USF Juniors – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Jeffers and Taylor share Road America USF Juniors victory spoils

Young Americans Jack Jeffers and Max Taylor each claimed a race win today during the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America, while Brazilian rookie Nicolas Giaffone took another big step toward the USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires championship …

Exclusive Autosport’s Jeffers led Giaffone (DEForce Racing) to the checkered flag in the opening race this morning by 0.692s. A little later in the day, Taylor (VRD Racing) was adjudged to have been narrowly in front of Giaffone when the yellow flags waved following an incident at the infamous Kink and the race was concluded under caution. Jimmie Lockhart (VRD Racing) and Jeffers both scored a third -place finish.

Four different leaders during this morning’s 10-lap race around the fast and challenging 4.014-mile Road America circuit ensured an exciting start to the day. It began with Jay Howard Driver Development’s series debutant Ayden Ingratta at the front of the field as a result of having posted the quickest of all drivers’ second-fastest laps during the lone qualifying session on Saturday. But the Cooper Tires Pole Award winner was quickly swallowed up in the snarling pack before his race was ended prematurely following contact with a rival and a spin at Canada Corner.

Early leader Taylor completed each of the first four laps in a different position — first, fourth, third and second — before his race also came to an early conclusion at Turn 3, triggering a brief full-course caution.

A restart with four laps remaining saw Jeffers slip from the lead to third place, although he was able to battle his way back to the front and hold off a late charge from championship leader Giaffone to secure his second win of the season.

“The race went well. We were able to get to the lead really early but, as you know, Road America is big for keeping the battle close because of the huge draft,” said Jeffers. “I fell back to third but fought my way back to first. There was a little bit of a kerfuffle on the restart with me and my team messing up a little bit, but we were able to claw back the gap to the DEForce cars and get by them and ultimately take a last lap move on Jimmie and the win.”

Lockhart matched his career-best finish in third as Brazilian rookie Erick Schotten (Exclusive Autosport) posted by far his most impressive performance of the season by holding off Saturday winner Quinn Armstrong (DEForce Racing for fourth.

Schotten also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award after having started 11th.

The final race of the weekend saw Giaffone claiming his fifth Cooper Tires Pole Award by virtue of the fact his fastest lap in Race 2 — on the final lap — was quicker than anyone else’s second-best lap set during Saturday qualifying.

A six-car battle for top honors later distilled into a two-horse race as Taylor and Giaffone edged clear of the pack. Taylor took the lead with a bold move to the inside of the championship leader at Turn 14 on lap 9, and even though the Brazilian drafted back past as the two leaders crested the hill as the yellow flags flew, race control determined that Taylor had been in front at the moment the caution was called.

“We started from third so I knew I just had to get a good start. Coming into the race, we had to do a full engine swap actually because we were caught up in an accident in Race 2. So mega props to the team for fixing it so quickly and getting me back out there,” related Taylor. “I wouldn’t be here without them and it is a great feeling. On the last few laps, I knew I had to make a move and I just timed it right with the yellow. I sent in into the last corner and got a good enough exit and held it up the straightaway and got the win.”

A titanic battle for third place went the way of Jeffers after the rapid Ingratta ran wide at Turn 5 and then spun at the Kink as he attempted to make up the lost ground. DC Autosport’s Carson Etter, from Villa Park, Calif., also was involved in the incident which triggered the final caution period.

Lockhart eventually was credited with fourth. He also took home the Tilton Hard Charger Award after making up six positions.

The pair of PFC Awards for the winning car owners were shared by Exclusive Autosport’s Michael Duncalfe and VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell.

Giaffone will head to the series finale, a tripleheader event at Circuit of The Americas in two weeks’ time on August 26-27, with a commanding 72-point lead over Armstrong and Jeffers, who are tied for second. At stake is a Discount Tire Driver Enhancement Scholarship valued at $241,890 to progress onto the next rung on the ladder, USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires, in 2024.

