US F2000 alumni becomes youngest major open wheel series champion
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
September 5, 2001FAIRFIELD, N.J. (September 4, 2001)—This past weekend U.S. F2000 alumni Sam Hornish Jr. captured the Indy Racing Northern Light Series championship. In winning the championship at the age of 22, Hornish Jr. becomes the youngest-ever driver to win a major open-wheel championship.
With one race remaining in the 2001 season, Hornish Jr. captured the championship by finishing second at Chicagoland Speedway. The podium finish, Hornish Jr.’s ninth in the 12 races, gave him an impassable total 451 points. In addition to becoming the youngest champion, he previously set the mark for the youngest race winner in IRNLS history at the season-opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"It's been a great run this year,” said Hornish Jr. “The Pennzoil Panther guys put me in an awesome car all year long. They gave me flawless cars every time when we went out there.”
From 1996 to 1998 Hornish Jr. contested the U.S. F2000 National Championship Presented by Speedvision. In 32 starts, Hornish Jr. captured two podiums, five top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes. In 1998, he finished seventh in the championship, scoring a career-best second in the penultimate round at Pikes Peak International Raceway.
The U.S. F2000 National Championship resumes its training of the world’s best young drivers, September 15-16, 2001, at Daytona international Speedway, with the season-finale doubleheader.
Text provided by Allan Craighead
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit
The Racing Photo Museum and the
Visions of Speed Art Gallery.