COURTESY FORCE INDY

Ernie Francis Jr. will pilot Force Indy's No. 99 car in the Indy Lights series, starting with the 2022 season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Open-wheel racing’s only Black-led team is a step away from America’s top series.

Force Indy announced Thursday it’s fielding a car for the 2022 Indy Lights championship with driver Ernie Francis Jr. starting with the season opener Feb. 25-27 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The team debuted in USF2000 last year with Myles Rowe of Atlanta behind the wheel.

The team will field No. 99 on the car in honor of the late Dewey “Rajo Jack” Gatson, who drove an open-wheel roadster with that number in 1951. Gatson, one of the winningest Black drivers and mechanics in racing history, was barred from making the Indianapolis 500 because of his race. Only two Black drivers – Willie T. Ribbs and George Mack – have raced in the 500, the world’s largest single-day sporting event.

“This is an incredible opportunity,” said Francis, 24, who lives in Davie, Florida. “After getting a taste last year and beginning to learn what open-wheel racing is all about, I found myself wanting more. Open-wheel cars are incredible to drive. To know that I’ll continue my education with Force Indy and only one step away from the NTT IndyCar Series makes this unbelievably special. I cannot wait to get started.”

Francis won three races in 2021 in the Formula Regional Americas Championship and finished second in the inaugural season of the Superstar Racing Experience, with a win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Francis is also a seven-time class champion in the Trans Am Series (2014-2020) and his 47 career wins are the most of any driver in that series’ history. Francis’ 24 wins in the top tier TA category trails only Paul Gentilozzi (31), Mark Donohue (29) and Tommy Kendall (28).

Rod Reid, a former racing team manager, as team principal launched Force Indy in 2020 with a goal of on creating a pipeline of racing talent on and off the track among Black and brown people, including mechanics, engineers, and drivers. In its inaugural season last year in USF2000, Rowe won at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

“Being able to finish our first season with a win showed what this team is capable of doing,” said Reid, the team’s principal. “We want to thank Myles, who will always be a member of the Force Indy race team and will continue to offer assistance and mentorship as he pursues another season in USF2000. I could not be more thrilled to promote our group to the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship with Ernie Francis Jr. His work ethic and history of success speak for itself.”

Reid’s background in racing experience includes NXG Youth Motorsports Inc., which has introduced more than 2,300 students – most of them Black – to racing’s educational benefits. Force Indy was headquartered in Concord last year in collaboration with Team Penske, IndyCar’s dominant racing organization. Their partnership, which includes mentorship under Penske Entertainment Corp.’s “Race for Equality & Change.” The goal is recruiting and developing a more diverse workforce across IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, both of which are owned by Team Penske owner Roger Penske.

“I was pleased to learn that Ernie would be driving for Force Indy in 2022,” Penske said. “As someone who has a history in Trans Am, I know the type of skillset that comes from that series. Ernie will be a wonderful addition to Indy Lights. It was inspiring to see the growth of Force Indy during their first season, and we will continue to support their progress and mission as the team continues on a path to compete in the NTT IndyCar Series.”

“We remain very fortunate to have Team Penske offer its guidance and mentorship,” Reid said. “I have been in and around the sport for 40 years. Force Indy remains a labor of love, and our goals are unchanged: focusing on diversity with an eye toward competing in the NTT IndyCar Series and, in honor of Rajo Jack, the Indianapolis 500.”

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