USF Pro Championships – Syndication Server

USF Pro 2000 and USF2000 get power boost for 2025

The USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire has announced it will increase horsepower on road and street courses for the top two rungs of its open-wheel driver development ladder system – USF Pro 2000 and USF2000. “Our goal is to …

“Our goal is to consistently provide the best platform to prepare our drivers to progress up the ladder,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “Increasing horsepower will not only improve the training drivers will receive from the series, but also make the cars more exciting to drive and more challenging.”

Trials of the increased horsepower were conducted during the recent USF Pro Fall Combine Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this month, with VRD Racing’s Noah Ping taking the point in USF Pro 2000 and Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers in USF2000. Ping most recently contested and won in GB3 competition while Jeffers is a multi-time race winner in USF Juniors.

Elite Engines, the Official Engine Supplier of USF Pro Championships, notes that USF Pro 2000 will enjoy a substantial gain in engine performance with the rev limiter rising from 7850 soft to 8350 – a gain of 500 rpm – affecting the engine’s power output and drivability. Peak horsepower output will be boosted 10 hp at the top end while the bottom end will gain as much as 40 hp culminating in lower lap times, a substantial improvement in acceleration out of slower corners along with an increase in top speeds.

USF2000 will continue with its current rev limiter, but removal of the engine restrictor will result in a 20 hp increase at the top end, an increase in acceleration, with a small gain in top speed, and faster lap times.

“It was a great change, making the car come to life in the best of ways,” said Ping. “It is slightly more challenging to drive resulting in the need to be more precise and delicate with the right foot. It also makes driving the USF Pro 2000 car more of a total experience because not only is it more fun to drive but also it increases your heart rate and requires the driver’s inputs to be more precise than before.

“It will be a new experience that will help driver development and reward the best drivers, especially in the wet. I truly cannot say enough great things about how this horsepower increase will shape the future of the USF Pro 2000 series.”

Said Jeffers, “The increased horsepower was definitely an eye-opener as to how much faster these cars can truly go. It didn’t really require me to change my driving style a whole lot though. My braking points were the same, turn-in and apex were the same. The big difference is apparent on the exit; you have so much more power so there is more wheelspin, and then climbing through fourth, fifth and sixth gear, it continues to pull very hard and that’s where I noticed the biggest difference to my competitors. The unrestricted car pulls through fourth and fifth gear much better. There were a couple of occasions where when I got a good draft, I would almost run out of gear in sixth.

“But overall, I really like the unrestricted car, and with the added wheelspin, tire management could be a potential factor in the mid-season with all the long hot races. I strongly believe that it will improve the racing and make the car harder to drive, creating a clear distinction from the front-runners to the midfield.”

Familiar names top USF Pro fall combine in Indianapolis

The USF Pro Championships Fall Combine wrapped up Sunday afternoon after two full days of testing on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. A total of 53 drivers turned laps as preparations began for 2025 campaigns in USF …

Topping the timesheets on the upper step of the ladder, USF Pro 2000, was reigning USF2000 champion Max Garcia, of Miami, Fla., with Pabst Racing. Garcia turned heads this season by becoming the youngest USF2000 champion in the modern day ladder system at just 15 years of age.

“The car was on point right away,” said Garcia. “It felt good learning the car at this obviously heavy braking track. That’s one of the big things. Last year, you had to hit the pedal at 1,100 brake psi and this year it is 1,700, so a big jump and it is pretty cool to learn it here. We were quick every session except for one. It shows we have the pace here but it is not everything. We still need to work and we will keep working over the winter.”

USF Juniors vice champion Liam McNeilly, 18, of London, England set the pace in USF2000 with Jay Howard Driver Development. Narrowly missing the 2024 champion’s crown by a mere five points, McNeilly made a brief foray into USF2000 earlier this year on the streets of Toronto securing a second-place finish after starting from pole.

