By Steve Wittich
Welcome to our 2023 coverage of the USF Pro Championships Presented By Cooper Tires. With much thanks to Chris Pantani and Cooper Tire, we are back to provide the fans of the ladder series with the only on-site media coverage of the USF Juniors, USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 championships, starting this weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires series is the world’s best recognized 2.0 liter based open wheel training series and will crown its 36th champion since 1990.
The drivers will be battling for a $433,200 scholarship and advancement to USF Pro 2000, the highest rung of the three-step USF Pro Championships ladder.
The car of choice for the series is a Tatuus full carbon composite and aluminum honeycomb monocoque with a halo. The USF-22, introduced last year, features upgraded side impact panels, front and rear impact structures, HANS-compliant INDYCAR head restraint, front and rear wheel tethers, upgraded uprights and front bulkhead structure to meet the unique demands of street circuits and ovals.
Power comes from an Elite Engine (owned by former series champion Steve Knapp) built Mazda MZR 2.0-liter based 175hp powerplant. Reliability is outstanding, with no engine failures in over five seasons.
Thirteen-inch slicks and rain tires are manufactured and branded by long-time series partner Cooper Tires.
Racing in the Sunshine City
Saturday’s (3:45 pm Eastern) and Sunday’s (8 am Eastern) 20-lap races will be series 27th and 28th races (the third most of any USF2000 track – on the tricky 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit that features a long blast down an airport runway and twists and turns through the concrete-lined downtown streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Eighteen different drivers representing nine teams have stood on the top step of the podium on the shores of Tampa Bay.
Previous USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires winners in St. Petersburg, Fla.
| YEAR | DRIVER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Race #2 | Myles Rowe | Pabst Racing |
| 2022 Race #1 | Jace Denmark | Pabst Racing |
| 2021 Race #2 | Christian Brooks | Exclusive Autosport |
| 2021 Race #1 | Christian Brooks | Exclusive Autosport |
| 2020 Race #2 | Christian Brooks | Exclusive Autosport |
| 2020 Race #1 | Kiko Porto | DEForce Racing |
| 2019 Race #2 | Braden Eves | Cape Motorsports |
| 2019 Race #1 | Braden Eves | Cape Motorsports |
| 2018 Race #2 | Alex Baron | Swan-RJB Motorsports |
| 2018 Race #1 | Kyle Kirkwood | Cape Motorsports |
| 2017 Race #2 | Oliver Askew | Cape Motorsports |
| 2017 Race #1 | Robert Megennis | Team Pelfrey |
| 2016 Race #2 | Yufeng Luo | Pabst Racing |
| 2016 Race #1 | Jordan Lloyd | Pabst Racing |
| 2015 Race #2 | Jake Eidson | Pabst Racing |
| 2015 Race #1 | Jake Eidson | Pabst Racing |
| 2014 Race #2 | RC Enerson | Team E |
| 2014 Race #1 | Victor Franzoni | Afterburner Autosport |
| 2013 Race #2 | Scott Hargrove | Cape Motorsports |
| 2013 Race #1 | Scott Hargrove | Cape Motorsports |
| 2012 Race #2 | Spencer Pigot | Cape Motorsports |
| 2012 Race #1 | Spencer Pigot | Cape Motorsports |
| 2011 Race #2 | Petri Suvanto | Cape Motorsports |
| 2011 Race #1 | Spencer Pigot | Andretti Autosport |
| 2010 Race #2 | Sage Karam | Andretti Autosport |
| 2010 Race #1 | Sage Karam | Andretti Autosport |
St. Pete notes:
- The average starting position of the race winner is 1.6, and the lowest starting position of any winner occurred last year when Race #2 winner Myles Rowe won from the outside of the third row.
- Cape Motorsports leads all teams with nine wins.
- Active teams Pabst Racing (six), Exclusive Autosport (three) and DEForce Racing (one) have also won.
- Twenty drivers representing eight teams have started from the pole.
- The average finishing position of the pole-sitter is 3.7, and they’ve failed to finish three races.