Race 2 Results

Race 3 Results

Provisional championship points after 13 of 16 races:
1. Nicolas Giaffone, 338
2. Quinn Armstrong, 266
3. Jack Jeffers, 266
4. Joey Brienza, 238
5. Jimmie Lockhart, 212
6. Max Taylor, 188
7. Ethan Barker, 175
8. Lucas Fecury, 173
9. Erick Schotten, 173
10. Brady Golan, 164

Armstrong goes two in a row in USF Juniors at Road America

Quinn Armstrong sped to his third win of the season and second in succession for DEForce Racing as the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America tripleheader kicked off Saturday afternoon with an eventful 10-lap race. After starting from pole position, Armstrong, from Australia, narrowed the deficit to championship-leading teammate Nicolas Giaffone to 49 points with five races remaining on the season.

The Exclusive Autosport pair of Jack Jeffers and Joey Brienza finished second and third.

The high level of competition in this year’s USF Juniors field already had been amply demonstrated prior to qualifying earlier Saturday afternoon. Carson Etter (DC Autosport), Ethan Barker (VRD Racing) and fellow Texan Jeffers all had enjoyed a share of the limelight by leading one of the three test sessions on Friday, while Saturday morning during official practice it was VRD’s Max Taylor who set the fastest time thus far at 2m15.609s.

When it mattered in qualifying, Armstrong became the fifth different driver – from four different teams – to top the timing charts when he sliced well over 4s from the USF Juniors qualifying lap record to secure his first ever Cooper Tires Pole Award. Armstrong’s best time of 2m15.003s was enough to edge Taylor by a scant 0.072s. The previous mark, using a different equipment package, was established last year by eventual series champion Mac Clark at 2m19.578s.

Armstrong took off into the lead at the start but was unable to break the draft on the long Road America straightaways as Taylor, Hudson Schwartz (VRD Racing), Jeffers and Jimmie Lockhart (VRD Racing) remained close behind during the early stages.

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Taylor took the lead with a nice move under braking for Turn 12, Canada Corner, on the third lap, although Armstrong soon regained the advantage and was out front when the caution flags waved following an incident in the midfield at Turn 5.

“This win is massive,” Armstrong said. “A win is always a big deal but when you can do two in a row, it builds on that confidence. It’s not over yet. We still have five more races left and we have to use this momentum to keep going and keep pushing. I went into today knowing it was going to be a high-speed game of chess with the tow. The restart didn’t make it easy but we managed to pull a bit of a gap with some carnage behind and drove off. We are still taking it race by race. There are so many factors to a championship; it just doesn’t happen overnight. It’s every race.”

Soon after the restart, Jeffers made a move on Taylor for second at Turn 5. Unfortunately, the pair then made contact at the next corner, which left Armstrong with a clear lead which he had no trouble in retaining until the finish.

Taylor was forced to make a pit stop to replace a damaged front wing. Teammate Lockhart also fell out of contention when he lost control and spun while the melee unfolded at Turn 6.

Jeffers was left alone in second, chased by teammate Brienza, who picked up the Tilton Hard Charger Award after having started in ninth.

Barker also profited from the dramas to claim a personal best fourth-place finish, well clear of Giaffone who could only salvage a distant sixth following an incident at the first corner which caused him to fall from fourth to the tail of the field .

DEForce Racing’s David and Ernesto Martinez took home their ninth PFC Award as the winning car owners.

The fastest lap of the race was set impressively by Jay Howard Driver Development’s Ayden Ingratta, from Ruthven, Ont., Canada, who started third on his and the team’s debut but was forced into the pits after making contact with Giaffone at Turn 1 on the opening lap. The former karter returned to finish a lap down in 14th, although will start from the pole position for the first of two more races Sunday at 10:10am CDT. The third and final race will see the green flag at 2:30pm.

RESULTS

Giaffone closing in on USF Juniors title as series heads to Road America

There will be two major talking points this weekend as the second season of USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires reaches toward its conclusion with a visit to Road America. The first is whether or not 18-year-old Nicolas Giaffone, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, can do enough to clinch the Discount Tire Driver Advancement Scholarship valued at $241,800 to advance to the next step on the USF Pro Championships ladder, USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires, in 2024.