No. 6 Liam McNeilly, Jay Howard Driver Development, Gavin Baker Photography

“It was a good couple of days,” said McNeilly. “Continuing to work with the Jay Howard team is going really well with four sessions topped and top three in all of them so I can’t complain. The car definitely took a little bit to get used to. Obviously I had the outing in Toronto with all the bumps and everything, and it was good to get out and drive on a proper track instead of a street circuit. I got used to the power quite quickly and the braking – those are the two main differences. It’s good to kick start the 2025 season this way and hopefully we can keep building.”

Joao Vergara, 17, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, impressed in USF Juniors pacing four of the six test sessions with VRD Racing. Vergara, a Lucas Oil Formula Car Series Scholarship Shootout winner in 2023, finished eighth in his rookie season of USF Juniors this year.

No. 45 Joao Vergara, VRD Racing, Gavin Baker Photography

“It has been a great two days here at Indianapolis,” said Vergara. “It is my first time here and I was working on learning the track. I picked it up pretty quickly. The VRD guys just did an amazing job with the car and I am super happy with how it went. I learned so much throughout my first year in USF Juniors and I am so thankful for everything I have learned that I can now apply it to next year and fight for the championship.”

Of the true newcomers to the series, Joseph Loake led the results in USF Pro 2000 with Turn 3 Motorsport. The 19-year-old from Macclesfield, England, contested FIA Formula 3 this year and is a former Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year.

“Obviously coming over to the U.S. is a new experience for me,” said Loake. “It is something that I am quite enjoying at the moment. The pace has been really good throughout the whole test. The two days have gone nice and smooth and it is good to see what it is all about. I had a message from Turn 3 asking if I would like to come out and do a bit of testing and see if the U.S. was a good route for me. They have been really supportive. They are a very welcoming team and it is a nice environment to be in. Being with the reigning champions is not a bad thing.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=6751]

Mayer Deonarine, 15, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was fifth overall in his USF2000 debut with VRD Racing. Deonarine graduated to cars this year contesting both Radical Cup North America and the GB4 Championship.

“Coming to Indianapolis first of all is amazing,” said Deonarine. “The start of the weekend was pretty good with VRD, a pretty accomplished team. I was happy with the results. Unfortunately, all of the first five sessions I was fourth but in that last session I was P1. It kind of felt like I won a race because the team worked so hard throughout the weekend to put me to the front and we ended up in the front. I’m happy.”

Also driving for VRD Racing, Ryan Giannetta, 14, of Redondo Beach, Calif., led the new arrivals in USF Juniors. Karting since the age of six, Giannetta finished fourth in the Skip Barber Racing Series this year.

“This was amazing,” said Giannetta. “I have no complaints. It was so much fun. VRD put in the work for me and the car was really on rails. I had goals to be top three every session and I think I did really well on that. We were fast.”

The next official outing for USF Pro Championships is its annual Spring Training at NOLA Motorsports Park on February 22/23, one week prior to the season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., in support of IndyCar.

USF Pro 2000 RESULTS

USF2000 RESULTS

USF JUNIORS RESULTS

More than 50 drivers set for USF Pro Championships Fall Combine

With another season of USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire in the books, the focus is now on 2025 campaigns for the three levels of the driver development system – USF Pro 2000, USF2000 and USF Juniors. Teams will head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for a two-day open test with a host of new and returning drivers set to display their talents on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course.

Entry List

USF Pro Championships continues to set the bar as a springboard for drivers to move up the motorsports ladder. In recent news, reigning USF Pro 2000 champion Lochie Hughes will join Andretti Global for his debut season in Indy NXT next year while 2022 USF Pro 2000 champion Louis Foster has signed a multi-year program with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for his debut in the NTT IndyCar Series.

Five of the past six USF Pro 2000 champions will now have made it to the top level of IndyCar with 2023 champion Myles Rowe set to continue to hone his skills in Indy NXT with ABEL Motorsports with Force Indy.

The USF Pro Fall Combine will feature three test sessions per day for each series with Timing & Scoring available on the USF Pro Championships App and respective series’ websites. A multitude of drivers will be sampling the next step on their ladder including current USF2000 champion Max Garcia and USF Juniors champion Max Taylor.

