USF Juniors – Syndication Server

Andersen Promotions unveils 2025 USF Pro Championships schedules

The 2025 calendar of events for USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire was unveiled on Tuesday. The schedule for the three rungs comprised of USF Pro 2000, USF2000 and USF Juniors will once again provide the rising talents in open-wheel …

Of the 52 total races across the three series, 36 will be held in support of IndyCar, kicking off at the popular NTT IndyCar Series season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg.

USF Juniors – which has blossomed since its debut in 2022 – will also be a support series for IMSA at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and part of the GRIDLIFE Festival Tour at Road America featuring a blend of music and motorsports.

Live streaming of all events will continue to be provided by USF Pro Championships TV (Pro Racing Group), which returns for its 12th season providing behind-the-scenes content as well as the highly acclaimed mini-documentary series The Climb.

A total of 85 drivers participated in USF Pro Championship events this season with top honors claimed in a thrilling season finale at Portland International Raceway three weeks ago. Champions Lochie Hughes (USF Pro 2000), Max Garcia (USF2000) and Max Taylor (USF Juniors) will now take their scholarships to progress up the ladder.

For 2025, the USF Pro 2000 champion will receive a scholarship package valued at $546,500 to advance to INDY NXT, with the USF2000 champion’s package valued at $405,050 to move up to USF Pro 2000 and the USF Juniors champion’s package at $249,675 to progress to USF2000.

Skip Barber, the Official Racing School of USF Pro Championships, will continue to offer its Formula Race Series champion a scholarship valued at $100,000 to advance to USF Juniors.

Additional prize money and awards include the Continental Tire Pole Award for each race, and season-ending awards for Rookie of the Year, Team Champion, Engineer of the Year, Mechanic of the Year, Hard Charger, Move of the Year and Spirit Award. In USF Pro 2000, the top-three finishers will also receive a Dallara Simulator Award to help further prepare for a move up to Indy NXT.

“This year marked 25 years of promoting for me and, since 2010, over $27.5 million in scholarships and awards have been distributed to help drivers move up the ladder,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “It was gratifying to see 14 of our recent graduates on the IndyCar grids this year and 18 in Indy NXT – further proof that what we are doing is working.

“It is not easy to win in our championships and that, to me, makes for great training. To have as many events as we can on IndyCar race weekends is vital to that training and I want to thank our promoter partners for making this possible. It seems our depth of talent amongst drivers grows stronger every year, and we look forward to seeing what 2025 will bring.

“While our schedules are in place for next season, we are still working to finalize our full prize money and award packages and look to build on the $1.4 million currently on offer over the coming months.”

USF Pro Championships will take to the track for one final outing this year with the USF Pro Fall Combine at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 19-20.

Spring Training will return to NOLA Motorsports Park on February 22-23. Additional series’ in-season tests for all three series will be held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on May 13-14 and Road America on June 11-12. The season-ending Championship Celebration will take place on August 11 in Portland. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will once again host the traditional USF Pro Fall Combine on October 25-26.

McNeilly completes USF Juniors 2024 finale sweep in Portland

Liam McNeilly fell a little short of his ultimate goal of winning the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire championship title, but the Englishman capped an impressive first season of competition in North America Saturday afternoon by completing a sweep of the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland tripleheader season finale. McNeilly, from Brentwood, England, tracked down and overtook Jay Howard Driver Development teammate G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., then held off a late challenge from VRD Racing’s Sebastian Wheldon to secure his fifth win of the season.

Wheldon took the checkered flag in second for his season-leading ninth podium finish as Argyros rounded out the top three.

Fourteen-year-old Brazilian Leonardo Escorpioni led the field to the green flag, having captured his first Continental Tire Pole Award by virtue of posting the fastest lap in Friday’s second race of the weekend when his Zanella Racing team was one of only a few to gamble on a switch to slick Continental tires as the track began to dry in the closing stages.

A fine getaway on a dry track saw Escorpioni lead confidently around the opening lap, only to run a little deep into the chicane on the back straightaway, which resulted in him running wide onto the grass at the exit and immediately falling to fifth. Outside front row starter Argyros took over the lead as the yellow flags waved following a couple of separate incidents farther down the field.

Argyros continued in the lead at the restart, although teammate McNeilly quickly began to work his way forward after completing the first lap in sixth.

McNeilly slipped past Argyros with a fine move at the end of the back straightaway on lap 10, although instead of an easy run to the finish, he once again had to contend with Wheldon, who remained hot on his heels and never allowed the leader to relax.

