USF Pro 2000 – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Rowe crowned 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion with third at Portland

Myles Rowe and Michael d’Orlando both achieved their goals during this afternoon’s exciting second leg of the VP Racing Fuels Grand Prix of Portland. Pabst Racing with Force Indy’s Rowe, from Brooklyn, N.Y., clinched the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires championship – as well as a lucrative Discount Tire Driver Development Scholarship valued at $664,500 to ensure graduation to Indy NXT by Firestone in 2024 – with a well-judged third-place finish, while d’Orlando once again demonstrated his own credentials with a flag-to-flag victory for Turn 3 Motorsport.

With his accomplishment today, Rowe becomes the first African American to win a U.S. open-wheel championship.

Sandwiched between the pair was 15-year-old Nikita Johnson, who completed an exhausting but auspicious day for himself and VRD Racing by finishing hot on d’Orlando’s tail in second.

For the second straight day, d’Orlando started at the front of the pack after turning the best second-fastest lap of all drivers during yesterday’s lone qualifying session to secure yet another Cooper Tires Pole Award. He duly maintained his advantage at the start, although, incredibly, it was TJ Speed Motorsport’s Lirim Zendeli, who emerged in second following a spectacular start from sixth on the grid. Zendeli braved it out around the outside of several rivals at the initial right-handed corner at the Festival Curves before slotting into second at the ensuing left-handed Turn 2.

Saturday, in stark contrast to the mayhem which had taken place just 24 hours earlier, all 17 protagonists made it through the initial sequence of corners intact. They then proceeded to entertain an appreciative crowd throughout an all-green 30-lap race.

D’Orlando soon began to put some daylight between himself and Zendeli. The gap had grown to just over two seconds inside the first 13 laps, when Johnson took advantage of worsening oversteer on his adversary’s Tatuus IP-22 and – for the second time in a little more than half-an-hour – produced another impressive overtaking opportunity in Turn 1 to snatch second place.

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Johnson had eschewed the chance to stand on the podium following a fine drive in the preceding USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires race, instead hopping directly into his USF Pro 2000 steed and once again putting on a show of his capabilities.

A series of consistently fast laps saw d’Orlando stretch his lead to as much as three seconds at the halfway point, although Johnson turned up the wick in the closing stages and narrowed the gap to less than one second with three laps remaining. The pressure was on, but d’Orlando managed his pace perfectly, made not the hint of a mistake and took the checkered flag a scant 0.2529s clear of Johnson for his fourth win of the season.

Rowe once again drove a sensible race, following Johnson past Zendeli on the 14th lap and then inching clear to finish third. Rowe’s result was more than enough to put the championship title beyond the reach of his main rival, DEForce Racing’s Kiko Porto, who remaining trapped behind Zendeli in fifth. Jace Denmark (Pabst Racing), also was in close attendance at the finish line.

“All of these competitors are so tough,” Rowe said. “We knew after last year and finishing second in the (USF2000) championship, especially being so close to taking it, that we had to start off strong. That’s exactly what we did. We put in the work, we persevered and we came through. It is all thanks to everyone that supports me, everyone that is out here watching and pushing me, on down to my family – my mom and my dad for putting in the blood, sweat and tears – Roger Penske and Penske Entertainment, Force Indy, Pabst Racing and Augie Pabst, Sparco, Bell Helmets, NXG and all of the crew. It wouldn’t be possible without them.

“They have really pushed me along and really given me such extraordinary support. I am just at a loss for words. It feels almost like it has been a two-year championship from trying to bounce back after last year. It took a mental strain on us all but I am just so happy to deliver this for the team. I am thrilled that we are able to enjoy it finally.”

Jack William Miller earned his third Tilton Hard Charger Award after rising from 11th on the grid to eighth for his family-run Miller Vinatieri Motorsports team.

Turn 3 Motorsport’s Peter Dempsey picked up another PFC Award as the winning team owner, and both he and d’Orlando, whose fond memories of Portland included clinching last year’s USF2000 championship, will have one more opportunity to stand on the top step of the podium when tomorrow’s season finale is set to see the green flag at 3:15pm PT.