In addition to the on-track sessions, drivers, parents and teams will take part in a Sponsorship 101 seminar hosted by CHARGE, a sponsorship consulting agency which has helped over 50 athletes in IndyCar, NASCAR and the NFL. The seminar will be led by CHARGE founder and motorsports veteran Ken Ungar, a long-time consultant to Honda in their racing efforts as well as a former top executive at IndyCar.

Click here for the full schedule.

Thomas Schrage: A thrilling finish to 2024 in USF Pro

We had a thrilling weekend at Portland International Raceway last month to wrap up the 2024 USF Pro Championships race season! First, I would like to mention that Portland was only possible due to the ongoing support from the Team USA Scholarship. While it is not unprecedented for the program to continue helping their drivers beyond the initial year, I’m particularly grateful that the scholarship came to my rescue in terms of being able to complete the season and build toward a full attack on the USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire championship in 2025.

The weekend effectively began with the Grand Prix of Portland Kickoff Party on Wednesday evening in downtown Portland. I met several race fans and became reacquainted with some I had seen the year before, sharing my experiences of what the track was like. Some even became new fans of mine, and kept up with me throughout the weekend.

Thursday, our VRD Racing team showed promising pace during two test sessions and consistently found ourselves in the top five. This set the stage for Friday morning, where official practice started on a wet but drying track. We demonstrated our speed yet again, topping the charts as the quickest car on track.

Qualifying was another highlight of my weekend. My best lap time was seven hundredths off the fastest, which was good enough for second on the grid for the first of three races that would make up the weekend. Even better, the Race Two lineup was determined by each driver’s second-fastest lap from the solitary qualifying session, and because mine was the fastest, I would line up on pole for Race Two.

The first race introduced a new set of challenges. As we lined up on the grid, ominous weather rolled in and it soon began to rain, leading to increasingly treacherous conditions. The track became progressively wetter, making visibility a nightmare when stuck behind other cars.

I had taken the lead of the race as we rolled into Turn 1, but got caught out on the rubber, pushing me wide and forcing me to take the escape route. This necessitated a drive-through penalty, but I managed to regroup and claw my way back into the top 10.

I led race two from the start before losing out to the eventual series champion, Max Garcia. I fought hard throughout the race and ultimately secured a podium finish with a solid third place. To top it off, I set the fastest lap of the weekend, ensuring I would also start the final race from pole position.

Race three on Saturday afternoon was chaotic to say the least. I managed to finish fourth despite substantial front wing damage. It was a grueling challenge, but it was a testament to our resilience.

My focus on Sunday switched to another incredible opportunity — shadowing Bryan Herta and the Andretti crew for the entire race day. It began with a warm welcome at the Andretti Hospitality tent. Bryan introduced me to a variety of influential figures, including the iconic Michael Andretti and the charismatic James Hinchcliffe.

Bryan then took me behind the scenes of the team’s operations and strategy, sharing his insights on fuel percentages and race strategies. I was amazed by the preparation and analysis that goes into each race, including the different strategies tried from years before. Not only was Bryan on top of the team’s strategy, but the strategy of multiple cars behind. This ensured no one could undercut fellow Team USA Scholarship winner Kyle Kirkwood, during the race.

I was allowed to sit in on two pre race meetings. The first meeting was specifically for the No. 27 team, where they formulated their strategy and various backup plans for the race. The second meeting comprised the entire Andretti team, where they discussed each of their strategies.

Next, I took advantage of another connection that had been set up for me by making my way to the Team Penske hauler to connect with Josef Newgarden’s father, Joey. He provided encouragement and invaluable advice as I progress through my career in racing.

Once race time arrived, I was thrilled to be set up at the timing stand with a team radio. The race gave me a front-row seat to the intricacies of decision-making in real-time. Bryan’s expertise shone as he communicated with Kyle, managing strategies to maintain race positions. Even with an unfortunate penalty for the team, the experience was unforgettable. I gleaned so much from the meticulous planning regarding fuel strategies and race tactics.