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The top two were separated by only a third of a second at the checkered flag, followed by Argyros who claimed his third podium result of the year.

“Coming into Portland we knew it was going to be really tough to win the championship, so the next best thing was to try and win all three races,” McNeilly said. “Ultimately there were just too many things that went wrong this season, whether it was my fault or anyone else’s fault. To win all three races shows what we were capable of this year and the speed that we had in whatever conditions. We’ve just been getting stronger and stronger all throughout this year. USF2000 next year, we’ll see what happens there, but that’s all we could have done this weekend. Big thanks to the team and we’re on to next year now.”

Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, took home the Tilton Hard Charger Award after fighting his way through from 12th on the grid to fourth for Exclusive Autosport, narrowly ahead of another 14-year-old, Christian Cameron, from Sonoma, Calif., who enjoyed another strong finish for VRD Racing.

Israel’s Ariel Elkin also posted an impressive drive for the first-year InterMS team. Elkin took the restart at the tail of field in 17th, then fought his way through the pack to finish in sixth.

McNeilly’s performance ensured another PFC Award for Jay Howard as the winning car owner, and cemented his second-place finish in the final points table behind VRD Racing’s Max Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., who elected to concentrate his efforts on the final USF2000 race of the season after capturing the USF Juniors championship crown yesterday afternoon.

Taylor, 16, will pick up his prize – a scholarship valued at $263,700 to advance along the USF Pro Championships ladder – Sunday evening at the traditional Championship Celebration.

RESULTS

McNeilly bags two wins as Taylor clinches USF Juniors title

Liam McNeilly notched two race victories in Friday’s Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland for Jay Howard Driver Development, but a pair of podium finishes was enough for teenager Max Taylor (pictured above) to claim the USF Juniors Presented by …

Liam McNeilly notched two race victories in Friday’s Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland for Jay Howard Driver Development, but a pair of podium finishes was enough for teenager Max Taylor (pictured above) to claim the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire championship title with one race to spare for VRD Racing.

Taylor also will pocket a scholarship valued at $263,700 to graduate onto the next step of the USF Pro Championships driver development ladder, USF2000, in 2025.

Teammate and second generation racer Sebastian Wheldon also captured two more podium finishes to clinch the teams’ championship for VRD Racing.

Taylor began his day in the best possible style by posting the fastest lap during a wet qualifying session to claim his third Continental Tire Pole Award in the most recent four races.

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The track was largely dry by the time the 21-car field lined up on the grid, although everyone was obliged to start on grooved, wet-weather tires. A chaotic race ensued as series of minor incidents brought out the caution flags and almost everyone chose to make pit stops during the 15-lap race to switch onto slicks.

The lone exception among the leaders was InterMS’ Augusto Soto-Schirripa, who saw the green flag in the lead at the final restart with just a couple of laps remaining. By then, however, dry-weather tires were clearly the preferred option. McNeilly, who took the restart in third, overtook Taylor almost immediately in Turn 1 and had no difficulty in holding on until the checkered flag for a timely third win of the season.

Wheldon vaulted from fourth to second on the final lap, while Taylor rounded out the podium ahead of DEForce Racing’s Brady Golan, who recorded his best result of the season in fourth, and Soto-Schirripa, who nursed his wet-shod car home in fifth.

JT Hoskins claimed the Tilton Hard Charger Award for Jay Howard Driver Development after rising from 21st on the grid to 10th.

The second race of the tripleheader season finale this evening was held on a damp but drying race track.

McNeilly this time started at the front by virtue of posting the best second-fastest lap of all drivers during the lone qualifying session to earn the Continental Tire Pole Award. He and Taylor quickly pulled out a solid lead over the rest, although Wheldon soon began to work his way back into contention after slipping to sixth place over the first couple of laps.

Taylor moved past McNeilly into the lead after six laps, and while he initially pulled out a handy lead, the race was far from won. Instead, McNeilly began to close as the track continued to dry. Wheldon, too, was by then fully into his stride, so that the three leaders were back to running nose to tail with five laps remaining.

McNeilly, intent on keeping his title hopes alive, regained the lead with a clean pass under braking for Turn 1 on the 13th lap, but Taylor remained locked onto his rear wing, which was enough to put the championship beyond the reach of his rivals.

