IndyCar ended its season at Laguna Seca at the end of September, but Mid-Ohio played host to the Road to Indy season finale on the first weekend in October.
All three series championships were on the line over the final weekend, though some were closer than others. A few drivers stood out while others were rather average. Some drivers are looking set for great things. Others have some work to do.
We are going over the top drivers from each of the top three series, look at what was expected before the season began, what happened and what these drivers should do in 2022.
Indy Lights
Kyle Kirkwood: #28 Road to Indy/Cooper Tires/Construction Contractors Club Dallara-AER (1st, 537 points)
What did I write before the season: Kirkwood was going to be the favorite last season. I wonder if somewhere in his mind Kirkwood is thinking he should be dipping his toes in IndyCar this year and the pandemic has stunted his career. Through every step in the ladder, Kirkwood has come out on top. He was a little off the top spot in testing and was actually slower than Megennis, but that does not concern me. Kirkwood is going to win races and he should be in the championship fight until the very end.
How incorrect was it: Kirkwood won ten races, tying the Indy Lights single-season record Greg Moore set in 1995. He was on the podium in 14 of 20 races and he had 18 top five finishes. This is the third consecutive Indy Lights championship for Andretti Autosport and Kirkwood became the third American driver in the last four seasons.
What should he do in 2022: Move up to IndyCar. The only problem is tying Greg Moore's single-season victory is not enough for Kirkwood to even move up to the open IndyCar seat within the Andretti Autosport organization. More on that in a moment.
It sounds like Kirkwood could move up with another team, say Dale Coyne Racing with the Vasser/Sullivan partnership, but Andretti has Kirkwood under contract for another year and doesn't want to let him go. Kirkwood might get shipped to Formula E for a season. Either way, Kirkwood will be racing elsewhere in 2022. Hopefully it is full-time in IndyCar. It felt like the driver who lost the most in 2020 was Kirkwood because he lost a shot at IndyCar. He really could have been in IndyCar this season
David Malukas: #79 HMD Trucking Dallara-AER (2nd, 524 points)
What did I write before the season: Malukas topped testing and he could be the most overlooked driver entering the season. He won pole position at St. Petersburg last year before the season was shutdown. He has been good in each step of the Road to Indy, but he has never spent more than one year in a series. This will be his second Indy Lights season. Malukas should win a few races. It will be a tough championship battle between Malukas, Kirkwood and Lundqvist with Peroni, Megennis and Pedersen in the next tier of drivers.
How incorrect was it: Malukas won seven races, stood on the podium 16 times and had 18 top five finishes as he was second in the championship, 13 points short of a title.
What should he do in 2022: I think Malukas is ready for IndyCar and his name has bounced around in conversations. Like Kirkwood, Malukas hasn't been clearly linked to one team. It seems like Malukas could be full-time, or he could end up being part-time possibly sharing a car with another driver. Success will likely come down to who is his teammate. While Malukas has been strong, I don't think he will just enter IndyCar and shoot right to the top. He will need guidance.
Linus Lundqvist: #26 HPD/Global Racing Group/FX Airguns/Paytrim/JULA Dallara-AER (3rd, 449 points)
What did I write before the season: We will get a good clue of how the SCCA-sanctioned Formula 4 and Formula Regional championships measure up compared to the Road to Indy. Lundqvist has won championships in his native Sweden and he was the 2018 BRDC Formula Three champion. He will win multiple races and I think he will be one of the top three drivers.
How incorrect was it: Lundqvist won three races and finished third in the championship. For the first two-thirds of the season, Lundqvist was hanging around with Kirkwood and Malukas and then Gateway was a tough weekend and that knocked the Swede out of the championship fight, but his 11 podium finishes have him comfortably in third.
What should he do in 2022: For the first half of the season, Lundqvist was mentioned as an IndyCar-destined driver like Kirkwood and Malukas, but the later-half of 2021 suggests another year in Indy Lights would not hurt. Only three drivers won in Indy Lights this year and Kirkwood and Malukas were notably ahead of Lundqvist. If Lundqvist returns, he will be the 2022 title favorite.
