The IndyCar Series season isn't the only one getting underway this weekend from St. Petersburg. All three Road to Indy series start 2020 with doubleheaders on the 1.8-mile street course.
The 2019 champions have all moved up the ladder and a few names are looking primed to compete for the scholarship to IndyCar while a few rungs down drivers can feel the possibilities but have a long way to go.
All three series were testing at Homestead last weekend and off the back of that test we will preview the 2020 drivers and set out expectations. We will begin with Indy Lights and work our way down the ladder.
Indy Lights
This will be an 18-race season for Indy Lights starting with a doubleheader from St. Petersburg on March 14th and 15th. The series will return to Barber in 2019 for a doubleheader on April 4th and 5th. Indy Lights will have a month off before it runs on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on May 8th and 9th and the Freedom 100 will take place on May 22nd.
Road America will be the halfway mark of the season with a doubleheader on June 20th and 21st. Toronto will be the second and final street course venue with races scheduled for July 11th and 12th. Mid-Ohio will host a doubleheader on August 15th and 16th. Gateway is the second and final oval race of the season on August 22nd.
Portland will host the penultimate round on September 5th and 6th. The finale will be at Laguna Seca on September 21st and 22nd.
Teams:
Andretti Autosport
Robert Megennis: #27 Andretti Autosport Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Fifth in the Indy Lights championship on 355 points with one victory and six podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Megennis was solid last year but had few days where he stood out. This is a weaker grid than 2019 and Megennis should do slightly better. I think his Andretti Autosport teammates are just as good as last year, which will make it tough for him but he should win at least one or two races.
Kyle Kirkwood: #28 Road to Indy/Cooper Tires/Construction Contractors Club Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Kirkwood won the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 419 points with nine victories and 11 podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: From everything we have seen in U.S. F2000, Indy Pro 2000, sports car and even Kirkwood's Formula E test, where he ended up fifth, he will be fighting for this championship. While he won an impressive nine races last year, Kirkwood did have a few down races and it was a hard-fought Indy Pro 2000 championship even if he did lock it up a race early. If he keeps his nose clean it is hard to see how Kirkwood will not end up as champion.
Tristan Charpentier: #48 TWV, Feed Racing, SimuMotion Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Made one start in Super Formula and retired after seven laps in the season opener at Suzuka and that was it.
What to expect in 2020: I do not know. Charpentier was not qualified for Super Formula last year and he was bounced almost immediately. He is only signed up for the first three rounds of 2020. He was quicker than his Andretti teammate Daniel Frost at the Homestead test but he was still not putting up impressive times. This could be a guy that is just somewhere between fifth and tenth each weekend but never any better than fifth. I do not see him winning races.
Daniel Frost: #68 DEN-JET Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Fifth in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 318 points with two victories and six podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Frost did very well in his first year in Indy Pro 2000 and though his testing times were not stellar I think he will be respectable in Indy Lights. I do not think he is going to be challenging Kirkwood. I think Frost's results will pick up during the season and he is more likely to be competing with Megennis for second in the Andretti Autosport stable at the end of the year.
Belardi Auto Racing
Toby Sowery: #5 Sport Bible Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Third in the Indy Lights championship on 367 points with one victory and seven podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Sowery is the top driver from the 2019 championship returning to Indy Lights. He is moving to a new team but Belardi has produced championship drivers before. Sowery was a distant third to Oliver Askew and Rinus VeeKay in the championship but he had some strong showing and he should find himself in the championship fight this year and pick up multiple victories.
Rasmus Lindh: #10 PWR Racing/Husvården Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Second in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 417 points with three victories and 13 podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Lindh was two points behind Kirkwood in Indy Pro 2000, though Kirkwood locked up the title a race early, but Lindh was in the top five of every race. He was consistently at the front in U.S. F2000 as well. The one problem is Lindh led much of the Indy Pro 2000 championship but he could not find a way around Kirkwood especially when he had a chance to tighten his grip. I think Kirkwood is better and Lindh could keep it close to Kirkwood and Sowery but we have already seen him have difficult leading the pack. He could win a few races.