“Just getting out of that car and seeing all my friends and family and the whole VRD team was just amazing. I couldn’t imagine it differently,” said Taylor. “I’m so thankful to Dan for this entire year. In the race it was P2 in the end, but I did what I needed to do and I came away the champion so I’m just super ecstatic.”

Evan Cooley (Exclusive Autosport) rose from ninth on the grid to fourth, securing him the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

McNeilly’s banner day ensured two more PFC Awards for Jay Howard as the winning car owner, and he will have one more opportunity to add to that tally when the final race of the season takes the green flag at 2:15pm Saturday.

RACE 1 RESULTS

RACE 2 RESULTS

Elkin, Wheldon split USF Juniors wins at Road America

Ariel Elkin and Sebastian Wheldon each earned a hard-fought victory Sunday in the PFC Grand Prix of Road America to ensure the battle for this year’s USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire championship crown will not be settled until the final weekend of the season. Elkin, from Haifa, Israel, claimed the honor Sunday morning for InterMS and looked likely to sweep the day until VRD Racing’s Wheldon, from Coral Gables, Fla., drafted past just yards before the finish line to take the victory by 0.0450s.

Elkin had to settle for second place in the third and final race of the weekend, narrowly ahead of points leader Max Taylor (VRD Racing), from Hoboken, N.J.

Sunday morning’s race began with Wheldon leading the field toward the green flag after snagging his second Continental Tire Pole Award of the season by virtue of having posted the best of each driver’s second-fastest laps during the lone qualifying session on Saturday. Fellow title contenders Liam McNeilly (Jay Howard Driver Development), from Brentwood, England, Taylor and Elkin lined up directly behind him on the starting grid.

The action was intense from the get-go, especially with the notoriously strong draft that develops on the super-fast 4.014-mile Road America layout providing myriad opportunities for overtaking.

Unfortunately, incidental contact on lap three between Taylor and Wheldon in Turn 3 while they were disputing the lead resulted in Taylor spinning to the back of the field. Still, a train of nine cars continued to battle for the top spot until the yellow flags waved after InterMS’ Hudson Potter, from Lexington, Ky., spun off at Turn 14.

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The restart with two laps remaining was just as frantic, with surviving InterMS teammates Augusto Soto-Schirripa, from Miami, Fla., and Elkin using the massive slipstream to excellent effect as they demoted Wheldon from first to third in Turn 1. Almost immediately afterward, at Turn 3, Wheldon was involved in another incident, this time with McNeilly, who spun off the track and ultimately finished a disgruntled 17th.

Soto-Schirripa held the point entering the final lap before Elkin took advantage of the draft by slipping through into the lead at Turn 1 and holding on to secure his third win of the season.

Wheldon and Soto-Schirripa took the checkered flag in second and third, but both were later assessed penalties, which promoted Jay Howard Driver Development’s G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., and Jack Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport), from San Antonio, Texas, to the final podium positions. Soto-Schirripa’s 5s penalty for blocking saw him slip to 13th in the final results, while Wheldon was placed behind McNeilly in 18th after being adjudged to have jumped the start and held accountable for the late-race incident with the Englishman.

Zanella Racing’s Leonardo Escorpioni, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award after rising from 17th on the grid to fifth at the finish, while InterMS team principal Juan Garavaglia pocketed his fourth PFC Award as the winning car owner.

Taylor battled back to finish sixth following his early incident in the morning’s race, and his fastest lap proved good enough to secure his second Continental Tire Pole Award of the year and the coveted inside front row starting position for the final race of the weekend.

The action once again was fast and furious, but following a few early skirmishes and even a brief red flag stoppage, the final four laps were run caution-free and reached a thrilling climax as Wheldon timed his run out of the final corner and onto the long front straightaway to perfection, drafting past a defenseless Elkin as the leaders crested the rise shortly before the checkered flag.

Taylor minimized the damage to his title aspirations by finishing hot on the heels of Elkin, with McNeilly also close behind.

Christian Cameron, 14, from Sonoma, Calif., scored the best finish of his rookie campaign to round out the top five for VRD Racing.

“I just positioned myself in the correct spot for the last lap and got the win,” Wheldon said. “I was really focused mainly on track position. I think that is the biggest thing here especially to win because the draft is definitely a big part. I was really happy with the race car and the whole VRD crew.”

Zanella Racing’s Diego Guiot, from The Woodlands, Texas, claimed the Tilton Hard Charger Award, making up 11 positions from the start to cross the line in seventh.

The PFC Award went to VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell as the winning car owner.

