IndyCar officials have confirmed the scholarship prizes for 2019 in light of leading partner Mazda's impending exit.
Road to Indy has been IndyCar's officially sanctioned feeder series for nearly a decade and it has been confirmed the champions of the respective series in USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights will continue to receive scholarship prizes despite Mazda departing as the title sponsor.
Their promotion company, Andersen Promotions, has operated the three-tiered ladder since 2014. They have announced a combined $2 million in scholarships and prizes will be distributed to help the champion at each level take the next step up the North American open-wheel racing ladder.
The final rung of the ladder on the Road to Indy is the Indy Lights series, its 2019 champion will earn $1.1 million dedicated to at least a three-race program in the 2020 IndyCar Series, including an entry in the 104th Indianapolis 500 in 2020.
Pro Mazda which is the second tier in the Road to Indy ladder, the champion from that series will receive $596,700 consisting of a $500,000 scholarship and $96,700 in Cooper tires and entry fees towards the 2020 Indy Lights season.
The winner of the USF2000 Championship next season will move up to Pro Mazda championship in 2020, with a prize package of $305,600 which will include a $250,000 scholarship and $55,600 in Cooper tires and entry fees.
"We are pleased to announce the continuation of the highly regarded Road to Indy scholarship program for all three of our champions each year,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions.
"Our goal has always been to advance the careers of talented drivers to the IndyCar ranks, and these awards will help pave the way for even more Road to Indy stars to race in future Indy 500s.
"There are no driver development programs in the world with as much on offer."
The value of the Road to Indy program was proven in the 2018 Indianapolis 500. 25 of the 33 drivers who competed in the race have had experience in at least one RTI level earlier in their careers.
Three of the four rookies competing in IndyCar in 2019 have previous experience on the Road to Indy ladder.
Patricio O’Ward, Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist are all Indy Lights race winners; O’Ward claimed the 2018 Indy Lights championship beating Herta to the title.
The 2019 Indy Lights championship will have an 18-race schedule, with Pro Mazda having 16 races and USF2000 15 races.
All of the events will take place on the same tracks where the IndyCar series compete, except for the Pro Mazda and USF2000 races on the Lucas Oil Raceway oval in Indiana in the month of May.
All three Road to Indy series' kick off their 2019 seasons with double-header race weekends on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, from March 8-10.
