History
The series had, in the past, held six geographic divisions, each of which held their own championship. In the late 1990s a single national series emerged as the primary venue for the cars. The series has gradually risen in importance on the American open wheel racing landscape as other comparable series such as Formula BMW Americas and Formula TR 2000 Pro Series ceased operating. In the mid-2000s the series formed a relationship with the Skip Barber National Championship and in 2010 Star Mazda became a part of the Mazda Road to Indy program, between the U.S. F2000 National Championship and Indy Lights. Through the Mazda Road to Indy program, the Star Mazda champion receives funding to compete in Indy Lights the following year.
Many Star Mazda graduates have gone on to race in top-tier open wheel series, including American Formula One and NASCAR driver Scott Speed, IndyCar Series drivers Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, James Hinchcliffe and Raphael Matos, and Rolex Sports Car Series and NASCAR driver Michael McDowell.
Read more about this topic: Star Mazda Championship
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