The outcome of the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire championship will be decided in the triple-header finale at Portland International Raceway, in Portland, Ore., in support of the NTT IndyCar Series on August 23-24.

RACE 2 RESULTS

RACE 3 RESULTS

Taylor ups USF Juniors points lead with Road America win

Max Taylor of VRD Racing captured his third win of the season Saturday afternoon in the PFC Grand Prix of Road America – a crucial tripleheader round leading up to the season finale in two weeks’ time. Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., entered the weekend with a slim nine-point lead over five other drivers who still have a mathematical chance for a shot at the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire championship title and scholarship to advance to USF2000.

Five title contenders sprung to the fore during the lone qualifying session Saturday morning as Taylor ultimately secured his first Continental Tire Pole Award of the season. Taylor’s best time of 2m14.7230s (107.260mph) established a new qualifying lap record, with early season points leader and teammate Sebastian Wheldon also circulating faster than the old standard.

Wheldon, from Coral Gables, Fla., thus clinched a starting position for race one on the outside of the front row ahead of Liam McNeilly (Jay Howard Driver Development), from Brentwood, England, and Ariel Elkin (InterMS), from Haifa, Israel. Elkin’s teammate Augusto Soto-Schirripa, from Miami, Fla., and Evan Cooley (Exclusive Autosport), from Frankfort, Ill., rounded out row three.

What started with a lot of positives did not end well for three of the top championship rivals.

Taylor held the lead at the start as he, Wheldon and McNeilly soon began to pull away. Misfortune struck Elkin first with an off in Turn 11 on lap two, dropping him to the tail of the field where he finished a disappointing 20th.

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By lap four, Taylor and Wheldon had amassed over a 2s lead to the field as McNeilly fought to hold off a closing pack. That margin was eradicated on the next tour when a yellow came out for an incident involving G3 Argyros (Jay Howard Driver Development), of Newport Beach, Calif., and Bruno Ribeiro (DEForce Racing), of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in Turn 8. A red flag quickly followed during the clean up to preserve racing laps.

The race resumed on lap six with a great battle in the lead group. Trouble for both Wheldon and McNeilly found its way on lap nine with Wheldon going off course on the exit of Turn 5 as McNeilly spun dropping them to ninth and 15th respectively in the end results.

Taylor romped off to a 1.8s margin of victory with Soto-Schirripa, who was shuffled back at the start, rebounding to claim his fifth podium finish in second and Cooley in third.

“Awesome day here and awesome first race at Road America,” Taylor said. “I had almost maximum points and was just a tenth away on the fastest lap although I was all alone so the pace is absolutely amazing with the VRD car. The full course yellow didn’t help too much, but I am still happy to get the win. It was a lot of hard work from all the VRD boys and this car is just rapid because of it and I can’t thank them enough.”

Cooley was subsequently assessed with a post-race penalty for avoidable contact dropping him to 15th. As a result, Jack Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport), from San Antonio, Tex., was credited with his fifth podium finish of the season and teammate Joao Vergara his best result in fourth. Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella Racing), from Windermere, Fla., rounded out the top five.

Patricio Gonzalez, from Mexico City, Mexico, took home the Tilton Hard Charger Award with a gain of nine positions for DEForce DD. Dan Mitchell pocketed the PFC Award as the winning car owner.

The weekend will conclude with another pair of 10-lap races Sunday with the green flags set to fly at 9:30 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. CDT.

RESULTS

McNeilly tightens USF Juniors title race with Mid-Ohio win

Jay Howard Driver Development’s Liam McNeilly was not to be denied Saturday afternoon in the second USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire race which concluded the weekend’s Tatuus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. McNeilly, from Brentwood, England, led from start to finish in the 20-lap race, closing to within nine points of yesterday’s winner Max Taylor (VRD Racing), from Hoboken, N.J., who still holds the upper hand as they tussle for a scholarship valued at $263,700 to graduate onto the next step of the USF Pro Championships driver development ladder, USF2000, in 2025.

Bruno Ribeiro (DEForce Racing), from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Ariel Elkin (InterMS), from Haifa, Israel, both battled past early season points leader Sebastian Wheldon (VRD Racing), from Coral Gables, Fla., on the final lap to complete the podium.

For the second successive day, McNeilly started at the front of the field, earning his fourth Continental Tire Pole Award by virtue of posting the fastest second-best lap of the field during the lone qualifying session on Friday.

