Mazda inks Road to Indy extension; powers new Indy Lights chassis

If you're a fan of feel-good stories, get ready for dozens more courtesy of Mazda.

Since it was launched in 2010, the Mazda Road to Indy has offered the most defined and articulated path for young drivers to reach the Verizon IndyCar Series. It has also become open-wheel racing's greatest scholarship program, and new chapters will be written in 2015 and beyond thanks to the Japanese manufacturer.

With its five-year contract completed, Mazda's benevolence is on display again with the announcement of an extension that will see the brand continue to invest in the series – and future stars – that will seed the next generation of IndyCar champions and Indy 500 winners.

Speaking with Mazda Motorsports boss John Doonan, the Road to Indy's passionate architect explained why they've signed on to spend millions of additional dollars on the ladder system in the coming years.

"Since 2007, Mazda has made a commitment to a driver development program that is unlike anything else in the industry and anywhere in the world, for that matter," he said. "When we first announced the program, we had three main reasons why we wanted to make this investment: First, Mazda is a brand that has attracted a young buyer in the auto industry and we wanted to showcase our brand and the reliability of our production engines in front of a young audience.

"Next, all of us at Mazda are racers at heart....and we know that racing is an expensive sport. We felt that young drivers who have shown their talent on and off the track deserved the chance to go to the next level based on their success. We have tried to develop the complete package with the drivers in the program so they can be the best in the car, in front of sponsors, the media, and everywhere else.

"And, finally, we believed the industry needed this type of program because it did not exist; no one was helping the kids on the ladder to move up. The Mazda Road to Indy was an industry first – a very clear path from the grassroots levels of the sport to the highest levels of the sport, and we wanted to see it continue to grow and get stronger."

"Mazda funded the development of this engine and we have now found a very suitable application for it to positively impact our strategy and the industry," Doonan added.

Some of the numbers behind Mazda's investment in the Road to Indy are staggering. With cash prizes or free, full-season rides given to graduating Mazda Road to Indy champions, Doonan and his team members at Mazda have created the ultimate scholarship awards for young drivers to pursue. No other manufacturer spends as much to ensure open-wheel talent is rewarded with opportunity.

"We are pleased to say that the Mazda Road to Indy is now on very firm ground," said Doonan (shown at left handing Spencer Pigot his hefty check for winning this year's Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires). By adding Mazda power to Indy Lights in the new car, we have – in our minds – completed the picture. We have funded over 50 drivers with full-season budgets. This support represents a $25 million investment in the future of our sport, and Mazda's future.

"Mazda scholarship drivers in USF2000 (pictured, TOP) enjoy a prize package valued at over $200,000. Mazda scholarship drivers coming into the Pro Mazda Championship from USF2000 are presented a prize package worth over $325,000. And, finally, scholarship drivers coming up into Indy Lights from Pro Mazda have a scholarship program worth up near $600,000. The investment develops careers and the future stars of IndyCar."

In addition to the financial support available with the Mazda Road to Indy, Mazda will continue to work with IndyCar and its two engine providers, Chevy and Honda, to promote the next wave of stars as they move through open-wheel's farm system and head for careers in the major leagues.

"Candidly, I like to believe there is a mutual respect among us and our competitors in the industry," Doonan noted. "We all have different tactics and different strategies, but we all hope to try to grow the sport for common good. As often as possible, we try to communicate with the other manufacturers about making sure a 'rising tide lifts all boats' strategy helps everyone.

"Having said that, we have leveraged our investment in the Mazda Road to Indy as much as possible with all of our constituents – Mazda dealers, Mazda employees, Mazda racers, and Mazda's partners – and we plan to maximize it even further going forward through joint marketing efforts, very detailed promotions, and fan engagement."

With Chevy and Honda focused on powering their respective teams in the IndyCar Series, it's fair to say Mazda is the brand responsible for delivering most of their drivers.

"While our engines are not at the highest level of IndyCar, Mazda and the Mazda Road to Indy is the 'engine' that certainly powers others to the top. I like to believe our colleagues at the other automotive partners in IndyCar recognize and respect that. I also hope that we are seen as having earned a place at the table. There are two engine manufacturers in IndyCar, but as I see it, three manufacturers are involved," Doonan said.

"We have always said from day one that we want to 'own the path to the top,' and to make dreams come true for drivers, teams and engineers to live their dreams in IndyCar, and we believe we have accomplished that. But, there is more work to be done, which is why we've extended our involvement and taken on the Indy Lights engine, too."

Doonan also credited the engine builders who provide the literal power to all three tiers of the Mazda Road to Indy, and cited the exceptional reliability that has been shown.

"And the quality work that has been done by Elite Engines in USF2000, by SpeedSource Race Engineering in Pro Mazda, and now by AER in Indy Lights also deserves to be recognized and complimented," he continued. "These three organizations have played a key role in servicing the Mazda Road to Indy race teams and proving the reliability and durability of Mazda power in the harsh environment of motorsports."

Mazda's Road to Indy program is done in partnership with Dan Andersen (RIGHT) and his Andersen Promotions outfit, and as Doonan explains, the decision to continue the ladder system was easy due to the people involved.

"Without a single doubt, Dan Andersen, his daughter Michelle, everyone at Andersen Promotions, and all of the partners of the Mazda Road to Indy are considered members of the Mazda family," he said. "There is no question that having the opportunity to continue to work with them played a key role in our renewing our partnership. I certainly hope that everyone in the industry recognizes what Dan has done for this sport.

"His personal commitment over the years as a team owner, series owner, and 'sponsor' to many young drivers is monumental and we are very proud to call him a business partner and, most importantly, a friend. We have a very consistent and common vision for what we are trying to accomplish together. What we have with Dan and his staff is very rare in the industry."

The Road to Indy also serves as part of Mazda's wide-reaching grassroots motorsports activities that extend to club racing in the SCCA and NASA, one-make championships, the lower rungs of sports car racing in IMSA, and the top Prototype class in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. As a whole, Mazda's open-wheel expenditures fit into a sizeable annual program that reaches from coast to coast.

"Mazda is committed to our overall motorsports strategy at the grassroots level, in entry level professional series, at the highest levels of sports car racing, and in a formalized driver development program," Doonan remarked. "Our motorsports program has always lived within the means of our resources and been held to a high standard of excellence by our executive team to 'do the right thing.'

"Now, the icing on the cake is we were finally able to put all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy together with Mazda power. This final point, in and of itself, made today's announcement a special moment for all of us at Mazda. To be part of something that does not exist anywhere else in the world is really a big deal for us and all of our partners in the program."