Road to Indy promoter Andersen Promotions has launched a Formula 4-equivalent series with a prize pot worth $300,000 and a scholarship for USF2000.
The new series – called USF Juniors – will use the Ligier JS chassis and has a target budget of $120-150,000 for a six-event, 16-18 race schedule.
The winner will receive a scholarship worth $200,000 for USF2000.
Indy Lights race winner Gustavo Yacaman will act as the series boss.
Andersen has launched the series because it believes USF2000 – the bottom rung of the Road to Indy ladder – has become too “competitive from a global scale of driving talent” to be considered ‘entry level’.
“Our goal with USF Juniors is to provide a true entry level series that is professionally managed where drivers, teams and parents can focus on training and racing via shorter, more economical events, while also lowering the spotlight on young drivers that often occurs on IndyCar race weekends,” said Andersen CEO Dan Andersen.
“Our entry level drivers will learn the skills needed for them to move onto the Road to Indy, with less pressure.
“The new series will be choreographed with our current programmes and tremendous partnership with Cooper Tires.
“The feedback I have received from team owners has been nothing but positive.”
The Road to Indy – previously sponsored by Mazda and now backed significantly by Cooper Tires – awards a number of prizes including a scholarship for the champion.
The current bottom rung is USF2000, leading into Indy Pro 2000, then Indy Lights and finally IndyCar.
It is therefore possible to have your budget covered – with the addition of the USF Juniors championship – from an F4-equivalent right up to three races including the Indianapolis 500 in IndyCar. Kyle Kirkwood will achieve just that if he wins the Indy Lights title this weekend – and you can watch the title deciding races live on The Race YouTube channel.
The US already has an F4-based championship, which was founded in 2016 and was won by Kirkwood in 2017.
Mexican driver Noel Leon is leading the current season with one round left at Austin, and 26 drivers have scored points in the series so far this year.
In 2021 the F4 US champion earns a scholarship for the Formula Regional Americas Championship, which forms a rival to the Road to Indy by awarding its champion a Super Formula scholarship in Japan.
Kyffin Simpson, who also races in Indy Pro 2000, is the favourite to win the Formula Regional prize with three races at Austin remaining.
