2019 INDY LIGHTS PRESENTED BY COOPER TIRES
[Visit RoadToIndy.Info for a full overview of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.]
The third and final step on the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires debuted as Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires in 2014. Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the series is operated by Andersen Promotions, which oversees all three levels of the ladder system including the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires.
The Road to Indy is the only driver development program in the world to feature a champion’s scholarship at every level to advance to the next step on the ladder system. In 2019, the Indy Lights champion will be awarded a scholarship valued at $1.1M toward the NTT IndyCar Series with three guaranteed races including the Indianapolis 500.
Following an August 1 announcement by INDYCAR and Andersen Promotions, the future of Indy Lights is bright, strengthened by a five-year plan to increase team and driver participation for the final stepping stone to the top level. In addition to an increased champion’s purse, a reduction in entrant budgets was unveiled alongside revised INDYCAR driver licensing guidelines and an expansion of the IndyCar testing program for Indy Lights drivers.
Indy Lights has become the backbone of the NTT IndyCar Series, with 25 of the 33 starters in the 2018 Indianapolis 500 as graduates, including its last five champions. In total, 11 Indy Lights champions were on the grid. The success of Indy Lights as a springboard to IndyCar has never been more apparent.
Since the formation of the Road to Indy in 2010, 33 Indy Lights drivers have made career starts in the NTT IndyCar Series. And since the inception of Indy Lights, this number totals 137.
All but three of the 32 champions in the series history have moved up to the top step.
The highly acclaimed series was revitalized with a state-of-the-art chassis in 2015. Sharing similarities to an Indy car, the Dallara IL-15 provides the appropriate training for drivers to make the step up - a six-speed, paddle-shift transmission, a 50HP "push-to-pass" feature, "drive-by-wire" throttle control and advanced engine management electronics.
The Dallara IL-15 is a collaboration between Dallara’s Italian headquarters in Varano Melegari (Parma) and Dallara LLC in Speedway, Ind. It is powered by an Advanced Engine Research (AER) 2.0-liter I-4 turbocharged engine which produces 450 horsepower and is capable of running an entire season without a rebuild.
The marriage of the AER powerplant to the Cooper tire-shod Dallara IL-15 has produced incredible competition with a strong parity across the board that showcases racecraft.
The 2018 season saw a thrilling season-long battle between Patricio O'Ward (Andretti Autosport) and Colton Herta (Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing), with O'Ward taking the championship title with nine wins and a record-setting nine pole positions.
HISTORY
Indy Lights has produced some of the NTT IndyCar Series’ biggest names during its 32-year history. Its 100+ graduates include Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, James Hinchcliffe, Tony Kanaan, Charlie Kimball and Josef Newgarden to name a few. More recently, several Indy Lights champions and front-runners have gone on to pursue their dream of racing in the NTT IndyCar Series and the famed Indianapolis 500. Among them are 2018 champion Patricio O'Ward, 2018 vice champion Colton Herta, 2017 champion Kyle Kaiser, 2016 champion Ed Jones, 2015 champion Spencer Pigot, 2014 champion Gabby Chaves as well as recent graduates Jack Harvey, Matheus Leist and Zach Veach.
SCHEDULE
Indy Lights will be featured on 10 weekends alongside the NTT IndyCar Series headline event, marking a total of 18 races with doubleheader rounds on the streets of St. Petersburg, at Circuit of The Americas, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course), Road America, on the streets of Toronto, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, at Portland International Raceway and in the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Indy Lights will contest single rounds on the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Gateway Motorsports Park.
The focal point in the 2019 schedule will be the month of May at Indianapolis. The INDYCAR Grand Prix will continue to feature all three Road to Indy series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Two weeks later, the crown jewel of the Indy Lights season – the Freedom 100 – will continue to be the traditional 100-mile race on Carb Day on the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
ROUND |
DATE |
TRACK
|
VENUE |
1/2 |
March 9/10
|
Streets of St. Petersburg |
1.8-mile street circuit* |
3/4 |
March 23/24 |
Circuit of the Americas |
3.4-mile road course* |
5/6 |
May 10/11 |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
2.439-mile road course* |
7 |
May 24 |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
2.5-mile oval |
8/9 |
June 22/23 |
Road America |
4.048-mile road course* |
10/11 |
July 13/14
|
Streets of Toronto, Ontario
|
1.755-mile street circuit* |
12/13 |
July 27/28 |
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course |
2.258-mile road course* |
14 |
August 24 |
Gateway Motorsports Park |
1.25-mile oval |
15/16 |
Aug 31/Sep 1 |
Portland International Raceway |
1.964-mile road course |
17/18 |
September 21/22
|
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
|
2.238-mile road course |
* Doubleheader Rounds.
