USF2000 Series Announces $71,400 in Special Incentive Awards

Andersen Promotions, the administrator of the "Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda," is pleased to announce a number of special incentive awards valued at $71,400 that will be available to top amateur and semi-pro formula car drivers desiring to advance to the professional ranks for the 2011 season.

"Now that the IZOD IndyCar Series has a clearly defined ladder system in the Road to Indy, it's important that the world's top junior formula car drivers are competing in the first North American pro step, the USF2000 National Championship," said Dan Andersen, chief executive officer of Andersen Promotions. "We hope these awards will help many amateur and semi-pro drivers compete in the USF2000 National Championship next year.

"In place already is the excellent MAZDASPEED Motorsports full-season scholarship for the 2010 Skip Barber National champion, valued at $150,000," Andersen pointed out. "With the additional awards we're announcing today we expect to see the best of the world's young open-wheel drivers competing for the USF2000 champion's prize of a MAZDASPEED scholarship into the next level on that Road to Indy ladder, the Star Mazda Championship."

New awards valued at $41,600 are being offered to Formula Ford competitors, while Formula Continental/F2000 drivers can benefit from $19,800 in incentives. An additional $10,000 in awards have been ear-marked for Formula Enterprises (FE) and Formula Mazda (FM) champions.

Formula Ford ($41,600 in awards):

* 2010 British Formula Ford Festival Duratec event: The winner and the runner-up will both receive free annual driver registration for the 2011 USF2000 National Championship. In addition, the champion will receive free USF2000 race entries for the 2011 USF2000 season and the runner-up will receive a 50 percent discount on those entry fees. The champion's award is valued at $13,800 and the runner-up's award is valued at $7,400 for a total of $21,200.

* 2010 champions of five worldwide Formula Ford series (United States, British, Australian, Benelux and Canadian): Each of these five champions will receive $5,000 certificates redeemable towards either entry fees in the 2011 USF2000 Winter Series and/or the 2011 USF2000 National Championship.

SCCA Formula Continental/F2000 ($19,800 in awards):

* 2010 SCCA Runoffs Formula Continental Champion: This titlist will be entitled to a $5,000 certificate redeemable towards entry fees in the 2011 USF2000 Winter Series and/or the 2011 USF2000 National Championship.

* Champion of the F2000 Championship series and the champion of the Pacific F2000 series: Both titlists will receive free annual driver registration and a 50 percent discount on race entries for the 2011 USF2000 National Championship season. These awards are valued at $7,400 each.

SCCA Formula Enterprises and Formula Mazda ($10,000 in awards):

* 2010 SCCA Runoffs Formula Enterprises (FE) and Formula Mazda (FM) champions: Both of these champions will receive $5,000 certificates redeemable towards entry fees in the 2011 USF2000 Winter Series and/or the 2011 USF2000 National Championship.

More details on the USF2000 Winter Series, which is planned for January in Florida, will be announced soon. For more information on the awards and other information, call the series office at (941) 723-3900 and see the series' Web site at USF2000.com.