The weather conditions today were markedly different from race one, with a dry track, comfortable temperature and minimal humidity ensuring almost perfect racing conditions.

After an early caution due to an incident in Turn 5, McNeilly took off into the lead and soon built a small margin over Ribeiro, who in turn came under increasing pressure from Wheldon. The InterMS pair of Elkin and Augusto Soto-Schirripa, from Miami, Fla., also remained firmly in contention.

Wheldon successfully made a move on Ribeiro for second place on the ninth lap, then immediately closed down the leader and began to pile on the pressure heading into the final stages.

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A late caution period due to an incident farther down the field set the stage for a one-lap dash to the checkers. Wheldon sought to challenge McNeilly for the lead under braking for the Keyhole, Turn 2, but the attempt cost him some momentum and allowed Ribeiro to slip past into second place and his maiden podium finish. Elkin also took advantage by moving into third at Turn Six to leave Wheldon a frustrated fourth at the finish.

The consolation for Wheldon was a new race lap record, which also brought a welcome championship point, along with the knowledge he finished one place ahead of Taylor to gain a few more potentially vital championship points. Wheldon is now tied with Elkin for third, 25 points adrift of Taylor with six races still remaining.

“I had a good race,” McNeilly said. “I led the early stages and built up a bit of a gap but then Sebastian was really fast and hunted me down the whole race. It was hard for him to pass. I defended well. We had a caution right at the end and that really helped me out. It was a one-lap dash and I had a really good restart, defended into Turn Two and got a good run out. That was half the battle really. Eyes forward and I was able to claim the win which was mega.”

DEForce Driver Development’s Patricio Gonzalez, from Mexico City, Mexico, secured his first Tilton Hard Charger Award by virtue of rising from 18th on the grid to 12th at the finish.

Jay Howard pocketed the PFC Award as the winning car owner.

A pair of tripleheader events will round out the third season of USF Juniors competition. First up is a visit to the challenging Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on August 10-11, followed two weeks later by the finale at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Ore., once again in support of the NTT IndyCar Series, on August 23-25.

RESULTS

Taylor does a Friday double with USF Juniors win at Mid-Ohio

Max Taylor is on a roll. Moments after scoring an accomplished USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire victory Friday afternoon in wet conditions at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the VRD Racing driver hopped over to his awaiting USF Juniors Tatuus JR-23 and repeated the feat in the first of two races that will comprise the Tatuus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. Incredibly, he managed to take the victory despite making two visits to pit lane.

Taylor’s second win of the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire season vaulted him from third in the points standings to the lead after former championship leader Sebastian Wheldon, from Coral Gables, Fla., was involved in a collision while competing for a podium position. At stake is a scholarship valued at $263,700 to graduate onto the next step of the USF Pro Championships driver development ladder, USF2000, in 2025.

An intense qualifying session earlier Friday saw England’s Liam McNeilly secure his third Continental Tire Pole Award for the Jay Howard Driver Development team. InterMS teammates Ariel Elkin and Augusto Soto-Schirripa lined up second and third on the grid with points leader Wheldon on the outside of the second row.

The track was still damp following the earlier showers and USF2000 race when the 20-lap contest began, although it was drying quickly, and immediately apparent that the teams would be required to switch from wet to dry-weather tires at some stage.

McNeilly led convincingly in the early stages, but when VRD Racing’s Christian Cameron, from Sonoma, Calif., was involved in an incident while disputing sixth place with Canadian Ayden Ingratta (Jay Howard Driver Development) and the pace car was called out for the first time, the majority of the field opted to dive for the pit lane and change tires. McNeilly and Elkin were not among them.

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A couple of contenders already made their tire switches, including JHDD’s G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., who took advantage of warm slick tires to grasp the lead shortly after the restart.

Later on the same lap, Wheldon, in second, was unfortunately collected by Brazilian Bruno Ribeiro (DEForce Racing) at Turn 9, ending his day prematurely.

After another short caution, Argyros was overtaken firstly by Soto-Schirripa, then by a charging Jack Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport), from San Antonio, Texas, and finally by the inspired Taylor, who had pitted for slick tires with the majority after five laps but was obliged to return to the pit lane because one of the safety wheel-nut retaining pins had not been properly fitted at the first attempt.

Taylor fell back to 16th but immediately began to charge forward, passing Jeffers for the lead with five laps remaining and romping clear before the race finally ended under yellow due to another incident farther down the field.