SERIES PARTNERS
Cooper Tires, Dallara, Advanced Engine Research (AER), Motegi Racing, Tilton, Cosworth, Braille Battery, Life Racing, SS Tube Technology, VP Racing Fuels, Allied Building Products, Hi-Tide Boat Lifts, RACER, Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Performance Friction, Dynamic Suspensions, INDYCAR Ministry, Holmatro, Racing Communications, Safety-Kleen.
TELEVISION
Indy Lights coverage can be found on NBC Sports Gold as part of the IndyCar package as well as the Road to Indy TV and Road to Indy TV App. In 2016, the Road to Indy became the first American racing series with a dedicated broadcast channel on demand. The channel is currently available on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and the Xbox One Official App.
The popular RoadToIndy.TV will continue to provide behind-the-scenes access to all competitors on the Road to Indy.
CARS
State-of-the-art, single-seat, open-wheel, Indy car-style chassis manufactured by Dallara Automobili, complete with paddle shifters, push-to-pass and safety components meeting FIA specifications with INDYCAR standards (headrests, seats, secondary pedal bulkhead, zylon panels).
ENGINES
2.0-liter turbocharged Mazda MZR-R developed in conjunction with Advanced Engine Research (AER) producing 450 HP with 50 HP push-to-pass for high speed overtaking and capable of running an entire season without a rebuild.
TIRES
Cooper Tires
POINT SYSTEM
Per race, for both driver and team championships. One bonus point is awarded for pole position and most laps led. Single car teams will be awarded three bonus points in the team championship to help with the equality to multiple car teams. Only the two best results will count in the team championship for teams fielding more than two entries.
ROAD/STREET COURSE EVENTS
Pos |
Points |
|
Pos |
Points |
|
Pos |
Points |
1 |
30 |
|
10 |
11 |
|
19 |
2 |
2 |
25 |
|
11 |
10 |
|
20+ |
1 |
3 |
22 |
|
12 |
9 |
|
|
|
4 |
19 |
|
13 |
8 |
|
|
|
5 |
17 |
|
14 |
7 |
|
|
|
6 |
15 |
|
15 |
6 |
|
|
|
7 |
14 |
|
16 |
5 |
|
|
|
8 |
13 |
|
17 |
4 |
|
|
|
9 |
12 |
|
18 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
OVAL EVENTS
|
|
Pos |
Points |
|
Pos |
Points |
|
Pos |
Points |
1 |
45
|
|
10 |
17 |
|
19 |
4
|
2 |
38
|
|
11 |
15 |
|
20+ |
2
|
3 |
33
|
|
12 |
14
|
|
|
|
4 |
29
|
|
13 |
12
|
|
|
|
5 |
26
|
|
14 |
11
|
|
|
|
6 |
23
|
|
15 |
9
|
|
|
|
7 |
21
|
|
16 |
8
|
|
|
|
8 |
20
|
|
17 |
6
|
|
|
|
9 |
18
|
|
18 |
5
|
|
|
|
|
TEAM POINT SYSTEM |
|
Pos |
Points |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
22 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10+ |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PRIZE MONEY AND AWARDS
The Indy Lights champion is awarded a scholarship valued at $1.1M toward the NTT IndyCar Series with three guaranteed races including the Indianapolis 500. The 2019 team and driver prize packages will be announced in the near future.
