The series traces its roots to the Mazda Pro Series, a one-make formula launched in 1984 at the Long Beach Grand Prix. The concept originated in Japan in 1983, when Hayashi Racing built a fleet of Formula Ford cars powered by Mazda rotary engines for the Jim Russell Racing School. These "Formula Russell" cars proved so popular that a network of regional championships spread across the United States through the late 1980s.
The Star Mazda Championship was formally established in 1991 and held its inaugural race at Willow Springs, with Mark Rodrigues winning for Valley Motor Center. Over the following two decades it absorbed the competitive space left by the collapse of rival junior series such as the Barber Dodge Pro Series, Formula BMW Americas, and Formula TR 2000 Pro Series, emerging as the leading domestic open-wheel junior series of its kind.
The series became a supporting event on Indy Racing League weekends from 1996, its first nationally televised race arriving that same year. In 2010, the Star Mazda Championship formally joined the IRL-sanctioned Mazda Road to Indy program alongside USF2000 and Indy Lights. From that point, the series champion received direct funding to contest Indy Lights the following season.
In December 2012, series founder Gary Rodriguez sold the Star Mazda Championship to Dan Andersen's Andersen Promotions, which already ran the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship. Under Andersen, the series was renamed the Pro Mazda Championship in 2013.
The Pro Mazda name years produced some compelling championship battles. Rookie Matthew Brabham of Andretti Autosport won the 2013 title. Spencer Pigot and Scott Hargrove traded the points lead three times in 2014's finale before Hargrove's gearbox failed and Pigot secured the title by 10 points. Santiago Urrutia took the 2015 championship with three wins and 10 podiums, earning a scholarship of over 590,000 US dollars into Indy Lights.
The 2016 season produced a memorable duel between Team Pelfrey teammates Pato O'Ward and Aaron Telitz. O'Ward won six of the first seven races, but Telitz responded with five wins in the final seven rounds — including a sweep at his home circuit of Road America — to claim the title with nine consecutive podiums. Victor Franzoni and Anthony Martin split the first ten races of 2017 before Franzoni clinched the final championship in the Pro Mazda name with a double victory at Watkins Glen.
From 2004 to 2017, the series used the Star Mazda Pro, an open-wheel formula car designed, developed, and built by Star Race Cars. It featured a carbon fibre chassis and was powered by a Mazda Renesis 13B-MSP engine producing 250 hp, up from the 190 hp of the previous 13B unit. In 2018, the Tatuus PM-18 was introduced, sharing architecture with the USF-17 chassis to control costs. The PM-18 incorporated a Cosworth Omega data logger, Cosworth SQ6 ECU, and DSSV adjustable suspension. From 2022, the Tatuus IP-22 replaced the PM-18, incorporating a halo crash protection structure as standard.
Several drivers who began their North American careers in the Star Mazda and Pro Mazda series went on to significant careers. Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, James Hinchcliffe, and Raphael Matos all graduated to the IndyCar Series. Pato O'Ward, the 2016 runner-up, became a multi-race IndyCar winner after ascending the ladder. Michael McDowell moved from the series to a NASCAR career. Scott Speed became an American Formula One driver after passing through its ranks.
The Pro Mazda Championship played a central role in structuring American junior open-wheel racing for nearly three decades, functioning as the primary pathway between entry-level formula racing and Indy Lights. Its integration into the Road to Indy ladder gave it a defined purpose and transparent scholarship structure that made it a credible development series. Under the Andersen Promotions banner it continued as Indy Pro 2000 and then USF Pro 2000, keeping the same operational DNA while adapting to the post-Mazda sponsorship landscape.