Benjamin Pedersen: #24 DirtFish/Bell Helmets/The Heart of Racing/Colibri Capital Dallara-AER (4th, 356 points)
What did I write before the season: Prior to his season in Britain, Pedersen was third and second in the F3 Americas Championship and he has won races in Formula 4 United States Championship. He knows some of the tracks and we saw Colton Herta run in Britain, which kind of rounded him out before he entered Indy Lights. Pedersen looked good in testing and he will make the championship more competitive. Not everyone can finish in the top five of the championship. He will be on the cusp of the top five.
How incorrect was it: Pedersen ended up fourth in the championship and snuggly in the top five of the championship. His first half of the season was confusing. He was second in the season opener but then had only one other top five finish in the first 12 races of the season. He followed that up with six consecutive top five finishes and seven in the final eight races.
What should he do in 2022: Stay in Indy Lights. This season was odd for Pedersen. He was clearly led the second tier, but never really threatened the top three in any races. Most of his podium came when at least one of the top three had a problem. He needs a few races where he is the best guy or fighting for the top spot.
Daniel Frost: #68 DEN-JET Dallara-AER (5th, 338 points)
What did I write before the season: Frost's second season in Indy Pro 2000 was better than his first but outside of the opening weekend he was rather pedestrian, not really competing for race victories. I think he will have a solid season, consistently scoring top five finishes like he did in Indy Pro 2000, but that might only be good enough for third in the team, far from good enough to top the championship.
How incorrect was it: Frost did not win a race and he had four podium finishes, but his seven top five finishes were kind of what we expected. Good, but not great and definitely not the best in the Andretti Autosport organization.
What should he do in 2022: I guess stay in Indy Lights. For the second consecutive season, Frost underperformed compared to expectations. He won the Indy Pro 2000 season opener last year and then wasn't a threat after the first three races. This year, Frost had two good weekends, maybe three. He wasn't close to Kirkwood. Perhaps Frost can breakout next year, but that does not feel likely.
Devlin DeFrancesco: #17 PowerTap Dallara-AER (6th, 326 points)
What did I write before the season: DeFrancesco is a bit of a mystery. His results in the European junior series were underwhelming. He showed good pace last year in Indy Pro 2000, but when he needed to pull out results, he faltered and lost the championship. His preseason testing pace was toward the bottom of the charts. He might get on the podium once or twice, but I don't expect him to be a championship challenger. I would not be surprised if he finished outside the top five.
How incorrect was it: DeFrancesco opened the season with a pair of third place finishes at Barber Motorsports Park, but he did not finish on the podium again for the rest of the season and he had only nine total top five finishes.
What should he do in 2022: It sounds like DeFrancesco will move up to Andretti Autosport's #29 Honda entry in IndyCar next year despite winning ten fewer races than teammate Kirkwood, not finishing on the podium in the final 18 races of the season and he scored 211 points fewer than Kirkwood. For DeFrancesco, he has bounced form series to series but outside of the 2017 Euroformula Open Championship he has never been that impressive. Even his Indy Pro 2000 season last year was unremarkable when you see how he slumped late in the season and cost himself the championship.
Kirkwood should be in the Andretti IndyCar seat and DeFrancesco should remain in Indy Lights. But life is not fair.
Robert Megennis: #27 Andretti Autosport Dallara-AER (7th, 319 points)
What did I write before the season: Megennis is one of the few drivers coming in with Indy Lights experience and he looked competitive in testing. He should be in the mix at most races. Megennis has never been the standout driver in a Road to Indy series. He has always been just off the top. A victory or two would not be a surprise, but that will likely not be enough for a championship.
How incorrect was it: Megennis was a letdown. For a driver with Indy Lights experience, he had only three podium finishes and six top five finishes. I am not saying he had to win the championship, but the grid didn't become significantly more difficult than 2019. It was tougher, but not that tougher.
What should he do in 2022: I am not sure. Megennis should have been better this season. I wouldn't have guessed he would have finished fourth of four Andretti drivers unless they somehow went 1-2-3-4 in the championship or took four of the top five. A third Indy Lights season might get him back on track, but Megennis could use this as his chance to move to sports cars. He has done well in his handful of sports car outings.
