The USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, formerly known as the Star Mazda Championship, Pro Mazda Championship, and later Indy Pro 2000 Championship, is an open-wheel racing series serving as the third step on the Road to Indy ladder system, between the U.S. F2000 Championship and Indy NXT. The series is sanctioned by the United States Auto Club and operated by Andersen Promotions. The series' champion is awarded a scholarship package to advance to Indy Lights competition for the following season. It competes on all open-wheel disciplines: road courses, street courses, and ovals. The series' primary sponsor is the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company via their Cooper Tires brand. Many Pro 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. History Background In 1983, a number of Formula Ford race cars powered by Mazda rotary engines were built by Hayashi Racing in Japan and imported to the United States for use by the Jim Russell Racing School. Enough cars were constructed to run a one-make series, the Mazda Pro Series, which began in 1984 at the Long Beach Grand Prix. In late 1984, following modifications to the cars' rollover structures to bring them in line with SCCA regulations, the so-called "Formula Russell" became so popular that numerous regional and divisional series were established by the Jim Russell Racing School. Throughout the remainder of the 1980s, the series would gain six geographic divisions, each of which held their own championship. Early Mazda Pro Series competitors included Johnny O'Connell, Tommy Kendall, Mike Groff, Jeff Krosnoff, Norm Breedlove (son of Craig Breedlove), and Jon Beekhuis. Foundation 1990s The Star Mazda Championship debuted in 1991 at Willow Springs, with Mark Rodrigues driving for Valley Motor Center (the constructor of the new 1990 chassis) claiming the inaugural win. The series gradually rose in importance on the American open-wheel racing landscape, as similar series such as the Barber Dodge Pro Series, Formula BMW Americas and Formula TR 2000 Pro Series ceased to operate, and later emerged as the primary series of its kind in the US. 1996 marked the first Star Mazda Championship race as a supporting event on an Indy Racing League weekend at the Phoenix 200 in March, and