2012 U.S. F2000 National Championship
The 2012 U.S. F2000 National Championship is a season of the U.S. F2000 National Championship, an open wheel auto racing series that is the first step in IndyCar's Road to Indy ladder. It is the third full season of the series since its revival in 2010. Rookie Australian/American driver Matthew Brabham, son of Geoff Brabham, captured the title over is Cape Motosports teammate, second-year American Spencer Pigot by seven points in the final pair of races at Virginia International Raceway. Even though Pigot won the final two races of the season, Brabham's lead was large enough and his finishes in the final two races were high enough to capture the championship. Brabham only won four races compared to Pigot's eight wins. However, Brabham only failed to finish in the top-10 once with a single DNF while Pigot finished outside the top-10 three times in what would ultimately decide the championship. The only other driver to capture a race win during the season was Belardi Auto Racing's Scott Anderson.
Norwegian Henrik Furuseth captured the National Class championship over American R. C. Enerson in the final race of the season when Enerson was involved in an incident in the first lap of the race after passing Furuseth. The crash dropped Enerson to third in points as Mark Eaton finished second in class in the race and edged out Enerson for second place in National Class by four points.
One notable driver to compete in the championship was Michael Johnson of Flint, Michigan who is a paraplegic, having lost use of his legs in a motorcycle racing accident. Johnson finished 15th in points with a best finish of tenth at Road America.
Drivers and teams
- In line with U.S. F2000 regulations, National Class cars were ineligible to compete at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
Team | Drivers | Notes | |
Cape Motorsports w/ Wayne Taylor Racing | 2 | Spencer Pigot | |
Cape Motorsports w/ Wayne Taylor Racing | 3 | Trent Hindman | |
Cape Motorsports w/ Wayne Taylor Racing | 13 | Henrik Furuseth | National Class |
Cape Motorsports w/ Wayne Taylor Racing | 83 | Matthew Brabham | |
Belardi Auto Racing | 4 | Roman Lagudi | |
Belardi Auto Racing | 9 | Luca Forgeois | Skipped Baltimore and VIR |
Belardi Auto Racing | 9 | Wayne Boyd | Baltimore and VIR only |
Belardi Auto Racing | 11 | Colin Thompson | |
Belardi Auto Racing | 14 | Scott Anderson | |
Pabst Racing Services | 5 | Dalton Kellett | |
Pabst Racing Services | 6 | J. R. Smart | National Class; skipped Sebring |
Pabst Racing Services | 18 | Shannon McIntosh | |
Andretti Autosport | 7 | Thomas McGregor | |
Andretti Autosport | 8 | Shelby Blackstock | |
ZSports Midwest w/ Team E Racing | 10 | R. C. Enerson | National Class |
Robinson Motor Sports | 12 | Eric Filgueiras | National Class; Sebring only |
Robinson Motor Sports | 25 | Joel Janco | National Class; skipped Sebring |
Robinson Motor Sports | 92 | Mark Eaton | National Class |
Robinson Motor Sports | 97 | Paul Alspach | National Class; Sebring and Mid-Ohio only |
Genoa Racing/Primus Racing | 13 | Isaac Lyons | Sebring only |
ArmsUp Motorsports | 15 | Luigi Biangardi | |
ArmsUp Motorsports | 16 | James Dayson | National Class; Road America, Baltimore and VIR |
ArmsUp Motorsports | 59 | Bobby Kelley | National Class; Sebring only |
Afterburner Autosport | 17 | Timmy Megenbier | Sebring through Indianapolis |
Afterburner Autosport | 17 | Brian Tomasi | Mid-Ohio and Road America |
Afterburner Autosport | 21 | Heamin Choi | Skipped Baltimore and VIR |
JDC Motorsports | 19 | Neil Alberico | |
JDC Motorsports | 38 | Scott Hargrove | Skipped Indianapolis and Mid-Ohio |
JDC Motorsports | 54 | Michael Johnson | |
JDC Motorsports | 85 | Chris Miller | Sebring through Mid-Ohio |
JDC Motorsports | 85 | Luca Forgeois | VIR only |
JDC Motorsports | 93 | Zac Silver | Sebring and St. Pete only |
JAY Motorsports | 23 | Jason Wolfe | |
JAY Motorsports | 91 | Patrick Gallagher | National Class |
JAY Motorsports | 65 | Michael Geldart | National Class; Sebring only |
JAY Motorsports | 98 | Jim Libecco | National Class; skipped Road America |
AcceleRace Motorsports | 28 | Ardie Greenamyer | National Class; St. Pete only |
Special Addition Racing | 41 | Wally Osinga | National Class; Sebring and St. Pete only |
PRL Motorsports | 48 | Patryk Tararuj | National Class; Baltimore only |
PRL Motorsports | 48 | Patrick Linn | National Class; skipped Baltimore |
PRL Motorsports | 99 | Patrick Linn | National Class; Baltimore only |
MDL Racing | 56 | Matthew Di Leo | |
Alliance Autosport | 71 | Scott Rettich | National Class; Sebring, St. Pete and Mid-Ohio only |
One Formula Racing | 77 | Colette Davis | National Class; Sebring and St. Pete only |
Cruzinc Racing | 86 | Eric Cruz | National Class |
Race calendar and results
The race schedule was announced on January 11, 2012. Fourteen races were announced, all at venues that hosted the series in 2011. The final race weekend's location and date were announced on January 17, 2012.Rnd | Circuit | Location | Date | Pole position | Fastest lap | Most laps led | Winning driver | Winning team | Supporting |
1 | Sebring International Raceway | Sebring, Florida | March 15 | Luigi Biangardi | Matthew Brabham | Matthew Brabham | Matthew Brabham | ALMS | |
2 | Sebring International Raceway | Sebring, Florida | March 16 | Matthew Brabham | Matthew Brabham | Spencer Pigot | ALMS | ||
3 | Streets of St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg, Florida | March 24 | Spencer Pigot | Matthew Brabham | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | IndyCar Series | |
4 | Streets of St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg, Florida | March 25 | Matthew Brabham | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | IndyCar Series | ||
5 | Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis | Clermont, Indiana | May 26 | Matthew Brabham | Matthew Brabham | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | USAC Midgets | |
6 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, Ohio | August 4 | Matthew Brabham | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | IndyCar Series | |
7 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, Ohio | August 5 | Roman Lagudi | Scott Anderson | Scott Anderson | Belardi Auto Racing | IndyCar Series | |
8 | Road America | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin | August 17 | Scott Anderson | Matthew Brabham | Spencer Pigot Matthew Brabham | Matthew Brabham | ALMS | |
9 | Road America | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin | August 17 | Scott Anderson | Matthew Brabham | Matthew Brabham | ALMS | ||
10 | Road America | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin | August 18 | Spencer Pigot | Scott Anderson | Scott Anderson | Belardi Auto Racing | ALMS | |
11 | Streets of Baltimore | Baltimore, Maryland | September 1 | Qualifying abandoned | Matthew Brabham | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | IndyCar Series | |
12 | Streets of Baltimore | Baltimore, Maryland | September 2 | Matthew Brabham | Matthew Brabham | Matthew Brabham | IndyCar Series | ||
13 | Virginia International Raceway | Danville, Virginia | September 14 | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | ALMS | |
14 | Virginia International Raceway | Danville, Virginia | September 15 | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | Spencer Pigot | ALMS |