Local youngster DeFabis scores maiden USF2000 win
The first indication that the lone oval race of the USF2000 season might provide some new storylines came in testing on Wednesday, when Australian rookie Xavier Kokai posted the fastest times for VRD Racing. That trend continued on Thursday when fellow rookie Giaffone broke through after a difficult start to his campaign. The third-generation racer from Sao Paulo, Brazil, topped the charts in the final test session and then repeated the feat in qualifying for DEForce Racing to secure his first Continental Tire Pole Award. Giaffone’s two-lap average of 116.35mph finally eclipsed the record that had stood to Canadian Scott Hargrove since 2013.
A pair of local rookies, DC Autosport’s Ayrton Houk, from McCordsville, Ind., and DeFabis secured by far their best qualifying positions of the season in second and third.
Giaffone took off confidently in the lead at the start, chased initially by Houk and Australian Quinn Armstrong (DEForce Racing), who celebrated his 17th birthday on Friday and found a way past DeFabis for third place on the opening lap.
DeFabis, though, was quickly into his groove. He repassed Armstrong on the fifth lap, using the low line that had proven so effective in the earlier USAC Silver Crown race, and three laps later also moved past Houk for second. DeFabis immediately put the pressure on Giaffone, who was unable to fend off the irresistible force and was no match for the local driver as he moved through into the lead on lap 12.
From then on, DeFabis was untroubled. His commanding lead of almost four seconds was erased by the race’s only full-course caution after 46 laps, but he was equally dominant at the restart, pulling away convincingly before throttling back over the final few laps to score a well-deserved victory.
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The cause of the caution, unfortunately, was Houk, who lost control at the exit of Turn 2 while running third and was collected by the fifth-place runner Max Taylor (VRD Racing), from Hoboken, N.J. Both drivers emerged unscathed.
Giaffone comfortably held onto second place in the closing stages, while Papasavvas rebounded from a difficult weekend on the Indianapolis road course to finish third. Papasavvas took the checkered flag narrowly ahead of compatriots Armstrong and Kokai, who traded places several times over the course of the final few laps.
“That was easily the hardest race I’ve ever had to do,” DeFabis said. “Going in, starting third, I just knew if I could get a good run on the leaders I would be able to pass them because I knew I was quick, we had the pace, and we definitely showed that today. I didn’t really have a great start, to be honest. I fell back to fourth but then I just climbed my way all the way back to first, and from there on out it was just keeping a nice pace and running a high line, and I started to pull away. And then the caution came out. It gave me a little break, which I needed, and then at the restart I was just trying to keep everyone at bay, so from there on out, just kept a solid pace and kept digging. Other than IMS, I don’t know of any better place to win. This is probably the second best for me, because I love the Speedway, but this is pretty much a hometown race; I only live three miles from the track, so it was awesome.”
Indianapolis native Elliot Cox completed the top six for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development. Cox also claimed the Tilton Hard Charger Award having fought his way from 13th on the grid.
DeFabis’ tremendous maiden victory ensured a first PFC Award of the season for winning car owner Jay Howard.
The USF Pro Championships drivers will face an entirely different challenge when they convene next at the spectacular four-mile Road America venue in rural Elkhart Lake, Wis., where a tripleheader event for USF Pro 2000 and a pair of races for the USF2000 contingent will be held in support of the NTT IndyCar Series on the weekend of June 8-9.