There’s been a bit of news trickling out of the Mazda Road to Indy coffers here in the last week and a half, highlighted of course by the reveal of the 2016 schedules and the announcement of Tatuus as the new constructor for the 2017 USF2000 and 2018 Pro Mazda chassis. That’s not all that’s been going on, though. Below we’ll have a brief rundown of some of the other early offseason developments.

Team Pelfrey Expands to Indy Lights

In the realm of good news/bad news, Team Pelfrey announced that they would become the first team to compete in all three Mazda Road to Indy series by fielding a two-car Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires team in 2016. This would complement their new-for-2015 four-car Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda entry and their long-running two-car Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires team.

The addition of Team Pelfrey came at the loss of 8Star Motorsports, though. 8Star, having put all of their eggs in the Indy Lights basket in 2015 following years of sports car competition, is being acquired by Team Pelfrey, with the team run by Team Manager Gary Neal continuing on in their current roles under the Team Pelfrey banner. 8Star Motorsports ran only a partial schedule with a single-car, fielding Scott Hargrove in the first two rounds of the championship followed by Sean Rayhall in several events. Rayhall claimed two popular victories at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Mid-Ohio.

"I am really excited to have the opportunity to build the Indy Lights team with Team Pelfrey,” says Neal. “Since my engineer, Yves Touron, and mechanics are staying in place with the new team I am sure we will be a contender for the Indy Lights Championship in 2016. It is a pleasure to work with such a passionate team owner as Dale Pelfrey.”

Five Indy Lights Drivers Confirmed for Sophomore Seasons

The 2015 Indy Lights season may have been chock full of rookies, but there will be a more substantial contingent of sophomores in 2016. Kyle Kaiser (Juncos Racing), Ed Jones (Carlin Racing), RC Enerson (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports), Ethan Ringel (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports), and Shelby Blackstock (Andretti Autosport) have all been publicly confirmed as returning to the series with their same teams in 2016.

Kyle Kaiser: "I’m excited to return for another year of Indy Lights with Juncos Racing. The chemistry and team synergy we’ve developed over the past two seasons, combined with their work ethic, passion, and dedication will be a huge advantage going into next year. I am very confident in the team’s ability to provide me with a car to win races and defend their title during my sophomore season. There is a great race schedule ahead of us, and I’m looking forward to competing on some of my favorite tracks. I am more motivated than ever to succeed, and I’m grateful for the team, my sponsors, and everyone involved for putting their faith in me this upcoming season.”

RC Enerson: “I can’t wait for the 2016 season. We had a great learning year and I’m looking forward to battling for the championship. My goal is to continue to develop my skills and learn as many things as I can.”

Ed Jones: “Continuity isn’t something which you get to enjoy too often in junior motor racing but when you can achieve it, for sure it is a help. Both the team and I know each other very well. I have built a good understanding with the engineers and I feel we work well together. We all have a season under our belt now and we have all raised the bar and will be pushing very hard for more success in 2016.
The goal for 2016 is to win the Indy Lights championship. I learnt a huge amount in 2015 and feel that I have a great base to go for the championship in 2016. I have a great relationship with my team Carlin and I believe in them completely. Carlin as a team have achieved a great deal but they haven’t won a championship in US motor racing and I want to be the driver who delivers that.”

New Faces Testing in New Places

2015 Pro Mazda champion Santi Urrutia was testing alongside Enerson and Ringel with SPM as he searches for the right home in Indy Lights for his Mazda Road to Indy scholarship check. Heamin Choi, who competed with SPM in the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, will test for SPM at the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at Circuit of the Americas on November 21-22.

Zach Veach, who spent 2015 on the open-wheel sidelines but competed in the occasional IMSA Tudor Championship event, was also spotted testing with Belardi Racing. Veach, who won three races in 2014 on his way to third in the championship, has continued to publicly state his goal is to race in the Verizon IndyCar Series. A fourth season in Indy Lights could be on the cards if he can’t make it to the top this year.

In Pro Mazda, Australian Jake Parsons tested with Team Pelfrey at Palm Beach International Raceway. Parsons competed primarily in Asia this past season, but has been seen stateside on a number of occasions.

JAY Motorsports Strives to Bounce Back in 2016

JAY Motorsports had a rocky 2015 season, with driver Augie Lerch leaving the team mid-season and forcing the Florida-based squad to spend the remainder of the USF2000 season on the sidelines. That won’t be a deterrent for the race-winning squad in 2016, though. The team recently stated their intentions to return full-force in 2016, looking for two drivers to compete in USF2000. Although they may have dropped out of USF2000 in 2015, they continued to compete in F1600, giving them valuable experience.

The team will also shift from a black and pink livery to a black and neon green scheme in a branding exercise to attract more talent.

“The pink was great. It was punk rock and was noticeable on track but a lot of the drivers were shy about driving it,” team owner Jay Green explained. “Moving forward into a neon green, we feel as though this will open opportunities that may have been there before as well as some new ones.

“We have everything we need to succeed next year. Right now there are two open seats available with JAY Motorsports. If you are dedicated to becoming a professional race car driver, call us. We are just as dedicated in making your career happen as you are.”

Mazda Road to Indy and MAXSpeed Group Driver Advancement Program Winners Announced

Mazda Road to Indy and MAXSpeed Group are pleased to announce the winners of the Driver Advancement Program for 2015. Now in its second year, the program aims to promote a true ladder system from the grassroots of karting to the upper echelon of motorsports in North America. The four drivers will be given the opportunity to complete a Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda one-day test during off-season series testing.

The winners are:
• Trenton Estep, 15 of San Antonio, Texas
• Kyle Kirkwood, 16, of Jupiter, Florida
• Luke Shanahan, 17, of Dallas, Texas
• Rinus Van Kalmthout, 15, of Hoofddorp, Netherlands

All have participated in MAXSpeed Entertainment promoted events in 2015.

Through a selection process that narrowed applicants down to 12 finalists, the candidates then participated in in-depth videoconference interviews with a four-judge panel including Verizon IndyCar Series drivers Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud, Andersen Promotions COO Michelle Kish and MAXSpeed Group President Richard Boisclair.

“First of all, I want to thank Josef and Simon for their time in the selection process,” said Kish. “Their input was invaluable in what is always a tough decision. We are excited to give Trenton, Kyle, Luke and Rinus the opportunity to meet our teams and participate in our test next month at a fantastic circuit.”

The drivers will turn their first USF2000 laps at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, during the Chris Griffis Memorial Test on November 21/22 with the support of both Mazda Road to Indy and MAXSpeed Group personnel.