RESULTS

Porto near perfect in Portland to keep USF Pro 2000 title hopes alive

Kiko Porto kept alive his slender hopes of snatching the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires title with a fine drive in the first of three races that will comprise this weekend’s VP Racing Fuels Grand Prix of Portland. Brazil’s Porto, the 2021 USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires champion, kept his head while others around him perhaps did not as he sped to his second victory in the last three races.

Right behind him in second place, however, was the man who already has one hand on the championship trophy, Pabst Racing with Force Indy’s Myles Rowe. The 22-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., now holds a commanding 52-point lead with a maximum of 66 points on the table from this weekend’s final two races of the season.

Porto’s DEForce Racing teammate Bijoy Garg secured his first ever podium finish with third.

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Michael d’Orlando looked like being the man to beat. He was second fastest in official practice, then went one better for Turn 3 Motorsport in qualifying by clinching his fourth Cooper Tires Pole Award.

Unfortunately, d’Orlando’s rollercoaster ride this year continued in a familiar vein. He was able to retain the lead following chaos at the first corner, despite opting to take to the escape road at the notorious Festival Curves chicane. Behind him there was carnage as virtually the entire field attempted to occupy the same piece of asphalt. Seven cars were eliminated from the running.

Following a red-flag stoppage to reset the field, d’Orlando once again took to the escape road. This time both he and Lirim Zendeli, who had risen from sixth on the grid to second for TJ Speed Motorsports, incurred penalties which dropped them to the back of the field.

The major beneficiary was Porto, who had qualified third and was one of the few to take a conventional line at the initial start. The Brazilian adroitly avoided all the carnage and emerged in the lead ahead of Rowe, who had started fifth and also kept his head at the start.

The pair quickly distanced themselves from the pack. Rowe on several occasions looked poised to make a challenge, but instead wisely maintained his position to inch one step closer to the championship which would earn him a Discount Tire Driver Development Scholarship valued at $664,500 to graduate to Indy NXT by Firestone in 2024.

“At the start, I just saw a bunch of cars going straight. It was kind of confusing but the team helped me to understand what was going on,” related Porto. “Myles put me in the situation where I need to win races, so I am trying to extract the maximum possible. He did a great job finishing second which meant a lot of points for him in the championship, but it is not over yet. I am going to fight with everything I have.”

Garg, who equaled his career-best starting position in fourth, held third place for virtually the entirety of the 30-lap race, finishing clear of Pabst Racing’s Jace Denmark.

Louka St-Jean (Turn 3 Motorsport) also secured a career-best finish in fifth, followed by Salvador de Alba (Exclusive Autosport), Francesco Pizzi (TJ Speed Motorsports), and Pabst Racing’s Jordan Missig, who picked up the Tilton Hard Charger Award after rising from 19th and last on the grid.

DEForce Racing’s Ernesto and David Martinez earned another PFC Award and will have two more opportunities to add to their tally in Rounds 17, which will start Saturday at 3:10pm PT and the season finale at 3:15pm on Sunday.

RESULTS

Provisional championship points after 16 of 18 rounds:
1. Myles Rowe, 358
2. Kiko Porto, 306
3. Salvador de Alba, 260
4. Michael d’Orlando, 237
5. Lirim Zendeli, 236
6. Francesco Pizzi, 232
7. Jace Denmark, 218
8. Joel Granfors, 206
9. Jonathan Browne, 196
10. Jack William Miller, 192

Johnson becomes youngest winner in USF Pro 2000 on debut at COTA

Nikita Johnson of VRD Racing has taken the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires by storm on his debut race weekend at Circuit of The Americas. The 15-year-old from Gulfport, Fla., not only becomes the youngest winner in the category but also becomes the first driver to win on all three levels of the current USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires ladder.

A graduate of USF Juniors — the first step on the driver development ladder – Johnson is a full-time competitor in USF2000 competition and currently lies third in the standings with one tripleheader race event remaining at Portland International Raceway next weekend.

Yesterday’s race winner Kiko Porto finished second with DEForce Racing teammate Mac Clark third in his second USF Pro 2000 start.

Porto started on pole – earning his second Cooper Tires Pole Award of the season — with teammate Clark alongside. Johnson and championship points leader Myles Rowe of Pabst Racing with Force Indy rounded out the second row.

