21 14th..............................11
One additional point is awarded for pole position, most laps led and fastest race lap
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1st............................... 22 6th................................ 8
2nd..............................18 7th................................. 6
3rd.............................. 15 8th................................. 4
4th.............................. 12 9th................................. 2
5th.............................. 10 10th+............................. 1
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.
Past Champions:
Year |
Champion |
Team |
2020 |
Christian Rasmussen
|
Jay Howard Driver Development
|
2019 |
Braden Eves
|
Cape Motorsports
|
2018 |
Kyle Kirkwood
|
Cape Motorsports
|
2017 |
Oliver Askew |
Cape Motorsports |
2016 |
Anthony Martin |
Cape Motorsports w/Wayne Taylor Racing |
2015 |
Nico Jamin |
Cape Motorsports w/Wayne Taylor Racing |
2014 |
Florian Latorre |
Cape Motorsports w/Wayne Taylor Racing |
2013 |
Scott Hargrove |
Cape Motorsports w/Wayne Taylor Racing |
2012 |
Matthew Brabham |
Cape Motorsports w/Wayne Taylor Racing |
2011 |
Petri Suvanto |
Cape Motorsports w/Wayne Taylor Racing |
2010 |
Sage Karam |
Andretti Autosport |
2006 |
J.R. Hildebrand |
Cape Motorsports |
2005 |
Jay Howard |
Aiken Racing |
2004 |
Bobby Wilson |
Cape Motorsports |
2003 |
Jonathan Bomarito |
PR1 Motorsports |
2002 |
Bryan Sellers |
Cape Motorsports |
2001 |
Jason Lapoint |
Richard Morgan Racing |
2000 |
Aaron Justus |
Cape Motorsports |
1999 |
Dan Wheldon |
Primus Racing |
1998 |
David Besnard |
Primus Racing |
1997 |
Zak Morioka |
Hayes Motorsports |
1996 |
Steve Knapp |
Miller Motorsports |
1995 |
Jeret Schroeder |
Schroeder Racing |
1994 |
Clay Collier |
Ruyle Race Service |
1994* |
Mike Borkowski |
Falcon Racing |
1993E |
Chris Simmons |
SOTARE Racing |
1993W |
David DeSilva |
Pfeiffer Ridge Racing |
1993* |
Ernest Sikes |
Primus Racing |
1992E |
Chris Simmons |
SOTARE Racing |
1992W |
Greg Moore |
Team Viper |
1992* |
Greg Ray |
Primus Racing |
1991 |
Craig Taylor |
Craig Taylor |
1990 |
Vince Puleo |
Fast Forward Racing |
Note:
1990-1994 |
USAC FF2000 |
1992-1993 |
Separate East and West Championships |
*1992-1994 |
SCCA American Continental Championship |
1995 |
USAC/SCCA FF2000 |
1996-2006 |
USF2000 |
2010- |
USF2000 |