Jeffers held on for a fine second, while McNeilly, despite pitting one lap after most of his rivals, flew back through the field to finish third and keep his title hopes well and truly alive.

“What a stellar day here at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and on the Fourth of July week. I am happy to be on the top step on the podium twice in two different categories,” Taylor said.” The VRD car was amazing. Rain or shine I am able to put it on the top step of the podium. I definitely had to work harder for this one with the tire strategy. We had to pit twice and I ended up nearly dead last so I had to work hard for it. I just kept my head down, kept it smart and was able to get into the lead.”

Jeffers’ drive from 15th on the grid secured him the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

The PFC Award went to VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell as the winning car owner.

After a hectic day comprising official practice qualifying and the race, Saturday will be slightly more relaxed for the USF Juniors contingent with merely one more race to complete the schedule. The green flag is slated for 12:10 p.m., and McNeilly once again will start from the pole position by virtue of posting the best second-fastest lap by each driver during Friday morning’s lone period of qualifying.

RESULTS

Soto-Schirripa, Wheldon share USF Juniors wins at VIR

The battle for this year’s USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire championship – and a scholarship valued at $263,700 to graduate onto the next step of the USF Pro Championships driver development ladder, USF2000, in 2025 – is heating up nicely. …

The points order fluctuated wildly as a hectic Continental Tire VIR Grand Prix tripleheader weekend unfolded at VIRginia International Raceway, with every one of this season’s drivers changing positions at one point or another. But once the dust had settled, the narrowest of victories in the final race by VRD Racing’s Sebastian Wheldon was enough to vault him back atop the standings by a solitary point with eight of 16 races now in the books.

Augusto Soto-Schirripa also tasted the fruits of victory for the InterMS team.

Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella Racing) and G3 Argyros (Jay Howard Driver Development) claimed their first podium finishes in Race 2, while title contenders Jack Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport) and Saturday’s winner Max Taylor (VRD Racing) could barely be split from Wheldon in a climactic photo-finish finale.

Spare a thought for Ariel Elkin, too, who displayed prodigious pace throughout the weekend for InterMS, briefly grasped the championship lead on Saturday, and was unfortunate to be shuffled out of contention in both of Sunday’s races.

Elkin started at the front of the 23-car field yesterday morning having earned his third Continental Tire Pole Award during qualifying on Saturday afternoon. He was then embroiled in a titanic scrap for the first five laps with teammate Soto-Schirripa, Jeffers and Jay Howard Driver Development stablemates Liam McNeilly and Ayden Ingratta.

Unfortunately, a series of incidents led to a flurry of full-course cautions and even a red-flag stoppage before Soto-Schirripa emerged on top when the race was called one lap short of the scheduled 15-lap distance. His maiden victory was nonetheless extremely well-deserved.

Argyros and Escorpioni took the checkered flag in second and third, although their positions were later reversed following a stewards’ inquiry which determined that Argyros’ final pass had been completed moments after the yellow flags flew.

Saturday’s polesitter Bruno Ribeiro was credited with fourth for DEForce Racing ahead of Taylor, whose win in Race 1 catapulted him into title contention, and Diego Guiot, who earned by far his best finish of the season in sixth for Zanella Racing.

Of the other contenders, McNeilly and Jeffers collided while battling for the lead in Turn 3, with Elkin also taken out as an innocent victim, while Wheldon slid off the road at Turn 11 and fell to the back of the field.

Brady Golan emerged from the carnage to claim the Tilton Hard Charger Award after rising from 22nd on the grid to seventh.

Astonishing work from the InterMS crew saw Elkin’s badly damaged car back together again in time for the final race, for which he also earned the Continental Tire Pole Award by virtue of having set the best of each driver’s second fastest laps during the second qualifying session on Saturday.

Elkin led the opening six laps before another red-flag interruption following contact in Turn 14 which resulted in Soto-Schirripa’s retirement due to extensive damage.

A couple of action-packed restarts led to a one-lap shootout to the finish with Taylor, Jeffers and Wheldon all leading at one point or another during the hectic final 3.27 miles. Incredibly, the trio crossed the line virtually as one with Wheldon declared the winner by a scant 0.047 of a second over Jeffers with Taylor just 0.010 of a second farther back in third. Wheldon’s triumph represented a remarkable turnaround after incidents in both of the opening two races of the weekend.

McNeilly somehow brought his car home in fourth, despite losing his front wing during one of the earlier scrapes, as teammate Ingratta finally earned a finish worthy of his speed in fifth. Guiot once again finished in sixth.