While Porto had a good start, the battle was on immediately between Clark and Johnson. After a back-and-forth tussle, Johnson emerged the victor and the opening five laps saw a great battle at the front between Porto, Johnson and Clark with the trio building a three-second gap to the rest of the field.

Johnson was able to take the lead from Porto on lap 7 and as the margin continued to build from the top three to the rest of the grid – increasing to over 17 seconds at the checker — all eyes were on the battle from fourth through seventh between Ricardo Escotto (Jay Howard Driver Development), Salvador de Alba (Exclusive Autosport), Lirim Zendeli (TJ Speed Motorsports), Rowe, Michael d’Orlando (Turn 3 Motorsport), Jace Denmark (Pabst Racing) and Francesco Pizzi (TJ Speed Motorsports).

“I started P3 and we got to second on the first corner. I stayed there for a little bit to try to figure out where Kiko wasn’t the best and where he was faster than me,” related Johnson. “I adapted to the car and the track and caught Kiko and ended up passing him in Turn 1 from a few car lengths back. I used the sun to my advantage as it kind of blinded us, and just stuck it down the inside and made it stick. I got in front and tried to defend to take the air off his wing. I controlled the race from there. I mean our car was just amazing, it was such a rocket.”

After Escotto retired with a mechanical issue, Zendeli managed to fend off the efforts of de Alba to secure fourth place followed by Rowe in sixth and then d’Orlando, Denmark, Pizzi and Jack William Miller of Miller Vinatieri Motorsports, who claimed the Tilton Hard Charger Award with a gain of six positions.

Dan Mitchell of VRD Racing took home the PFC Award as the winning team owner.

The battle for the Discount Tire Driver Development Scholarship — valued at $664,500 to advance to Indy NXT in 2024 — will head to Portland International Raceway next weekend for the tripleheader season finale — the VP Racing Fuels Grand Prix of Portland. A total of 99 points are on offer.

RESULTS

Provisional championship points after 15 of 18 rounds:
1. Myles Rowe, 333
2. Kiko Porto, 275
3. Salvador de Alba, 245
4. Lirim Zendeli, 225
5. Michael d’Orlando, 224
6. Francesco Pizzi, 218
7. Joel Granfors, 206
8. Jace Denmark, 199
9. Jonathan Browne, 188
10. Jack William Miller, 183

Porto drives to dominant USF Pro 2000 victory at COTA

Kiko Porto, of Recife, Brazil, romped to his first win of the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires season in the opening round of the Discount Tire Circuit of The Americas Grand Prix doubleheader Saturday afternoon. This is the …

USF2000 rising stars Mac Clark (DEForce Racing) and Nikita Johnson (VRD Racing) rounded out the top three with impressive debuts in USF Pro 2000 competition.

Clark, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, turned heads by claiming the Cooper Tires Pole Award earlier in the day with teammate Porto lining up second. Johnson (VRD Racing), from Gulfport, Fla., also shone, qualifying third followed by championship leader Myles Rowe of Pabst Racing with Force Indy.

Clark made a fine start but Porto was able to take the point exiting Turn 1. A few moments later and the yellow flags flew for the first and only time following an incident involving Pabst Racing teammates Jordan Missig and Jace Denmark and Exclusive Autosport’s Salvador de Alba.

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De Alba was able to continue albeit falling from sixth to 13th, but the day was done for Missig and Denmark.

The race resumed on lap four with Johnson finding a way past Rowe to slot into third as the front of the field settled in. Meanwhile, de Alba, who entered the weekend third in the standings, was on the move eventually salvaging some points with an eighth-place result.

Fourth-place ranked Michael d’Orlando’s misfortunes resurfaced following a strong run of late as the Turn 3 Motorsport driver retired with a mechanical issue after eight of 15 laps.

By the time the checkered flags flew, the DEForce duo of Porto and Clark held a gap of almost 3s to Johnson.

Rowe crossed the line in fourth to extend his championship lead to 69 points with only four races remaining this season.

“What a weekend. The blue car was on fire,” Porto said. “We showed well from the first session with Mac making his debut in the series. I am so happy. Mac deserved the pole but we were close. With the draft here and the temperature, I just tried to find an opportunity. Mac really helped me to keep me on the pace. It was not easy. It was so hot. Tomorrow we have one more and I am pretty sure we have a good chance to do a one-two again.”

