INDYCAR: Kaiser considering leap from Lights

Juncos Racing's Kyle Kaiser was among an elite group of Indy Lights drivers to demonstrate his readiness for the Verizon IndyCar Series by the end of the season.

The Bay Area native, raised in the heart of Silicon Valley, opened his second season of Lights with three consecutive podiums, including a dominant win on the one-mile Phoenix oval, and went on to add four more podiums and another win at Monterey to secure third in the standings.

The 20-year-old Californian gave every impression he's ready to start a new learning curve in IndyCar, but with his age in mind, time is on his side.

"IndyCar is the goal, and we definitely are going to have talks with teams and see what is available," Kaiser told RACER. "But I am not in a rush. I know a lot of guys feel a rush to move up. There's no point. I want to show that I can be competitive, that I deserve to be there, and I think we are doing that."

Kaiser is prepared to return to Lights if that proves to be his best opportunity, or graduate to IndyCar if a proper deal is available.

"If it means another year in Lights to show that I am totally committed to preparing myself to the fullest, and I understand that waiting is smart, I will do that," he added. "Whatever works for my advantage in the future is what I will do. If the right IndyCar deal is ready for me now, that will be the direction we will purse."

A quick browse of Kaiser's No. 18 Dallara IL15-Mazda Lights car reveals an impressive number of tech-related sponsors, and with family ties to the tech industry, those relationships could ease the transition to IndyCar in 2017 or beyond.

"We have talked with IndyCar teams that are willing to help put the budget together, for sure," said Kaiser, who also captured two poles in 2016. "I have some West Coast support, my dad has a lot of connections through companies in local areas, and we are working on it. We're definitely looking to find companies that are willing to step up with us and move into IndyCar."