As the race weekend wrapped up, I shifted gears to catch up with my teammates at VRD Racing for the USF Pro Championships banquet on Sunday evening. We celebrated our achievements from the season – including a USF Juniors championship for one of the team’s drivers, Max Taylor.

I am filled with gratitude when I look back on this incredible weekend. I want to give a massive shout-out and thank you to the Team USA Scholarship, Jeremy Shaw, Josef and Joey Newgarden, Bryan Herta, AERO Sustainable Material Technology, the Road Racing Drivers Club’s SAFEisFAST.com program, Doug Mockett & Company, Andy Lally, Robin Esterson, Chip Ganassi Racing, The Stellrecht Company and Jeff MacPherson. These supporters got me back on the racetrack to end my 2024 season on a great note, and also provided opportunities off-track to better prepare myself for the upcoming race season.

I also want to thank my unwavering supporters, Airport Electric Service and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati.

My goal moving forward is to stay sharp behind the wheel, as I’m anticipating a full season 2025 campaign in USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire. I will carry the lessons learned and the connections formed at Portland with me. I can’t wait to see what the future holds, and I look forward to sharing the next chapter of my racing journey with you all.

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.

Garcia clinches USF2000 title in style at Portland as Argyros wins

An intense climax to the USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire season began Saturday morning at Portland International Raceway with Pabst Racing’s Max Garcia taking a hard-fought victory. It was enough to wrap up the championship in style. Later in the day, a thrilling first half of the final race witnessed USF2000 competition at its finest with a sensational six-car scrap for the lead. Sadly, a chaotic series of incidents blighted the second half of the race and concluded with rookie G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., surviving to claim an unlikely maiden victory after having lined up 14th on the starting grid.

Elliott Cox (Sarah Fisher Hartman Driver Development), from Indianapolis, Ind., led both of the day’s races, although both he and two-time polesitter Thomas Schrage (VRD Racing), from Bethel, Ohio, had to be content with one visit to the podium.

Schrage earned his first Continental Tire Pole Award of the day by virtue of posting the fastest of every driver’s second-fastest laps during the lone qualifying session on Friday. It was Schrage’s second pole of the season after also starting up front for one of his home-track races at Mid-Ohio last month.

Cox started alongside, but immediately took over the lead and continued to hold the advantage for the majority of the 25-lap race.

Garcia, who started fourth, also worked his way past Schrage in the early stages as the top three edged clear of Sam Corry, from Cornelius, N.C., in a second Pabst Racing Tatuus.

Garcia, from Coconut Grove, Fla., was virtually assured of the championship crown, but he was intent upon finishing his impressive campaign with a flourish. He achieved exactly that by finding a way past Cox at the Turn 1-2 chicane with just three laps remaining to claim his fifth win of the season and secure the championship crown in the best possible manner.

The unfortunate Cox, who had hoped to celebrate his 17th birthday Friday with an overdue maiden victory, had to settle for a nonetheless impressive second ahead of Schrage and VRD teammate Max Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., who had risen from eighth on the grid.

Even so, the Tilton Hard Charger Award was claimed by Evagoras Papasavvas (Jay Howard Driver Development), from Loveland, Ohio, who finished strongly in fifth after lining up only 12th on the grid.

Schrage, who has contested only a partial campaign, once again underlined his promise by setting the fastest lap of the race which was enough to secure another pole position for the season finale Saturday afternoon.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1483]

Another fine start by Cox saw him vault from fifth on the grid to second on the opening lap, and two laps later he also overtook Schrage on the back straightaway to lead for the second successive race.

Cox held onto a slender advantage with a snarling pack of cars behind him until lap 12, when a lunge around the outside of the first corner by Garcia ended with both cars off the track and a full-course caution.

