The USF2000 National Championship made its debut in 2010. The series serves as one of the rungs on Mazda's Road to Indy and is sanctioned by IndyCar. The program aims to provide a scholarship fund path to reach the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. The Road to Indy has attracted driving talent from all over the world. Last year's champion, Petri Suvanto, is participating in the season's Star Mazda Championship.

This year the program offers over $500,000 in prizes and awards, with the USF2000 champion receiving a scholarship valued at $375,000 to advance to the Star Mazda Championship.

Formula 2000 cars first appeared in North America during the mid-80s. The category was particularly popular in Canada, with series' sponsored by Export A and Canadian Tire. The early cars were powered by a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter overhead-camshaft Ford engine, which produces approximately 150-horsepower. Mounted to the engine is a Hewland Mk 9 gearbox with four forward speeds and one reverse. The single-seater chassis is a tubular spaceframe design fitted with an aluminum floor pan and fiberglass bodywork. The cars also use wings mounted at the front and rear. The whole package weighs just under 1,200-lbs.

Today's Formula 2000 cars conform to many of the same rules, but advances in technology and aerodynamics have allowed them to be faster.

The 2012 USF2000 series has two classes:

  • Championship Class: Teams in the division are limited to a Van Diemen chassis manufactured from 2001 to 2010. The cars in this category are powered by a Mazda MZR engine. The power plant is a four-cylinder, double-overhead camshaft, fuel-injected, two-liter motor which produces 170-horsepower. The Championship Class winner receives a scholarship package from Mazda to contest the 2013 Star Mazda Series.
  • National Class: Last year, cars 1998 and newer that conformed to Sports Car Club of America's Formula Continental rules were allowed to compete in the National Class. This season the Sports Car Club of America's Formula Enterprise (FE) car is eligible for the National category. The FE is a Van Diemen DP06 powered by a two-liter Mazda MZR engine. The National Class winner receives a scholarship package to advance to the Championship Class for 2013.

The 2012 schedule expanded from twelve to fourteen races held over seven race weekends on seven tracks – two street circuits, two ovals, and three permanent road courses. The races supported the IZOD IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series.

  • March 14-16 - Sebring International Raceway
  • March 23-25 - Streets of St. Petersburg
  • May 26 - Lucas Oil Raceway
  • August 3-5 - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
  • August 17-19 - Road America
  • September 1-2 - Streets of Baltimore
  • September 14-15 - Virginia International Raceway

Rounds six and seven of the 2012 USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda were held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Drivers would compete in two races around the thirteen-turn 2.258-mile road course.

Spencer Pigot was the runner-up in last year's championship. Pigot headed to Mid-Ohio with the points lead after earning four victories and a third place in the previous five outings. He inherited the pole for race one after his teammate and the fastest qualifier, Matthew Brabham, was disqualified for not nominating his tires. Pigot went flag-to-flag for another win. In the finale, he tangled with Brabham and retired from the event.
Scott Anderson claimed a runner-up result in the weekend's first contest at Mid-Ohio. The MAZDASPEED driver of the No. 14 Belardi Auto Racing Van Diemen DP08 qualified sixth but passes on Trent Hindman and Roman Lagudi were rewarded with a second-place finish. On Sunday, Anderson qualified third but adapted quickly to the difficult conditions and grabbed the lead and his first series victory.
Another driver benefitting from the wet track on Sunday was Matthew DiLeo. DiLeo drove the No. 56 MDL Racing Van Diemen DP08. He qualified fourth for race one at Mid-Ohio but spun on the opening lap. DiLeo was able to recover and finished seventh. On Sunday, DiLeo was gridded sixth. A clean drive was rewarded with his best series result. He finished 1.726-seconds behind Scott Anderson in second place.
Except for R.C. Enerson, all drivers competing in the National Class at Mid-Ohio were using the Van Diemen DP06. Enerson was in the No. 10 ZSports Midwest Van Diemen DP02 powered by a Ford Zetec. The fifteen-year-old started Saturday's contest on the category pole, but a poor start meant he had to charge through the field for the victory. The wet conditions in the finale were challenging and Enerson finished second.
The No. 32 Cape Motorsports Van Diemen DP06 was driven by Norwegian Henrik Furuseth. Before competing in the USF2000 series, he spent a couple of seasons in Norway's Formula Basic. Furuseth scored his first National Class victory in round two at Sebring. In the weekend's first contest at Mid-Ohio, he finished third in his division. On Sunday, Furuseth started second in class and grabbed the category win.