CURRENT TRACK RECORDS
Streets of St. Petersburg |
Qualifying: Patricio O'Ward |
1:05.0392 = 99.632 mph |
3/10/2018 |
|
Race: Colton Herta |
1:05.4946 = 998.939 mph |
3/10/2018 |
Circuit of The Americas
|
No results to date |
No results to date
|
|
Indianapolis Motor Speedway RC |
Qualifying: Ed Jones |
1:14.6743 = 117.583 mph |
5/13/2016 |
|
Race: Felix Rosenqvist |
1:15.7230 = 115.954 mph |
5/14/2016 |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
Qualifying: Matheus Leist
|
45.1654 = 199.268 mph
|
5/25/2017 |
|
Qualifying: Matheus Leist
|
1:30.3625 = 199.198 mph*
|
5/25/2017 |
|
Race: Santi Urrutia
|
45.4307 = 198.104 mph
|
5/26/2017 |
Road America |
Qualifying: Colton Herta
|
1:52.0034 = 129.018 mph |
6/24/2017 |
|
Race: Zachary Claman DeMelo
|
1:53.0138 = 127.864 mph
|
6/25/2017 |
Streets of Toronto |
Qualifying: Colton Herta
|
1:03.6848 = 100.960 mph
|
7/14/2018 |
|
Race: Colton Herta
|
1:04.4515 = 99.759 mph
|
7/14/2018 |
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course |
Qualifying: Santiago Urrutia |
1:10.9428 = 114.582 mph |
7/30/2016 |
|
Race: Jack Harvey |
1:11.5804 = 113.562 mph |
8/1/2015 |
Gateway Motorsports Park |
Qualifying: Juan Piedrahita
|
27.8890 = 161.354 mph
|
8/26/2017 |
|
Qualifying: Juan Piedrahita
|
55.962 = 160.823 mph*
|
8/26/2017
|
|
Race: Zachary Claman DeMelo
|
28.0370 = 160.502 mph |
8/26/2017 |
Portland International Raceway
|
Qualifying: Patricio O'Ward
|
1:02.8074 = 112.573 mph
|
8/31/2018 |
|
Race: Patricio O'Ward
|
1:03.6398 = 111.100 mph
|
9/1/2018 |
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
|
Qualifying: Max Chilton
|
1:14.2329 = 108.534 mph
|
9/12/2015 |
|
Race: Max Chilton
|
1:16.1633 = 105.783 mph
|
9/13/2015 |
*Two-lap qualifying run
MILESTONES
Most Starts |
Arie Luyendyk Jr. |
66 |
2002-2010 |
Most Wins |
Greg Moore |
13 |
1994-1995 |
Most Wins in a Season |
Greg Moore |
10 |
1995 |
Most Poles |
Tommy Byrne |
12 |
1989-1996 |
Most Poles in a Season |
Patricio O'Ward |
9 |
2018 |
Most Podiums |
Wade Cunningham |
30 |
2005-2010 |
Most Podiums in a Season |
Alex Lloyd |
13 |
2007 |
INDY LIGHTS CHAMPIONS
2018 |
Patricio O'Ward
|
(INDYCAR)
|
2017 |
Kyle Kaiser
|
(INDYCAR)
|
2016 |
Ed Jones |
(INDYCAR) |
2015 |
Spencer Pigot |
(INDYCAR) |
2014 |
Gabby Chaves |
(INDYCAR) |
2013 |
Sage Karam |
(INDYCAR) |
2012 |
Tristan Vautier |
(INDYCAR) |
2011 |
Josef Newgarden |
(INDYCAR) |
2010 |
J.K. Vernay |
(INDYCAR) |
2009 |
JR Hildebrand |
(INDYCAR) |
2008 |
Raphael Matos |
(INDYCAR) |
2007 |
Alex Lloyd |
(INDYCAR) |
2006 |
Jay Howard |
(INDYCAR) |
2005 |
Wade Cunningham |
(INDYCAR) |
2004 |
Thiago Medeiros |
(INDYCAR) |
2003 |
Mark Taylor |
(INDYCAR) |
2002 |
A.J. Foyt IV |
(INDYCAR) |
2001 |
Townsend Bell |
(CART) |
2000 |
Scott Dixon |
(CART) |
1999 |
Oriol Servia |
(CART) |
1998 |
Cristiano da Matta |
(CART) |
1997 |
Tony Kanaan |
(CART) |
1996 |
David Empringham |
(CART) |
1995 |
Greg Moore |
(CART) |
1994 |
Steve Robertson |
(CART) |
1993 |
Bryan Herta |
(CART) |
1992 |
Robbie Buhl |
(CART) |
1991 |
Eric Bachelart |
(CART) |
1990 |
Paul Tracy |
(ARS) |
1989 |
Mike Groff |
(ARS) |
1988 |
Jon Beekhuis |
(ARS) |
1987 |
Didier Theys |
(ARS) |
1986 |
Fabrizio Barbazza |
(ARS) |
KEY
ARS - American Racing Series
CART - Championship Auto Racing Teams
INDYCAR - INDYCAR