A driver competing this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will have a racing suit, helmet and car adorned with Indiana University colors and logos.
IU rising senior and USF Pro 2000 Series race car driver Joey Brienza will be competing Saturday with his team, Exclusive Autosport, in the Tatuus Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
This is Brienza’s second year racing in the USF Pro 2000 series. The USF Pro 2000 series is the third official step on the USF Pro Championships Ladder. The series feeds into INDY NXT, which is one step below IndyCar. The 2026 USF Pro 2000 Champion will receive a scholarship to advance to INDY NXT in 2027.
This year’s USF Pro 2000 series consists of 18 races, including multiple races at the same tracks. The first event was in March in Arlington, Texas. This Saturday’s event will be the second event of the season. The season goes to September.
In Arlington’s first race, Brienza finished 10th, gaining nine spots from his starting position.
In Arlington’s second race, he started eighth but was involved in a first lap incident and was unable to finish. He said the goal for this weekend is to win and get the season back on track.
“So hopefully we got the bad luck out of the way already, and we can just get to this week and then attack,” he said.
The races work on a point system. Drivers receive a certain number of points based on where they finish, and the points determine the season championship.
“So season's very young, but still you got to score well at every single round, because it's hyper competitive,” Brienza said.
Brienza said last year his biggest struggle racing on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track was his breaking. The way he hit his brakes slowed the car down and it wasn’t as efficient as it needed to be, he said. His focus for this weekend will be breaking zones at turns one, seven and 12.
Drivers who maximize break zones can take advantage it to pass other cars.
“So I spent a lot of time, you know, in the upcoming events, prepping and making sure that I mentally understand what I have to do to go and maximize my break zone, so that I don't lose time and I can be quick there,” Brienza said.
The IU Kelley School of Business, where Brienza is a student, is sponsoring Brienza for the rest of the season.
Brienza said it’s an honor to represent IU and the Kelley School of Business, but it also comes with responsibility.
“To get to wear the IU logo in Indianapolis at the Speedway, you know, the most iconic university in Indiana, at one of the most iconic places in Indiana, if not the most iconic place …and I get it represent it by driving. It's surreal,” Brienza said.