|
The Infiniti / Indy Pro Series made its debut in mid-2002 with an inaugural season of seven
races run in conjunction with the Indy Car Racing Series.
In 2008 the championship was renamed the Firestone Indy Lights Series when Firestone tires became the primary sponsor.
The series is the third and final step on the Mazda Road to Indy.
The Mazda Road to Indy is the only driver development program in the world to feature a champion’s scholarship at every level to advance to the next step on the ladder. The Indy Lights champion is awarded a scholarship package of nearly $1 million to assist in the ascent to the IndyCar Series. In addition, to the healthy prize fund, competitors also benefit from television coverage on the NBC Sports Network. In 2014, there were some changes to the series:
The fourteen-race schedule kicked off at Saint Petersburg and concluded in August at Sonoma Raceway.
Drivers compete in the Dallara IPS, designed and manufactured for the Infiniti Pro Series. The open-wheel, single-seat racer is equipped with a ground-effect underbody and outboard wings front and rear. The monocoque chassis is constructed using carbon fiber and composites. The Dallara has a minimum weight of 1,430 pounds, which includes all lubricants and coolants used during the event, but does not include fuel or the driver. COOPER/INDY LIGHTS racing tires are mounted on 15-inch diameter x 10 front and 15-inch diameter x 14 rear wheels. The car is powered by a 3.5-liter Infiniti Q45 engine, producing approximately 420 horsepower at 8,200 rpm and can reach speeds of 190 horsepower on superspeedways. The power is transferred to a Ricardo six-forward gear transmission with a sequential shifter. Round nine of the 2014 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires took place at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Drivers would compete on the eleven-turn 1.755-mile temporary street circuit in a forty-minute contest. The race was initially fifty-laps in length; however, heavy rains on Saturday for organizers and officials to make adjustments to the schedule.
|
|
|
Nineteen-year-old Alex Baron missed the previous round at Pocono Raceway. However, in Toronto, the No. 4 Liberty Engineering Dallara IPS driver claimed his first series pole. At the drop of the green flag, with the field heading to turn one, Baron was challenged by his teammate and the points leader, Gabby Chaves. However, he held the position and led flag-to-flag to win by a margin of 1.236-seconds. |
|
|
Last season Gabby Chaves finished second in the Indy Lights championship. Chaves appeared to be on target to capture this year’s title. He entered round nine with five podium results, of which four were victories. In Toronto, Chaves qualified beside his teammate Alex Baron on the front in the No. 5 Belardi Auto Racing Dallara IPS. During the race, he chased Baron but was unable to challenge for the lead and finished second. |
|
|
Rookie Jack Harvey entered the Toronto weekend third in the points chase. His record to date included five podium finishes but no victories. Harvey was gridded fourth driving the No. 42 The Racing Steps Foundation Dallara IPS. He jumped to third early but lost contact with the leaders. At the halfway mark, Harvey began his charge. By the checkered flag, he finished in third but was 1.5903-seconds behind the winner, Alex Baron. |
|
|
|
Another newcomer to this season’s Indy Lights series was Matthew Brabham. Brabham is the son of four-time IMSA GTP champion Geoff Brabham and the grandson of three-time World Champion Jack Brabham. He was building an impressive resume for himself. Brabham won the Road to Indy’s USF2000 and Pro Mazda titles in the last two years. In Toronto, he qualified third and finished in the fourth position. |
|
|
|
Zach Veach was in his second year of the Indy Lights series. Last season, he finished seventh in the championship but looked like a title contender in 2014. Entering round nine, Veach was second in points after collecting wins at Saint Petersburg and Birmingham. He started the Grand Prix of Toronto in the fifth position. Veach would trade places with Matthew Brabham but eventually finish fifth. |
 |
 |
 |
| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alex Baron | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 2 | 2 | Gabby Chaves | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 3 | 4 | Jack Harvey | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 4 | 3 | Matthew Brabham | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 5 | 6 | Zach Veach | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 6 | 7 | Matthew DiLeo | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 7 | 9 | Juan Piedrahita | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 8 | 11 | Juan Pablo Garcia | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 9 | 12 | Scott Anderson | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 36 | - |
| 10 | 8 | Zack Meyer | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 33 | - |
| 11 | 10 | Ryan Phinny | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 3 | Accident |
| 12 | 5 | Luiz Razia | Dallara IPS / Infiniti | 3 | Accident |
| 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. |