HMD Motosports
Antonio Serravalle: #11 AS PROMOTIONS/Tycoon Capital/Ferrari & Associates Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Tenth in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 188 points and his best finish was fourth on two occasions.
What to expect in 2020: Serravalle ran the better portion of two Indy Pro 2000 seasons and never really stood out. This is a weak field but I think he will be in the second half of the championship.
Santiago Urrutia: #55 Uruguay National/BSE/ANCAP Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Third in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series on 234 points, 118 points off champion Josh Files, with two podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Urrutia should be in IndyCar. He was runner-up in the championship in 2016 and 2017 behind Ed Jones and Kyle Kaiser and he was third in 2018 behind Patricio O'Ward and Colton Herta. He is more than ready for IndyCar. He is stepping into a team that is still fairly new to Indy Lights but Urrutia is going to win a few races and push Kirkwood, Sowery and Lindh for the championship.
David Malukas: #79 HMD Trucking Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Sixth in the Indy Lights championship with 301 points and two podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: I think Malukas will be around where he was last year but could be a little better. I do not think he can compete with Kirkwood, Urrutia, Sowery or Lindh but I think he could be in the mix for fifth in the championship with Megennis and Frost.
Exclusive Autosport
Nikita Lastochkin: #90 Russkaya Mekhanika Dallara-AER
What did he do in 2019: Sixth in the Indy Pro 2000 championship with 237 points and his best finish was fourth on two occasions.
What to expect in 2020: Lastochkin has made 80 starts across U.S. F2000, U.S. F2000 Winterfest and Indy Pro 2000. He has two podium finishes in those 80 starts. He will be in the back half of the championship.
Indy Pro 2000
Like Indy Lights, the Indy Pro 2000 season will begin with a doubleheader from St. Petersburg on March 13th and 14th. Indy Pro 2000 will have its second round on April 25th and 26th from Circuit of the Americas in Austin. It will be the first visit for the series to the track since 2013. Another doubleheader is scheduled for May 8th and 9th from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
The first oval race of the season with be at Indianapolis Raceway Park for the Carb Night Classic on May 22nd. After a month off, Indy Pro 2000 will be at Road America on June 20th and 21st. After Road America will be Toronto on July 11th and 12th and Mid-Ohio on August 15th and 16th.
Gateway will be the final oval on August 22nd with Portland following on September 5th and 6th and Laguna Seca closing out the 18-race season on September 21st and 22nd.
Teams:
Juncos Racing
Sting Ray Robb: #2 Firehouse/Goodheart Animal Health Centers Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Fourth in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 323 points with six podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: This will be Robb's fourth year in Indy Pro 2000 and he is still looking for his first career victory. I think he will get it but I am not sure he will be a championship contender. He was fourth last year and he could be a tad better but if he hasn't won a race in three years I am not sure he can be penciled in for a championship in year four.
Artem Petrov: #42 Race to Success/Bell/226ers Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 15th in the Indy Pro 2000 championship with 72 points from five starts. He was also ninth in the Toyota Racing Series championship with one victory and he made two starts in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and two starts in the Euroformula Open Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Petrov was competitive in his five starts last year with RP Motorsports USA against teammate Kyle Kirkwood. He was sixth at Homestead, directly behind Robb. The goal should be to be the top Juncos Racing driver and that alone could be good enough to get a top five championship finish.
RP Motorsport USA
Lucas Petersson #4 KPS/Revive Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 13th in the BRDC British Formula Three championship on 206 points with a victory.
What to expect in 2020: Petersson is coming over with a good but not great record in Europe but BRDC British Formula Three is a tough championship. He is coming over with a lot of experience and with a championship team. His testing pace was toward the bottom of the chart but I think he could be a driver that starts slow and once he gets a handle on the car his finishes could improve.
