When Force Indy moved to Indy Lights last year, it took on Trans-Am ace Francis, while it was Pabst Racing who signed Rowe for his second season of USF2000. He shone, scoring five wins on his way to second in the championship. However, missing out on the title and therefore the scholarship funding jeopardized his chance of graduating to the newly named USF Pro 2000 championship.
Now Pabst has announced it will retain him and take him up to the next level where he will, as in 2021, race under the Force Indy banner.
Meanwhile Francis, who had a difficult season adapting from Trans-Am cars to open-wheel cars, will spend a second season in Indy Lights, his #99 entry now part of the HMD Motorsports squad.
"Force Indy already has a lot to celebrate,” said team owner Rod Reid. “In 2021, we made history as the first African American-owned team and driver to win an IndyCar-sanctioned race [Rowe’s first win in USF2000]. Now we are aligning ourselves with two championship caliber teams as we seek growth and continued success both on and off the track.”
An official statement revealed that, “starting with the upcoming racing season, focus will shift toward establishing a program that sponsors multiple drivers at top teams while fostering additional pathways for diverse talent across the motorsports spectrum."
HMD Motorsports has acquired Force Indy’s car and equipment, and crew members who worked on Francis Jr.’s car during the 2022 season will return in official roles with HMD. Reid himself will continue to mentor both Force Indy drivers, in addition to running the NXG Youth Motorsports program, which annually introduces more than 150 diverse students to career opportunities in the racing world.
Since December 2020, Reid has taken on the challenge of Penske Entertainment’s Race for Equality & Change, establishing Force Indy, with a focus on hiring men and women of color, including mechanics, engineers, staffers and drivers. The team will continue to focus on developing diverse talent in motorsports.