- Cape Motorsports leads all teams with seven pole starts.
- Active teams Pabst Racing (five), DEForce Racing (four), and Exclusive Autosport (three) also have pole starts.
- Fourteen teams have sent drivers to the podium, with Cape Motorsports leading with 24 top-three finishes.
- Active teams Pabst Racing (18), Exclusive Autosport (seven), and DEForce Racing (six) have also finished on the podium.
- The 26 races have averaged 1.6 cautions and 4.5 yellow flag laps.
- Four cautions (twice – 2021 & 2022) and 11 yellow flag laps (2021 Race #1) are the highs in those categories.
- Only one race has finished under caution (2021 Race #1).
- The most significant margin of victory was Sage Karam crossing the finish line 16.732 seconds ahead of Josh Fielding in 2010.
- In 2012, Spencer Pigot crossed the line only 0.197 seconds ahead of his Cape Motorsports teammate Matthew Brabhamm, the closest finish in St. Petersburg.
Race #1
- The streets of St. Petersburg will be playing host to the season-opening USF2000 race for the ninth time, the most of any track.
- Saturday’s first race of the season will be the 19th time in 36 seasons that the USF2000 championship will begin the season in Florida.
- Since 1990, 15 drivers that won the first race of the season went on to win the championship, with the last being current INDY NXT driver Christian Rasmussen in 2020.
- The eventual champion has finished on the podium in 64.7% (22 of 35) season openers.
- The average finish of the championship winner in the season’s first race is 2.9.
- In 2021, Kiko Porto finished 10th in the year’s first race, the lowest the eventual champion has finished.
- Cape Motorsports leads all teams with nine wins in the season’s first race. Active teams with wins in the season opener include Pabst Racing (four) and Jay Howard Driver Development (one).
- The average championship finishing position of the season’s first winner is 3.3.
Does testing speed translate to championship results?
The USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires field just finished their spring training test at the Sebring International Raceway, with Pabst Racing’s Simon Sikes blitzing the field by a quarter of a second.
The 22-year-old Georgian led two of the three Tuesday test sessions, with Taiwanese-American driver Ethan Ho (DC Autosport) leading the final session.
Combined USF2000 spring training timesheet
| RANK | CAR NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | SESS. | BEST LAP | DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Simon Sikes | Pabst Racing | 1 | 125.431 | |
| 2 | 68 | Ethan Ho | DC Autosport | 3 | 125.664 | -0.233 |
| 3 | 1 | Mac Clark | DEForce Racing | 3 | 126.007 | -0.576 |
| 4 | 8 | Lochie Hughes | Jay Howard Driver Development | 1 | 126.085 | -0.654 |
| 5 | 6 | Evagoras Papasavvas | Jay Howard Driver Development | 1 | 126.219 | -0.788 |
| 6 | 67 | Elliot Cox | Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dev | 3 | 126.328 | -0.897 |
| 7 | 7 | Al Morey | Jay Howard Driver Development | 1 | 126.388 | -0.957 |
| 8 | 9 | Louka St. Jean | Jay Howard Driver Development | 1 | 126.567 | -1.136 |
| 9 | 17 | Nikita Johnson | VRD Racing | 1 | 126.571 | -1.14 |
| 10 | 10 | Jorge Garciarce | DEForce Racing | 1 | 126.654 | -1.223 |
| 11 | 90 | Jacob Douglas | Exclusive Autosport | 3 | 126.703 | -1.272 |
| 12 | 91 | Joey Brienza | Exclusive Autosport | 3 | 126.735 | -1.304 |
| 13 | 92 | Nicholas d’Orlando | Exclusive Autosport | 3 | 126.896 | -1.465 |
| 14 | 58 | Trey Burke | Alvin, TX | 3 | 126.970 | -1.539 |
| 15 | 14 | Sam Corry | VRD Racing | 2 | 127.086 | -1.655 |
| 16 | 12 | Maxwell Jamieson | DEForce Racing | 3 | 127.092 | -1.661 |
| 17 | 95 | Chase Gardner | Exclusive Autosport | 3 | 127.189 | -1.758 |
| 18 | 56 | Andre Castro | Future Star Racing | 3 | 127.479 | -2.048 |
| 19 | 97 | Zack Ping | Velocity Racing Development | 2 | 127.579 | -2.148 |
| 20 | 18 | Danny Dyszelski | VRD Racing | 3 | 127.814 | -2.383 |
| 21 | 93 | Avery Towns | Exclusive Autosport | 3 | 128.391 | -2.96 |
| 22 | 19 | Gordon Scully | VRD Racing | 3 | 128.498 | -3.067 |
If history tells us anything, Sikes becomes the odds-on favorite to take home the title and the $433,200 advancement scholarship. Four of the last seven USF2000 champions led the combined timesheet at spring training.
