James Hinchcliffe joins Formula America Board of Directors

James Hinchcliffe

One of Indycar’s most popular drivers, James Hinchcliffe has been elected to Formula America’s Board of Directors. “We are honored and proud to have James on our Board," stated Chris Ivey, President and General Manager. “As a driver, James has done it all. He has worked his way up through all the junior formula and risen to the top of open-wheel racing as a driver and race winner in the Verizon Indycar Series. It will be very valuable to Formula America to have his insights on exactly what young drivers need to learn and experience as they climb the ladder in Motorsports."

“I’m pleased to be sitting on the board of the newly launched Formula America series, exclaimed James Hinchcliffe. “As someone who came up through the junior ranks of American open wheel racing I have always been a big proponent of supporting young talent following in the same path. I have watched for years as the cost of competing in formula cars has gone up significantly and have long thought there was a need, and a market, for a more affordable ‘first step’ from karts to cars. Formula America is absolutely that step. It offers a level playing field for a fraction of the cost of other entry level series with a focus on seat time and developing race craft to better prepare young drivers for the next level on the professional open wheel ladder."

James Hinchcliffe, a native of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, is arguably one of the most popular drivers in the Verizon IndyCar Series. The six-time IndyCar winner was voted by fans as IndyCar’s Favorite Driver in 2012, a year after he was named Verizon IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year in 2011. The 31-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash while practicing for the 2015 Indianapolis 500, ending his season after only five races. After a long road to recovery, Hinchcliffe returned to racing the following year and earned his first IndyCar pole at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, on the same track that almost destroyed his career. A year later, in 2016, he was runner-up on Season 23 of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars. If he isn’t on the track or in a ballroom, you can find James at Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis, where he brews his own craft beer, Hinchtown Hammerdown.

Formula America is a new “One car, one team, one cost" arrive and drive professional racing Championship starting in 2019. The Series is designed to bridge the financial gap between karting and professional open-wheel racing. The Championship will visit many prestigious tracks across America, providing state of the art carbon chassis race cars with 210 hp with a cost of only $150,000 for a full 24-race season with a generous Championship prize purse.

FORMULA AMERICA TAKES TO THE TRACK IN 2019

The twenty-four race Series runs Coast to Coast

SEBRING, FL – Formula America sanctioned by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) officially announced today that its inaugural Championship will be held in 2019. Formula America has been designed to bridge the financial gap from karting and other entry-level formula to the beginning of the professional open-wheel racing ladder. The Championship provides a cost-effective venue with state-of-the-art 2018 spec Formula Renault 2.0 Formula America race cars.

The cost of a full season in Formula America is just $150,000 if paid in one payment or $165,000 if paid in installments, period. Nothing more. The Series schedule consists of 24 races at 8 of the most popular race circuits in America. The concept is “One Make, One Team, One Cost". All cars and equipment are owned by the Series and although the cars will be set up at their optimum specs for each circuit, all cars will be set up identical. This is a Series that highlights the driver's talent, not the size of their checkbook. Crash damage insurance is included in the season entry.

“We have been developing this Series for almost a year. Young drivers are going to pilot many different cars as they go through their career," stated President and General Manager, Chris Ivey. “At this early junction of their career they need to learn how to adapt their driving style to different set ups to get the most out of the car. Knowing how to adapt your driving style to the car is the difference between a good driver and a great driver. When all cars are set up the same, it really showcases driver talent, making them more valuable to a team down the line."

Formula America races are determined by laps, not time constraints to give its drivers the greatest amount of green flag racing possible. Drivers will receive a minimum of 3 hours of on-track time at each event.

Formula America provides all the cars, mechanics, engineers, race director, timing & scoring personnel, public relations managers plus all the tires, fuel, transport and everything needed to operate a first-class Championship. All a driver has to do is focus on being the best driver they can be.

All races will have live timing and scoring with same day highlights of the races on the website. All 24 races will be televised, tape delayed with 24 weekly airings. All episodes will also be available free of charge on the website two weeks following each broadcast.

The cars of the Formula America Championship are the 2018 spec Formula Renault 2.0, who’s 2 liter engine produces 210 hp and who’s carbon chassis meets the FIA safety standards and features full carbon fiber bodies with multi-element front and rear wings. All engines are built, dyno tested and sealed by Oreca in France to insure parity. Formula Renault 2.0 was the early career building formula for such drivers as; Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Riccardo, Lewis Hamilton and many more.

“We have finalized a great schedule for 2019 that has us visiting some of the most iconic race tracks in the country. We feel that Formula America will best prepare young drivers to enter either the Road to Indy or the Road to European open-wheel racing and that our drivers will look back at their participation in this Championship as a highlight to their early career in motorsports."