The starts to the USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires races on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are always fun. Suprisingly, there have only been four cautions on the first lap in the 21 races. Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography

By Steve Wittich

The USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires, travels to Indianapolis, Ind., where 25% of the season’s points are available between now and Memorial Day Weekend.

The “Month of May” begins with a triple-header on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the 22nd, 23rd and 24th races on the infield road course.

With a 30-point advantage over the competitors, Simon Sikes (Pabst Racing) and Lochie Hughes (Jay Howard Driver Development) are the favorites to win the $433,200 Discount Tire Driver Advancement Scholarship. However, there is still plenty of time for other drivers to get in the mix for the title, but they can’t waste any more time.

Georgian Sikes holds a razor-thin three-marker advantage over Hughes, despite the Aussie having a two-to-one advantage in the wins column. Both drivers have an average finish of 2.3 after four races, with Sikes’ edge coming from scoring five more bonus points. Sikes has started from the pole in the last three races, led the most laps in the second race at Sebring International Raceway and had the quickest lap in all four races to start the 2023 season.

Simon Sikes (Pabst Racing) celebrates a USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires win at Sebring International Raceway with team owner Augie Pabst Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography

Hughes, the reigning F4 United States Champion, has six wins in 22 North American starts, equating to an impressive win percentage of 27.3%.

A pair of youngsters, 15-year-old Evagoras Papasavvas (Jay Howard Driver Development) and 14-year-old Nikita Johnson (VRD Racing), trail championship leader Sikes by 30 and 33 points, respectively.

Cypriot-American Papasavvas started the season with three straight top fives before a mid-race incident dropped him back in the final race at Sebring International Raceway. If the driver who calls Loveland, Ohio home, continues to collect top fives, he’ll find himself in the championship hunt as the season progresses.

Evagoras Papasavvas (Jay Howard Driver Development) on track at Sebring International Raceway Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography

“I’m really looking forward to all the excitement of the Month of May in Indianapolis and at the Speedway this weekend,” said Papasavvas. “I’ve earned a podium on each track we have competed at this season, and I’m not looking to slow down now. Indy is always an interesting race, and I think the team, and I are on track to compete for that top spot.”

Johnson, a winner at home in St. Petersburg, Fla., has had one of the four quickest laps of the race in all of his starts this season and trails only Sikes in the fastest lap of the race category, averaging 3.3 over the first four races of the season.

The following four drivers on the points table – reigning USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires champion Mac Clark (DEForce Racing), improving Jorge Garciarce, who had his best finish last year on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (DEForce Racing), Kiwi sophomore Jacob Douglas (Exclusive Autosport), and Chase Gardner (Exclusive Autosport), who made his series debut on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in a one-off effort last year – are all within ten points, and still in play for the championship.

Canadian Clark and 17-year-old Douglas are coming off hard-fought podiums in the second race at Sebring International Raceway. However, both drivers qualifying efforts – Clark’s average is 10.3, and Douglas’ average is 9.0 – will need to be better if they want to fight for wins.

USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires points standings after four of 18 races.

RANKDRIVERTEAM TOTALBEHIND
1Simon SikesPabst Racing 107 
2Lochie Hughes (rookie)Jay Howard Driver Development 104-3
3Evagoras PapasavvasJay Howard Driver Development 77-30
4Nikita JohnsonVelocity Racing Development 71-36
5Mac Clark (rookie)DEForce Racing 55-52
6Jorge GarciarceDEForce Racing 52-55
7Jacob DouglasExclusive Autosport 49-58
8Chase Gardner (rookie)Exclusive Autosport 45-62
9Sam Corry (rookie)Velocity Racing Development 42-65
10Elliot Cox (rookie)Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development 37-70
11Danny DyszelskiVelocity Racing Development 34-73
12Gordon Scully (rookie)Velocity Racing Development 33-74
13Al Morey (rookie)Jay Howard Driver Development 33-74
14Trey BurkeFuture Star Racing 29-78
15Max Garcia (rookie)Pabst Racing 29-78
16Maxwell Jamieson (rookie)DEForce Racing 27-80
17Nicholas d’OrlandoExclusive Autosport 23-84
18Louka St-Jean (rookie)Jay Howard Driver Development 22-85
19Avery Towns (rookie)Exclusive Autosport 22-85
20Joey Brienza (rookie)Exclusive Autosport 16-91
21Zack Ping (rookie)Velocity Racing Development 15-92
22Andre CastroFuture Star Racing 13-94
23Ethan HoDC Autosport 9-98

Home race

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development rookie Elliot Cox, from Indianapolis, Ind., will make his first USF2000 start at his home track. The 15-year-old, who has his own charity – Driving For Dyslexia – has fellow dyslexic, the late Justin Wilson, as his racing hero.

