Vernay eyes swift IndyCar move

After finishing second in last year's Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, French driver Vernay quit European motorsport and joined multiple champion team Sam Schmidt Motorsports in Indy Lights.

He went on to take five victories and comfortably seal the championship - but regards the Lights title as just the first step in what he intends to be a long career in the United States.

"You never know if it's a big solution, but it was a really great thing to come [to America]," he said. "Winning the championship and being Firestone Indy Lights champion is a great thing. We won five races and had nine podiums.

"That is a great first year in America, but it's just one step. This is just like I graduated from college and now I have to get a good job.

"What I want to do is IndyCar. That's why we chose Indy Lights. I have the title and the normal way is for the champion to go to IndyCar. It's the next step."

Recent Indy Lights champions have had mixed fortunes in their attempts to break into IndyCar.

Although 2008 Lights title winner Raphael Matos was immediately snapped up by Luczo Dragon Racing, his predecessor Alex Lloyd did not get a full-time IndyCar drive until this year, '06 champion Jay Howard has only ever had part-time IndyCar deals, and JR Hildebrand made just a handful of IndyCar appearances following his 2009 Light success.

But Vernay is upbeat about his chances of a 2011 graduation.

"Everybody knows it's not easy to get there, but I'm really confident that we will have a good deal with a good team," he said.

Although all five of Vernay's victories this year came on road or street courses, he does not think he will have any issues with the oval portion of the IndyCar calendar.

"I still have a lot to learn on ovals, but I was still competitive this year and feel like I can be in IndyCar," he said. "On road tracks, I know I can be competitive."