Sting Ray Robb: #2 Sekady Capital/Goodheart-Firehouse Animal Center Dallara-AER (8th, 249 points)
What did I write before the season: Robb's championship came in his fourth Indy Pro 2000 season and he got it at only 19 years old. The Idahoan was off in testing. I almost think he will need a season to acclimate to the car. His results should improve as the season goes along.
How incorrect was it: Robb had only one finish of seventh or better in the first 16 races. He picked up his first top five finish, a fifth, in the penultimate race of the season at Mid-Ohio.
What should he do in 2022: Return to Indy Lights. It took him four years to win the Indy Pro 2000 championship. He mind as well stay in Indy Lights for the next three years.
Toby Sowery: #51 m-start/Kumpf Dallara-AER (9th, 236 points)
What did I write before the season: Sowery was impressive in 2019 and was somewhat unheralded considering what he did with his limited funding. Juncos Racing is returning to Indy Lights. His times were just slightly better than Robb in testing. If one Juncos driver ends up competing for the podium on a regular basis, I expect it to be Sowery, but looking at this grid I would not be surprised if his championship finish is worse than third.
How incorrect was it: Sowery started well with three podium finishes and even top five finishes in the first ten races, but after a five-race top five finish drought, Sowery left Juncos Racing prior to the Portland round and did not return for the final leg of the season.
What should he do in 2022: I am sad Sowery left the series early. He looked good though victory eluded him. After 2019, I thought he could be a sleeper to make it up to IndyCar. That might still be there. But, if he is leaving Indy Lights midseason because he cannot win the championship, I am not sure he is keeping IndyCar on his radar, and that is sad.
Alex Peroni: #5 Blundstone/Tasmania/RDM Fast Ferries Dallara-AER (10th, 228 points)
What did I write before the season: The newest European transfer, Peroni had bright moments in Formula Three and he was carrying Campos Racing last season as he was the only driver to score points. Like Juncos, Carlin is returning to Indy Lights but Carlin has been absent for much longer. All these tracks will be new for Peroni but I think he will win a few races. He could even be a surprise championship contender.
How incorrect was it: Peroni did not win a race, but he opened the season with five top five finishes in the first eight races. He had seven top five finishes through the first 16 races when, like Sowery, Peroni left the championship with only six races remaining.
What should he do in 2022: As sad as I was to see Sowery go, I was equally as sad about Peroni. A competitive driver in Europe, Peroni was learning all these tracks and most weekends had at least one good race. I hope both Peroni and Sowery return to Indy Lights. The series need drivers of this quality.
Christian Bogle: #7 Pelican Energy Dallara-AER (11th, 227 points)
What did I write before the season: Bogle is not ready for Indy Lights. He arguably isn't even ready for Indy Pro 2000. He was slowest in testing. I expect him to spend much of the season at the bottom of the charts.
How incorrect was it: Bogle had zero top five finishes and he was outside the top ten in nine races. He scored one fewer point than his Carlin teammate Peroni, who ran six fewer races.
What should he do in 2022: Bogle shouldn't have been in Indy Lights this year. He can only go up from here, but I don't think he can rise that much. He should at least step down to Indy Pro 2000.
Antonio Serravalle: #11 LedgeMark Homes LivGreen/Tycoon Capital Dallara-AER (12th, 175 points)
What did I write before the season: Similar to Bogle, I don't think Serravalle is ready for Indy Lights. He did have better showings in Indy Pro 2000 compared to Bogle's U.S. F2000 results. Serravalle did have his share of top five finishes but he was not one of the top drivers in the series. His pace was a little better with Bogle in testing. He will be a bottom-feeder as well.
How incorrect was it: Serravalle did not finish in the top five this season, though he was sixth in the first Road America race. He did skip Portland and Laguna Seca.
What should he do in 2022: Same as Bogle.