Jonathan Browne (Turn 3 Motorsport) earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award with a gain of six positions while David and Ernesto Martinez of DEForce Racing took home the PFC Award as winning team owners.

The final round of the Discount Tire Circuit of The Americas Grand Prix will take place at 8 a.m. CDT Sunday.

RESULTS

USF Pro Championships talent watch: Michael d’Orlando

With three wins in the last six races, Michael d’Orlando (above) has put himself back into the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires championship picture – and seeing the native New Yorker making a late season charge is a déjà vu moment for his …

With three wins in the last six races, Michael d’Orlando (above) has put himself back into the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires championship picture — and seeing the native New Yorker making a late season charge is a déjà vu moment for his competitors.

D’Orlando, who’s currently in his third year at the University of North Carolina studying marketing, came from behind to capture last year’s USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires championship title. That earned him a scholarship that propelled him up the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires ladder and into USF Pro 2000 this season.

That scholarship meant the difference between competing in 2023 and not, as the d’Orlando family — including brother Nicholas, who has been limited to three races this season — searches for viable sponsors to help the siblings continue their racing careers.

“Without Andersen Promotions and the USF Pro Championships, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to continue racing this year,” says d’Orlando. “My family and I work extremely hard to keep both Nick and myself in race cars, and I race every weekend like it could be my last, enjoying every moment. So far, this year has been a testament to that.”

A multi-time national karting champion, d’Orlando finished in the top four in each of his three full seasons in USF2000 and holds a remarkable finishing record of 39 top-five results from 53 races. He’s the only driver in USF2000 history to earn back-to-back victories in the series’ marquee event, the Freedom 75 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (in 2020 and 2021).

2022 saw d’Orlando engage in a constant battle with eventual runner up Myles Rowe. The championship came down to the season finale, with d’Orlando taking the win to earn the title — the last USF2000 championship for the legendary Cape Motorsports team.

While it’s taken a bit of time for things to come together for d’Orlando this year, including becoming accustomed to a new team in Turn 3 Motorsport (below), it also took until the midway point of the season for him to put a substantial amount of bad luck behind him.

#1 Michael d’Orlando, Turn 3 Motorsport, Focused Project Management,

“It was definitely a tough start to the year,” he says. “I was caught up in incidents in four of the first six races, then had a rough qualifying on the oval. Thankfully, it finally started turning around at Road America, where we were able to start putting it all together. (Team owner) Peter Dempsey and I have had so many conversations about what we can do to have our results show our effort.”

Into the second half of the season, d’Orlando has scored three wins in six races to significantly close the points gap, leaving him only 12 points behind second place. From there, he figures he can begin the charge on Rowe in the top spot, and hopefully duplicate the end result from last year.

Momentum is key to racing and d’Orlando is feeling the pendulum swing toward him as the season hits the home stretch with only a doubleheader at COTA, Aug. 24-27, and the tripleheader finale at Portland, Aug. 31-Sept. 3, remaining. While he knows he has a hill to climb, he has the experience of having overcome the deficit last year front and center in his memory banks.

D’Orlando has faith in his own ability, but also believes the tight competition and rivalry with Rowe can benefit his future. The duo are currently the only two drivers in USF Pro 2000 with multiple victories and pole positions, and both hope to add “d’Orlando and Rowe” to the long list of USF Pro Championships rivalries that have continued into the NTT IndyCar Series — a list that includes Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay and Oliver Askew, and David Malukas and Kyle Kirkwood.

“I really believe that Myles and I push each other to be better,” says d’Orlando. “Without the other, I don’t think either one of us would be as good. It’s quite interesting and challenging to battle with someone like him, who’s so competitive. I’m glad I’m back in that position with him and I hope we can find the support to continue this fight.

“I have to say, I wouldn’t be here without the scholarship from USF2000, and support from my sponsor, Priority Technology Holdings, and the Turn 3 team. That combination is what’s allowing me to show what I can do.”

While he strives to continue his 2023 campaign, d’Orlando has the foresight to continue to work on 2024. To that end, he attended the NTT IndyCar Series’ Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville earlier this month to grow his network and to understand the process that makes an Indy NXT and IndyCar Series team work.

