By Dick Jordan
The highest finishing driver aged 15-21 in USAC’s 2011 Mopar D1 Midget Series will receive as part of his championship package a test in a USF2000 race car in front of an expert panel of officials and team owners from the Mazda Road to Indy as well as selected drivers from the IZOD IndyCar Series.
This unprecedented opportunity is part of IndyCar’s efforts to involve grassroots drivers in its ladder system and the combine will be held November 28-30 at Andersen Race Park in Palmetto, Fla. Top drivers from USAC, WKA, SKUSA, IKF, Rotax and the Rock Island Grand Prix will all be invited to participate.
The first Mazda Road to Indy Scouting Combine is a result of many weeks of planning and conversations with the major karting/grassroots sanctioning bodies in the United States.
An additional six spots will also be available for regional karting series participants as well, exposing another layer of the sport involving youngsters on a regional level.
A dozen of the best up and coming drivers are expected to compete at the combine for the ultimate prize – a two-race ride in the USF2000 series at St. Petersburg (INDYCAR weekend) in 2012. The winner will be selected by the panel of experts at the end of the combine.
The official format for the combine will be released in the near future. Questions regarding this program may be addressed to Jason Penix, Manager of Grassroots Marketing for IndyCar, at jpenix@indycar.com.