Nikita Lastochkin: #59 Russkaya Mekhanika Dallara-AER (13th, 123 points)
What did I write before the season: Lastochkin was toward the bottom in testing. His Road to Indy results have never been that impressive. In 76 starts, he has only two podium finishes. He is not going to factor in for many top five finishes.
How incorrect was it: Lastochkin did not come close to a top five finish. His best result was eighth. He had only four top ten finishes in the first 12 races and he did not return after the summer break.
What should he do in 2022: With Lastochkin leaving midseason, I think we could have seen the last of him in the Road to Indy system.
Who should we have seen more of?
Besides Sowery and Peroni, I wish Indy Lights could attract those drivers who are not in line for a Formula One seat in Europe but are clearly talented drivers, especially American drivers.
Juan Manuel Correa is a good driver but going from Formula Two back down to Formula Three to try and reignite your career is unlikely. Correa should come home to the United States and give Indy Lights a try.
Logan Sargeant nearly won the FIA Formula Three championship in 2020 before a few accidents in the Mugello finale. He returned and did well this year, but when you drop in a championship after being a championship contender, it is not an attractive look to a Formula One team. Sargeant nearly didn't even get a ride this year. I know Indy Lights isn't cheap, but it would be more affordable than running in Formula Three for a third year.
After seeing how Christian Lundgaard performed in his IndyCar debut, I don't think any Formula Two driver would go to Indy Lights. I think they would only jump straight into IndyCar, but Formula Three drivers could use a season to get up to speed and learn the tracks.
In the United States, it would have been nice to see Rasmus Lindh compete full-time after he was committed to the 2020 season before the season was cancelled. Lindh has been strong in the Road to Indy and he has done well in LMP3 competition. Lindh would just add to the wave of Scandinavian drivers in the Road to Indy series.
Also, in jest, I wanted to see Jimmie Johnson run an Indy Lights race. What level of the Road to Indy would Johnson have to drop to and be competitive?
Who have we seen enough of?
Who have we seen enough of?
In a good way, Kirkwood and Malukas. They are set for IndyCar.
As I said above, Bogle and Serravalle should be in Indy Pro 2000.
Indy Pro 2000
Christian Rasmussen: #1 JHDD, CSU | One Cure/Lucas Oil Tatuus (1st, 445 points)
What did I write before the season: Rasmussen was marvelous last year, and I think he will continue to be one of the top drivers into Indy Pro 2000. He did have a dip in the middle of last season, which left the championship open. He will have to be more clinical because I don't think he will be able to fall back on six consecutive victories to open a season.
How incorrect was it: Rasmussen was the top driver in Indy Pro 2000. He did not win six consecutive races, but he took hold of the championship with six victories in eight races from the second St. Petersburg race through the first Mid-Ohio race in July. He ended with seven victories and 12 podium finishes.
What should he do in 2022: Definitely move up to Indy Lights. I think we are looking at some Scandinavian fighting between Swede Lundqvist, Dane Rasmussen and then there is the Danish-American Pedersen. I think Rasmussen could make it a three-year sweep of the Road to Indy championships.
Braden Eves: #91 Cambridge/Exclusive Autosport Tatuus (2nd, 407 points)
What did I write before the season: Eves was 11th in testing and I think he is still recovering. He hasn't had much time in a car since his accident. I expect a slow start but with results improving over the course of the season. He might not be able to get back to a race-winning level, but it would not surprise me if he won a race or two later in the season.
How incorrect was it: Eves won two of the first three races and was on the podium in four of the first seven races. He picked up another victory at Gateway and finished the season with three victories and nine podium finishes.
What should he do in 2022: I am glad Eves return to competition and did not need ten races to get up to speed after a fractured vertebrae ended his season prematurely in 2020. I think he is ready for Indy Lights.
Hunter McElrea: #18 Giltrap Group/Doric NZ/Miles Advisory Partners Tatuus (3rd, 378 points)
What did I write before the season: McElrea was fourth in testing, but I think he is one of the championship favorites. He had four runner-up finishes last year. He probably should have won an additional race. He cannot afford the same slow start that he had last year.