Interest also will be focused on the series debut of powerhouse junior open-wheel team Jay Howard Driver Development, which will enter a trio of newly acquired Tatuus JR-23 cars as the Brownsburg, Ind.-based organization expands on its portfolio with the ultimate aim of providing a direct path all the way from karting to the NTT IndyCar Series.

Entry List

With 10 of 16 races this season already in the books, Giaffone, the son of former IndyCar racer Felipe Giaffone, has opened up a substantial lead in the points table, 270-204, over his nearest rival, 16-year-old DEForce Racing teammate Quinn Armstrong, from Australia. Armstrong won the opening race of the season at Sebring and added a second victory at the most recent race last month at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Giaffone, who is contesting his first season of racing in North America after finishing fifth in last year’s Brazilian Formula 4 Championship, has won six races already, along with two additional podium finishes. Three races, each offering a total of 33 points, are on the docket this weekend. Giaffone could possibly clinch the title during the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America, although more likely is that the outcome will be decided during the final tripleheader event at Circuit of The Americas on August 26-27.

The Exclusive Autosport pair of Joey Brienza and Jack Jeffers still retain hopes of prying the championship from Giaffone’s grasp. Each has one win to his credit during their rookie campaigns. Brienza, who claimed a checkered flag at Sebring, currently trails Armstrong by just a dozen points, with Jeffers, a winner at Virginia International Raceway in June, just four points further adrift.

Last year’s event at Road America was dominated by VRD Racing, which swept all three races with three different drivers. VRD will be back with a strong four-car lineup for Jimmie Lockhart, Max Taylor, Ethan Barker and Hudson Schwartz. All are still seeking their first win of the season, although Lockhart, Taylor and Schwartz have all finished on the podium and Barker has come close with a trio of top-six finishes.

As is customary with USF Juniors, the expanded field of 16 drivers will have plenty of time to become fully acquainted with the challenging and fast 4.014-mile Road America circuit, beginning on Friday with three half-hour test sessions.

An additional 30 minutes of official practice at 9:10am CT on Saturday will provide one more opportunity to find pace prior to the all-important single qualifying session at noon. The first of three races will start later in the afternoon at 4:20pm, followed by two more races on Sunday at 10:10am and 2:30pm.

Live streaming coverage can be found on the free USF Pro Championships App, YouTube channel and the usfjuniors.com website.

Armstrong tops USF Juniors at Mid-Ohio, moves to second in points

Australian Quinn Armstrong closed out an impressive run in the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio doubleheader with victory in Saturday’s final leg at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It was the second win of the season for the 16-year-old DEForce …

Hudson Schwartz, of Arlington, Va., crossed the line second for VRD Racing followed by Ethan Ho, of Los Angeles, Calif., with DC Autosport – with both drivers posting their career-best results of the season.

Schwartz, 14, earned his first Cooper Tires Pole Award with an outstanding drive in a separate qualifying session held earlier in the day. Armstrong was alongside on the front row followed by Ho and Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers, of San Antonio, Texas, who finished third yesterday. Series points leader and race one winner Nicolas Giaffone lined up fifth on the grid with the top-five starters blanketed by just 0.266s.

With a thunderstorm looming, the green flag flew 20 minutes early to avoid the potential weather. Schwartz had no problem taking control of the field with a strong start and had built up a 1.3s lead before the first caution flew on lap two. Contact between Giaffone and Ethan Barker, of Houston, Texas, in a battle for fifth place sent Giaffone off track and out of the race.

Again, Schwartz had no problem controlling the lead on the lap five restart, which unfortunately saw contact between Joey Brienza, of Exclusive Autosport, and VRD Racing’s Max Taylor in Turn 5. It was the end of the day for Brienza, while Taylor was able to continue but was subsequently served a drive-through penalty for the incident.

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Schwartz again led the field to the restart on lap nine with Armstrong in pursuit. Armstrong was finally able to be close enough for a pass for the lead, which he accomplished heading into Turn 4 on lap 11.

The caution flags flew again on lap 12 for an incident involving Jimmie Lockhart of VRD Racing who had been running in seventh. The result was a five-lap shootout to the finish which Armstrong comfortably managed. Schwartz had to settle for second, and the consolation of setting the fastest lap of the race, with Ho in third followed by Jeffers and Barker.

