The USF Juniors championship, also known as USF Juniors presented by Cooper Tires for sponsorship reasons, is an American auto racing series running with

USF2000 The USF2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires is an American racing series using the American variation of the Formula Ford formula, "F2000", that resumed operation for the 2010 season. As of 2022, it is sanctioned by the United States Auto ...

cars (as of 2023). The series inaugurated in 2022 as a new first rung of the

Road to Indy A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

, below the USF2000 Championship. The series is owned by Andersen Promotions and sanctioned by USAC.

History

The USF Juniors championship was formally announced in September 2021. Series founder Dan Andersen cited the need for one more step on the Road to Indy ladder after karting due to the increasingly competitive nature of the previous first run, the USF2000 Championship as a primary factor for forming the series. He further established the want to provide "a true entry level series that is professionally managed where drivers, teams and parents can focus on training and racing via shorter, more economical events, while also lowering the spotlight on young drivers that often occurs on IndyCar race weekends." The series was also made as a direct competitor to the Formula 4 United States Championship. To allow champions of the series to progress in their careers, winners will receive a scholarship valued at $200,000. For the series' inaugural season, a six-event scheduled was planned featuring all

road courses Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on ...

. USAC, who already handled duties for the USF2000 Championship and USF Pro 2000 championships in Road to Indy, was named the sanctioning body for the series. Former driver

Gustavo Yacamán Gustavo "''El Tigrillo''" (English: Ocelot) Yacamán Aristizabal (born February 25, 1991) is a Colombian racing driver from Santiago de Cali. Yacamán began his career in open-wheel racing, but switched to sports car endurance racing in 2012. He ...

was hired as the series manager, while another two former drivers, Joel Miller and Johnny Unser, were hired as race stewards.

Cars

For the series' inaugural season, competitors used a Ligier JS F4 chassis with a 160 hp 2.0 Liter engine made by

Honda Performance Development Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD) is a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co. which was established in 1993 and is based in Santa Clarita, California. It is the technical operations center for Honda's American motorsports programs and is ...

(HPD). As with all other series in the Road to Indy ladder,

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturing company founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling and based in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, S ...

, through their Cooper brand, is the tire supplier for the series. For the 2023 season, USF Juniors began using the Tatuus JR-23 chassis, which can be upgraded for use in both U.S. F2000 and Indy Pro 2000 as drivers and teams progress through the Road to Indy ladder. The new car also uses the same MZR engine used in the Road to Indy series.

Circuits

References

External Links

* {{Class of Auto racing Auto racing series in the United States One-make series Formula racing series USF Juniors Road to Indy