Exclusive Autosport’s Joao Vergara took home the Tilton Hard Charger Award after improbably rising from 23rd and last on the grid to eighth at the finish.

The day’s two PFC Awards went to Juan Garavaglia of InterMS and VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell as the winning car owners.

USF Juniors will return to action at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course where they will share the billing with the two other steps on the USF Pro Championships ladder, USF2000 and USF Pro 2000, all in support of the NTT IndyCar Series on the weekend of July 6-7.

Provisional championship points after eight of 16 races:
1. Sebastian Wheldon, 163
2. Max Taylor, 162
3. Ariel Elkin, 149
4. Liam McNeilly, 144
5. Augusto Soto-Schirripa, 135
6. Jack Jeffers, 122
7. Joao Vergara, 84
8. Bruno Ribeiro, 79
9. G3 Argyros, 75
10. Ayden Ingratta, 74

Taylor wins dramatic USF Juniors opener at VIR

Max Taylor began the Continental Tire VIR Grand Prix triple-header Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought victory for VRD Racing after an action filled 15-lap race. The teenager from Hoboken, N.J., has been on a roll in recent weeks, securing a pair of victories in his parallel USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire program. But Saturday represented his first win of the season in USF Juniors, and allowed him to close to within 14 points of the championship lead.

Augusto Soto-Schirripa, from Miami, Fla., claimed his third successive podium finish for the InterMS team, while Jack Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport), from San Antonio, Texas, was credited with third after Soto-Schirripa’s teammate, Israel’s Ariel Elkin, was penalized five positions following contact earlier in the race with another title contender, England’s Liam McNeilly.

Brazil’s Bruno Ribeiro this morning continued the good form he displayed in testing for DEForce Racing by earning his first Continental Tire Pole Award during the first of two qualifying sessions. The pair of InterMS cars lined up next on the grid with Elkin ahead of Soto-Schirripa.

Ribeiro continued to lead the way when the initial three laps were completed largely behind the pace car following an incident on the opening lap, although a subsequent error at Turn 17 on the first lap of green-flag racing saw him tumble down the order.

Elkin took over the lead but remained under pressure from a long string of cars as the infamous draft on the 3.27-mile VIRginia International Raceway’s long straightaways made it virtually impossible to eke out any appreciable advantage.

After setting the pace in all three test sessions on Friday, McNeilly, from Brentwood, England, was disappointed to qualify his Jay Howard Driver Development car only seventh on the grid. He didn’t stay there for long. McNeilly quickly worked his way through the pack, moving up into second place soon after half distance and immediately challenging Elkin for the lead.

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Unfortunately, McNeilly’s attempt to repeat an earlier outside-line maneuver at Turn One ended badly when he found himself out on the grass and losing places quickly.

Championship leader Sebastien Wheldon (VRD Racing), from Coral Gables, Fla., was next to challenge Elkin’s superiority, whereupon some more contact at the top of the Roller Coaster, Turn 13, on the 11th lap enabled teammate Taylor, who had been running fourth, to leapfrog his way into the lead.

Next time around, Wheldon’s hopes of victory also were erased when a broken nose-wing caused him to understeer wide at the exit of Turn 5 and slide into the tire barrier.

Another couple of incidents in the late stages ensured the race would finish under yellow, with Taylor securing the victory over Soto-Schirripa and Elkin. Jeffers crossed the line in fourth, but with Elkin’s penalty was elevated to third ahead of a pair of Jay Howard Driver Development-run Californians G3 Argyros and Timothy Carel, who had also been among the thick of the race-long battle for the lead.

“It was a really strong race for the VRD car,” Taylor said. “I used a lot of patience and maturity throughout the entire race. Ultimately, it let me get the win. It was all about letting the race come to me. The VRD team is really on a roll here. We are really picking up some stride and I am really happy with that.”

Remarkably, Ribeiro managed to climb from 16th following his earlier mistake to finish in sixth, just ahead of a similarly recovering McNeilly.

Taylor’s rise from sixth on the grid to the race win also earned him the Tilton Hard Charger Award, plus another PFC Award for VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell as the winning car owner.

The weekend will round out with another pair of races on Sunday. The first one, slated to start at 10:00 a.m., will see new points leader Elkin start from pole position by virtue of posting the fastest time during the second of two qualifying sessions today.