“I want to be an IndyCar driver and I won’t stop working toward that,” he explains. “My family doesn’t have the budget that some other drivers have, but I want to be the next young driver who graduates up the ladder from nothing. I want to prove that you can accomplish anything with hard work and talent. I want to prove to myself and to the next generation of young drivers that it’s not all about the money; it’s about heart. A good driver with heart will outperform any other driver. I don’t care how long it takes.”

As the season heads toward its conclusion, d’Orlando hopes to be out on track and continue what he knows is a burgeoning rivalry.

“I think that if you look at the timing sheets throughout the year,” he says, “the two drivers who continuously appear at the top are me and Myles — it’s just been time and place misfortune for us this year, with all the incidents that have happened to us. But we just have to keep pushing, keep putting ourselves in the best position. We know we have the pace.”

Learn more about Michael at michaeldorlando.com, and for the latest news and results from USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires, click here.

Title-chasing d’Orlando facing budget shortfall

Reigning USF2000 champion Michael d’Orlando is facing a financial crunch that could end the New Yorker’s title-contending season in Indy Pro 2000 before it’s over. Driving for Turn 3 Motorsports, d’Orlando took the advancement prize given by the USF …

Reigning USF2000 champion Michael d’Orlando is facing a financial crunch that could end the New Yorker’s title-contending season in Indy Pro 2000 before it’s over.

Driving for Turn 3 Motorsports, d’Orlando took the advancement prize given by the USF Championships presented by Cooper Tires to secure a Indy Pro 2000 seat and has been the hottest driver in the series in recent months. Holding fourth in the Drivers’ standings with two race weekends and five races left to run, there’s a remote chance the college student can catch runaway championship leader Myles Rowe.

But after a costly start to the season where misfortune was the norm, d’Orlando has become the latest American junior open-wheel talent staring at the prospect of falling off the training ladder due to a budget shortfall.

“It was a blessing to have the USF Pro Championships help fund the season for me this year, but it didn’t cover all the costs and we’re struggling to find that last little bit of cash to end off the season strong,” d’Orlando told RACER. “Since we got to the halfway point of the season, we’ve won three of the last six races, and I’ve also been creating proposals and trying to find more partners to help me get to COTA and Portland to finish out the year but haven’t had any success.”

Something in the range of $50,000 is required for d’Orlando to keep going through the final round, and while his plight is by no means new, it’s a reminder of the serious costs involved for top young drivers working their way towards IndyCar.

“It’s been quite tough as a full-time college student, even taking summer classes to make sure I can get my marketing degree at the University of Noth Carolina Charlotte,” he said. “We’ve had a great partner with Priority Technology Holdings that has been with us throughout the entire season this year. And they’ve been super supportive to help put me on track and now I’m trying to get the extra we need to keep myself in a seat and try and perform to the best of my capability.”

Rowe getting closer to USF Pro 2000 title with Toronto victory

USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires championship leader Myles Rowe overcame a disappointing result on Saturday to take a clear victory for Pabst Racing with Force Indy in Sunday’s Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Toronto. A fifth win of the season for the 22-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., stretches his advantage to a whopping 81 points as he chases a Discount Tire Driver Development Scholarship valued at $664,500 to graduate to INDY NXT in 2024.

Lirim Zendeli, from Bochum, Germany, finished second for TJ Speed Motorsports. Rowe’s Pabst Racing teammate Jordan Missig, from Channahon, Ill., matched his career-best result in third. Missig also set the fastest race lap for good measure.

Rowe paved the way for his triumph by starting at the head of the field after earning his fourth Cooper Tires Pole Award of the season and third in succession during qualifying on Saturday morning.

He took full advantage by leading from the start. Behind, a bold move around the outside of Turn One by teammate Jace Denmark netted the resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., second place after starting in fourth.

After an early caution following an incident in the midfield, Denmark tried to execute a similar move on Rowe under braking for Turn 3 at the end of the back straightaway. Unfortunately, Rowe slipped a little wide at the exit and made contact with Denmark’s front wing, which immediately became detached, forcing him into the pits and out of contention.

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Rowe continued unscathed, and instead soon came under pressure from Saturday’s winner – and the man who narrowly beat Rowe to last year’s USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires championship crown – Michael d’Orlando, from Hartsdale, N.Y.

