The 2017 Pro Mazda Championship was the 19th season in series history. A 12-race schedule was announced in September 2016.

This was the final season using the Star chassis and Mazda rotary engine combination. In 2018, the Tatuus-designed PM18 chassis would be the specified car, mated to a Mazda MZR piston engine.

Brazilian Victor Franzoni, who secured his ride in Pro Mazda with Juncos Racing the week before the season started, prevailed in a season-long back-and-forth championship battle with 2016 U.S. F2000 National Championship winner Anthony Martin. Franzoni held a small lead heading into the series' final double-header at Watkins Glen International. Franzoni won both races to clinch the championship. Franzoni finished first or second in every race and finished with seven wins from six poles. Martin won five races from six poles. Carlos Cunha captured podium finishes in the last five races (for six total) to capture third in the championship ahead of TJ Fischer who finished on the podium in the first four races but faded down the stretch. Every race was won by either Franzoni or Martin and every pole but one was captured by them, with Cunha sitting on the pole for the first race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The less-expensive National Class was more hotly contested than usual on an individual race basis, with some races seeing as many as five entries. However, only one driver Brendan Puderbach contested all twelve rounds of the championship and by virtue of that captured the National Class title. Bob Kaminsky captured a class-best five class wins and finished second in the championship.

Drivers and teams

TeamNo.DriversRounds
Team No. Drivers Rounds ArmsUp Motorsports 3 United States Matt Machiko 3–4, 11–12 6 United States Max Hanratty 1–2, 5–9 Cape Motorsports 8 Australia Anthony Martin All FatBoy Racing 3 United States Matt Machiko 1–2 31 United States Brendan Puderbach (N) All 83 United States Charles Finelli (N) 1–6, 11–12 JDC MotorSports 12 United States Kris Wright 5–9, 11–12 Juncos Racing 23 Brazil Victor Franzoni All 60 United States Jeff Green All Kaminsky Racing 57 United States Bob Kaminsky (N) 3–9 Kevin Davis Racing 44 United States Kevin Davis (N) 1–4 Team Pelfrey 80 Russia Nikita Lastochkin All 81 Brazil Carlos Cunha All 82 United States TJ Fischer All 84 United States Robert Megennis 11–12 Unfair Advantage Motorsports 2 United States Dave Zavelson (N) 5–9 5 United States Kevin Bury (N) 5–9 World Speed Motorsports 2 Australia Steven Ford (N) 3–4 13 United States Bobby Eberle All 14 United States Sting Ray Robb All 15 United States Phillippe Denes 1–4Icon Class (N) National Class
ArmsUp Motorsports3United States Matt Machiko3–4, 11–12
6United States Max Hanratty1–2, 5–9
Cape Motorsports8Australia Anthony MartinAll
FatBoy Racing3United States Matt Machiko1–2
31United States Brendan Puderbach (N)All
83United States Charles Finelli (N)1–6, 11–12
JDC MotorSports12United States Kris Wright5–9, 11–12
Juncos Racing23Brazil Victor FranzoniAll
60United States Jeff GreenAll
Kaminsky Racing57United States Bob Kaminsky (N)3–9
Kevin Davis Racing44United States Kevin Davis (N)1–4
Team Pelfrey80Russia Nikita LastochkinAll
81Brazil Carlos CunhaAll
82United States TJ FischerAll
84United States Robert Megennis11–12
Unfair Advantage Motorsports2United States Dave Zavelson (N)5–9
5United States Kevin Bury (N)5–9
World Speed Motorsports2Australia Steven Ford (N)3–4
13United States Bobby EberleAll
14United States Sting Ray RobbAll
15United States Phillippe Denes1–4
IconClass
(N)National Class

Race calendar and results

RndCircuitLocationDatePole positionFastest lapMost laps ledWinning driverWinning team
1Streets of St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg, FloridaMarch 11Australia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinCape Motorsports
2March 12Australia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinCape Motorsports
3Indianapolis Motor Speedway road courseSpeedway, IndianaMay 12Brazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniJuncos Racing
4May 13Brazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniJuncos Racing
5Grand Prix of Road AmericaElkhart Lake, WisconsinJune 25Brazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniJuncos Racing
6June 26Australia Anthony MartinUnited States TJ FischerAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinCape Motorsports
7Mid-Ohio Sports Car CourseLexington, OhioJuly 28Brazil Carlos CunhaBrazil Victor FranzoniAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinCape Motorsports
8July 29Australia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinBrazil Victor FranzoniJuncos Racing
9July 30Australia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinAustralia Anthony MartinCape Motorsports
10Gateway Motorsports ParkMadison, IllinoisAugust 25Australia Anthony MartinBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniJuncos Racing
11Watkins Glen InternationalWatkins Glen, New YorkSeptember 2Brazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniAustralia Anthony MartinBrazil Victor FranzoniJuncos Racing
12September 3Brazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Carlos CunhaBrazil Victor FranzoniBrazil Victor FranzoniJuncos Racing