Diving deeper into the statistics informs us that, in all likelihood, the eventual champion will come from Sikes, Ho, Mac Clark (DEForce Racing), Lochie Hughes (Jay Howard Driver Development), Evagoras Papasavvas (Jay Howard Driver Development) or Elliot Cox (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development).
How champions fared in spring training
- In 2022, eventual champion Michael d’Orlando led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- In 2021, eventual champion Kiko Porto had the fifth-best time during spring training at Barber Motorsports Park.
- In 2020, eventual champion Christian Rasmussen had the sixth-best time during the final test at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before the season started.
- In 2019, eventual champion Braden Eves had the second-best time during spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- In 2018, eventual champion Kyle Kirkwood led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- In 2017, eventual champion Oliver Askew led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- In 2016, eventual champion Anthony Martin led spring training at Barber Motorsports Park.
How spring training leaders faired in the title hunt
- In 2022, eventual champion Michael d’Orlando led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- In 2021, Christian Brooks led spring training at Barber Motorsports Park and finished the season in sixth on the championship table.
- In 2020, Michael d’Orlando led the final test before the season started at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and finished fourth on the championship table.
- In 2019, Manuel Sulaiman led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finished sixth in the championship.
- In 2018, eventual champion Kyle Kirkwood led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- In 2017, eventual champion Oliver Askew led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- In 2016, eventual champion Anthony Martin led spring training at Barber Motorsports Park.
Building a champion
There is no one formula or mixture of ingredients to build the perfect racing driver. Instead, champions are born from intangible and tangible elements influenced by split-second decisions. Below are some measurable factors that will go into building the next USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires champion.
Age and experience
- Since 1990, the average age of the USF2000 champion has been 21.9.
- Since 2010, the average age of the USF2000 champion has been 18.8.
- Sage Karam, in 2010, was the youngest champion at 15 years old.
- Championships by season
- Rookie – 18 titles – the last rookie champion was Braden Eves in 2019.
- Second season – 12 titles – the last sophomore champion was Kiko Porto in 2021.
- Third season – 5 titles – Michael d’Orlando won the championship as a third-year driver last year.
- Six drivers have won the championship as 18-year-olds, the most of any age.
- Twenty of the 35 champions have been between 18 and 21.
Wins
- The average number of wins for the USF2000 champion all-time is 5.4
- The average number of wins for the USF2000 champion since 2010 is 6.5.
- The average win percentage of the USF2000 champion all-time is 44%
- The average win percentage of the USF2000 champion since 2010 is 44.2%
- The fewest wins by a USF2000 champion since 2010 is three (Florian Latorre in 2014).
- The most wins by a USF2000 champion since 2010 is 12 (Kyle Kirkwood in 2018)
Poles
- The average number of poles for the USF2000 champion all-time is 5.4.
- The average number of poles for the USF2000 champion since 2010 is 7.4.
- The average pole percentage of the USF2000 champion all-time is 43.1%.
- The average pole percentage of the USF2000 since 2010 is 50.4%
- The fewest poles by a USF2000 champion since 2010 is four (Braden Eves in 2019).
- The most poles by a USF2000 champion since 2010 is 13. (Nico Jamin in 2015).
