2017 Pro Mazda Championship
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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
| Team | No. | Drivers | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 1–4 | Icon Class (N) National Class | ||
| 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 | 1–4 | |
| Icon | Class | ||
| (N) | National Class |
Race calendar and results
Championship standings
Drivers' Championship
| Pos | Driver | STP | IMS | ROA | MOH | GMP | WGL | Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Points | 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 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 | ||||||||||||||
| 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 | Points | ||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||
| 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 |
Teams' championship
| Pos | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Pelfrey | 381 |
| 2 | Juncos Racing | 372 |
| 3 | World Speed Motorsports | 267 |
See also
2017 IndyCar Series season 2017 Indy Lights championship