USF Pro Championships – Syndication Server

McNeilly, Wheldon top USF Juniors at NOLA

Liam McNeilly and Sebastian Wheldon once again emerged as the top USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire protagonists as the opening tripleheader round of the season was concluded Sunday at NOLA Motorsports Park. McNeilly, from Brentwood, England, turned the tables on yesterday’s winner Wheldon, from Coral Gables, Fla. after a thrilling contest, while the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana wrapped up several hours later with Wheldon securing a second victory and the championship lead.

Israeli Ariel Elkin finished a strong third Sunday morning for the InterMS team, while VRD Racing’s Max Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., edged McNeilly for second in the final 12-lap encounter which once again was run under entirely green-flag conditions.

A separate qualifying session, with the 26-car field split into two groups, was held in the morning to establish the grid for the day’s pair of races. Honors were split, with Saturday’s runaway winner Wheldon claiming his first Continental Tire Pole Award for the first of the day’s two races, with Saturday polesitter McNeilly posting the best of every driver’s second-fastest lap to claim what could prove to be a vital championship bonus point for the third and final race of the weekend.

Wheldon swept into an immediate lead this morning, assisted further when third-fastest qualifier Vinicius Tessaro’s DEForce car abruptly cut out exiting Turn 4. Miraculously, the Brazilian was not collected by anyone among the huge pack of cars in his wake, and he was able to rejoin at the back of the field. Tessaro then posted an impressive fightback by climbing from 25th to 11th at the checkered flag.

Consequently, Wheldon completed the first lap with a massive advantage of over 3s, although to his chagrin, that was whittled to nothing when the caution flags waved briefly due to some debris on the race track from an incident farther down the field.

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The restart was a different story altogether. Wheldon immediately came under pressure from McNeilly, who went side-by-side with Wheldon through the first couple of corners and then moved into the lead by virtue of having the inside line for Turn 3.

McNeilly thereafter controlled the race from the front, and even though Wheldon mounted a stern challenge, there was no way through as the Englishman claimed the victory.

Taylor finished third on the road for VRD Racing, but the addition of a 5s penalty for jumping the start relegated him to sixth behind first-time podium finisher Elkin, InterMS teammate Augusto Soto-Schirripa, from Miami, Fla., who bounced back well after having been unable to start Saturday’s race due to an electrical gremlin and Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas.

“I had a good day here at Nola,” McNeilly said. “I qualified second overall and managed to convert that to a win in race two. I was on pole for race three. I had a good start and then dropped back a few places. I managed to get my way back up into third which I managed through the rest of the race. A good start to the season and hopefully we will build on that for Barber.”

Mexican Rodrigo Gonzalez (DEForce Driver Development) took home the Tilton Hard Charger Award after working his way from 25th on the grid to 17th at the checkered flag.

The PFC Award to the winning car owner went to Jay Howard.

Race three Sunday afternoon began once again with McNeilly leading the way from Taylor and Wheldon, although Elkin was the man to watch at the start as he charged from fifth on the grid to challenge McNeilly for the lead as they raced into Turn Four for the first time.

McNeilly pushed a little too hard under braking for Turn 10 on the opening lap and briefly ran into the escape road. He emerged still with the lead but quickly ceded the position after recognizing he had gained an illegal advantage. Elkin was the initial beneficiary, although Wheldon immediately began to apply pressure and it was only a matter of time before the Israeli was forced to capitulate.

Once into the lead on lap four, Wheldon put his head down and soon stretched out a comfortable lead.

Taylor also found a way past Elkin and chased the leader as hard as he could. The pair ran an almost identical pace but the advantage never looked likely to shift away from Wheldon.

McNeilly fought back from his early miscue to claim third ahead of Elkin, who finished with a slender edge over Tessaro and Soto-Schirripa.

“The day went really well,” Wheldon said. “In the first race I was able to finish second, which is really good for the points. Heading into the last race, I just wanted to stay on track and keep it clean and was able to take the win. The car was phenomenal all day and I can’t thank VRD enough.”

Brazilian Joao Vergara earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award for Exclusive Autosport by virtue of making up six positions from 19th on the grid, while VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell claimed his second PFC Award of the weekend as the winning car owner.

The next event for USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire will be held in conjunction with the NTT IndyCar Series at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Ala. Practice and qualifying will take place on Thursday, April 25, with a warmup and two 20-lap races slated for Friday, April 26.

RACE TWO RESULTS

RACE THREE RESULTS

Johnson scores NOLA USF Pro 2000 perfection

Nikita Johnson was virtually in a class of his own Sunday at NOLA Motorsports Park. The 15-year-old from Gulfport, Fla., romped to a pair of USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire victories for VRD Racing and now holds a commanding 39-point …

Saturday’s winner Hunter Yeany (TJ Speed Motorsports), from Virginia Beach, Va., has emerged as Johnson’s closest challenger following second and third-place finishes today. Two Pabst Racing drivers shared the podium honors with 2023 USF2000 champion Simon Sikes, from Augusta, Ga., finishing third this morning and Jace Denmark, from Brownsburg, Ind., going one better in the weekend finale.

Yeany continued the morning from where he left off Saturday by taking up his position at the head of the field after having secured his first Continental Tire Pole Award in qualifying. The Virginian maintained his advantage both at the start and a subsequent restart after four laps due to Danny Dyszelski, from Belmont, N.C., having been involved in an incident which dumped his Turn 3 Motorsport Tatuus into the gravel at Turn 6.

Soon, though, it was apparent that Johnson had the car to beat. Having started fifth and then lost a couple of positions at the initial start, Johnson quickly made up the deficit and more as he charged his way into contention. By lap eight, Johnson was on Yeany’s tail and challenging for the lead.

Remarkably, the top two raced absolutely side-by-side through several corners on lap 10, each giving the other just enough space to race cleanly. Johnson was narrowly ahead as they completed the lap, only for Yeany to regain the advantage at Turn 1. A lap later, Yeany bowed to the inevitable as Johnson towed alongside on the front straight and finally made the pass stick in Turn 1.

Johnson then pulled away to his second win of the season, leaving Yeany to settle for second. Johnson’s fine effort brought him a new lap record as well as earning him the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

Sikes finished hot on Yeany’s tail in third for his best result of the season, while Canadian Mac Clark (DEForce Racing) also enjoyed a strong run to fourth.

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The BN Racing duo of Nicolas Baptiste, from Bogota, Colombia, and Mexico’s Ricardo Escotto finished nose-to-tail in fifth and sixth for their best results to date.

The Continental Tire Pole Award for the third and final race of the weekend was taken by Johnson by virtue of his new lap record in the earlier race being faster than anyone else’s second fastest lap set during qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Unsurprisingly, Johnson rocketed into the lead at the start and immediately began pulling away.

Johnson stretched his lead to as much as 4.5s following a string of fast, consistent laps before easing his pace a little in the closing stages. His eventual margin of victory was 2.8090s.

“Today was great. We came away with two wins. The VRD car was really fast,” Johnson said. “In race two, I started P5 and didn’t get the best start. My tires were brand new and they weren’t in yet so I fell back to seventh or eighth. I had to work back through the field and once my tires came in, the car was just a rocket ship and I was able to pass everyone. We made a change from race two to race three and that made it even better. Once I broke the draft to Jace I just put my head down and focused on building a gap and that’s what I did. I want to thank everyone on the team, Dan Mitchell, Jacob Loomis, Jacob Abel, Scottie, Hugo, all my teammates, my family and everyone back home watching.”

In stark contrast to this season’s previous four thrilling USF Pro 2000 races, Sunday afternoon’s encounter was rather tame. Denmark completed a strong weekend, which also included a pole position Saturday, by finishing a relatively lonely second as Yeany settled into third and once again kept Sikes at bay.

Clark and Escotto finished fifth and sixth, while Danny Dyszelski, from Belmont, N.C., claimed another Tilton Hard Charger Award after rising from 14th on the grid to eighth.

The PFC Award for both of today’s races were claimed by Dan Mitchell as the winning team owner.

USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire will return to action on May 9-11 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course where a pair of races will be held in support of the NTT IndyCar Series headline event.

RACE TWO RESULTS

RACE THREE RESULTS

Corry, Christodoulou split USF2000 honors at NOLA

Defending series champion team Pabst Racing continued its momentum by scoring a fourth USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire victory on the trot Sunday morning at NOLA Motorsports Park. Sam Corry, from Cornelius, N.C., emerged as top dog in the first of two races today, although later in the afternoon the streak finally was broken when Canada’s Nico Christodoulou claimed his and VRD Racing’s first win of the season.

Evagoras Papasavvas (Jay Howard Driver Development), 16, from Loveland, Ohio, continued a fine streak of his own by completing a sweep of second-place finishes from this weekend’s Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana tripleheader. Papasavvas thereby maintained some pressure on 15-year-old points leader Max Garcia (Pabst Racing), from Coconut Grove, Fla., who once again displayed his paces today by claiming two pole positions as well as a third and a fourth-place finish.

The final podium position, third in the final race this afternoon, was taken by another 16-year-old, Max Taylor (VRD Racing), from Hoboken, N.J.

Garcia led the field to green in the first race of the day after posting the fastest time in qualifying yesterday to claim his third Continental Tire Pole Award of the young season. But he immediately came under siege from outside front row starter Christodoulou, whose attempt to make a pass under braking for Turn 10 saw both cars make contact and run wide on the exit. Pabst Racing’s Hudson Schwartz, from Arlington, Va., grasped the opening with both hands and swept through into the lead.

Schwartz held his advantage for the first five laps before Taylor executed a nice pass for the lead, only to lose control and spin just a couple of laps later on the entry to Turn Four. Even more unfortunately, teammate Christodoulou, running directly behind, was forced to take evasive action. The Canadian rejoined at the back of the field, whereupon he mounted a tremendous charge which included posting the fastest lap of the race to rise all the way to seventh at the checkered flag. Christodoulou posted a new lap record for good measure.

Papasavvas profited most from the fracas, jumping from fourth to the lead, albeit chased menacingly by all three Pabst cars in the order Schwartz, Garcia and Corry.

However, following a brief caution period, Papasavvas was slow to pick up the pace at the restart and was immediately jumped by an on-the-ball Corry, who leapt from fourth to the lead and maintained his advantage to the finish for his first race win of the season. He also secured another PFC Award for team owner Augie Pabst.

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Papasavvas, in second, stretched his sequence of podium finishes this season to four, while Garcia overcame the early incident to complete the podium in third ahead of Schwartz and Taylor.

“It was an interesting race,” Corry said. “I started P6 on the grid, and I think we were P4 on the second to last restart. My [spotter] Nate came on the radio and said, ‘green, green, green,’ and they weren’t going, so I went. I took advantage of that and passed everyone in front of me and got a good gap. Then the yellow came out again, but I made a good restart with a couple of guys behind us napping. It’s a good start to the season and good to rack up some points.”

DC Autosport’s Ayrton Houk, from McCordsville, Ind., moved from 17th on the grid to 11th to earn the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

Garcia took another Continental Tire Pole Award by virtue of the second fastest laps set by each driver in qualifying yesterday afternoon, but once again was unable to capitalize as Christodoulou pounced around the outside of Turn 1 to grasp an early advantage.

Teammate Taylor muscled his way past soon after a mid-race restart, although after another incident which was cleared in time for a three-lap dash to the checkers, Christodoulou returned the favor and swept on to take the victory spoils. He also earned a PFC Award for Dan Mitchell as the winning team owner.

Papasavvas took second place at Turn 3 after Taylor lost a little momentum, while Garcia shadowed them home in fourth and Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport), from San Antonio, Texas, completed the top five.

“The race was pretty good,” Christoloulou said. “We started in P2 and I was able to get around Garcia on lap one. I started to gain a good lead and then we went to a full course yellow. I then got passed and was shuffled but was able to pass my teammate to get a double podium.”

DEForce Racing’s Maxwell Jamieson, from Houston, Texas, claimed his second Tilton Hard Charger Award of the weekend after climbing from 19th on the grid to 11th.

Next on the docket for USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire will be a doubleheader event held in conjunction with the NTT IndyCar Series on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course circuit on May 9-11.

RACE TWO RESULTS

RACE THREE RESULTS

Yeany becomes third USF Pro 2000 winner in as many races at NOLA

The new USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire season is off to another intensely competitive start, evidenced by Hunter Yeany this afternoon becoming the third different winner – representing three different teams – from the opening three races …

Driving for TJ Speed Motorsports, Yeany, from Virginia Beach, Va., added his name to the roster following a hard-fought race in which he muscled past polesitter Jace Denmark (Pabst Racing), of Brownsburg, Ind., on the opening lap and then held off a determined challenge in the closing stages from VRD Racing’s Nikita Johnson, from Gulfport, Fla.

Denmark had to be content with a third-place finish.

It was a different story earlier in the day as Denmark emerged fastest from a close-fought qualifying session – which saw the top 12 drivers separated by less than 0.5s – to claim his first Continental Tire Pole Award since Sebring last year. Yeany occupied the other position on the front row of the grid with Taiwanese-American Ethan Ho (Turn 3 Motorsport), from Los Angeles, Calif., and last year’s USF2000 champion Simon Sikes (Pabst Racing), from Augusta, Ga., making up Row Two.

A fraught opening few corners saw Yeany battle his way to the front following some wheel-to-wheel contact with Denmark at Turn 3, while Sikes fought his way past Ho into third. Unfortunately, Ho’s hopes of a high finish were dashed just a couple of laps later when he clipped the wall at the exit of Turn 13 and spun off the road with damaged suspension.

A couple more incidents served to break up the race into a series of short sprints, caution periods and restarts. On each occasion Yeany managed to successfully defend his position to ensure a well-judged victory.

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After starting a lowly eighth on the grid after making a mistake in qualifying, Johnson – a winner last month on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. – worked his way steadily forward during the early stages of the 18-lap race. He was able to sneak ahead of Denmark at Turn 3 soon after one of the restarts, but there was no way past Yeany. As a consolation, Johnson, the only driver to finish among the top four in each of the three races, has now moved to the top of the championship standings.

“I wanted to take the lead early because I knew if I got clean air it would be really hard for the guys behind to follow because it is such a high speed track,” Yeany said. “Everything went to plan and then it was just about holding them off especially on the restarts. It was really hectic. We got the job done at the end of the day so I am super happy. The team did a great job and we have been really fast all weekend. All the hard work in off-season like set-ups and developing the car has really paid off and I want to thank them for all of the hard work they put in. It really means a lot.”

Fellow teenager Danny Dyszelski, from Belmont, N.C., also impressed for Turn 3 Motorsport, earning the Tilton Hard Charger Award as he battled his way from 12th on the grid to fourth, including a late pass on Canadian Mac Clark (DEForce Racing) with a couple of laps remaining.

The PFC Award went to Tim Neff of TJ Speed Motorsports as the winning team owner.

The Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana will continue tomorrow, April 7, with another pair of 18-lap races with the green flags set to fly at 10:00 a.m. and 2:15 p.m CDT. Yeany will be in prime position to continue his march up the championship standings after posting the fastest time in a separate qualifying session earlier this afternoon. Live coverage of both Sunday races will be available on the USF Pro Championships App and on the series’ website, www.usfpro2000.com.

RESULTS

Garcia maintains perfect start to his USF2000 season at NOLA

Max Garcia and Pabst Racing remain unbeaten after the opening three rounds of the new USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire season. Garcia, 15, from Coconut Grove, Fla., took advantage of some squabbling in front of him on the opening lap of this afternoon’s opening leg of the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana tripleheader at NOLA Motorsports Park, vaulting from fifth on the grid to a lead he never looked likely to relinquish.

Evagoras Papasavvas also continued his strong start to the season for the Jay Howard Driver Development team, finishing second ahead of first-time polesitter Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport), from Golden, Colo. All 15 laps were run under green-flag conditions.

Brienza capitalized on the pace he had displayed during yesterday’s test sessions by securing the first Continental Tire Pole Award of his young career during qualifying this morning. He duly held the lead for most of the opening lap, only for Garcia’s Pabst Racing teammate Sam Corry, from Cornelius, N.C., to attempt a bold, late move under braking for Turn 10, which cost both protagonists valuable momentum and opened the door for Garcia to sweep through into the lead.

Papasavvas executed a more conventional maneuver at Turn 1 at the beginning of the second lap to demote Brienza one more position, but by then Garcia was already making his escape.

Garcia quickly extended his lead to over two seconds, setting what was to remain as the fastest lap of the race and gradually easing away to a comfortable victory.

Papasavvas couldn’t hold a candle to Garcia but remained clear of Brienza, who instead soon came under attack from a recovering Corry. The pressure intensified in the closing stages, although Brienza was up to the task and able to secure his first USF2000 podium finish.

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Max Taylor (VRD Racing) capitalized on a good start from 10th on the grid to finish fifth ahead of Hudson Schwartz (Pabst Racing), from Arlington, Va. Schwartz benefited from a last-lap incident between the unfortunate Elliot Cox (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development), from Indianapolis, Ind., and last year’s USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire champion Nicolas Giaffone (DEForce Racing). Giaffone was later assessed responsibility for the clash, relegating him to 14th in the final results.

Ayrton Houk and DC Autosport teammate Carson Etter claimed their best finishes to date in seventh and ninth, sandwiching DEForce Racing’s Australian Quinn Armstrong.

Maxwell Jamieson (DEForce Racing) also claimed both his best result in 10th and the the Tilton Hard Charger Award after rising from 21st on the grid.

“We started fifth and got up to third at the initial start,” Garcia said. “I think it was Corry and Brienza who washed up the track into [Turn] 10 and I just took advantage of that and never looked back. The car was mega. This car is so good. It is hard to mess up this car. Thanks to Pabst Racing as always. They are an amazing team – the best team here – Advanced Auto Parts, OMP and Bell.”

Augie Pabst, who pocketed another PFC Award as the winning team owner, will start tomorrow in perfect position for one more after Garcia posted the fastest time in a second qualifying session earlier this afternoon. Garcia will therefore lead the field to the green flag for the second race of the weekend which will start tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. CT. Race3 will start at 1:15 p.m. Live coverage of both races will be available on the USF Pro Championships App and on the series’ website, www.usf2000.com.

RESULTS

Sebastian Wheldon dominates USF Juniors opener at NOLA

Second-generation racer Sebastian Wheldon romped to an emphatic USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire debut victory Saturday afternoon to kick off the weekend’s busy Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana at NOLA Motorsports Park. Wheldon, 15, from Coral Gables, Fla., claimed the lead shortly after the start from polesitting Englishman Liam McNeilly (Jay Howard Driver Development), and quickly pulled away to an unassailable lead for VRD Racing.

McNeilly eventually secured second position after a thrilling battle with Wheldon’s teammate, Max Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., as an impressive 25-car field provided some superb action during an all-green flag 12-lap race on the 2.74-mile road course just a few miles from downtown New Orleans, La.

After regularly topping the timing charts during the pre-season Spring Training test at NOLA last month, McNeilly, 17, from Brentwood, England, continued his fine form by claiming the first Continental Tire Pole Award of the new season. McNeilly maintained his edge at the start, but Wheldon, who started second, remained alongside his rival on the outside line as the two leaders negotiated Turn 1, which in turn gave him the advantage – and the lead – at Turn 2.

Taylor, who lined up fifth on the grid, also muscled his way past McNeilly on the opening lap, which allowed Wheldon to consolidate his lead. He never looked back. Wheldon turned a series of fast, consistent laps to extend his advantage to almost 8s before finally heeding the instructions from race engineer/driver coach Jacob Loomis and eventually taking the checkered flag some 7.6285s to the good.

Taylor for many laps managed to resist the pressure from McNeilly and hold onto second place, despite the JHDD Tatuus JR-23 exhibiting considerably more straight line speed. Finally, with three laps remaining, McNeilly executed a fine outside-line pass under braking for Turn 1, then edged clear to cement his runner-up finish.

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He next came under attack from Brazilian Vinicius Tessaro (DEForce Racing), Jack Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport), from San Antonio, Texas, and Israeli Ariel Elken (InterMS), who rampaged through the field following a qualifying that left him a distant 14th on the grid. Taylor barely managed to hold off Tessaro for third on the dash to the line, with Elkin capping a fine performance by usurping Jeffers with three laps remaining.

Brazilian Bruno Ribeiro (DEForce Racing) narrowly edged G3 Argyros (Jay Howard Driver Development), from Newport Beach, Calif., for seventh after a race-long battle as another Brazilian, Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella Racing) and Canadian Ayden Ingratta (Jay Howard Driver Development) completed the top 10. However, Ribeiro later was assessed a five-place penalty for being out of position at the start which relegated him to 11th in the final results behind fellow Brazilian Joao Vergara (Exclusive Autosport).

“The race went really well. I was able to lead early on at the start and just create a big gap on the field,” Wheldon said after his victory. “The car felt really good. We’ve had a fast car since practice and it felt amazing. It feels good to start the season like this and I gained a lot of confidence and should be good for the next round.”

The Tilton Hard Charger Award was earned by Exclusive Autosport’s Evan Cooley, from Frankfort, Ill., who worked his way to 14th place after having started last following some problems in qualifying, while the PFC Award for the winning car owner went to VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell.

The opening weekend of the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire season will conclude with two more races Sunday. The starting lineups will be set following another split qualifying session, starting at 8:00 a.m., with the races due to start at 11:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. CDT. Live coverage of all sessions will be available on the USF Pro Championships App and on the series’ website, www.usfjuniors.com.

RESULTS

NOLA set for busy USF Pro Championships weekend

All three levels of the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire open-wheel driver development ladder will be featured this weekend, April 5-7, at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, La. A total of 65 young drivers with their sights set on a career in the NTT IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 will converge on the 2.74-mile, 13-turn road course situated a few miles from downtown New Orleans, which also hosted the series’ traditional Spring Training pre-season test last month, for the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana.

For USF Pro 2000 and USF2000, this weekend will represent the second event of the season following a pair of races apiece last month on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. But it will be the season opener for a burgeoning USF Juniors field which has attracted a record grid of 26 cars. Collectively, over $1.68 million in scholarships and awards will be distributed at the end of the year to ensure graduation onto the next step of the ladder in 2025.

In addition, the Skip Barber Racing School’s Formula Race Series will continue its season with a pair of races on Sunday. Skip Barber is the Official Racing School of USF Pro Championships with a scholarship of $100,000 on offer for the champion to progress to USF Juniors.

Hughes takes early edge in USF Pro 2000
The USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire campaign kicked off with a pair of exciting races in Florida and two different winners. Impressively, Australian rookie Lochie Hughes came out of the blocks by leading from start to finish in the opening encounter – just as he did 12 months previously when he also won on his debut in USF2000.

Hughes’ hopes of a clean sweep for Turn 3 Motorsport were derailed by 15-year-old local driver Nikita Johnson, from Gulfport, Fla., who pounced for VRD Racing with six laps remaining in Race Two to equal the score on the St. Petersburg streets. Hughes had to be content with second position but still accumulated a slender eight-point advantage as the two early title rivals head for Louisiana.

Entry List

Pabst Racing’s Christian Brooks, rookie Liam Sceats (TJ Speed Motorsports) and Danny Dyszelski (Turn 3 Motorsport) also notched podium finishes to begin their championship challenges on a high note. In addition, Frankie Mossman (Jay Howard Driver Development) and former USF2000 champion Braden Eves (Exclusive Autosport) ran among the top five to amply display the deep competitiveness among the teams that has become a hallmark of USF Pro 2000 in recent years.

After a day of testing and one official practice session on Friday, March 5, the intensity will ramp up on Saturday with a pair of qualifying sessions and Race 1 which is set to start at 4:25 p.m. CDT. Two more 18-lap races will see a green flag on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.

Garcia leads hungry USF2000 pack
Just over a week before his 15th birthday, Max Garcia made the perfect start to his USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire championship quest by winning not once but twice in St. Petersburg for defending champion team Pabst Racing. Having also set the pace during the prior Spring Training test, Garcia will return to NOLA Motorsports Park riding a huge wave of confidence.

Not that Garcia is likely to have things all his own way. He was beaten away from the starting line in both of the opening two races – by different rivals – and can expect even greater competition this week as he strives to extend his championship lead and strengthen his bid for a scholarship valued at $458,400 to graduate next year into USF Pro 2000.

Entry List

The other two podium finishers in Florida were Pabst Racing teammate Sam Corry and Jay Howard Driver Development’s Evagoras Papasavvas. The pair each shared a second and a third, although Papasavvas grabbed a slender one-point edge by virtue of leading most laps in the opening encounter.

Elliot Cox (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development), Nico Christodoulou (VRD Racing), Michael Costello (Jay Howard Driver Development) and Quinn Armstrong (DEForce Racing) also are expected to shine again this week. And Exclusive Autosport’s Thomas Schrage will seek to build on an impressive drive from 17th to sixth in Race Two at St. Petersburg.

The USF2000 schedule virtually mirrors that of USF Pro 2000 with the three races set to start at 3:25 p.m. CDT on Saturday, and 9:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. on Sunday.

Huge field for USF Juniors opener
Interest in the first rung on the USF Pro Championships ladder, USF Juniors, continues to strengthen. No fewer than 26 cars are expected to be on the grid Saturday afternoon for the first of three races that will kick off the 2024 season.

Picking a selection of likely frontrunners is far from easy, although Liam McNeilly (pictured, top) laid down a marker at the Spring Training pre-season test by posting the fastest times for Jay Howard Driver Development, which will field a remarkable seven-car entry.

Entry List

Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers is the top returning driver from last year after winning three times and earning third place in the final standings. In addition, Jeffers claimed the YACademy Winter Series crown following a series of six races at two tracks in Florida in February.

Max Taylor (VRD Racing) also tasted the fruit of victory last year. Taylor, along with DEForce Racing’s Brady Golan will pull double duty in USF2000.

Second-generation racer Sebastian Wheldon steps up to USF Juniors with VRD Racing after winning the Skip Barber Formula Race Series crown and a $100,000 scholarship in 2023, while runner-up Jeshua Alianell will continue to be a thorn in Wheldon’s side as he moves into USF Juniors with a newly formed Skip Barber Racing team.

The huge field will be split into two groups for a pair of qualifying sessions which will set the starting order for three races at 12:20 p.m. CDT on Saturday and then 11:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Full coverage can be found on the free USF Pro Championships App, YouTube channel and respective series’ websites: usfpro2000.com, usf2000.com and usfjuniors.com.

Johnson scores home-turf USF Pro 2000 win

Twelve months after Lochie Hughes and Nikita Johnson shared the victory spoils during the opening two USF2000 races of the season on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg, the two talented youngsters have repeated the feat. Only this time both have now stepped up to USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, the next level on the USF Pro Championships ladder which propels drivers all the way from the grassroots of the sport via a scholarship-funded path toward a future in the NTT IndyCar Series.

Hughes, from the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, took top honors yesterday, while today it was the turn of local driver Johnson, from nearby Gulfport, Fla., who swept past his rival soon after a restart with six laps remaining and pulled away to an emphatic victory for VRD Racing.

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Hughes on this occasion had to settle for second as Turn 3 Motorsport teammate Danny Dyszelski, from Belmont, N.C., capped another fine weekend for the Illinois-based team by finishing third following a thrilling tussle with Pabst Racing’s Christian Brooks, from Santa Clarita, Calif.

Hughes jumped into an early lead after claiming his second Continental Tire Pole Award for the Foundation Building Materials Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Johnson, who started fourth, vaulted immediately to second at the first corner and remained tucked in behind the rear wing of Hughes’ car until the caution flags waved due to Ethan Ho (Turn 3 Motorsport) being inadvertently pitched into the wall at Turn 10 as TJ Speed Motorsports’ Hunter Yeany tried to initiate a pass. Shawn Rashid (VRD Racing) also was involved as an innocent victim.

The pace at the front was just as frantic following the restart, with both leaders lapping ever faster around the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course.

Another incident after 16 laps brought a brief respite for Hughes, but there was no stopping the inspired Johnson soon after the restart when he elicited a loud cheer from the grandstands after executing a perfectly judged pass for the lead. Once in front, Johnson continued to set new fastest laps — quicker even than Hughes’ best from qualifying on Friday — before taking the checkered flag just over two seconds in front.

“My race went really well. I started fourth and made up two positions on the first lap going around the outside in Turn 1, said Johnson. “After that, I knew we had a fast car. I saw Lochie sliding a lot. He was pushing hard, and I was just trying to play the end game. We had a lot of cautions and, finally, on the last caution I pipped him. I followed him along down the inside and came back up high which forced him into an error and went over/under.

“It feels great to win in my hometown. There was a lot of PR and activities leading up to this event, so I had to go do well. It was fun. I really loved it and hopefully we can continue on this roll at NOLA.”

Dyszelski, who started second, held third place for the majority of the 25-lap race. Brooks, who finished second on Saturday, briefly found a way past Dyszelski at almost the same moment as Johnson overtook Hughes for the lead, only for Dyszelski to return the favor next time around.

Brooks also fell victim to Jay Howard Driver Development’s Frankie Mossman, who finished a strong fourth, chased home by Brooks and New Zealander Liam Sceats (TJ Speed Motorsports).

DEForce Racing’s Jorge Garciarce claimed his second Tilton Hard Charger Award of the weekend after rising from 20th on the grid to 10th — one position better than yesterday. The PFC Award for the winning car owner went to VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell.

The USF Pro 2000 competitors now have a month’s break before returning to action for a tripleheader at NOLA Motorsports Park, just outside New Orleans, La., on April 5-7.

RESULTS

Garcia does the USF2000 double in St. Petersburg

A sweep of The Andersen Companies Grand Prix of St. Petersburg has catapulted 14-year-old Max Garcia, from Coconut Grove, Fla., into an early lead in the quest for this year’s USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire title chase and a scholarship valued at $458,400 to progress onto the next level of the USF Pro Championships ladder in 2025. Pabst Racing’s Garcia executed a bold pass for the lead just before the midway point in this afternoon’s second race of the weekend and maintained his advantage to the finish.

Pabst Racing teammate Sam Corry, from Cornelius, N.C., also slipped past early leader Evagoras Papasavvas (Jay Howard Driver Development), from Loveland, Ohio, for second place to ensure a reversal of their finishing positions from yesterday’s opening race of the season.

Garcia once again started at the front of the pack after claiming his second Continental Tire Pole Award, but for the second successive day found himself behind after the first corner as Papasavvas, a second-place finisher also in 2023, used his prior experience to fine effect by slipping into the lead.

Canadian Nico Christodoulou also made a fast getaway for VRD Racing, jumping from sixth to third at the start, although he was unable to hold that position for long as Corry, who had started second, made his way back into third on lap three.

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Garcia heaped the pressure on Papasavvas in the early laps, prior to a full-course caution due to an incident farther back in the field, although as the leaders began their ninth lap, Garcia made a fully committed lunge under braking for Turn 1 and was able to wrest away the advantage.

The resulting loss of momentum also allowed Corry to clip through into second, which is where he remained.

The race ultimately finished behind the safety car following an incident in Turn 4 with just a couple of laps remaining after Ayrton Houk, from McCordsville, Ind., was forced to abruptly slow when the fire extinguisher in his DC Autosport Tatuus unexpectedly discharged. Even more unfortunately, Brazilian Lucas Fecury was caught unawares in his DEForce entry and also forced out of the race.

Up front, the two Pabst cars completed another excellent weekend for the Oconomowoc, Wis.-based squad by claiming a one-two finish. Papasavvas remained in third, while Elliot Cox, from Indianapolis, Ind., completed a strong weekend by taking fourth once more for the Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development team.

“I was jumped at the start but got by him full-send on a restart,” Garcia said. “We got into the lead and never really looked back after that. The red flag was a bit stressful, just waiting there, but once we got back to racing, the car was fast. Big thanks again to Pabst Racing.”

Christodoulou ended the day in fifth, just ahead of Exclusive Autosport’s Thomas Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio, who overcame some difficulties in yesterday’s race to charge impressively from 17th on the grid to sixth.

Australian Quinn Armstrong (DEForce Racing) finished seventh again as Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport), from Golden, Colo., Hudson Schwartz (Pabst Racing) from Arlington, Va., and a second Australian, Xavier Kokai (VRD Racing), rounded out the top 10.

Schwartz pocketed the Tilton Hard Charger Award after moving up from 22nd on the grid following an accident yesterday, as team owner Augie Pabst claimed yet another PFC Award.

The series next will return to NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, La., the scene of last week’s Spring Training preseason test, for a tripleheader race weekend on April 5-7.

RESULTS

Hughes dominates scrappy USF Pro 2000 opener in St. Petersburg

Just as he did one year ago, Australian Lochie Hughes arrived at the opening race of a new season on the unforgiving streets of St. Petersburg as a rookie and promptly scored an emphatic debut victory. This time, after stepping up from USF2000 to USF Pro 2000, the next level on the highly acclaimed USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire open-wheel driver development ladder, Hughes led throughout a crash-marred 24-lap opening leg of the Foundation Building Materials USF Pro 2000 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race to take the checkered flag for Turn 3 Motorsport. Impressively, it was the team’s third successive triumph in the opening round of the season.

California’s Christian Brooks couldn’t quite match his result from 2023, when he took the victory, but was relatively content with second place after switching across to the defending series champion team, Pabst Racing. New Zealander Liam Sceats rounded out the podium for TJ Speed Motorsports as six different teams were represented in the top six positions.

Hughes, who completed the 2023 season third in the USF2000 title chase, laid out his stall early. He was fastest in the traditional Spring Training preseason test at NOLA Motorsports Park just over a week ago, and continued that form onto the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit in downtown St. Pete with his No. 44. After setting the pace yesterday morning in practice, Hughes repeated the feat later on Friday in qualifying to secure the Continental Tire Pole Award.

His advantage was never seriously threatened today. Hughes cemented his position in the lead at the start, and was clearly unfazed by an early red-flag stoppage due to a heavy crash in Turn 9 on the opening lap as he stayed out in front at the restart.

Hughes quickly pulled away from his pursuers, led by Brooks, who had jumped from fourth to second at the first corner, and had stretched his margin to almost three seconds before the caution flags waved again.

Another couple of incidents resulted in the race finishing under yellow, but it made no difference to Hughes, who never looked in any danger of ceding his position at the front.

“It was an eventful race, but you just had to manage it, really,” said Hughes. “It is always tough into Turn 1 here — a big braking zone on a part of the track you really don’t drive on so it is very dusty and very slippery. It was just about getting through Turn 1 in the lead. I was able to pull a gap but it just felt like safety car after safety car, and that meant I had to keep leading at the restarts. With the big, long straight here you are quite vulnerable into Turn 1.”

A brilliant start saw Mexico’s Ricardo Escotto jump from eighth on the grid to fourth, behind Sceats, whom he later passed for what would have been a fine podium finish for BN Racing had it not been for an error in Turn Four with just two laps to go. Escotto’s unfortunate mistake enabled Sceats to take a strong third in his first race in North America.

Nikita Johnson, from nearby Gulfport, Fla., also impressed while finishing fourth. The VRD Racing youngster fell to eighth in the early skirmishes, but put his head down and posted the fastest lap of the race – worth one extra championship point – to finish on the heels of Sceats and just ahead of Braden Eves (Exclusive Autosport), from Indianapolis, Ind., who marked his return to the category after a one-year absence by finishing fifth ahead of Canadian Mac Clark (DEForce Racing).

Hunter Yeany also drove well in a second TJ Speed Motorsports entry, executing several impressive passes to work his way from 15th on the grid to seventh.

A little farther back Jorge Garciarce earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award for DEForce Racing after rising from 20th on the grid to 11th.

For the third successive year in St. Petersburg, Peter Dempsey earned the PFC Award as the winning car owner.

Race 2 of the double-header opening round of the season will start tomorrow at 8:00am with Hughes once again set to start at the front of the field.

RESULTS