Jay Howard is a flashy 36-year-old British racing driver and a former Firestone Indy Lights Series champion who qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 2011. Howard won the Firestone Indy Lights championship in 2006, an essential step into the top-level of open-wheel racing. Howard won the championship by four points, marking the closest margin in the Series’ storied history on the strength of two wins, two pole positions and seven podium finishes in 12 starts for Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Lucas Oil. In 2005, he took home the U.S. Formula Ford Zetec Championship and Rookie of the Year Honors, breaking the late and eventual Indy 500 winner Dan Weldon’s Series record, with nine wins. That year, he captured six pole positions and established a Series record, with six consecutive victories. Prior to qualifying for his first Indianapolis 500, Howard also won the seventh annual karting event: RoboPong 200 at Newcastle Motorsports Park.
A popular fixture at key karting classics across the country, Howard has finished first or second every year he has entered the annual PRI Show All Stars of Karting event and trains up-and-coming future stars through his Motorsport Driver Development team as well as his engine-building business, Ogden Race Engines, which he owns with his dad Paul.