TORONTO --  A multi-year agreement between INDYCAR and Andersen Promotions to license and operate Firestone Indy Lights beginning in 2014 will provide strategic and operational synergies within the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system.

Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, and INDYCAR president of competition and operations Derrick Walker made the joint announcement at a news conference.

Andersen Promotions, based in Florida, owns and operates the first two rungs of the Mazda Road to Indy – the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda and Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. All three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy joined the IZOD IndyCar Series at Exhibition Place for races this weekend.

Click it: Listen to the news conference

“This is a positive move for our sport,” Walker said. “A strong and relevant training system is important to develop the next generation of INDYCAR drivers.

“Firestone Indy Lights will be more closely aligned with its developmental series already operated by Andersen Promotions and will be positioned for growth to continue to meet the goal of preparing up-and-coming race drivers for the rigors of the IZOD IndyCar Series. Today’s announcement will create more consistency as drivers and teams advance up from USF2000 to Pro Mazda and Firestone Indy Lights, all under the leadership of Andersen Promotions." 

Andersen Promotions will direct on-track activity utilizing INDYCAR personnel at shared venues as well as the race director at all events. Andersen Promotions will be the primary contact for all business, marketing and promotional operations with continued INDYCAR support.

“The history of Firestone Indy Lights is so impressive with dozens of drivers graduating to IZOD IndyCar Series careers over the years,” Andersen said. “I am honored to be given the opportunity to step in and steer the course for the future. Our model for operating development programs appears to be well-received by teams and drivers, and I am fortunate to have a strong staff in place. We believe in the Mazda Road to Indy, and are grateful that INDYCAR has chosen to continue its support for years to come.”

Tristan Vautier and Josef Newgarden, the past two Firestone Indy Lights champions, are among the graduates of the program currently competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Nineteen of the 33 starters in the 97th Indianapolis 500 in May competed in Indy Lights. Winner Tony Kanaan was the '97 Indy Lights champion and runner-up Carlos Munoz is the current Firestone Indy Lights championship points leader.

"Indy Lights is a key strength to providing young talent for the IndyCar Series, which has been proved very well through the last few seasons with James Hinchcliffe, Tristan Vautier and Marco Andretti," Newgarden said. "There's numerous amounts of drivers who come out of Indy Lights and have learned what they needed to adapt well to IndyCars.

"Having the series around is crucial and the switch to where they're going and who's going to be overseeing it is going to be a good one. It's going to strengthen the Mazda Road to Indy in general and going forward that will be positive.”

Added Vautier, who competed in Firestone Indy Lights and Pro Mazda: "I think Anderson has done an outstanding job in USF2000 and Pro Mazda. These ladder series are the reason the America is the place for young drivers to be."

Firestone Indy Lights will run up to 12 race events per year, with the goal of 10 in conjunction with the IZOD IndyCar Series. INDYCAR will work with its television partners to ensure broadcast continuity, and will continue to support the scholarship for the Firestone Indy Lights champion to compete full time in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“I’m pleased that Dan has taken it over because Graham (Rahal) drove for them in Star Mazda years ago and I’ve come to know them as hugely energetic and supportive of racing, especially in the junior categories, so I think the right guy is involved," Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing co-owner Bobby Rahal said. "Being a team owner and businessman, he has perspective from many sides.”

Andersen said there will be updates to the car for the 2014 season. He briefed IZOD IndyCar Series team owners July 11 about the move and benefits of engaging in the Mazda Road to Indy.

"Mechanics, engineers, we train all types of people to move up," he said. "Sponsors and teams also can jump into a junior program and grow with the sport. It's much more than a training program for drivers."

In preparation for the 2014 season, Andersen Promotions has launched a new stand-alone website for Firestone Indy Lights at www.indylights.com, which will run alongside continued coverage for the series at www.indycar.com.