Phillippe Denes: #5 Fire Fighers Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 11th in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 173 points with his best finish being sixth on two occasions.
What to expect in 2020: Denes has been hanging around for quite some time but he has yet to put together a full season in Indy Pro 2000. His testing results at the Chris Griffith Memorial Test from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in October were promising but he was 12th at Homestead, just ahead of Petersson. If he runs a full season with RP Motorsport, Denes should be aiming for top ten in the championship.
Exclusive Autosport
Braden Eves: #1 Road to Indy/Cooper Tires/MDRN Livery/CCFI/Huston Insurance Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Eves won the U.S. F2000 championship on 361 points with six victories and eight podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Eves was fastest at the Chris Griffith Memorial Test back in October and he topped the Homestead test. He started the 2019 U.S. F2000 season strong but got caught in a rut before digging himself out at the end of the year. I think Eves can be a factor for this championship and win multiple races but he needs to be more consistent this year than he was last year.
DEForce Racing
Moisés de la Vara: #6 UAG/Isla Navidad Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Eighth in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 198 points with his best finish being fourth.
What to expect in 2020: De la Vara was in the middle of the pack last year and his testing results have him in the same place. I think he could pick up a few top five finishes but I am not sure he can be a contender for race victories.
Kory Enders: #7 MB Sugar Land/McLaren Houston Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Seventh in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 211 points with two podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: I think Enders could be slightly better this year but it is going to be tough to challenge for a championship. There is a chance he could get a victory and he could end up in the top five of the championship.
Parker Thompson: #9 DEForce Racing/Tundra Process Solutions/Nossack Food Group Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Third in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 344 points with two victories and eight podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Thompson is ready for Indy Lights. He is the Santiago Urrutia of Indy Pro 2000. The championship has been eluding him and this will be his third team in three years in this series. He could win the championship and at worst he is in the top five.
Manuel Sulaimán: #12 Viva Aerobus Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Sixth in the U.S. F2000 championship on 211 points with two podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Sulaimán had a good start in U.S. F2000 last year and then the results tapered off a bit. I think all the DEForce Racing drivers are good drivers but they cannot all finish in the top five of the championship. Sulaimán will be somewhere in the back half of the top ten in the championship.
FatBoy Racing!
Charles Finelli: #83 Surgere/Hagerty Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 12th in the Indy Pro 2000 championship on 133 points with his best finish being eighth.
What to expect in 2020: Outside the top ten of the championship.
Pabst Racing
Hunter McElrea: #18 Giltrap Group/Miles Advisory Partners/Doric NZ Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Second in the U.S. F2000 championship on 356 points with four victories and 12 podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: McElrea went back and forth with Braden Eves for the championship in 2019. McElrea put up a strong fight and part of me thinks he was more consistent than Eves in 2019 only to lose the title in the final weekend. I think he will be back at the front of the field with Eves in 2020 and competing for another championship.
Colin Kaminsky: #19 Slick Locks Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Fourth in the U.S. F2000 championship on 282 points with six podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Kaminsky did very well in U.S. F2000 but couldn't get that elusive victory. I think he will be good but with the depth of this field a victory will be tough to come by. He could get one but end up finishing somewhere between fourth and eighth in the championship.
Team Benik
Sabré Cook: #37 Team Benik/Xtract Technologies/Apple Motorsports Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 12th in the W Series with 12 points and a best finish of seventh at the Norisring.
What to expect in 2020: Cook will not be competing the full season. She will not be running ovals or any races that conflict with her W Series commitments. Cook ran in U.S. F2000 two years ago and had some rough races but her W Series results are encouraging. I think she will be in the top ten and pushing for the top five on a few occasions.
U.S. F2000
St. Petersburg will be the first round for U.S. F2000 on March 13th and 14th and the series will join IndyCar and Indy Pro 2000 at Austin on April 24th and 25th. All four series will reunite at the IMS road course on May 8th and 9th. The only oval race on the schedule will be May 22nd at Indianapolis Raceway Park for the Carb Night Classic.
