Matthew Brabham, grandson of Sir Jack and son of Geoff, has added to the family trophy cabinet by taking out the 2013 Pro Mazda Championship. Young Brabs secured his latest title with a pair of victories at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in Quebec on the weekend.
It’s a fitting result for the Andretti Autosport driver who has compiled an impressive haul of 11 wins this year, an all-time record for the category (previously known as the Star Mazda Championship). Included in his collection of wins this year Brabham had a run of seven straight victories as well.
“I am absolutely speechless. To get two wins and the championship makes this just an unbelievable weekend, and I couldn’t think of a better place to win the championship, it has been so much fun here in Trois-Rivières,” said a jubilant Brabham. “I can’t thank everyone who supported me enough—Mazda, for giving me the opportunity to have this wonderful year, Cooper Tires and AFS Racing for coming in at the end. Andretti Autosport has been fantastic all year, so a big thanks to them.
“At the start of the season, I couldn’t have predicted that I would have a year like this. I am just so, so happy.”
The Pro Mazda Championship is a third tier category sanctioned by IndyCar as an official pathway to the senior category. Thanks to his championship success, Brabham will progress through to the second tier Indy Lights series in 2014.
“I am definitely looking forward to the future,” Brabham added. “The United States has been wonderful for me. It was the perfect move for me at this point in my career and I am really looking forward to moving up to Indy Lights next year. I remember when I first went to St Petersburg and I saw the Lights cars on track and I thought these cars are really cool and I want to get in one of those.”
Brabham’s win was no fluke, either, in 2012 he was crowned USF2000 champion. We wish him well for 2014 and beyond.
[Source: IndyCar]
3 replies on “Like father, like grandson?”
During my last BMW M driver’s training course, I spoke to Geoff about what he has been doing with his time and with Motorsport. He told me that he has been spending much of his time in the States helping his son gain sponsorship and raise funds for this series. He told me its not been a lot of work to get where they were so I’m very happy to see the fruits of his labour announced here on Ausmotive. Congrats to the Australian motorsport royalties, yet again!
Sorry that should say its been a lot of work…
Congrats to the Brabham family again, but it must be noted what a shame it is that the next generation of one of our royal families of motorsport is racing under a US license and going through the US junior formula ranks instead of working towards F1.
The leadership of CAMS should hang their heads in shame, their opposition to integration with the international motorsport community is what has caused the Brabham family to look offshore instead of getting started here. How many other talented young stars without the connections of the Brabham or Davison families have missed out due to the inward-looking koala park mentality of CAMS that Australian motorsport doesn’t need the rest of the world. Instead, we fail to give our drivers the proper support when they could have properly made it overseas, think of Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes giving it a go in Europe during the ’90s, or Will Power and Ryan Briscoe in the 00’s – all drivers who should have made it to F1 based on their form in junior formulae but never had the backing.