RESULTS

Elkin sweeps USF Juniors doubleheader at Barber

Israel’s Ariel Elkin and the InterMS team proved to be the class of the field during Friday’s Continental Tire Grand Prix of Alabama. Less than two weeks after celebrating his 17th birthday, Elkin was never headed in the pair of USF Juniors …

Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, followed him home this morning, with Elkin’s teammate, Augusto Soto-Schirripa, from Miami, Fla., close behind in third.

Sebastian Wheldon (VRD Racing), from Coral Gables, Fla., pressured Elkin all the way to the checkered flag Friday afternoon to finish second and extend his championship lead, with Soto-Schirripa once again completing the podium.

A huge field of 27 cars was split into two separate groups for qualifying on Thursday afternoon. Elkin, in group two, was the fastest driver overall, securing his first Continental Tire Pole Award, while Brazilian Bruno Ribeiro set the best time among the first group to ensure he would start on the outside of the front row for DEForce Racing in race one Friday morning. Jeffers and Soto-Schirripa were second fastest in their respective groups, and therefore lined up alongside each other on row two. The remainder of the grid followed an identical pattern.

Elkin made an exemplary start to leap into the lead at the start, while behind him Jeffers managed to slip past Ribeiro for second.

After a brief early caution following an incident at Turn 12, the top two soon began to inch away from Ribeiro in third, leaving Soto-Schirripa to fight off the attentions of Briton Liam McNeilly (Jay Howard Driver Development).

Unfortunately, the second half of the race was peppered with incidents, including a nasty crash soon after a restart with 17 laps in the books when Ribeiro, shortly after losing second place to Soto-Schirripa at Turn 1, lost control at Turn 4 and came to rest broadside in the middle of the track. Most of the field was able to take evasive action, but an unsighted Ava Dobson (Jay Howard Driver Development), from Brookfield, Wis., had absolutely nowhere to go and caromed into the wreckage at high speed. Thankfully, the state-of-the-art safety systems of the Tatuus JR-23 ensured that Dobson was not seriously hurt.

The race was flagged shortly thereafter with 19 of the 20 laps completed and Elkin declared a deserving winner. Jeffers and Soto-Schirripa completed the podium, followed by McNeilly, Evan Cooley (Exclusive Autosport), from Frankfort, Ill., and points leader Wheldon.

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Zanella Racing’s Teddy Musella, from Orlando, Fla., made an impressive debut by rising from 18th on the grid to 10th, although it was fellow Floridian Giovanni Cabrera (Exclusive Autosport) who garnered the Tilton Hard Charger Award after working his way from 26th to 16th.

The grid for race two was set according to each driver’s second-fastest lap during qualifying Thursday. Elkin once again led the way after securing his second straight Continental Tire Pole Award, this time with Jeffers for company on the front row.

A couple of incidents split up the early part of the race, albeit with Elkin maintaining his stranglehold at the front. Behind, at the first corner, Wheldon found a way past Jeffers, whose hopes of another podium finish were dashed shortly afterward when he tangled with McNeilly at Turn 5. Jeffers resumed a lap down to finish a disappointed 19th, while McNeilly’s title hopes took a beating when he was forced out of the race immediately.

The final 12 laps of the 20-lap race featured a thrilling battle for the lead. Elkin and Wheldon exchanged fastest laps on several occasions, but there was no way through for Wheldon as Elkin completed his daily double.

Soto-Schirripa similarly triumphed after an exciting back-and-forth battle for third with Leandro Juncos, from Carmel, Ind., as the son of NTT IndyCar Series team principal Ricardo Juncos recorded his best finish to date.

Jay Howard Driver Development’s Aiden Potter, from Brentwood, Tenn., earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award by virtue of climbing from 25th in the starting lineup to 12th at the finish.

“An absolutely great week – super amazing, super excited,” Elkins said. “We did pole positions for both races, broke the track record in qualifying and led each lap of both races from start to finish. We just swept the event. Super glad, super happy. A big thanks to InterMS and the entire Israeli nation all over the world. I am here to support everyone during these difficult times and I am willing to do it in the future and win as much as I can.”

Elkin’s double victory moved him to second in the points table, while Soto-Schirripa’s pair of third-place results capped a breakthrough day for InterMS team principal Juan Garavaglia, who claimed both PFC Awards as the winning car owner.

Next on the docket for the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire contingent is an open test at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on May 15-16, followed by a tripleheader race event at VIRginia International Raceway on June 14-16.

RACE ONE RESULTS

RACE TWO RESULTS