“First of all, the crowd here is amazing. I love Toronto. It is such a great city,” Rowe said. “It is such a tough race. The bumps are crazy. It is like New York City out there. I just have to give a huge thanks to God, my family, Force Indy, Pabst Racing, SimCraft, Sparco, Bell Helmets and the whole crew. They really put together such a package for us to have this kind of consistency this year. You need to have a certain kind of package to do really successful things at this level of motorsports. All these guys – Lirim, Jordan and the rest of the field – all of them are super competitive and super tough to beat. I just can’t ‘thank you’ enough to all of my partners.”

The 25-lap race had started on a slightly damp track, but the pace gradually increased as the surface dried out completely. The two leaders remained in close contact until, quite suddenly, d’Orlando began to lose power shortly after the halfway mark. The Canadian-American soon slipped into the clutches of the pursuing pack, led by Zendeli who on lap 16 had found a way past d’Orlando’s Turn 3 Motorsport teammate Christian Brooks, from Santa Clarita, Calif., with a nice move at Turn 3.

The unfortunate d’Orlando eventually tumbled almost to the back of the field, cruelly ending his hopes of taking over second place in the points table.

Zendeli maintained second to the finish, some 4.4155s adrift of Rowe and narrowly ahead of Missig, who had started second and was the fastest man on track in the closing stages.

Indian-American Yuven Sundaramoorthy, from Delafield, Wis., (Exclusive Autosport) also displayed strong speed after a difficult season, claiming the Tilton Hard Charger Award after rising from 16th on the grid to eighth.

Rowe’s performance capped a tremendous day for team principal Augie Pabst, who took home another PFC Award as the winning car owner.

Five more races remain this season. A doubleheader event at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on August 26-27 is next, followed just one week later by a trip to the West Coast for a tripleheader finale at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Ore., on September 2-3.

RESULTS

d’Orlando slithers to dramatic USF Pro 2000 victory in Toronto

Michael d’Orlando continued his recent charge in USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires by claiming a dramatic victory this afternoon for Turn 3 Motorsport in the first of two races that will comprise the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Toronto. After the race was red-flagged following a brief shower to allow everyone to switch onto wet-weather Cooper tires, d’Orlando, who carries duel American and Canadian citizenship, took full advantage of a late error by Myles Rowe (Pabst Racing with Force Indy) before cementing his third win in the last five races.

Mexico’s Salvador de Alba finished second for Exclusive Autosport with Germany-based Albanian Lirim Zendeli taking third for TJ Speed Motorsports.

Rowe, the championship leader, continued his rich vein of form into qualifying on the unforgiving Toronto streets. Only fifth fastest in the lone 30-minute practice on Friday morning, Rowe upped the ante considerably when it mattered a little later in the day. His fastest time, more than a half-second clear of d’Orlando and the only sub-1m10s lap among the 19-car field, comfortably secured his third Cooper Tires Pole Award of the season.

Under an overcast sky but on a dry track, Rowe took off into the lead at the start, chased initially by de Alba, who found a way past outside front row qualifier d’Orlando on the opening lap.

d’Orlando redressed that balance with a nice move at Turn 3 on the fourth lap, then quickly negated the advantage of more than a second that Rowe had already created.

The top five continued to circulate in close company for the first half of the 25-lap race with Rowe remaining under pressure from d’Orlando, de Alba, Swedish Exclusive Autosport teammate Joel Granfors and Jace Denmark (Pabst Racing).

An incident farther down the field on lap 15 necessitated a full-course caution, and light rain began to fall while the field circulated at reduced speed behind the pace car. Before long, race control called for the red flag and brought all cars onto the pit lane for the fitment of grooved-tread tires.

The track was fully wet by the time the race was unleashed for a four-lap dash to the checkered flag. Unfortunately, as the race leader, Rowe was the first driver to fully realize how wet the surface had become. A fraction too late onto the brakes at the end of Lake Shore Boulevard, Rowe skated wide and allowed d’Orlando to nip through into the lead.

Rowe was fortunate to be able to resume in seventh, mitigating the damage, but there was no stopping d’Orlando, who remained out front until the yellow lights came out again on the final lap after Irish teammate Jonathan Browne, who had been running ninth, found the tire barrier at Turn 8.