Taylor assumed the lead for the restart, but that lasted only a few hundred yards until he overshot his braking point at Turn 1 and made heavy contact with Papasavvas, who had taken a wide entry to the corner and was trying to make a move around the outside. Chaos ensued as the majority of the field was involved and several drivers were forced to take to the escape road, earning themselves drive-through penalties.

When the dust had settled, Argyros, who had been running ninth before the incident, suddenly found himself in the lead. Garcia, meanwhile, having been sent to the back of the field after being assessed responsibility for the earlier incident with Cox, took advantage of the melee and then made a series of incisive passes to work his way back into the fight for the win.

Argyros firmly rebuffed Garcia’s attempt to wrest back the lead at the chicane as they entered the final lap, then gained a reprieve when the caution flags waved again following another incident further back in the pack.

So Argyros’ maiden victory was assured and Garcia had to settle for second ahead of last year’s USF Juniors champion Nicolas Giaffone (DEForce Racing), from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Schrage.

Argyros also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award, while his team owner, Jay Howard, and Augie Pabst of Pabst Racing shared the day’s two PFC Awards.

An exciting season will be celebrated at Sunday night’s Championship Celebration, where Pabst will accept his sixth Team Championship and Garcia will be presented with a scholarship valued at $458,400 to ensure graduation onto the next step of the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire ladder in 2025.

RACE TWO RESULTS

RACE THREE RESULTS

Johnson wins again for VRD in USF Pro 2000 at Portland

Nikita Johnson was out to prove a point this weekend, and he did so emphatically. The 16-year-old from Gulfport, Fla., knew he had virtually no chance of wresting away the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire championship from his main rival, Lochie Hughes, but after holding off a race-long challenge Friday from last year’s USF2000 champion Simon Sikes in damp, drying conditions, Saturday Johnson ensured another visit to the top step of the podium for himself and VRD Racing in the dry by fending off the attentions of Turn 3 Motorsport’s Hughes to claim his series-leading eighth victory of the season.

Hughes had to be content with second, secure in the knowledge the title was already under wraps, while Sikes, from Augusta, Ga., enjoyed another fine podium finish after fighting his way past Pabst Racing teammate Jace Denmark, from Brownsburg, Ind., during an all-green 30-lap season finale.

Johnson and Hughes shared the front row of the grid for the third race in succession, with Johnson having earned his sixth Continental Tire Pole Award by virtue of recording the fastest of every driver’s second-best laps during the solitary qualifying session yesterday.

The top two quickly put some distance between the pursuing Pabst pair, Denmark ahead of Sikes. But rather than simply settling for second, Hughes was especially keen to finish his magnificent year with a flourish – and another victory. But Johnson was not to be denied. Having incurred a 30-point penalty due to a technical infraction earlier in the season, which put a severe dent in his title aspirations, Johnson had no intentions of relinquishing his hard-earned on-track advantage.

Only very briefly during this afternoon’s 30-lap race were the top two separated by more than a second. Hughes redoubled his efforts in the closing stages, but there was not the hint of a chink in Johnson’s armor, and even a last-lap lunge from Hughes under braking for Turn 1 failed to rattle the leader.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1505]

The scrap for third was equally intense. Denmark led the way for the majority of the race until Sikes finally made a move stick at Turn 1 with just five laps remaining.

Jay Howard Driver Development’s Frankie Mossman, from Newport Beach, Calif., found a way past Dutchman Glenn van Berlo (Pabst Racing) at the start, but after another spirited tussle it was van Berlo who came out ahead to secure fifth.

Next up in seventh was DEForce Racing’s Jorge Garciarce, from Guadalajara, Mexico, who completed his rookie USF 2000 season strongly by rising from 14th on the grid to claim his fourth Tilton Hard Charger Award.

“A great way to end off the year with two victories and two poles – just an amazing VRD race car,” Johnson said. “You know, this red machine, our car’s just been amazing all year. I just can’t thank the VRD boys enough for everything they’ve done. They’ve been a huge part of my career. So, hats off to them, my family for always coming out and helping out; my dad for helping me with racing ever since I was a little kid. My mom helping me too, always taking me to tracks. And my little brother for always supporting me at every track. And even when I’m away, he watches. I can’t thank my sponsors enough because I wouldn’t be here without them. And everybody that has just been here from the start. It’s just another amazing year done with the USF Pro Championships.”

Dan Mitchell took his eighth PFC Award of the year as the winning car owner.

It was Johnson who claimed the honors this weekend on the race track, but Hughes has put together an exemplary rookie season and will take the plaudits tomorrow evening during the traditional Championship Celebration when he will be presented with the champion’s trophy and a scholarship prize valued at $681,500 to ensure graduation next year to Indy NXT.

RESULTS

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=6752]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=6751]

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

Johnson wins in the damp as Hughes clinches USF Pro 2000 title

Nikita Johnson scored a fine victory for VRD Racing in Friday evening’s first leg of the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland doubleheader season finale. Some distance behind, a measured drive to sixth position was enough for Turn 3 Motorsport …

Hughes, from the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia also claimed a scholarship valued at $681,500 to advance to Indy NXT, the final stepping stone to the NTT IndyCar Series, in 2025.

Last year’s USF2000 champion Simon Sikes charged hard in the closing stages to finish hot on Johnson’s tail and clinch a coveted second teams’ championship in as many years for Pabst Racing. Frankie Mossman completed the podium for Jay Howard Driver Development.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=6751]

Johnson earned his fifth Continental Tire Pole Award of the year in dry conditions, although the track was completely different for the start of the race following an earlier rain shower. Nevertheless, Johnson was able to maintain his advantage under braking for the tight Festival Curves chicane, pursued by Sikes who displaced a sensibly conservative Hughes from second position. Behind them several cars came together in the tricky conditions to ensure an immediate full-course caution.

Johnson carried on from where he left at the restart, with four laps in the books, although he was unable to shake off Mossman, who had vaulted from ninth on the grid to fourth at the initial start and then made up two more positions immediately after the restart.

The two leaders immediately stretched away from Sikes in third, who in turn comfortably outpaced BN Racing teammates Ricardo Escotto and Alessandro De Tullio.

Track conditions gradually improved as the race progressed, and Johnson eventually managed to eke out some breathing space over Mossman, who continued to run well in second. At two-thirds distance, 20 laps, the gap between the two leaders had grown to 2.6s.

The man to watch at this stage was Sikes, whose car came alive as the track continued to dry. After falling as far as 8.6s behind Mossman with 12 laps completed, suddenly the gap began to diminish rapidly. Within the space of just 10 laps, Sikes had reeled in Mossman, whom he dispatched with ease into Turn 6.

Sikes continued his forward charge, but the clock proved to be Johnson’s savior, as the 40-minute time limit expired after only 27 of the 30 laps had been completed and Johnson took the checkered flag a scant 0.6690s to the good.

Mossman followed them home in third, while Escotto took fourth and the Tilton Hard Charger Award after starting way back in 15th.

The other man to make an impression in the closing stages was Sikes’ Pabst Racing teammate Glenn van Berlo. After being involved in a skirmish on the opening lap, the Dutch rookie charged through the field to finish fifth, well clear of Hughes, who, assured of the championship title, stormed past De Tullio for fifth on the final lap.

“It feels amazing. I mean, it hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” said new champion Hughes. “It wasn’t the ideal race with the conditions, but I just had to bring it home. I wanted to make sure I got this done today, so I can enjoy tomorrow.

“It’s all thanks to the team to Pete and Mandy (Dempsey) to everyone who’s been on my car this year, to Matt, Neil and Dave, and everyone who’s helped out this year. And, of course, my family who made it all happen. I wouldn’t be here without them. It’s tough not getting a lot of support from back home in Australia so to win this championship and have the prize money to move on to IndyNXT next year is amazing.”

Dan Mitchell took his seventh PFC Award of the year as the winning car owner.

The final race of the season will see the green flag at 3:10pm on Saturday.

RESULTS