PALMETTO, Fla. — Andersen Promotions unveiled a new moniker for the opening steps of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.
Moving forward, the collective branding for the world’s most effective driver development program will be known as the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires.
USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires – formerly a pre-step on the Road to Indy — will now become an official step on the ladder alongside USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires (formerly Indy Pro 2000).
The USF Pro Championships ladder will remain an acclaimed scholarship-funded path for young drivers pursuing a professional career at the top levels of motorsports.
The decision came as IndyCar, which assumed operations of Indy Lights in 2022, reassesses its overall branding with dual management of the ladder steps between IndyCar and Andersen Promotions and, for 2023, different tire partners.
Both USF Pro 2000 and USF2000 will continue with IndyCar services including IndyCar race control, timing and scoring and the AMR IndyCar Safety Team.
USF Juniors will also utilize AMR Safety Team services with race control and timing and scoring provided by USAC.
“Although we are rebranding the Road to Indy, our goals remain the same – to develop drivers, teams and crew to advance to Indy Lights and ultimately the NTT IndyCar Series,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “With IndyCar taking over the operation of Indy Lights this year, the Road to Indy designation really doesn’t work moving forward for all steps on the ladder. We are proud of our accomplishments under the Road to Indy banner and intend to further develop the full USF Pro Championships as the only real place for talented young drivers on the open-wheel path.”
Scholarships to advance from USF Juniors into USF2000, USF2000 into USF Pro 2000 and USF Pro 2000 to Indy Lights will remain intact. All 2022 champions – Mac Clark, Michael d’Orlando and Louis Foster – will prepare for their next steps on the ladder in 2023 with Foster being the first to confirm his “new home” with an Andretti Autosport Indy Lights seat.
As the official racing school of the USF Pro Championships beginning in 2023, the Skip Barber Racing School will also be a pathway to the ladder system with a $100,000 scholarship to its Formula Race Series champion to advance into USF Juniors.