The Mazda Road to Indy is a group of developmental racing series launched in 2010 managed by IndyCar

IndyCar

IndyCar is the trade name of an American-based open-wheel auto racing sanctioning body. IndyCar sanctions three racing series, the premier IZOD IndyCar Series with its centerpiece Indianapolis 500, and developmental series Firestone Indy Lights and the U.S...

 with a goal being the IZOD

Izod

Izod is a clothing company that produces dressy-casual clothing and sportswear for men and women, also including fragrances, and accessories. Similar to brands such as Gant U.S.A., Lacoste, and Polo Ralph Lauren, it is part of the Phillips-Van Heusen Company, headquartered at 200 Madison Ave., New...

 IndyCar Series

IndyCar Series

The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...

 and the Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...

. As part of the program, all series participate in the three disciplines of the IndyCar Series: oval races, permanent road courses

Road racing

Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...

, and street circuit

Street circuit

A street circuit is a racing circuit composed by temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor races. Facilities such as the paddock, pit boxes, fences and grandstands are usually placed temporarily and removed soon after the race is over but in modern times the...

s. In addition, all series participate in Indy 500 weekend, with the IndyCars and Indy Lights racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....

 and the lower series racing at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on the "Night Before the '500". More importantly to drivers and teams, series champions will receive assistance to ascend to the next rung of the ladder. On December 9, 2010 it was announced that Mazda

Mazda

is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...

 would become the title sponsor of the program and provide scholarships for series champions to advance to the next rung of the ladder.

Participating series (in order from lowest to highest "rung"):

1. U.S. F2000 National Championship
   U.S. F2000 National Championship
   Cooper Tires presents the U.S. F2000 National Championship powered by Mazda is an American racing series using the American variation of the Formula Ford formula, "F2000", that resumed operation for the 2010 season...
   
   
2. Star Mazda Series
   Star Mazda Series
   The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is an open-wheel racecar driver development series in North America. Competitors use spec Formula Mazda race cars built by Star Race Cars. The original series, using first-generation tube-frame cars started in the early 1990s, with the current,...
   
   
3. Firestone Indy Lights
4. IZOD IndyCar Series

All series except Star Mazda and USAC are sanctioned by IndyCar (Star Mazda is sanctioned by IMSA

International Motor Sports Association

The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...

).

Champions

IndyCar Series IndyCar Series The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...		Indy Lights		Star Mazda		US F2000 U.S. F2000 National Championship Cooper Tires presents the U.S. F2000 National Championship powered by Mazda is an American racing series using the American variation of the Formula Ford formula, "F2000", that resumed operation for the 2010 season...
2010 2010 IndyCar Series season The 2010 Izod IndyCar Series season was the 15th season of the IndyCar Series, and the 99th recognized season of top-level American open wheel racing. It was the series' first of six planned seasons under Izod title sponsorship, a multi-million dollar deal which was announced on November 5, 2009...	Dario Franchitti Dario Franchitti George Dario Marino Franchitti is a Scottish racing driver. He formerly competed in the CART series before switching to the IndyCar Series where he was 2007 champion, and won the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500. Franchitti is also a former NASCAR driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, competing...	2010 2010 Indy Lights season The 2010 Indy Racing League Firestone Indy Lights season was the 25th Indy Lights season. It was contested over thirteen races beginning on March 28 on the streets of St...	Jean-Karl Vernay	2010 2010 Star Mazda Championship season The 2010 IMSA Star Mazda Championship season was the twelfth season of the Star Mazda Championship, an open wheel auto racing series that competes using spec chassis and engines...	Conor Daly Conor Daly Conor Daly is an American racing driver from Noblesville, Indiana. He is the son of Irish former Formula One and Champ Car driver Derek Daly.-Racing career:...	2010 2010 U.S. F2000 National Championship The 2010 Cooper Tires presents the U.S. F2000 National Championship powered by Mazda is the first U.S. F2000 National Championship season under the new management, sanctioned by the Indy Racing League...	Sage Karam Sage Karam Sage Karam is an American racing driver from Nazareth, Pennsylvania.After karting, Karam competed in the 2010 season of the U.S. F2000 National Championship for Andretti Autosport. Karam won nine of the twelve races and the pole in all but one race and dominated the championship...
2011 2011 IndyCar Series season The 2011 Izod IndyCar Series season was the 100th season of American open wheel motor racing. The season consisted of seventeen events over the course of a seven–month season. Its premier event was the 95th Indianapolis 500, run on Sunday, May 29. It was the final season running the IR–05 Dallara...	Dario Franchitti Dario Franchitti George Dario Marino Franchitti is a Scottish racing driver. He formerly competed in the CART series before switching to the IndyCar Series where he was 2007 champion, and won the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500. Franchitti is also a former NASCAR driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, competing...	2011 2011 Indy Lights season The 2011 Indy Lights season is a season of open wheel motor racing in which cars' drivers will compete against each other using cars which conform to the Indy Lights set of motor racing regulations. It is the 26th season of the Indy Lights series and the tenth sanctioned by IndyCar where the...	Josef Newgarden Josef Newgarden Josef Newgarden is an American racing driver who competes in single seater formulae.-Karting:Newgarden drove a kart for the first time at the age of thirteen...	2011 2011 Star Mazda Championship season The 2011 Star Mazda Championship season was the 13th Star Mazda Championship season and the second under the Mazda Road to Indy program. As part of the program's expansion, the series champion will be provided a scholarship to advance into Firestone Indy Lights for the 2012 season...	Tristan Vautier Tristan Vautier Tristan Vautier is a French racing driver.-Formula Renault:Vautier began his career in the French Formula Renault Campus series in 2006, where he finished runner-up. He moved up to the main Championnat de France Formula Renault 2.0 series in 2007, finishing fourth, also competing in some events in...	2011 2011 U.S. F2000 National Championship The 2011 U.S. F2000 National Championship is a season of the U.S. F2000 National Championship, an open wheel auto racing series that is the first step in IndyCar's Road to Indy ladder. It is the second full season of the series since its revival in 2010. It follows the first 2011 U.S. F2000...	Petri Suvanto Petri Suvanto Petri Suvanto is a Finnish racing driver from Seinäjoki.After winning and placing highly in several Finnish karting championships, Suvanto moved to car racing in 2010 in Formula BMW Europe for Josef Kaufmann Racing. He finished eleventh in points with a best finish of sixth at Zandvoort and...