“Definitely a crazy race with plenty of restarts to shake up the order,” Armstrong said. “It was not an easy race to get to first but we ended exactly where we wanted to be and I can’t thank DEForce enough.”

Despite the drive-through penalty, Taylor still managed to finish sixth and pick up the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

DEForce Racing’s David and Ernesto Martinez took home their eighth PFC Award as the winning car owners.

With both Giaffone and Brienza out of the race, Armstrong earned valuable points to move into second in the standings.

USF Juniors will return to action on August 12-13 for a triple-header event at Road America.

RESULTS

Giaffone heads DEForce 1-2 in USF Juniors at Mid-Ohio

Brazilian Nicolas Giaffone extended his already impressive advantage in the chase for the USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires championship by heading another DEForce Racing one-two today in the first of two races that will comprise the Cooper …

Giaffone led from start to finish in the 20-lap race to notch his sixth victory, heading home teammate Quinn Armstrong for the third time this season in just nine races. Jack Jeffers finished third for Exclusive Autosport.

Third-generation racer Giaffone continued his series dominance earlier this morning by posting the fastest lap in qualifying to clinch his fourth Cooper Tires Pole Award.

Ethan Ho qualified a strong second for DC Autosport, matching his performance during last week’s USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires event at the same Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course venue, only to experience a sudden loss of power on the opening lap of the race which caused his car to stop at Turn 2.

Ethan Barker, who started third, took up the chase of Giaffone before losing out to charging VRD Racing teammate Max Taylor up from sixth on the grid.

Unfortunately, Taylor fell to the back of the field when his car stuttered almost to a standstill just before the completion of lap 8. He quickly recovered five positions following a brief mid-race caution period, only for the same problem to rear its head with just four laps remaining.

The caution instantly negated Giaffone’s lead, which had grown to almost four seconds, and at the restart Barker saw an opportunity to challenge for the lead under braking for Turn 2 at the top of the hill. Giaffone staunchly defended his inside line, then braked a fraction too late which caused Barker to run wide into the gravel and slip all the way to the rear of the pack.

Giaffone narrowly maintained his lead, with teammate Armstrong slipping through into second place, while a major shuffling of positions saw Jeffers vault from sixth place to second ahead of Jimmie Lockhart (VRD Racing).

After that initial challenge, Giaffone was able to reassert his authority and ultimately take the checkered flag almost two seconds clear of Armstrong. Jeffers couldn’t match the leaders’ pace but did manage to hold off a spirited challenge from Lockhart for third.

“This isn’t a very easy track, to be honest, especially when you are new here. It’s always changing,” said Giaffone. “All the sessions, the track is going to feel different and you are going to be driving differently. I’m pretty happy with the results we have had. The race wasn’t at all easy. The two yellow flags really got things mixed up, but I think we fought it off with a lot of sportsmanship. I hope we can bring this effort and this performance again tomorrow.”

Hudson Schwartz (VRD Racing) finished fifth ahead of Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport) and Barker, who stormed back from 12th to seventh in the final five laps.

A little farther back, Carson Etter (DC Autosport) took ninth after starting in 13th to earn himself the Tilton Hard Charger Award. DEForce Racing’s David and Ernesto Martinez took home their seventh PFC Award as the winning car owners.

The doubleheader weekend in support of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will continue with a second qualifying session at 9:00am ET tomorrow which will set the starting order for Race 1 at 11:30am.

RESULTS

Provisional championship points after 9 of 16 races:
1. Nicolas Giaffone, 263
2. Joey Brienza, 184
3. Quinn Armstrong, 174
4. Jack Jeffers, 169
5. Jimmie Lockhart, 150
6. Lucas Fecury, 137
7. Max Taylor, 127
8. Brady Golan, 117
9. Ethan Barker, 114
10. Erick Schotten, 113

Jeffers gets first USF Juniors win at VIR, Giaffone shares spoils

Brazilian Nicolas Giaffone and first-time winner Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, shared the victory spoils Sunday as the weekend’s Cooper Tires VIR Grand Prix concluded with a pair of exciting USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires races at …

Giaffone this morning scored his fourth win in a row for DEForce Racing, but he was unable to prevent Exclusive Autosport’s Jeffers from turning the tables this afternoon. Giaffone finished strongly in second place, however, and now holds a commanding 61-point advantage in the chase to secure a scholarship valued at over $241,800 to advance to USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires in 2024 as part of the Discount Tire Driver Advancement Scholarship program.

Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport), from Golden, Colo., and 14-year-old Hudson Schwartz (VRD Racing), from Arlington, Va., completed the podium in the first race, with Giaffone and Max Taylor (VRD Racing), from Hoboken, N.J., claiming the places in the finale.

Sunday morning’s race brought significantly cooler conditions than the day before and began with 16-year-old Jeffers taking the Cooper Tires Pole Award by virtue of having posted the fastest of each drivers’ second best lap during the lone qualifying session on Saturday morning.

Jeffers maintained a slender advantage over a snarling pack for the opening four laps, but points leader Giaffone was on a mission. The on-form Brazilian displaced both Brienza and yesterday’s polesitter Ethan Ho (DC Autosport), from Los Angeles, Calif., in the opening stages before slipping past Jeffers with an imperious move on the outside of Turn One.

Soon afterward a problem with his car’s steering wheel eliminated the unfortunate Jeffers from contention and allowed Giaffone to pull clear of the field.

A couple of incidents punctuated the final third of the race. The leading pack ran three abreast as they raced toward Turn 1 at the first restart, whereupon Ho ran wide and then spun. Jimmie Lockhart (VRD Racing), from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., also gyrated onto the grass.

Taylor took the challenge to Giaffone after the final restart with two laps remaining. The pair ran side by side through the Roller Coaster, Turn 14, and Taylor nosed briefly ahead as the leaders plunged downhill through the final sequence of corners before attempting to carry a touch too much speed into Turn 17, which took him wide onto the damp grass and out of contention.

Brienza briefly drafted past Giaffone as the leaders began their last lap, but Giaffone reasserted himself at Turn One and held on to take the victory by less than a quarter of a second.

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Schwartz emerged amid the excitement to claim third ahead of Brady Golan, from Austin, Texas, who nosed ahead of DEForce Racing teammate Lucas Fecury, from Sao Luis, Brazil, at the finish line. Golan’s fine effort earned him the Tilton Hard Charger Award, having lined up 13th on the starting grid.

A new race lap record for Giaffone was enough to secure him another Cooper Tires Pole Award for the third and final race of the weekend, with the grid established according to either each drivers’ second fastest lap in qualifying or their best lap from race two.

Giaffone maintained his early advantage but this time it was Jeffers who was on the charge and anxious to make up for his earlier disappointment. He did so in style, marching confidently around the outside of Giaffone in Turn 1 and asserting himself in the lead before the ensuing the left-handed Turn 3. Jeffers then checked out to secure a well-deserved maiden victory.

Giaffone was untroubled in second, well clear of Taylor, who broke away from the pack to finish similarly clear of VRD teammate Lockhart in fourth. Taylor’s fine drive from eighth on the grid was enough to claim his second Tilton Hard Charger Award of the season.

“It started off a bit slow,” Jeffers said. “I sent it down the inside of Giaffone in Turn 1 but he was able to hold the lead and I lost a few positions. Then the yellow came out and after the restart, I lost another position. I slowly picked my way back up and was able to get by Jimmie in an unorthodox way which surprised me, but respectful racing from him. I caught up to Giaffone in the draft and was able to get by him. My teammate Joey Brienza battled him a little bit which gave me a gap and it led me to have my own race track. I know I have had the pace all weekend to pull away. I just needed to break the draft.”

The day’s pair of PFC Awards to the winning car owners were shared by DEForce Racing’s David and Ernesto Martinez and Exclusive Autosport’s Michael Duncalfe.

Next up for the USF Juniors is a double-header event at the similarly undulating Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on July 7/8 in support of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

RACE TWO RESULTS

RACE THREE RESULTS

Giaffone goes three straight in USF Juniors in VIR opener

Third generation racer Nicolas Giaffone captured his fourth win of the season – and third in succession for DEForce Racing – following a spirited drive this afternoon in USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires competition. There was little breathing room throughout the opening round of the Cooper Tires VIR Grand Prix tripleheader for the 18-year-old from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who rebounded from a crash in practice earlier in the day.

Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, claimed his third podium of the season for Exclusive Autosport with Quinn Armstrong, of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, rounding out the top three with his fourth podium for DEForce Racing.

Ethan Ho of DC Autosport displayed consistent top-five pace during the trio of test sessions Friday on the challenging 3.27-mile road course. The 17-year-old Korean-American based in Los Angeles posted only the 10th fastest time in practice Saturday morning, but when it counted in qualifying, he laid down a fast lap early. His time of 1m55.327s was matched, precisely, on the final lap by Joey Brienza of Exclusive Autosport, but it was Ho who was credited with his first Cooper Tires Pole Award.

After a solid start, Ho came under attack almost immediately from a charging Jeffers, who had lined up third on the grid and displaced Brienza in the opening turns, and then Giaffone, who started fourth but had moved into second by lap three.

Ho’s podium hopes were extinguished on lap five when contact from VRD Racing’s Max Taylor – who had dropped a wheel off track – resulted in a spin and the loss of seven positions.

Lap six proved to be a pivotal point in the race as a brief rain cell moved into the area, catching several drivers out and necessitating the caution flags. The running order for what would be a five-lap dash to the finish saw Jeffers leading Giaffone followed by Hudson Schwartz (VRD Racing), Lucas Fecury (DEForce Racing) and Armstrong.

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A tremendous battle ensued between Jeffers and Giaffone when the field went back to green on lap 11, with Giaffone managing to finally make his pass for the lead stick with three laps to go. Armstrong was able to work his way by Schwartz and Fecury, who lost ground after contact with Brienza but still managed to finish fifth behind Taylor and earn the Tilton Hard Charger Award. It was also an impressive drive from Taylor, who had dropped back to 11th at one stage, and set the fastest lap of the race.

“We started the day with a crash in practice, which was unfortunate, but it showed me once again how good my team is and how good they are working under pressure,” Giaffone said. “I have never been to VIR before and the team had never been here with this car, so I think we did an amazing job in setting the car right for qualifying and then setting the car even better for the race. The race here is difficult because the draft keeps everyone kind of close. You can be a half-a-second faster but you won’t be able to pull away. This made things interesting with the rain. Overall, a pretty solid race. We still have two to go and I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it is very good to be starting the weekend P1.”

Brienza’s promising day from a front-row starting spot ended with an unrepresentative 14th-place finish after suffering right-rear tire damage.

Giaffone now holds a 40-point edge in his quest for a Discount Tire Driver Advancement Scholarship valued at $241,800 which will enable the series champion to progress onto the next step of the USF Pro Championship ladder in 2024.

Another PFC Award went to winning car owners David and Ernesto Martinez of DEForce Racing.

The action will continue with two more races Sunday. The first is slated to start at 9:10 a.m. EDT, with the finale set for a green flag at 12:55 p.m. As usual, full coverage can be found on the free USF Pro Championships App, YouTube channel and the usfjuniors.com website.

RESULTS

USF Juniors season reaches halfway mark at VIR

USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires will reach the mid-point in its 16-race season this weekend, June 3-4, with a tripleheader event at the challenging 3.27-mile Virginia International Raceway road course in Alton, Va. Six different drivers have …

Six different drivers have stepped onto the podium during the opening five rounds of competition. After sweeping the most recent double-header event at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, third-generation Brazilian racer Nicolas Giaffone currently leads the way in the quest for a scholarship valued at over $241,800 to advance to USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires in 2024 as part of the Discount Tire Driver Advancement Scholarship program. Giaffone, 18, drives for the same DEForce Racing team with which Canada’s Mac Clark won the inaugural USF Juniors title in 2022.

ENTRY LIST

Giaffone will be joined in the DEForce stable by Australian teenager Quinn Armstrong, who holds third position in the standings with a win and two-second-place finishes to his name, as well as Brazilian veteran Lucas Fecury, who completed a DEForce lockout in one of the two Barber races, and newcomer Brady Golan, from Austin, Texas.

