Mazda Road to Indy Driver Advancement Program Criteria Announced

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Helping young drivers further their careers, the alliance between Andersen Promotions, which operates all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, and the MAXSpeed Group, the sole distributor of Rotax Karting Products in the United States, today released more information on its 2016 Driver Advancement Program. Two drivers will be awarded two-day tests in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda during off-season testing, offering today’s top karting talent an inside look at the next step of the motorsports ladder.

Criteria for consideration includes completion and submission of the 2016 Driver Questionnaire due August 31 and participation in one MAXSpeed Entertainment promoted event during the 2016 season including the Florida Winter Tour, US Open and the United States Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Nationals. The program is open to drivers from all countries. However, interested applicants must be at least 14 years of age by October 8, 2016 due to licensing requirements. Drivers participating in the Las Vegas US Open finale will need to be registered by August 31 to be eligible.

Qualified applicants will then be narrowed down to 10 finalists to be announced September 5. The finalists will then move on to videoconference interviews September 12-14 with an elite panel of judges including Verizon IndyCar Series drivers and Mazda Road to Indy graduates Charlie Kimball and Spencer Pigot, Andersen Promotions COO Michelle Kish and MAXSpeed Group President Richard Boisclair.

The judges will then name two finalists to the 2016 Driver Advancement Program on September 19. The two winners will take part in two-day USF2000 tests at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on October 8-9 as part of the annual Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test, which features all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy.

Completed applications and questions can be sent to MRTI@GoRotax.com.