How incorrect was it: McElrea was third in the championship with three victories and seven podium finishes. He did have a somewhat slow start with four finishes outside the top five in seven races and only four top five finishes in the first ten races. He ended with six top five finishes in the final eight races, including five podium results.
What should he do in 2022: Though his result fluctuated more than Rasmussen and Eves, I think McElrea should join them moving to Indy Lights.
Artem Petrov: #42 Road to Success/Bell/226ers Tatuus (4th, 374 points)
What did I write before the season: Petrov was up and down last year and he was sixth in testing. He should win a race or two and keep his name in the championship discussion.
How incorrect was it: Petrov won two races and he stood on the podium on the podium nine times.
What should he do in 2022: Make it four of the top four moving up to Indy Lights.
Reece Gold: #55 The Ticket Clinic Tatuus (5th, 366 points)
What did I write before the season: Gold improved mightily in his second U.S. F2000 season last year. He was in the middle of the pack during testing. I think he will be competing for top five finishes and could end up on a few podiums.
How incorrect was it: Gold had six podium finishes in the first ten races, but no victories. He finally got his first victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park, but that was his final podium finish in the final eight races. He had 12 top five finishes.
What should he do in 2022: I think Gold could move up to Indy Lights, but he is only 17 years old. He does not turn 18 until next September. He could stay in Indy Pro 2000 and be the top driver, develop more and then join Indy Lights more rounded in 2023. He could move up next year and end up having to spend at least two years in Indy Lights or stay in Indy Pro 2000 and then move up Indy Lights. Either way, he is at least two years away from IndyCar.
Jacob Abel: #51 Abel Constructrion/Bell Helmets Tatuus (6th, 292 points)
What did I write before the season: Not much. There is no guarantee he will complete a full season. He has some good results, but until he runs a full season, one-off good results aren't going to matter.
How incorrect was it: Seeing how I did not write much, Abel had two podium finishes and seven top five finishes.
What should he do in 2022: Stay in Indy Pro 2000 and make sure he is full-time.
James Roe, Jr.: #3 Topcon Positioning Group Tatuus (7th, 241 points)
What did I write before the season: Testing was encouraging. I just wonder if Roe will be able to keep up that pace over the entire season. He could be respectable, but not necessarily pull out a victory. However, if he is regularly starting and running in the top five, he is bound to have a race fall his way.
How incorrect was it: Roe, Jr. was not regularly in the top five, but things turned at Gateway where he won pole position and then finished fourth. He was fifth in the third New Jersey Race and then won the season finale in changing conditions at Mid-Ohio.
What should he do in 2022: Stay in Indy Pro 2000. Considering he only finished better than eighth in one of the first 12 races, his strong end is encouraging.
Kyffin Simpson: #21 Simpson Race Products/GoPro/SpY Tatuus (8th, 231 points)
What did I write before the season: Simpson looked good in testing and Juncos Racing is known for fielding competitive drivers. It would not surprise me if he won a few races. There are a few more Road to Indy experienced drivers on the grid and that could knock Simpson down a few spots in the championship.
How incorrect was it: Simpson did not win a race, but he had three finishes of third. He did not run the season finale at Mid-Ohio. He is also currently leading the Formula Regional Americans Championship.
What should he do in 2022: I think he will be somewhere in the Road to Indy. Linus Lundqvist went from 2020 FR Americas champion to Indy Lights. I don't think Simpson is there, but it would not be a shock. I think he should stick to Indy Pro 2000.
Manuel Sulaimán: #22 Telcel Infinitum/WBC/Intellgentus/Anahuac Tatuus (9th, 214 points)
What did I write before the season: Sulaimán topped testing and he had flashes last year. He will have to be fighting for more podium finishes this season and I expect that to be the case. He will also need to win more races. I think that will also be the case. He should be somewhere in the top five of the championship and could end up on top.
How incorrect was it: Sulaimán had three podium finishes in the first ten races, including a victory at Road America. He was sixth in the championship but withdrew from the New Jersey weekend and competed in the final three Indy Lights weekends where his best finish was on debut at Portland, a sixth-place finish.