Podiums
- The average number of podiums by the USF2000 champion all-time is 8.5.
- The average number of podiums by the USF2000 champion since 2010 is 10.5.
- The average podium percentage of the USF2000 champion all-time is 69.9%.
- The average podium percentage of the USF2000 champion since 2010 is 71.5%.
- The fewest podiums by a USF2000 champion since 2010 are eight (Florian Latorre in 2014, Braden Eves in 2019 and Michael d’Orlando in 2022).
- The most podiums by a USF2000 champion since 2010 is 15 (Nico Jaminin 2015).
Teams
- Since 1990, championship-winning drivers have driven for 17 different teams.
- Cape Motorsports, who will not be on the USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires grid this season, leads all teams with 14 drivers championships. The dominant team in 2.0-liter competition for the past three decades is one of only three teams to win multiple driver championships.
- DEForce Racing (Kiko Porto in 2021) and Jay Howard Driver Development (Christian Rasmussen in 2020) are the only active teams to win a driver championship.
- Since 2010, the team that won the driver’s championship has also won the team championship in seven of 13 seasons.
Who replaces Cape Motorsports?
For the first time in over two decades, Nicholas and Dominic Cape and their eponymous Cape Motorsports are not part of the USF2000 championship. With 14 driver championships, including ten of the last 12, a big hole has been left to fill.
Five teams on the grid to start the season have won races, with two also winning driver championships.
The Augie Pabst-led Pabst Racing, with 36 wins, should be the favorite to take the mantle, but the Oconomowoc, Wisc. team is still looking for their first driver title.
Jay Howard Driver Development has a dozen wins and won the 2020 driver championship with Christian Rasmussen.
Kiko Porto won the championship while driving for eight-win team DEForce Racing in 2021. The David and Ernesto Martinez-led, Texas-based squad aims to rebound from a disappointing 2022.
Exclusive Autosport, now in its seventh season of USF2000 competition, has six wins, while newcomer last year, Velocity Racing Development, won three times in their inaugural season.
Handicapping the championship
Combining only one previous USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires win in the field with the departure of Cape Motorsports leaves us with the perfect opportunity for a chaotic and entertaining 2023 title chase.
Eyes first turn to the leaders at spring training, Pabst Racing and veteran Simon Sikes.
The team has won at least one race in eight of the last nine seasons and is coming off their most successful season, including nine wins and second and third-place championship finishes.
Sikes, the 2020 F1600 Championship Series title winner, has shown speed in portions of three USF2000 seasons with smaller teams. If the 22-year-old Georgian finds the budget to run the entire season, he’ll be one of the favorites to take home the team’s first driver’s championship. A sweep this weekend would go a long way to making that happen.
Pabst Racing is expected to add another car at the next round for standout karter Max Garcia, who will not turn the minimum 14 years old until March 17.
Reigning USF Juniors champion Mac Clark is the only driver in the field to have a USF2000 win under his belt after taking the checkered flag first at Portland International Raceway during his lone appearance in the series last year.
DEForce Racing won the 2021 drivers championship with Kiko Porto. Hence, the team and driver know what it takes to assemble a championship campaign, making them one of the favorites heading into the season opener.
Jay Howard Driver Development and Aussie Lochie Hughes won last season’s F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda title together, making the 20-year-old a championship contender if the team can find the speed they had when they won the USF2000 title in 2020 with Christian Rasmussen.
Don’t be surprised if Nikita Johnson (Velocity Racing Development) gets off to a good start in his hometown of St. Petersburg. The 14-year-old had three wins, ten podiums and two poles on the way to a third-place finish during the inaugural USF Juniors season. Despite his age, Johnson won’t be a USF2000 rookie after collecting one podium in eight starts in the second half of the season.
Other drivers we’re watching are USF Juniors race winner Sam Corry (Velocity Racing Development), sophomore Jacob Douglas (Exclusive Autosport), Ethan Ho (DC Autosport) and Elliot Cox (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development).