MRTI: Sunday title primers in Indy Lights, Pro Mazda, USF2000 - MotorSportsTalk

MONTEREY, Calif. – The three rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires will be decided today at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as part of the “Soul Red Finale.”

Here’s quick breakdowns of the titles for the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda series.

Indy Lights

Ed Jones (No. 11 Carlin) leads Santiago Urrutia (No. 55 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian) by seven points, 343-336.

Jones will have at least one bonus point for pole position, which gives Urrutia a maximum possible number of 32 points. If he were to achieve that with a win, he’d have 368 points. He’d defeat Jones at that number, because the best Jones could do would be second, and at a 368-point even tie, Urrutia would have four wins (or five in this instance, because 32 assumes a win) to Jones’ two.

Otherwise, for Urrutia to overtake Jones, he’ll need a seven-point overtake. That could be second to Jones’ fifth, third to Jones’ sixth, fourth to Jones’ ninth and so on and so forth.

		INDY LIGHTS			POS	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
					PTS	30	25	22	19	17	15	14	13	12	11
1	11	Ed Jones	UAE	Carlin	343	373	368	365	362	360	358	357	356	355	354
2	55	Santiago Urrutia	URG	Schmidt Peterson Motorsports	336	366	361	358	355	353	351	350	349	348	347
					POS	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th
					PTS	10	9	8	7	6
1	11	Ed Jones	UAE	Carlin	343	353	352	351	350	349
2	55	Santiago Urrutia	URG	Schmidt Peterson Motorsports	336	346	345	344	343	342

—

Pro Mazda

This is likely going to come down to the second of two Pro Mazda races on the day, and third on the weekend, to decide.

Following a first race win on Saturday, Pato O’Ward has closed the gap to Team Pelfrey teammate Aaron Telitz to just eight points, 371-363.

With a win in the first race, O’Ward would take the points lead if Telitz finished fourth or worse. Telitz has the pole position so the key for him is simply finishing ahead of the teenager to solidify and/or increase the gap.

		PRO MAZDA			POS	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
					PTS	30	25	22	19	17	15
1	82	Aaron Telitz	USA	Team Pelfrey	371	401	396	393	390	388	386
2	80	Pato O’Ward	MEX	Team Pelfrey	363	393	388	385	382	380	378
					POS	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th
					PTS	14	13	12	11	10	9
1	82	Aaron Telitz	USA	Team Pelfrey	371	385	384	383	382	381	380
2	80	Pato O’Ward	MEX	Team Pelfrey	363	377	376	375	374	373	372

—

USF2000

Anthony Martin appears to have the easiest road to a title ahead of Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing teammate Parker Thompson, with an 18-point gap, 369-351.

The maximum number of points Thompson could get with a win and most laps led and fast lap would be 32 points, and 383 for the season.

That means regardless of what Thompson does, Martin clinches if he finishes sixth or better. Sixth place nets him at least 384 points.

		USF2000			POS	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
					PTS	30	25	22	19	17	15	14	13	12	11
1	8	Anthony Martin	AUS	Cape Motorsports w/WTR	369	399	394	391	388	386	384	383	382	381	380
2	2	Parker Thompson	CAN	Cape Motorsports w/WTR	351	381	376	373	370	368	366	365	364	363	362
					POS	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th
					PTS	10	9	8	7	6	5	4
1	8	Anthony Martin	AUS	Cape Motorsports w/WTR	369	379	378	377	376	375	374	373
2	2	Parker Thompson	CAN	Cape Motorsports w/WTR	351	361	360	359	358	357	356	355

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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”