What should he do in 2022: Sulaimán is already in Indy Lights. He has won in Indy Pro 2000. I think the top five plus Sulaimán is a solid top six. This is a good move for him.
Wyatt Brichacek: #5 JHDD, CSU | One Cure/Lucas Oil Tatuus (10th, 212 points)
What did I write before the season: This is a big jump for Brichacek. I think he should have stayed in U.S. F2000. Top ten finishes will be hard to come by.
How incorrect was it: There were only about 12 cars in most of the races, so that makes top ten finishes easy to come by. Brichaeck had nine consecutive top ten finishes to end the season, but he finished two points behind Sulaimán who did not run the final six races.
What should he do in 2022: Stick in Indy Pro 2000.
Jack William Miller: #40 Indy Dental Group/LLC/Lumist Tatuus (11th, 203 points)
What did I write before the season: Miller took a few years to get the hang of U.S. F2000 and he looked good last year, nearly winning on the IMS road course. He was toward the bottom in testing. I don't think he will be in the top ten of the championship.
How incorrect was it: Miller was 11th in the championship, nine points outside the top ten, the worst of the full-time drivers. He was fourth in the first New Jersey race. He had ten top ten finishes.
What should he do in 2022: Stay where he is at.
Who should we have seen more of?
Enaam Ahmed had four top five finishes in nine starts, including a runner-up in the final race in mixed conditions at Mid-Ohio.
Also, Ahmed's original RP Motorsport teammate Enzo Fittipaldi. Remember him? He ran the Barber opening weekend and then turned his attention to Europe. Results in Formula Three and Formula Two have not been great.
Speaking of another Brazilian with a recognizable last name, 2020 U.S. F2000 vice-champion Eduardo Barrichello has not scored a point in 16 Formula Regional European Championship races this season in a field that draws over two-dozen cars. I wish Barrichello remained in the Road to Indy system.
Who have we seen enough of?
Who have we seen enough of?
I am going to say no one. I am in a good mood. The last two years have been tough. It is great to see these series doing as well as did in 2021.
U.S. F2000
Kiko Porto: #12 Banco Dayvocal/Petromega Tatuus (1st, 413 points)
What did I write before the season: Unlike his teammates, Porto is already a U.S. F2000 race winner and if he is full-time I think he will be fighting for the championship. He was fifth in testing, but I think he enters this season as the leading DEForce Racing driver.
How incorrect was it: Porto won the championship with four victories, ten podium finishes and 15 top five finishes.
What should he do in 2022: He better move up because IndyCar has not had a promising Brazilian driver in a while.
Michael d'Orlando: #4 Focused Project Management/UFC Gym Tatuus (2nd, 365 points)
What did I write before the season: This will be d'Orlando's second full season in U.S. F2000. I think he needs to be on par with how he did last year. He cannot afford a setback, but testing was a little concerning as he was 12th.
How incorrect was it: After being fourth in 2020, d'Orlando was second in the championship, who three races, had eight podium finishes and 15 top five finishes.
What should he do in 2022: Move up. Though he has not won the championship in his two full seasons, he has shown he is ready.
Yuven Sundaramoorthy: #22 S team Motorsports Tatuus (3rd, 329 points)
What did I write before the season: This will be Sundaramoorthy's third season in U.S. F2000. He has finished 12th in the championship each year. He was eighth in testing. I think he will improve but I am not sure if he will be a threat for any race victories.
How incorrect was it: Sundaramoorthy was most improved and he won three of the first seven races and had five podium finishes in the first seven races. He had a lull midseason, but ended the year with four victories and nine podium finishes.
What should he do in 2022: His first two seasons were below average. After this season, Sundaramoorthy should jump up to Indy Pro 2000.
Josh Pierson: #24 TransUnion/iovation Tatuus (4th, 291 points)
What did I write before the season: Pierson was sixth in testing. This season should be a big improvement over last year. He should exceed his top ten finish total from last year and he should be fighting for top five finishes.
How incorrect was it: Pierson was fourth in the championship and he had five podium finishes, but he did not win a race.
