The news is really starting to pick up in the Mazda Road to Indy as we accelerate towards the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the start of the 2016 season. Let’s take a quick look at the most recent updates on the MRTI.

John Cummiskey Racing Confirms 2016 Lineup

John Cummiskey Racing, who shook up the established pecking order in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda by taking their rookie team and rookie driver Anthony Martin to fourth in the championship, confirmed their return to a two-car team for 2016. Spearheading their quest for a championship is 2014 F1600 champion Ayla Agren. The 22-year-old Norwegian driver returns to USF2000 for her sophomore season, aiming to improve upon a tenth place finish in the championship in 2015 with Team Pelfrey. Agren will pilot the #33 Energima Energy car and is enthused about the possibilities 2016 will bring.

“I am really excited about being a part of John Cummiskey Racing for the 2016 season,” said Agren. “They showed last year what they are capable of, and what they did as a one-car team (most of the season) was very impressive. I am really pumped to get more knowledge and develop further as a driver, and I believe as a second year driver on the Mazda Road to Indy ladder in the Cooper Tires USF2000 category that we together can show good results. But most of all I can’t wait for the season to start and to get back behind the wheel.”

Joining Agren at JCR will be Brazilian karting champion Lucas Kohl, who will drive the #34 Bellko Trading entry. This will be Kohl’s first foray into car racing, and he will be mentored by former IndyCar driver, all-around good guy, and “super sub” Roberto Moreno.

“I’m very excited to work with John Cummiskey Racing, he is well known for his dedication to the Team and attention to every detail,” said Kohl. “The team has Louis D’Agostino, a very dedicated and smart engineer who has helped in the past many youngster in their careers. Roberto Moreno, an experienced F1 and Indy car driver will also be helping me to catch up with the knowledge that I will need in my first year of racing in the USA. I’m confident that together we will strive to perform at the top level and achieve good results in this very competitive championship. I want to thank the team for the chance to race with them on the Mazda Road to Indy.”

Team Pelfrey Signs Final USF2000 Driver

With three drivers already signed, sealed, and delivered for the 2016 USF2000 season, there was just one piece of the puzzle left for Team Pelfrey’s four-car USF2000 team. Today, that piece was revealed as 19-year-old New Zealand racer James Munro, who will drive the #83 Team New Zealand car for the team’s sophomore season in USF2000. Munro competed last season in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand, after claiming the Formula Masters China championship in 2014 with eight victories. Munro also won the 2013 New Zealand Formula Ford Championship, dominating the series with ten wins.

“I think the team environment is great and that together we can challenge at the front of the field,” Munro said. “I feel confident that I'm with the right team to move forward with my career. The ladder provided by Team Pelfrey on the way up to IndyCar is really great, it's always good to keep continuity with a team so I'm hoping that I can go all the way through the Road to Indy with the team.

“I'm looking forward to giving oval racing a go, it will be a new experience for me which is really exciting. To be able to race as a support class for IndyCar will be really cool as well. Everything will be new to me this year but I'm confident that with the experience I have and the help from the team, we will be competitive. This is a massive opportunity for me, I would like to thank Archibalds, Consortium Construction and my Club 5000 supporters for making this happen.”

Chilton Makes the Move to IndyCar

Max Chilton, who drove for the Marussia F1 team in 2013 and 2014 and competed last year in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires with Carlin Racing, will move up to the Verizon IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing. Chilton will bring the fourth Ganassi car back to the series full-time, piloting the #8 entry that was shared last season by Sage Karam and Sebastian Saavedra. Chilton claimed one win in 2015, dominating the Iowa 100 at Iowa Speedway for an emotional victory following the death of former F1 teammate Jules Bianchi.

“I couldn’t be happier to join Chip Ganassi Racing’s Verizon IndyCar Series program. This organization is built on winning and their 11 INDYCAR Championships back that up. Chip is the kind of team owner that every driver dreams of working for in their career. He’s accomplished so much in so many different categories over the years, and I can’t wait to start driving for him,” Chilton said.

“Max is a talented young driver who has driven a number of different disciplines already in a short time,” Ganassi added. “He brings a good deal of experience to our Indy car lineup and we’re looking forward to him being part of our four-car team in 2016 and making a big contribution.”

News Coming from Lloyd, Eidson

Two drivers have teased more news coming in the near future. Jake Eidson, the owner of 22 podiums and six victories in USF2000 competition over the past two years, recently tweeted that he would soon have news to share on the future of his racing career. Also set to reveal new information to us is young Australian Jordan Lloyd, who competed a partial season in 2015 with John Cummiskey Racing in USF2000. Lloyd is expected to return to USF2000 after winning the Australian F4 Championship last year.