Cox scored two top tens, including a fifth-place finish at Sebring International Raceway, to move into tenth on the points table.

Al Morey, from Fortville, Ind, will be making only his 14th start in cars this weekend. But, despite his lack of experience, the 17-year-old has completed every lap this season and found more pace every time he’s on track.

“I am really looking forward to racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway later this week,” said Morey. “I live not that far away so we will have a ton of family and friends on site. It will be a great time, and I will be aiming to reset my series best results this weekend.”

“I want to be consistent and learn,” continued Morey. “If I can do that each race weekend, I will be able to accomplish the goals that I set forth at the beginning of the year.”

Hoosier Al Morey (Jay Howard Driver Development) gives the thumbs up during a USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires practice session Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography

Welcome back

Canadian Lucas Mann will join Exclusive Autosport (The Eh! Team) for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway triple-header. Mann made his series debut at the Portland International Raceway season finale last year.

“I am super happy to be back racing in the USF2000 Series,” enthused Mann. “I am excited to experience Indy during the Month Of May, even if we are racing the opposite direction. Thank you to Exclusive Autosport for the opportunity to run at IMS and to ANSE3D.com. This track always promotes great racing and I can’t wait to be a part of it.


Indianapolis Motor Speedway notes and numbers.

  • Active teams Pabst Racing (five), VRD Racing (three) and DEForce Racing (one) have all won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
  • The pole sitter has won 11 of the 21 races but only one of the nine races since 2020.
  • The average starting position of the winner is 2.4. The average starting position of the winner since 2020 is 2.8.
  • Will Owen won the first race in 2014 from 13th, the lowest on the grid a winner has started.

Previous USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires winners on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

YEARDRIVERTEAM
2022 Race #3Alex QuinnVelocity Racing Development
2022 Race #2Alex QuinnVelocity Racing Development
2022 Race #1Alex QuinnVelocity Racing Development
2021 Race #3Kiko PortoDEForce Racing
2021 Race #2Yuven SundaramoorthyPabst Racing
2021 Race #1Yuven SundaramoorthyPabst Racing
2020 Race #3Reece GoldCape Motorsports
2020 Race #2Eduardo BarrichelloPabst Racing
2020 Race #1Eduardo BarrichelloPabst Racing
2019 Race #2Braden EvesCape Motorsports
2019 Race #1Braden EvesCape Motorsports
2018 Race #2Alex BaronSwan-RJB Motorsports
2018 Race #1Kyle KirkwoodCape Motorsports
2017 Race #2Oliver AskewCape Motorsports
2017 Race #1Oliver AskewCape Motorsports
2016 Race #2Parker ThompsonCape Motorsports with /WTR
2016 Race #1Anthony MartinCape Motorsports with /WTR
2015 Race #2Nico JaminCape Motorsports with /WTR
2015 Race #1Nico JaminCape Motorsports with /WTR
2014 – Race #2Adrian StarrantinoJAY Motorsports
2014 – Race #1Will OwenPabst Racing
  • Active teams Pabst Racing (three), DEForce Racing (two) and Exclusive Autosport (one) have had drivers start from the pole.
  • The average finishing position of the pole sitter is 2.7.
  • Current INDY NXT pilot Jagger Jones, who started from the pole in three races last year, finished 18th in the second race, the lowest of any pole sitter.
  • Pabst Racing (13), DEForce Racing (six), Exclusive Autosport (five) and VRD Racing (three) are the active teams that have had drivers stand on the podium.
  • Eight races on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course have been caution free. The average number of caution laps across all of the races is 2.5. In addition, there have been only four first-lap cautions.
  • A dozen races have had a lead change, with the first race in 2014 leading the way with four lead changes among four drivers.
  • All 21 races have finished under the green flag.
  • The most significant margin of victory came in 2014 when Will Owen beat Jake Eidson to the line by 15.994 seconds.
Will Owen (Pabst Racing) won the first USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires race held on a damp 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course in 2014 ((Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)
  • In 2020, second-generation racer Eduardo Barrichello beat current INDY NXT driver Reece Gold to the twin checkers by only 0.2834 seconds, the closest margin of victory.
  • Braden Eves (Cape Motorsports) holds the track record at 84.5396 seconds.
  • Simon Sikes (nine starts – best 9th), Jacob Douglas (three starts – .st 13th), Danny Dyszelski (three starts – best third), Jorge Garciarce (three – best finish 7th), and Chase Gardner (three – best finish 10th) have all made starts here.