What should he do in 2022: Pierson turns 16 years old in February. Stay in U.S. F2000. He is close to being a race winner and should breakthrough next year with how he improved from 2020.
Josh Green: #33 JHG Investment Fund Tatuus (5th, 279 points)
What did I write before the season: Green was fourth in testing. I think he could be a contender this season. He should probably get a victory or two.
How incorrect was it: Green did not win until the final race of the season, but he ended the season with five consecutive top five finishes and he had eight top five finishes overall.
What should he do in 2022: Green turns 19 years old next month. He is on the cusp of that age where he has almost aged out of U.S. F2000. Not every driver has to make IndyCar by the time they turn 19 years old, but you cannot be in the bottom rung into your 20s.
Christian Brooks: #44 Hot Wheels/Chaco Flaco/Bell Helmets Tatuus (6th, 257 points)
What did I write before the season: Brooks led testing and he should be one of the favorites this season. He won the season finale last year and he will be coming in with a lot of momentum. Anything worse than the top three in the championship would be a surprise.
How incorrect was it: Brooks started strong with two victories, three podium finishes and eight top five finishes in the first nine races, but Brooks had one top five result in the next seven races. He did not compete in the Mid-Ohio season finale as he ran the Indy Pro 2000 races and he was fifth in both races.
What should he do in 2022: Brooks is 21 years old. I think running Indy Pro 2000 at Mid-Ohio speaks to where he will race next year.
Spike Kohlbecker: #5 Ignite Autosport/Raceway Gives/Tierpoint Tatuus (7th, 235 points)
What did I write before the season: Kohlbecker was on par with his senior teammate d'Orlando in testing. If d'Orlando picks up his pace during the season then I think Kohlbecker will be right there with him.
How incorrect was it: Kohlbecker was not quite equal to d'Orlando with only one top five finishes, a third in the first Road America race. He had 13 top ten finishes.
What should he do in 2022: He turns 19 years old in December. I think he can stick around U.S. F2000 for one more year.
Nolan Siegal: #10 Menlo Ventures/Aero Paint Technologies Tatuus (8th, 227 points)
What did I write before the season: Siegal looked good in testing. He should make a jump up the championship and possibly win a few races. He could be a championship contender.
How incorrect was it: Siegel stood on the podium four times and he had six top five finishes, but a rough start put him in a deep hole.
What should he do in 2022: Siegal turns 17 years old next month. He should stay in U.S. F2000, clean up some of those poor results and next year he could be a serious contender.
Thomas Nepveu: #2 Cromwell/Pétrole Bélanger/Home Hardware Tatuus (9th, 220 points)
What did I write before the season: I don't think he will be in the top ten of the championship. This is a big step up from Formula 4.
How incorrect was it: Very wrong because Nepveu was ninth in the championship and he won at Road America. He was also fifth in one of the IMS road course races and in the first Mid-Ohio race in July.
What should he do in 2022: This 17-year-old only benefits from another year in U.S. F2000.
Prescott Campbell: #11 Fluid Logic/Valkyrie Intelligence Tatuus (10th, 215 points)
What did I write before the season: Campbell was second in testing, just ahead of Siegal. I think both these drivers could be winning races and in the top five of the championship.
How incorrect was it: Campbell opened the season with a runner-up finish and a victory at Barber Motorsports Park, but he had only one podium finish for the rest of the season and only one other top five finish. He had a six-race stretch of finishes outside the top ten, including three of four results outside the top twenty.
What should he do in 2022: It felt like Campbell was going to make a big gain this season and it looked good through the first few weekends. He turns 21 years old in January. Maybe he can stay one more year, but I think he is aging out. Is Indy Pro 2000 too big of a leap? I don't think so. We have seen speed from Campbell. He could piece it together in the next level of the ladder system.
Jace Denmark: #23 Metal Works Custom Fabrication Tatuus (11th, 210 points)
What did I write before the season: Denmark was seventh in testing, which is quite good considering his lack of car racing experience. I think if he was a regular top ten finish that would be a good season.