POSSTARTDRIVERENTRANTCARLAPSRETIREMENTS
11Spencer PigotCape MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
25Scott AndersonBelardi Auto RacingVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
330Matthew BrabhamCape MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
42Trent HindmanCape MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
53Roman LagudiBelardi Auto RacingVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
66Shelby BlackstockAndretti AutosportVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
74Matthew Di LeoMDL RacingVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
814Colin ThompsonBelardi Auto RacingVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
97Dalton KellettPabst Racing ServicesVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
109Luca ForgeoisPabst Racing ServicesVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
1112Chris MillerJDC MotorSportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
1216Jason WolfeJAY MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
1313Michael JohnsonJDC MotorSportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
1418RC EnersonZSports MidwestVan Diemen DP02/Ford Zetec20-
1520Scott RettichAlliance AutosportVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR20-
1619Henrik FurusethCape MotorsportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR20-
1717Brian TomasiAfterburner AutosportVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
1823Patrick GallagherJAY MotorsportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR20-
1910Neil AlbericoJDC MotorSportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
2025Jim LibeccoJAY MotorsportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR20-
2121Shannon McIntoshPabst Racing ServicesVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR20-
2224Paul AlspachRobinson Motor SportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR20-
2326Patrick LinnPRL MotorsportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR20-
2427J. R. SmartPabst Racing ServicesVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR19-
2528Eric CruzCruzinc RacingVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR19-
2615Heamin ChoiAfterburner AutosportVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR18Did Not Finish
2711Thomas McGregorAndretti AutosportVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR18-
2829Joel JancoRobinson Motor SportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR18-
298Luigi BiangardiArmsUp MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR16Did Not Finish
3022Mark EatonRobinson Motor SportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR0Did Not Finish

POSSTARTDRIVERCARENTRANTLAPSRETIREMENTS
13Scott AndersonBelardi Auto RacingVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
26Matthew Di LeoMDL RacingVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
34Trent HindmanCape MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
48Luigi BiangardiArmsUp MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
55Shelby BlackstockAndretti AutosportVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
69Neil AlbericoJDC MotorSportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
710Dalton KellettPabst Racing ServicesVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
819Henrik FurusethCape MotorsportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR9-
924Jim LibeccoJAY MotorsportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR9-
1014Thomas McGregorAndretti AutosportVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
1118RC EnersonZSports MidwestVan Diemen DP02/Ford Zetec9-
1225Paul AlspachRobinson Motor SportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR9-
1316Chris MillerJDC MotorSportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
1430Mark EatonRobinson Motor SportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR9-
1515Heamin ChoiAfterburner AutosportVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
167Roman LagudiBelardi Auto RacingVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
1726Patrick LinnPRL MotorsportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR9-
1823Shannon McIntoshPabst Racing ServicesVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR9-
1928Joel JancoRobinson Motor SportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR9-
2027J. R. SmartPabst Racing ServicesVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR9-
2129Eric CruzCruzinc RacingVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR9-
2211Luca ForgeoisPabst Racing ServicesVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR8-
231Spencer PigotCape MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR8-
2412Michael JohnsonJDC MotorSportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR6-
252Matthew BrabhamCape MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR5-
2622Patrick GallagherJAY MotorsportsVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR2Did Not Finish
2721Scott RettichAlliance AutosportVan Diemen DP06/Mazda MZR2Did Not Finish
2813Colin ThompsonBelardi Auto RacingVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR1Did Not Finish
2917Jason WolfeJAY MotorsportsVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR1Did Not Finish
-20Brian TomasiAfterburner AutosportVan Diemen DP08/Mazda MZR-Did Not Start

Copyright Notice:
All content (photographs and text) appearing on this website are the exclusive property of © www.zoompics.com and are protected under International copyright laws. The subject matter on this website may not be reproduced, copied, stored or manipulated.

© Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022

Return to home page.