By Tony DiZinno
The 21 drivers in their Tatuus USF-22, Elite Engines-prepared 2-liter MZR cars fired their engines slightly delayed at 11:15 a.m. for the Discount Tire Grand Prix of Road America, the first of two races in the USF2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires weekend. The session was pushed back by five minutes owing to track cleaning post a red flag-laden practice for the NTT INDYCAR Series just beforehand.
With only 12 laps to run within a 45-minute window, time is of the essence for drivers to make their moves.
Title rivals Lochie Hughes (Jay Howard Driver Development) and Simon Sikes (Pabst Racing) started from the front row with Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park winner Mac Clark (DEForce Racing) just behind. Jorge Garciarce (DEForce Racing) and Sam Corry (VRD Racing) completed the top five on the grid.
The opening few corners were clean through Turn 5 before Turn 6, when leader Hughes ran wide on the exit of Turn 6 and dropped to third behind Sikes and Clark.
Full course yellow on Lap 2. Al Morey (JHDD) was slow through the Kink but able to limp back around. Meanwhile there was an incident for two cars into Turn 1. Zach Ping (VRD Racing) and Avery Towns (Exclusive Autosport) involved; they were 17th and 18th.
The race restarted at the conclusion of Lap 4 and start of Lap 5.
Hughes had issues on Lap 5 with his rear wing collapsing and falls to sixth. Max Garcia (Pabst Racing) off course at Turn 3 and loses his front wing, which brought out the second caution of the race.
This caution only lasted a lap and the green flew at the conclusion of Lap 6, start of Lap 7. Hughes hit the pit lane as the field restarted.
Clark looked to the outside of Sikes into Turn 1, but Sikes was able to defend. Garciarce ran wide at the exit of Turn 5 as he had a big run from fourth. Clark then went off at top of the hill Turn 6 and in trouble too, as was Corry who was in third.
This brought out the third full course caution at the end of Lap 7, start of Lap 8.
It’s been a significantly shuffled order from Laps 5 to 7.
Lap 5 was Sikes, Clark, Corry, Garciarce and Douglas fifth ahead of Hughes, Taylor, Johnson, Cox and Gardner in the top 10.
By Lap 7 the order was now Sikes, Douglas, Taylor, Cox and Gardner fifth with Johnson, Papasavvas, Garcia, Jamieson and Garciarce in the top 10.
Restart end of Lap 8 with the Pabst Racing pair 1-2.
Big battle behind them though with Gardner up to third, Cox fourth and Johnson fifth with Papasavvas sixth and Taylor having had a tough lap down to seventh. Garcia, with his front wing woes, backed up the rest of the field behind him.
White flag came out at the end of Lap 11 with the first real rhythm of the race, Sikes a full 3.4147 seconds ahead of Douglas in his debut race with Pabst, and Johnson now past Gardner for third.
Hughes had recovered to ninth. On the last lap Papasavvas goes wide trying to pass Cox but loses a couple spots at Canada Corner.
Sikes brought it home for Pabst, 4.3876 seconds clear of Douglas to give Augie Pabst’s Oconomowoc, Wis.-based team a 1-2 on home soil, with Johnson third. Gardner and Cox complete the top five. Taylor, Ho, Papasavvas, Garciarce and Hughes rounding out the top 10.
Big points day for Sikes before the second USF2000 race of the day as he’ll take over the points lead from Hughes.
Race 1 Unofficial Results
| P | No | Name | Team | Laps | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Simon Sikes | Pabst Racing | 12 | LAP 12 |
| 2 | 23 | Jacob Douglas | Pabst Racing | 12 | 4.3876 |
| 3 | 17 | Nikita Johnson | VRD Racing | 12 | 6.1056 |
| 4 | 95 | Chase Gardner | Exclusive Autosport | 12 | 7.7244 |
| 5 | 67 | Elliot Cox | Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development | 12 | 8.6036 |
| 6 | 33 | Max Taylor | VRD Racing | 12 | 11.3292 |
| 7 | 68 | Ethan Ho | DC Autosport | 12 | 12.1966 |
| 8 | 6 | Evagoras Papasavvas | Jay Howard Driver Development | 12 | 12.7432 |
| 9 | 10 | Jorge Garciarce | DEForce Racing | 12 | 17.4750 |
| 10 | 8 | Lochie Hughes | Jay Howard Driver Development | 12 | 18.1286 |
| 11 | 18 | Danny Dyszelski | VRD Racong | 12 | 18.2011 |
| 12 | 92 | Jack Jeffers | Exclusive Autosport | 12 | 20.3896 |
| 13 | 9 | Dane Scott | Jay Howard Driver Development | 12 | 25.7462 |
| 14 | 19 | Gordon Scully | VRD Racing | 12 | 25.8515 |
| 15 | 12 | Maxwell Jamieson | DEForce Racing | 12 | 28.7220 |
| 16 | 24 | Max Garcia | Pabst Racing | 12 | 40.2026 |
| 17 | 1 | Mac Clark | DEForce Racing | 12 | 46.6443 |
| 18 | 7 | Al Morey | Jay Howard Driver Development | 11 | 1 LAPS |
| 19 | 14 | Sam Corry | VRD Racing | 6 | Contact |
| 20 | 97 | Zack Ping | VRD Racing | 1 | Contact |
| 21 | 93 | Avery Towns | Exclusive Autosport | 1 | Contact |