Exclusive Autosport’s Joey Brienza, from Golden, Colo., currently splits the DEForce pair in the points table on the strength of three pole positions, a win and two runner-up finishes gained from the opening event at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. Brienza will be supported by Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, who won last year’s Lucas Oil Formula Car Championship, and fellow rookies Erick Schotten, from Brazil, and Giovanni Cabrera, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

VRD Racing, which emerged victorious in all three VIR races one year ago, also will field a contingent of hungry youngsters, led by Jimmie Lockhart, also from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Lockhart already has a pair of podium finishes to his name this year. Series veteran Ethan Barker, from Houston, Texas, Max Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., and Hudson Schwartz, from Arlington, Va., also will fly the VRD flag.

A pair of cars from DC Autosport will complete the 14-car field in the hands of Ethan Ho, from Los Angeles, Calif., and former off-road racer Carson Etter, from Villa Park, Calif.

A busy week for the USF Juniors will begin with three 30-minute test sessions on Friday, June 2. An additional 30 minutes of official practice at 9:55am ET on Saturday will provide one final opportunity to become familiar with the track prior to a crucially important single qualifying session at 12:35pm. Race 1 will start later in the day at 4:10pm, followed by two more 15-lap or 40-minute races on Sunday at 9:10am and 12:55pm.

Full coverage can be found on the free USF Pro Championships App, YouTube channel and the usfjuniors.com website.

Giaffone takes back to back USF Juniors sweep at Barber

Nicolas Giaffone and DEForce Racing have taken control of the USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires title-chase following an emphatic performance Friday at Barber Motorsports Park. Giaffone, 18, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, cruised to victory in both 20-lap races and now holds a relatively comfortable 21-point lead in his quest for a Discount Tire Driver Advancement Scholarship — valued at $241,890 — which will enable the series champion to progress onto the next step of the USF Pro Championships ladder in 2024.

DEForce Racing teammate Quinn Armstrong, from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, finished second in both races. Brazilian Lucas Fecury, aboard a third DEForce Tatuus JR-23, and VRD Racing’s Jimmie Lockhart, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., each earned a third-place finish.

DEForce Racing first served notice of its intentions when Giaffone, Fecury and Armstrong topped the timing chart in official practice on Thursday afternoon. The Texas-based team’s dominance continued into the pair of qualifying sessions, one yesterday and the other bright and early this morning, as the trio once again was fastest, and in the same order.

After securing his first Cooper Tires Pole Award, Giaffone paced the 15-car field into the first corner in this morning’s opening round and was never seriously under threat for the entirety of the 20-lap race.

The first four laps were run behind the pace car following a pair of minor incidents, after which Giaffone took charge of the proceedings. His teammates, Armstrong and Fecury, exchanged positions moments after the start, and while Armstrong remained within a second of Giaffone for the first half of the race, the Brazilian soon stretched his legs and edged clear. Giaffone eventually took the checkered flag a comfortable 4.721s clear of the Australian.

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Armstrong finished a similar distance clear of Fecury, who had to fight off a determined challenge toward the end from former points leader Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport), from Golden, Colo.

Lockhart had an eventful race before crossing the line in fifth. He lost one position at the start, quickly gained two, then lost them again with a mistake on the seventh lap before once again rising up the field and overtaking Taiwanese American Ethan Ho (DC Autosport) with a handful of laps remaining.

Ethan Barker (VRD Racing), from Houston, Texas, picked up the Tilton Hard Charger Award, rising from 12th on the grid to ninth, while DEForce Racing principals David and Ernesto Martinez claimed their second PFC Award of the young season as the winning car owners.

The picture-perfect day for Giaffone continued Friday afternoon, once again with only a few clouds punctuating a glorious blue sky. Giaffone took full advantage of his second Cooper Tires Pole Award of the day by once again leaping into the lead at Turn 1. As was the case earlier, Armstrong muscled past teammate Fecury on the opening lap, but there was no topping Giaffone, who displayed a devastating mixture of pace and consistency as he romped to another clear victory.