Road America will be the halfway point of the season on June 20th and 21st. Toronto will be July 11th and 12th. Mid-Ohio will have a doubleheader on August 15th and 16th. Portland follows on September 5th and 6th. The 18-race season concludes at Laguna Seca on September 21st and 22nd.
Teams:
Cape Motorsports
Josh Green: #2 JHG Investment Fund Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Two starts in the U.S. F2000 championship at Portland with finishes of 11th and tenth. Green was also second in the F1600 Championship with eight victories and 18 podium finishes from 21 races.
What to expect in 2020: Green is coming off the Team USA Scholarship and he had good results over at Brands Hatch and Silverstone. Testing results were slower than I expected with Green down in 12th. I am not sure that is a true indicator of where he will be. I think if he starts slow results will be better in the second half of the season
Reece Gold: #3 The Ticket Clinic Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Tenth in the U.S. F2000 championship on 167 points with his best finish being eighth on four occasions.
What to expect in 2020: Gold had a tough 2019 season but it was his first serious year in car racing and he is only 15 years old. I think 2020 results will be better and he will improve by at least three positions in the championship. He was tenth at the Homestead test.
Michael d'Orlando: #4 Focused Project Management/DB Collaborative Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 14th in the Formula 4 United States Championship with 40 points and a podium finish.
What to expect in 2020: D'Orlando has been in and out of the Road to Indy for a few years now. He had a few good results and a coupe of bad results. He could be a top ten championship driver but I am not comfortable saying more than that.
Kyle Dupell: #8 Opal Creek Capital/Family Help and Wellness Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Four starts in the U.S. F2000 championship with his best finish being 12th
What to expect in 2020: Dupell was full-time in this series in 2018 before cutting back to two rounds in 2019. He is one of the older drivers in the series, born in the 20th century, and he has to get results. Cape Motorsports is a championship team but I think that is a lot to ask for Dupell. Top ten in the championship would be great but I think that is asking a lot.
Pabst Racing
Yuven Sundaramoorthy: #21 S team Motorsports Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 12th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 150 points with his best finish being sixth.
What to expect in 2020: Testing results are encouraging for Sundaramoorthy but the testing results are encouraging for his Pabst Racing teammates as well. He will finish better than 12th in the championship but I am not sure he could get higher than seventh or eighth.
Eduardo Barrichello: #22 Bib's Chocolate/Ale Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 11th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 151 points with his best finish being fifth on two occasions.
What to expect in 2020: Barrichello is going to make a big leap up. I think he could be a contender for a few victories and he could make a run for the championship. He was second at the Homestead test.
Matt Round-Garrido: #23 Excel Labels Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 14th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 122 points despite not running the final four races with one podium finish.
What to expect in 2020: I think all three Pabst Racing drivers could be in the top ten of the championship. That is easier said than done but all three have experience in this series and all three were good in testing. Round-Garrido was eighth at Homestead.
Jay Howard Driver Development
Wyatt Brichacek: #5 JHDD, CSU | One Cure/Lucas Oil Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Two starts in the U.S. F2000 championship at Laguna Seca with finish of eighth and 18th. Brichacek was also 12th in the Formula 4 United States Championship.
What to expect in 2020: Brichacek might be the third best JHDD driver. In that case, he will be somewhere in the middle of the field.
Christian Rasmussen: #6 JHDD, CSU | One Cure/Lucas Oil Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Third in the U.S. F2000 championship on 282 points with three victories and seven podium finishes.
What to expect in 2020: Rasmussen is the championship favorite. His 2019 season started slow but he had a strong finish and that should carry over into 2020. He should have more than three race victories.
Christian Bogle: #7 Pelican Energy Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 17th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 93 points with his best finish being tenth. Bogle was also tenth in the Formula 4 United States Championship with two victories.
