February Winterfest dates set for two venues

By IndyCar.com staff | Published: Oct 14, 2014

Spencer Pigot

The fifth Cooper Tires Winterfest, which offers all three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system a jump start on the 2015 season, will be held in February at two venues.

The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will again contest a series of six races over the course of a week, while the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires will expand from four to six races. Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires teams will take part in a comprehensive test comprising over 14 hours of track time with the new AER-powered Dallara IL-15.

The outing will kick off Feb. 18-20 at NOLA Motorsports Park just outside of New Orleans, and will move to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., on Feb. 24-26. Three races for USF2000 and Pro Mazda will be on deck at each circuit, with competitors vying for an enhanced prize money package of $50,000. Indy Lights teams posting the fastest lap time at each track will be awarded one free set of Cooper tires.

“The Cooper Tires Winterfest provides a great first glimpse of the talent we have onboard for the upcoming season,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, which oversees the Mazda Road to Indy. “It’s a chance to welcome new and returning drivers and also watch our graduates take their next steps on the ladder. Obviously, I am especially excited this year with the debut of the Dallara IL-15 and very much look forward to seeing the progress our teams make with this new package after such a successful prototype testing program."

Spencer Pigot, who won the Pro Mazda championship this season, captured the Cooper Tires Winterfest title in February with Juncos Racing. USF2000 championship runner-up RC Enerson earned the Winterfest title with Team E Racing.

“After the exciting finish in all classes for the 2014 championships, we cannot wait to see who the front-runners will be,” said Chris Pantani, Cooper Tire Director of Motorsports. “The Cooper Tires Winterfest is the first chance to see the 2015 teams and drivers begin, or defend, their title quest.”