Former FIA Formula 2 competitor Zendeli showed his experience by rising from seventh to third after the restart, followed by Granfors and Brazilian Kiko Porto (DEForce Racing), who profited when the unfortunate Denmark went off course at Turn 3 just as the caution lights came on.

“It was a crazy race, and one of the most difficult that I have driven in a long time,” said d’Orlando. “Myles gave me quite a fight throughout the race. Then we had a rain red flag and it was really difficult. I know from Myles’ perspective, it is definitely a lot more challenging being the leading guy.

“It is amazing to be on the top step of the podium here in Toronto. I am proud to be a Canadian up here and an American down there. Turn 3 Motorsport did a fantastic job in making sure the car was extremely fast and capable of this win today.”

Christian Brooks, who had not raced since winning the opening race of the season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., made an impressive return for Turn 3 Motorsport, rising from 13th on the grid to finish eighth and earn the Tilton Hard Charger Award. His team owner, Peter Dempsey, also capped an excellent day by earning his fourth PFC Award of the season.

Having been placed 11th in the season points table just a few races ago, d’Orlando has now vaulted to fourth, only five points out of second, with six races remaining in the season. Rowe continues to hold a comfortable lead and will have an opportunity to atone for his error when he starts on pole position for tomorrow morning’s race which will go green at 11:05am ET.

RESULTS

Provisional championship points after 12 of 18 rounds:
1. Myles Rowe, 268
2. Joel Granfors, 204
3. Kiko Porto, 204
4. Michael d’Orlando, 199
5. Salvador de Alba, 198
6. Francesco Pizzi, 186
7. Jace Denmark, 177
8. Lirim Zendeli, 164
9. Jonathan Browne, 158
10. Jack William Miller, 150

Rowe bolsters USF Pro 2000 title prospects with Mid-Ohio win

Myles Rowe opened up a commanding early championship lead in USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires with three wins from the first four races of the season. The New Yorker was frustrated in his bid to add to that victory tally over the course of the next few events, but he put that behind him in emphatic style Saturday evening in the second and final race of the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio, which he led from start to finish for the Pabst Racing with Force Indy team.

Kiko Porto bounced back from an incident earlier in the day to finish a close second for DEForce Racing, while Michael d’Orlando capped a productive weekend for Turn 3 Motorsport by finishing third.

Rowe set the tone for his success by snaring his second Cooper Tires Pole Award of the season during an intense qualifying session on Friday, which, remarkably, was concluded with the top seven drivers all recording a lap time within one tenth of a second.

The 30-lap race proved to be just as close. Rowe never put a foot wrong in the lead, but he was never able to gain any kind of breathing space over Porto, who remained seemingly glued to his gearbox after sneaking past d’Orlando on the fourth lap.

“It wasn’t a great start to the morning in Race 1, so it was important for us to come back and fix up the points for the title fight down in Portland,” said Rowe. “This was a huge boost for the team. We can go into Toronto with huge momentum.

“Kiko made it tough for me. This was one of the toughest races that I have had in the USF Pro Championships, but this is what we want because we are trying to step up to IndyCar and this is the training ground to get there. I have learned all the skills I need to do what I need to do in IndyCar.”

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Porto posted the fastest lap of the race, but even that wasn’t enough and he had to settle for second. The result represented an impressive comeback after being pushed off the track during the opening race, and allowed Porto to reclaim second place in the point standings.

The top four cars remained in extremely close formation from start to finish. D’Orlando once again displayed excellent pace while finishing third, which, allied to his second win of the season earlier in the day, enabled him to vault from 11th in the points table to sixth, only 18 points behind Porto, heading into the final seven races of the season.

Jace Denmark (Pabst Racing) ran in company with the leaders until slipping back just a little in the final few laps. He still finished fifth ahead of Reece Ushijima (Jay Howard Driver Development), Louka St-Jean (Turn 3 Motorsport), Bijoy Garg (DEForce Racing) and Joel Granfors (Exclusive Autosport).

Ushijima atoned for his error earlier in the day by claiming the Tilton Hard Charger Award after working his way from 12th on the grid to sixth.

The winning team owner, Augie Pabst, capped an excellent day by earning a second PFC Award to the trophy he won also in USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires through the efforts of Simon Sikes.