What to expect in 2020: Bogle was worst of the full-time drivers in 2019. Things have to get better and but he was only 16th at the Homestead test. This could be a year of marginal gains.
Nolan Siegel: #9 Menlo Ventures/Aero Paint Technology Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 15th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 113 pints with his best finish being tenth on three occasions.
What to expect in 2020: Siegel is 15 years old and he was 15th in the championship in his first year in car racing. He is going to improve and I think he gets into the top ten of championship. He was seventh at the Homestead test.
DEForce Racing
Mathías Ramirez: #10 GPS Construction Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Third in the SKUSA SuperNats in the Pro Shifter class, third in the Florida Winter Tour Shifter ROK Class and second in the Biloxi ROK Fest in Shifter ROK.
What to expect in 2020: Ramirez is moving up from karting. The bar has to be somewhat low. Everything takes some time to adjust.
Kiko Porto: #12 Banco Daycoval/Petromega Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Second in the Formula 4 United States Championship on 220 points, 79 points off champion Joshua Car, with three victories and eight podium finishes from 17 starts.
What to expect in 2020: Porto should do well and be competing for the top ten in the championship. It could be a case where Porto needs a race weekend or two to get his legs and by the middle of the year he could be in contention for a few race victories.
Legacy Autosport
Cameron Shields: #20 Metalloid Corporation Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 13th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 137 points despite missing the final six races and having won one race and having another podium finish.
What to expect in 2020: I thought Shields could win races last year and he did get one victory before his season was cut short. Shields could be a championship contender if he is full-time.
Ayrton Ori: #27 Permatex/Spray Nine Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 11th in the F1600 championship with one podium finish. Ori started the final two U.S. F2000 rounds and had three finishes of 16th and an 18th.
What to expect in 2020: Ori's limited car experience does not have many great results. He was in the bottom portion of the testing results. The bar is low for 2020. A couple top ten finishes would be a good start.
Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
Jack William Miller: #40 Indy Dental Group/LLC/Lumist Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 16th in the U.S. F2000 championship on 97 points with his best finish being ninth.
What to expect in 2020: Things have to get better because he was the second worst of the full-time drivers in 2019. I am not saying things are going to be extraordinarily better but they should be better. He will get into three figures when it comes to points.
Max Kaeser: #41 Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
What did he do in 2019: Competed in SCCA Formula F.
What to expect in 2020: This is going to be his first year in serious car racing and most days he will be at the rear of the field.
Exclusive Autosport
Prescott Campbell: #1 Lucas Oil School of Racing Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Campbell was the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series champion with three victories and 11 podium finishes from 15 races.
What to expect in 2020: This is the same series Reece Gold came from. This is a big step for Campbell. Gold had some good races in 2019 and he was top ten in the championship. The biggest difference is Campbell topped the Homestead test. I think top ten in the championship has to be the goal for Campbell but after testing the bar is a little higher. I think he has to be shooting for the top five.
Christian Brooks: #44 Hot Wheels/Chaco Flaco/Bell Helmets Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: Third in the Formula 4 United States Championship with two victories and eight podium finishes in 17 starts.
What to expect in 2020: Brooks was a late addition to the test and he was third quickest. Brooks and Campbell could be leading the way for Exclusive Autosport and both be competing for race victories. If you get enough victories you could be in the top five or even be champion.
Manuel Cabrera: #91 Gateway Telecommunications/PMC Promotions Tatuus-Mazda
What did he do in 2019: 22nd in the U.S. F2000 championship with 21 points after starting the first five races with his best finish being 11th.
What to expect in 2020: Cabrera was at the other end of the timesheet compared to his Exclusive Autosport teammates in testing. Amazingly, Cabrera has finished 22nd in this championship the last two years. Somehow I feel he will not be 22nd a third consecutive season.
Indy Pro 2000 and U.S. F2000 will each be on track in St. Petersburg on Thursday March 12th for practice and qualifying with each series. Indy Lights will first take to the track for practice on Friday March 13th.
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