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

PosDriverSTPIMSROAMOHGMPWGLPoints
Pos Driver STP IMS ROA MOH GMP WGL Points Championship class 1 Brazil Victor Franzoni 2 2 1* 1* 1* 2 2 1 2 1* 1* 1* 351 2 Australia Anthony Martin 1* 1* 2 4 2 1* 1* 2* 1* 2 2 3 333 3 Brazil Carlos Cunha 4 12 4 3 9 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 237 4 United States TJ Fischer 3 3 3 2 15 12 3 4 4 4 10 5 224 5 Russia Nikita Lastochkin 5 5 6 5 3 3 5 5 6 6 13 4 203 6 United States Sting Ray Robb 7 4 7 7 4 11 10 6 5 7 4 6 185 7 United States Bobby Eberle 10 8 8 8 8 6 9 11 7 9 7 9 157 8 United States Jeff Green 13 9 10 13 6 5 13 13 10 5 11 10 151 9 United States Max Hanratty 8 6 5 15 6 10 8 97 10 United States Kris Wright 13 9 7 8 11 5 8 95 11 United States Matt Machiko 9 13 11 9 6 7 74 12 United States Phillippe Denes 6 7 5 6 61 13 United States Robert Megennis 12 DNS 21 National class 1 United States Brendan Puderbach 12 14 DNS 11 10 14 14 12 13 8 8 DNS 187 2 United States Bob Kaminsky 9 14 7 13 8 7 9 134 3 United States Charles Finelli 14 10 14 DNS 12 8 9 DNS 115 4 United States Dave Zavelson 11 7 11 9 12 91 5 United States Kevin Davis 11 11 12 10 80 6 United States Kevin Bury 14 10 12 14 14 64 7 Australia Steven Ford 13 12 30 Pos Driver STP IMS ROA MOH GMP WGL PointsColor Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th & 5th place Light Blue 6th–10th place Dark Blue Finished (Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Brown Withdrawn (Wth) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Blank Did not participate In-line notation Bold Pole position (1 point) Italics Ran fastest race lap (1 point) * Led most race laps (1 point) Not awarded if more than one driver leads most laps Rookie
Championship class
1Brazil Victor Franzoni221*1*1*22121*1*1*351
2Australia Anthony Martin1*1*2421*1*2*1*223333
3Brazil Carlos Cunha4124394433332237
4United States TJ Fischer333215123444105224
5Russia Nikita Lastochkin5565335566134203
6United States Sting Ray Robb74774111065746185
7United States Bobby Eberle10888869117979157
8United States Jeff Green13910136513131051110151
9United States Max Hanratty86515610897
10United States Kris Wright13978115895
11United States Matt Machiko9131196774
12United States Phillippe Denes675661
13United States Robert Megennis12DNS21
National class
1United States Brendan Puderbach1214DNS11101414121388DNS187
2United States Bob Kaminsky914713879134
3United States Charles Finelli141014DNS1289DNS115
4United States Dave Zavelson1171191291
5United States Kevin Davis1111121080
6United States Kevin Bury141012141464
7Australia Steven Ford131230
PosDriverSTPIMSROAMOHGMPWGLPoints
Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th & 5th place Light Blue 6th–10th place Dark Blue Finished (Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Brown Withdrawn (Wth) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Blank Did not participate
ColorResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
Green4th & 5th place
Light Blue6th–10th place
Dark BlueFinished (Outside Top 10)
PurpleDid not finish
RedDid not qualify (DNQ)
BrownWithdrawn (Wth)
BlackDisqualified (DSQ)
WhiteDid not start (DNS)
BlankDid not participate
In-line notation Bold Pole position (1 point) Italics Ran fastest race lap (1 point) * Led most race laps (1 point) Not awarded if more than one driver leads most laps Rookie
In-line notation
BoldPole position (1 point)
ItalicsRan fastest race lap (1 point)
*Led most race laps (1 point) Not awarded if more than one driver leads most laps
Rookie

Teams' championship

PosTeamPoints
1Team Pelfrey381
2Juncos Racing372
3World Speed Motorsports267

See also

2017 IndyCar Series season 2017 Indy Lights championship

External links