Armstrong again was untroubled in second, while Lockhart quickly moved up from sixth on the grid to challenge Fecury, whom he passed with a slick move on lap seven.

VRD stablemate Max Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., also was on the move, climbing from ninth on the grid to finish fifth and claim his first Tilton Hard Charger Award of the season.

“We were able to snatch the second win. It makes me incredibly happy and I still can’t believe that,” Giaffone said after his dominant day. “It was a perfect weekend – P1 in practice, P1 in two qualifying sessions and P1 in both races. It is beyond imaginable. If I knew this would happen coming into Alabama for the first time, I wouldn’t have believed it. I have to thank DEForce. They gave me an amazing car and we, as drivers, can’t do much without a good team. All the glory to them. I am just driving. I hope I can come back to Alabama soon. I really, really like the track. Now it is time to think about the championship, and we are in a good position.”

The PFC Award to the winning car owners once again fell the way of David and Ernesto Martinez, whose DEForce Racing team now holds a commanding 37-point edge over Exclusive Autosport as the series heads next to VIRginia International Raceway, in Alton, Va., for a triple-header event on June 3-4.

USF Juniors return to action at Barber with IndyCar

For the second time in the brief history of USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires, drivers on the first rung of the USF Pro Championships open-wheel racing development ladder this week will have an opportunity to compete on the same bill as the NTT …

A field of 15 cars is entered for the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Alabama, which will comprise the fourth and fifth rounds of the 16-race season, at the impressive 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park facility located just outside Birmingham, Ala., on Friday, April 28.

Entry List

All are chasing a scholarship valued at over $241,800 to advance to USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires in 2024 as part of the Discount Tire Driver Advancement Scholarship. Discount Tire was announced as the Official Tire Retailer of USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires in March.

Three different drivers shared the victory spoils last month at Sebring International Raceway during the first weekend of competition for the band-new Tatuus JR-23 chassis, kicking off the series’ second year of competition. Joey Brienza, 18, currently leads the point standings after scoring a win and a pair of second-place finishes in Florida for the Exclusive Autosport team.

Brazil’s Nicolas Giaffone, the 18-year-old son of six-time Indianapolis 500 starter – and 2002 podium finisher – Felipe Giaffone, trails Brienza by 11 points after adding a second and a fourth to his Sebring win for DEForce Racing.

Teammate Quinn Armstrong won the opening race at Sebring, but struggled in the other two races and consequently lies only fourth in the points table, merely two points behind two-time runner-up finisher Jack Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport).

Jimmie Lockhart also showed excellent speed in his home-state opening rounds. Lockhart ran among the top four for all three races, and eventually finished on the podium at the third time of asking for VRD Racing.

Additional entries this weekend include an ambitious new team, Ram Racing, which has won five NACAM Formula 4 Championship titles since 2005. Now with a base at MSR Houston in Texas, Ram Racing will make its initial foray into the USF Pro Championships with 18-year-old Colombian Juan Felipe Pedraza, who claimed the top NACAM spoils in 2023 with eight wins from 17 starts.

Hudson Schwartz, a 13-year-old phenom from Virginia, also will make his debut with VRD Racing after winning previously both in karting and the recent Lucas Oil Formula Car Winter Series.

A pair of test sessions on Thursday, April 27, will allow the teams and drivers one last chance to gain experience of the undulating 17-turn track prior to 30 minutes of official practice at 3:00 p.m. CDT. The first of two qualifying sessions at 4:30 p.m. will set the grid for Race One at 10:15 a.m. on Friday. A second qualifying period bright and early at 7:45 a.m. on Friday will determine the starting positions for Race Two later in the afternoon at 4:15 p.m., immediately after the first official IndyCar practice session of the weekend.

Full coverage can be found on the free USF Pro Championships App, YouTube channel and the usfjuniors.com website.

The Discount Tire STEM Program also launched this week with a school visitation today at Gadsden State Community College in Gadsden, Ala., headed by USF Pro Championships Race Director Joel Miller. Students from the school’s Automotive Service Technology course will be guests of Discount Tire on Friday at Barber Motorsports Park to complete the program with an immersive at-track experience.