2015_Pro_Mazda_Championship_season

2015 Pro Mazda Championship

2015 Pro Mazda Championship

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The 2015 Pro Mazda Championship was the 17th season in series history. The series consisted of sixteen races at nine tracks, having expanded from fourteen races in 2014; adding races at NOLA Motorsports Park, the Streets of Toronto, Iowa Speedway and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, while dropping races at Houston, Milwaukee and Sonoma Raceway.[1] The season began on March 28 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and ended on September 13 at Laguna Seca.

Uruguay's Santiago Urrutia became the first champion from South America since Raphael Matos in 2005, driving for Team Pelfrey.[2] Urrutia, who joined the series for the 2015 season after a year in GP3,[3] won only three races during the season – at NOLA Motorsports Park, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Mid-Ohio – but consistent finishing (finishing 14 of 16 races in the top-5) saw him finish 53 points clear of his nearest rival in the championship standings. Second place in the standings went to Cape Motorsports driver Neil Alberico, holding off a late-season challenge from Juncos Racing's Garett Grist for the position, by a tally of eight points. Alberico won four races during the season – which was the most by any driver, shared with Andretti Autosport's Weiron Tan – while Grist won three of the final six races including a weekend sweep at Laguna Seca.[4]

Tan himself finished fourth in the championship, as five finishes outside the top ten as well as a five-point penalty early in the season hampered his championship bid. The championship top five was completed by France's Timothé Buret of Juncos Racing, one point behind Tan, who was a race-winner at Indianapolis. The only other race winner was Florian Latorre, a compatriot of Buret, who won on the Streets of Toronto for Cape Motorsports. He finished eighth in the drivers' championship, due to the result being one of only three podium finishes during the season. In the teams' championship, Juncos Racing won the title mainly due to the results for Grist and Buret, with other team drivers José Gutiérrez and Will Owen. Juncos finished 39 points clear of Team Pelfrey.[4] The expert drivers' championship for older drivers was won by World Speed Motorsports driver Bobby Eberle, taking 11 class wins during 2015.[4]

Drivers and teams

More information Team, No. ...

Race calendar and results

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Championship standings

Drivers' championship

More information Pos, Driver ...
  • Ties in points broken by number of wins, or best finishes.
  • The first race at the Indianapolis road course was a makeup for the canceled race at NOLA. Drivers who were not at NOLA were ineligible to score points in that race.

Teams' championship

More information Pos, Team ...

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Seriously injured in practice at St. Pete.
  2. [N 2]
    Due to adverse weather conditions, the second race at NOLA Motorsports Park was cancelled. The race was rescheduled for the meeting held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.[15]
  3. [N 3]
    Garett Grist set the fastest time in qualifying, but was sent to the back of the grid, alongside teammates José Gutiérrez and Timothé Buret, for unapproved wing adjustments. Weiron Tan, who posted the second-fastest time in qualifying, was therefore recognized as the pole-sitter for the race.[17]

References

  1. [1]
    DiZinno, Tony (November 3, 2014). "Mazda Road to Indy 2015 schedules released". MotorSportsTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  2. [2]
    "Grist Wins the Race as Urrutia Clinches the Pro Mazda Title". Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen Promotions. September 12, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  3. [3]
    Lewandowski, Dave (September 12, 2015). "A Nation rejoices with Urrutia, who secures title". IndyCar Series. Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  4. [4]
    "Double for Grist Promotes him to Third in Pro Mazda Points Chase". Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen Promotions. September 13, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  5. [5]
    DeHarde, Christopher (December 10, 2014). "Weiron Tan to drive for Andretti Autosport in Pro Mazda". Motorsport.com. Motorsport.com, Inc. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  6. [6]
    "Andretti Autosport signs Kellett to Pro Mazda squad". Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen Promotions. November 18, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  7. [7]
    "Burkett Joins Cape Motorsports Pro Mazda Team". Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen Promotions. December 16, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  8. [8]
    "Parker Nicklin Joins JDC MotorSports Four Car Line-Up". Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen Promotions. March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  9. [9]
    DiZinno, Tony (December 4, 2014). "Pro Mazda has Buret, Connery announcements". MotorSportsTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  10. [10]
    "Grist signs with Juncos Racing for 2015". Motorsport.com. Motorsport.com, Inc. December 13, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  11. [11]
    "Timothé Buret Commits to Juncos Racing for 2015 Pro Mazda Championship". Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen Promotions. December 3, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  12. [12]
    Bonkowski, Jerry (November 22, 2014). "Indy USF2000 winner Will Owen moves to Juncos Racing, Pro Mazda Series in 2015". MotorSportsTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  13. [13]
    "O'Ward, Urratia join Team Pelfrey". Racer. Haymarket Publications. March 19, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  14. [14]
    "Latif joins WSM team". Racer. Haymarket Publications. February 16, 2015. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  15. [15]
    "Series Leader Alberico Back on Top at Barber". Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen Promotions. April 26, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015. The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires will continue with a triple-header as part of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 7–9. The event will include an additional race to make up for Race Two at NOLA Motorsports Park which had been postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
  16. [16]
    "Tan Controls Rescheduled Pro Mazda Race". Pro Mazda Championship. Andersen Promotions. May 8, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  17. [17]
    Khorounzhiy, Valentin (July 18, 2015). "Tan Dominates, Andretti Score 1-2 at Iowa". Paddock Scout. Retrieved July 18, 2015. Although Garett Grist had topped qualifying, him [sic] and his Juncos teammates Timothe Buret and Jose Gutierrez were sent to the back of the grid for unapproved wing adjustments.
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