he Mazda Road to Indy continues to expand its outreach to the grassroots levels of the sport with today’s announcement that Andersen Promotions has formed an alliance with the Australia Formula Ford Association Inc. (FFA) with immediate effect which will see the representative body for Formula Ford racing in that country become an Official Partner of the ladder series through 2016. The first level of the highly acclaimed Mazda Road to Indy – the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda – will be promoted as an endorsed progression path for Australian drivers pursuing international careers in motorsports.

pencer Pigot bounced back from a series of misfortunes to score a commanding victory in today’s second leg of the Allied Building Products Pro Mazda Grand Prix of Houston Presented by Marlin CNG Services. Starting second on the grid, Pigot, 20, from Orlando, Fla., made an explosive start, then dived to the inside of polesitter Garett Grist under braking for the tight chicane at Turn Two on the unforgiving 1.7-mile MD Anderson Cancer Center Speedway at NRG Park. He remained under pressure from fellow American Neil Alberico for the first dozen or so laps, then edged clear to win the 30-lap race by almost four seconds.

Scott Hargrove claimed victory today in the strangest of fashions during the first leg of the Allied Building Products Pro Mazda Grand Prix of Houston Presented by Marlin CNG Services at MD Anderson Cancer Center Speedway at NRG Park. The Canadian’s third win of the season for Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing moved him into the lead of the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires after nine of this season’s 14 races.

The Mazda Road to Indy – the most successful driver development program in the world – is now further engrained in the grassroots level of the sport following today’s announcement that Andersen Promotions has formed a partnership with MAXSpeed Group, the United States distributor of the Rotax MAX engine platform. The nationwide professional karting series – with 21 Rotax MAX Challenge (RMC) divisions throughout the country – will become an Official Partner of the Mazda Road to Indy effective immediately to foster the next wave of up-and-coming drivers.

The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires will continue this weekend, following a month’s hiatus, at the 1.7-mile MD Anderson Cancer Center Speedway temporary circuit at NRG Park in Houston, Texas. The Allied Building Products Grand Prix of Houston Presented by Marlin CNG Services will comprise a pair of 40-minute races held in support of the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston.