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 rookie Lochie Hughes (pictured above) to secure the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire championship.
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.
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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.