Next on the docket for the USF Pro Championships is another double-header event, once again in conjunction with the NTT IndyCar Series, on the streets of Toronto on July 15-16.

RESULTS

Provisional championship points after 11 of 18 rounds:
1. Myles Rowe, 251
2. Kiko Porto, 187
3. Joel Granfors, 185
4. Salvador de Alba, 173
5. Francesco Pizzi, 171
6. Michael d’Orlando, 169
7. Jace Denmark, 166
8. Jonathan Browne, 152
9. Jack William Miller, 147
10. Lirim Zendeli, 142

D’Orlando rockets back to USF Pro 2000 form with win at Mid-Ohio

After experiencing all manner of misfortune during the first half of the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires season, Michael d’Orlando now has earned two victories in his three most recent starts for Turn 3 Motorsport. Last year’s USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires champion led from flag to flag in Saturday’s opening leg of the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio, which included a red-flag stoppage due to a short, sharp rain shower, and finally took the checkered flag 1.5096s ahead of Pabst Racing’s Jace Denmark, from Scottsdale, Ariz.

Jack William Miller, from Carmel, Ind., completed the podium for Miller Vinatieri Motorsports.

D’Orlando, from Hartsdale, N.Y., continued his run of form by securing his third Cooper Tires Pole Award of the season during qualifying on Friday, and comfortably translated that into the lead at the start.

Brazilian Kiko Porto, who preceded d’Orlando as a USF2000 champion in 2021, started second for DEForce Racing, but maintained his position only as far as the exit of Turn 4 where he was unceremoniously bundled off the road and onto the grass by an aggressive Salvador de Alba (Exclusive Autosport), from Guadalajara, Mexico. Matters went from bad to worse for the unfortunate Porto as he inadvertently collected several other cars as he attempted to regain the racing surface at Turn 5. Cue a full-course caution.

D’Orlando once again displayed his superiority at the restart, while de Alba was obliged to serve a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility which relegated him to the back of the field.

Reece Ushijima (Jay Howard Driver Development) and fellow Scottsdale, Ariz., resident Denmark, who today celebrated his 19th birthday, led the chase at the restart, having vaulted, respectively, from sixth and eighth on the starting grid. But a three-wide tussle at the end of the back straightaway soon after the restart saw Ushijima shuffled back a couple of positions, which he maintained until catching the curb and spinning into the gravel trap at Turn Eight after 13 laps.

Rain began to fall during the ensuing caution period, and after two more laps the race was red-flagged and the entire field was instructed to fit wet-weather Cooper tires prior to the restart. With the 50-minute time slot closing rapidly, there was time for merely a two-lap dash to the finish. The storm clouds miraculously deposited only minimal precipitation, and on a damp track d’Orlando expertly negotiated the tricky conditions to cement his win.

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“The race was fun. Sometimes you have a battle with another driver and it’s super hectic but, to be fair, I was out front the whole time,” d’Orlando said. “I did get a bit anxious when the rain came. I went into Turn One with the new rain tires and didn’t know what to expect. I went in a tad too fast and corrected that but a real moment. It was a great race and the #1 Priority machine from Turn 3 Motorsport was absolutely insane. It has been fast all weekend and I am super proud to put it on top at Mid-Ohio. Huge thanks to all my supporters.”

The top five positions remained unchanged, with Miller just fending off Sweden’s Joel Granfors (Exclusive Autosport) for third and Bijoy Garg (DEForce Racing) from Atherton, Calif., claiming a season-best fifth-place finish.

German-based Albanian Lirim Zendeli (TJ Motorsport) made up a couple of positions in the closing laps to secure sixth ahead of Canada’s Louka St-Jean (Turn 3 Motorsport).

Championship leader Myles Rowe (Pabst Racing with Force Indy), from Brooklyn, N.Y., slipped from sixth to 11th, but still managed to maintain a healthy points advantage over Granfors.

Ricardo Escotto (Jay Howard Driver Development), from Mexico City, Mexico, picked up the Tilton Hard Charger Award by virtue of finishing ninth and advancing nine positions from the start.

Turn 3 Motorsport’s Peter Dempsey claimed the PFC Award as the winning car owner.

The second half of this weekend’s Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio is scheduled to go green Saturday at 5:25 p.m. EDT.

RESULTS