How incorrect was it: Denmark had 11 top ten finishes, including a third at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
What should he do in 2022: Build off of this first full season in cars.
Billy Frazer: #91 Cambridge Global Services/Giltrap Group Tatuus (12th, 192 points)
What did I write before the season: Frazer was ninth in testing. He will be learning tracks this year but his pace is already competitive. He could be the darling of the season.
How incorrect was it: Frazer had two top five finishes and he had eight top ten finishes. Not quite the darling of the season, but it was a good year.
What should he do in 2022: He is only going to be 18 years old. He should stay in U.S. F2000.
Myles Rowe: #99 Force Indy Tatuus (13th, 137 points)
What did I write before the season: Rowe was tenth in testing. He hasn't competed in car racing in almost four years. That testing pace is impressive. I think a regular top ten finisher is a reasonable expectation.
How incorrect was it: Rowe had six top ten finishes, including a victory in mixed conditions in New Jersey. He did finish outside the top twenty in seven races!
What should he do in 2022: Rowe is in a tough spot. This was his first year seriously competing since 2017. He is 21 years old. He is a part of the diversity program, and he showed promise this year. There were a lot of races where he was in early accident and that is not a good thing in terms of developing. I don't think he should move up to Indy Pro 2000. It is not like he has been in this series for three years. Wherever Rowe goes in 2022, he has to see the checkered flag more than his did this year.
Who should we have seen more of?
Simon Sikes. He had four consecutive podium finishes between Road America and the July Mid-Ohio weekend. Sikes was part-time with Legacy Autosport, and he just won the SCCA Formula Continental National Championship a year after he won the SCCA Formula F National Championship. He was second in Formula F this year. I think Sikes could win this championship outright. He is also turning 21 years old next month. He could jump right into Indy Pro 2000 and be successful.
Who have we seen enough of?
Who have we seen enough of?
It is the entry level to the Road of Indy. No one has had enough time.
Looking to 2022
Indy Lights will be back under the Penske-owned IndyCar banner after Andersen Promotions ran the series since 2014. Andersen Promotions will still operate Indy Pro 2000 and U.S. F2000.
We have already seen Penske's fingerprints on Indy Lights with the Freedom 100 removed from the schedule. Many people are high on Penske's involvement; however, I don't think Penske will turn a series that for the better part of the last 12 years have struggled to break a dozen entries will somehow turn into a healthy, self-sufficient series full of quality entries.
Indy Lights has had good years over the last decade-plus. It has had top heavy seasons with three or four great drivers and then four or five bland drivers. The introduction of the IL-15 chassis brought a two-year burst to the series in 2015 and 2016, but since then it has been in the same hole it has really been in since the recession swept the legs out from underneath the series in the 2009-2010 time frame.
The 2021 season ends with the same reality Indy Lights has been facing for the last decade and nothing changed this year to think it will get better. Indy Lights is still a financially unviable series that costs too much and does not get enough exposure to warrant sponsorship interest. Penske is a great name to tag to the series, but without a platform that draws a respectable audience, Indy Lights will still be four or five teams with about 11-13 cars with about five good drivers and then five drivers who have a dream but not necessarily the talent to make it to the highest level.
We also saw the Indy Pro 2000 grid dip this season. U.S. F2000 remains strong, and I think the entry level will have good turnaround because it is the start. The Road to Indy will expand next year with the USF Juniors series, effectively a Formula Four car. USF Juniors will be open to drivers as young as 14 years old.
I think USF Juniors could be a step too far. It might be a great option for those who are starting car racing and transitioning from karting, but I think the series will take the backend of the U.S. F2000 and move those drivers in another series. Instead of committing two or three years in U.S. F2000 and using that first season as a learning experience, drivers will now go to USF Junior, but USF Junior might attract a few younger drivers who do not feel comfortable jumping into U.S. F2000, and an intermediary step is more attractive.
Next year will be interesting. Between Indy Lights under the Penske promotional arm, Indy Pro 2000 and U.S. F2000 introducing a new car and an entirely new series to the ladder system, there will be plenty of moving parts to keep an eye on in 2022.
