2010 Skip Barber / F2000 / Star Mazda

[NaBUru38]

This thread is about the 2010 seasons of all American open-wheel series below the Atlantics.

The F2000 Championship Series (www.f2000championshipseries.com) will have a new direct rival: the IRL-sanctioned USF2000 National Championship (www.f2000.com). The latter's website claims: "We expect our drivers to come from karting, quarter midgets, Skip Barber, Russell School series, Canadian Formula Ford, Pacific F2000, F2000 Northeast, Formula Mazda series [i.e. regional series, not Star Mazda], SCCA Club Racing and open-wheel junior championships in Europe and South America. We also plan to reach out to midget and sprint car drivers who would like to gain experience in rear-engine cars as well as road racing and street courses." So they are supposed to steal a few Nascar hopefuls too.

2010 F2000 Championship Series calendar:

April 9-11 - VIRginia (VDCA)
May 6-8 - Road Atlanta (Formula Drift)
June 12-14 - Mosport (NASCAR Canada)
July 2-4 - Watkins Glen (IndyCar)
July 23-24 - Lime Rock Park (ALMS)
August 6-8 - Road America (Trans-Am)
September 3-5 - Mid-Ohio (NASA)

2010 Star Mazda Championship calendar:

March 19 - Sebring (ALMS, Atlantic)
March 26 - St. Petersburg (IndyCar / ALMS)
May 22 - Laguna Seca (ALMS, Atlantic)
May 29 - Indianapolis Raceway Park (Night before the Indy 500)
June 19 - Iowa Speedway (IndyCar)
June 26-27 - New Jersey (Atlantic)
July 31-August 1 - Autobahn (Atlantic)
August 15 - Trois-Rivières (Atlantic, Grand-Am Koni)
August 21 - Road America (ALMS)
August 28 - Mosport Park (ALMS)
October 1 - Road Atlanta (ALMS, Atlantic)

[kylekosir]

Looks like I will be there for the Mosport Event. Quick Track.
One of the teams in F1200, runs a F2000, TLM racing, there doing the 3 open wheel level tier system-
F1200 then f1600, then f2000

[NaBUru38]

USF2000 National Championship calendar (all dates are held jointly with the Star Mazda):

March 27-28 - St. Petersburg (IndyCar)
May 29 - Indianapolis Raceway Park (Night before the 500)
June 19 - Iowa Speedway (IndyCar)
June 26-27 - New Jersey (Atlantic)
July 31-August 1 - Autobahn (Atlantic)
August 21-22 - Road America (ALMS)
September 30-October 1 - Road Atlanta (ALMS, Atlantic)

Btw, the ALMS doesn't race at St. Petersburg as I wrote in the first post.

[gomick]

Interesting that both f2000 & usf2000 support an indycar round...

[Morris Dancer]

Australians might have someone to cheer for in Star Mazda next year if Daniel Erickson's test day with Mundill Racing at MSR Houston this week turns out OK.

There's a story about it on his website www.demotorsport.com.au.

[gomick]

Good choice, ran fairly well in Brit FFord in 09, i like the idea of Daniel in Star Mazda next year

[Morris Dancer]

Yep, providing he can come up with that other all-important ingredient ...

According to my calcuator Star Mazdas have a higher power:weight ratio than F3, FR 2.0 and FBMW, but not as high as Atlantic or Formula Masters. GP3 is a mystery because there's so little technical info available (typical for an Ecclestone-owned enterprise).

[NaBUru38]

The IRL-sanctioned USF2000 National Championship cars will have the four-cylinder 2.0L 170hp MZR engine, used in the North American-market MX-5 and Mazda 3 road cars. In addition to the Road To Indy ladder, the series will be part of the MazdaSpeed Motorsports Development Ladder - it "will fit between the Skip Barber series and the Star Mazda championship."

[gomick]

So Mazda engines, not the old US Formula Ford 2000 types...

[JOWT Blog]

Originally Posted by gomick

So Mazda engines, not the old US Formula Ford 2000 types...

Just for the 'championship class'.

• Mazda Press Release
• USF2000 National Championship Class Structure

[gomick]

Shall be interesting to see the times that both the championship & national class cars do...

[NaBUru38]

Ford engines won't be allowed in 2011.

[NaBUru38]

2010 Skip Barber National Championship calendar:

March 5-7 - Homestead-Miami (Grand-Am Rolex and ex Koni)
March 16-19 - Sebring (ALMS, Atlantic, Star Mazda)
April 22-25 - Virginia (Grand-Am Rolex and ex Koni)
May 28-29 - Lime Rock (Grand-Am Rolex and ex Koni)
July 15-17 - New Jersey (Grand-Am Rolex and ex Koni)
August ¿? - TBD
October 1 - Road Atlanta (ALMS, Atlantic, Star Mazda, USF2000)

Possible August races (wild guesses):
July 31-August 1 - Autobahn (Atlantic, Star Mazda, USF2000)
August 7-8 - Mid-Ohio (IndyCar, Indy Lights)
August 15 - Trois-Rivières (Atlantic, Grand-Am ex Koni)
August 21 - Road America (ALMS, Star Mazda)
August 28 - Mosport Park (ALMS, Star Mazda, USF2000)

[NaBUru38]

Together with 2012's new Indy car, we may see the USF2000 and Star Mazda championships renewed by the Dallara Formulino soon:

The Dallara Formulino has arrived in North America!
December 15, 2009

The Dallara Formulino ("little Formula" in Italian) is an entry-level model in a range of Dallara cars that includes F3, WSR, GP2, Firestone Indy Lights and the IndyCar Series.
[...]
The car was tested on the Walt Disney World Speedway tri-oval and the Sebring International Raceway road course in November 2009, leaving IZOD IndyCar Series veteran Davey Hamilton impressed with what he saw.
[...]
“I think the most important thing about the car, for me having a kid coming up in this sport and having a big gap between go-karts and Indy Lights, is that this is the perfect car to fill that gap,” Hamilton said.
[...]
Dallara is pleased to be able to offer racing schools and potential entry level championship organizers a chance to get drivers of all ages racing in a Dallara product with the Formulino range.

The car is used since 2008 in the German ADAC Formel Masters, wich is about the same level as the USF2000.

[notguilty]

if you go to the indycarparts.com website then look at there pics why does the car have ford branding. The promotional material makes a big deal out of the fact you can put whatever engine you want in it. So why ford?