A pair of Englishmen, Jack Harvey and Ed Jones, and an American, Spencer Pigot, are separated by only 20 points with four races left in the 16-round Indy Lights campaign.
At stake is a scholarship that will include a guaranteed entry in three Verizon IndyCar Series races in 2016, including the historic 100th Indianapolis 500.
Harvey, 22, holds an 18-point advantage over Pigot following an impressively consistent campaign with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian, which is in search of a record-extending eighth Indy Lights championship. Harvey, who only lost the title on a count-back to second-place finishes following an impressive rookie season in 2014, has won twice this year and has failed to finish among the top five only once. He also enjoyed a dominant weekend last year at Mid-Ohio, winning both races.
Pigot, 21, from Orlando, Fla., has won more races this year than anyone else, four, for Juncos Racing and is aiming for a second successive scholarship after winning the 2014 Pro Mazda championship. Pigot also has won previously at Mid-Ohio in USF2000 competition.
Jones, 20, who was raised in Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, began the season on a tear, winning the first three races with the Carlin team that was also making its North American debut after amassing tremendous success in European open-wheel racing. His early points lead was eroded by a couple of disappointing results, but Jones bounced back to prominence with a fine second-place finish – behind Carlin teammate and ex-Formula 1 driver Max Chilton – in the most recent race at the Iowa Speedway oval.
RC Enerson, from New Port Richey, Fla., also has a mathematical shot at the championship. Enerson is the youngest driver in the field at just 18, having stepped up directly from USF2000, but has proved to be a quick learner, earning four podium finishes already for the Schmidt Peterson team. Enerson has claimed three USF2000 race wins at Mid-Ohio over the past two years.
Chilton and Felix Serralles (Belardi Auto Racing) have added their names to the winners’ roster in the two most recent races, while Sean Rayhall, from Winston, Ga., will return to the series this weekend with 8Star Motorsports, keen to add to his sensational victory on the Indianapolis Grand Prix circuit in May.