Devlin DeFrancesco, the eventual Race #1 winner leads the Indy Pro 2000 field into Turn 1 on Lap 1 at New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich – TSO Ladder

Championship stuff

The top seven on the points table are still mathematically eligible to win the championship. Unfortunately, Hunter McElrea, Parker Thompson, and Manuel Sulaiman are ‘essentially’ eliminated.

If a dozen drivers start the final four races, the lowest point total leader Sting Ray Robb can score is 367. If McElrea wins all four races and scores every bonus point available, the Pabst Racing Kiwi would have 366 points.

DeFrancesco gained eight points in Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix at NJMP Race #1, leaving him trailing Robb by 41 points. With four races remaining, the Andretti Steinbrenner Racing rookie needs to score on average 10.25 points more than the Juncos Racing veteran.

If the pair were to finish in the same two spots as Saturday’s race in the four remaining races, Robb would win the scholarship by nine points.

Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires points standings with four races left.

Indy Pro 2000 randomness

• Devlin DeFrancesco scored the maximum available points in NJMP Race #1; it is the third time a driver has scored ‘max’ points in 2020.
• Race #1 was the seventh caution-free Indy Pro 2000 race of the year.
• Sting Ray Robb and Artem Petrov are the only drivers to complete all 385 laps this season.
• Sting Ray Robb is the only driver to finish in the top ten in all 13 races in 2020.
• Devlin DeFrancesco led 25 laps, leaving him with 94 laps led in 2020, only four laps behind leader Sting Ray Robb.
• Devlin DeFrancesco had the quickest race lap, the seventh different driver to accomplish that in 2020.
• Jacob Abel made his sixth start of the season in NJMP Race #1; he’s finished an impressive 19 places higher than he’s started in those races.
• Andretti Autosport, DEForce Racing, and Juncos Racing are tied for the team lead with three poles each.
• Juncos Racing leads all teams with 13 podiums. Andretti Steinbrenner Racing, DEForce Racing, and Pabst Racing are tied for second with six visits to the podium.

Championship stuff

If Rasmussen were to miss the last four races of the season, the top six drivers are still mathematically alive in the championship hunt.

If Rasmussen starts the last four, and each of those has 18 entries, the fewest points the Dane can score is 324. That would eliminate Matthew Round-Garrido in sixth, leaving the top five still able to win the championship.

Rasmussen outscored Gold by 19 points in NJMP Race #1, leaving him with a 33 point advantage with four races remaining. If you divide the 34 points (Gold needs to score one more point due to Rasmussen holding the edge in win count backs) deficit by four races, Gold needs to outscore Rasmussen by 8.5 points per race.

Saturday’s race winner, Eduardo Barrichello, moved to within 42 points of Rasmussen but will need to continue to win races if he wants to catch Rasmussen.

In the top 10 on the points table, the only change was Matthew Round-Garrido moving to sixth ahead of Josh Green.

On Saturday, the most significant points gainer was Prescott Campbell, who used a fifth-place finish to move from 15th to 13th.

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship points table with four races remaining.

A gaggle of Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship cars climbs the hill to Turn 2 at New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

USF2000 randomness

• Eduardo Barrichello scored all 33 points available, the first time he’s completed that feat all season.
• The Pabst Racing duo of Matthew Round-Garrido and Eduardo Barrichello are the only drivers to complete all 289 laps contested in 2020.
• Michael d’Orlando stood on the podium for the fifth time in 2020 and the third time in the last four races.
• NJMP Race #1 was the fifth race of the 2020 season that Eduardo Barrichello has led.
• NJMP Race #1 was the sixth USF2000 race with zero cautions.
• NJMP Race #1 was the third USF2000 race of the season with no DNFs.
• Christian Rasmussen had the second quickest lap of the race. The Jay Howard Driver Development sophomore has had the fastest or second fastest lap of the race in 10 of the 13 race this season.
• Christian Bogle (Jay Howard Driver Development) has now finished nine straight races in the same or higher spot than he started. Throughout those races, he’s finished 36 places higher than he’s qualified.
• Exclusive Autosport rookie Christian Brooks has eight top-five finished in the last ten races.

Cooper Rubber

Like the previous Road To Indy triple headers, each entry receives four sets of new Cooper Tire slicks.

Entries are allowed to use one carry-over set of tires during the lone practice session, but those must be turned in after that session.

That leaves five – two qualifying and three race – sessions for the four sets of new tires. That makes management of said rubber crucial.

Do you run two sets of fresh tires in the first qualifying session, or hold a set back for later in the weekend? Do you start Race #1 on new tires, and only save one set for qualifying #2?

“With the triple header, we had the choice to run on new or used tires, and we decided to go out on used, and it looks as though Devlin went with freshly scrubbed new tires,” explained Sting Ray Robb, who finished second in Indy Pro 2000 race #1. “Props to him, he drove great, especially on the newer tires, but I think we did a good job to get second. We had a good pace, so going into qualifying tomorrow morning, we’ve got two new sets of tires we can look forward to in addition to perhaps some rain racing. Who knows what will happen; no one has run here in the rain. Huge thanks to the Juncos crew. We blew a motor yesterday, and they had to hustle to get me back in the car, with little time in the car until the final session. But 41 points, I’m not too worried. I’m ready to get out there tomorrow.”

As Robb mentioned, rain on Sunday is a possibility, so teams must also consider it.

A stack of sticker Cooper Tire slicks (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Runoffs

The 57th Sports Car Club Of America Runoffs are taking place at Road America this weekend; there quite a few of Saturday’s races featured names familiar to Road To Indy fans.

Clint McMahan, a one-time USF2000 competitor, won the Formula 500 race.

The Formula Continental division featured several recognizable names. Race winner Robert Allaer made a couple of USF2000 starts in 2016. Second place finisher Simon Sikes contested the last two USF2000 rounds at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Formula F (F1600/Formula Ford) had a few familiar drivers finish on the podium. Sikes finished second in his second category, and Bob Perona finished third. Perona is a driver coach with Pabst Racing and also for the Meyer-Shank Racing INDYCAR program.

Formula X is a new category for Star Formula Mazda machinery and was won by Jacob Loomis. The Texan made seven Indy Pro 2000 starts earlier this season.

Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix at NJMP Race #1 winner Devlin DeFrancesco focused on gaining maximum points at New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich – TSO Ladder

Mission accomplished in Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix at NJMP Race #1 for Andretti Steinbrenner Racing rookie Devlin DeFrancesco. The 20-year-old driver did all he could do to cut into a 49 point championship lead.

DeFrancesco led every lap from the pole position and turned the quickest race lap to score 33 points, the maximum points available.

DeFrancesco credits a test at the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park two weeks ago for his second win of the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 season.

“We really figured out a lot during the test,” explained DeFrancesco after getting out of the car. “We made the whole package better. The team is great, and we are moving quite calm and collected forward. That’s what we’ve done all year.

“I need to thank Kimoa, Simply Mac, One Plant Merchandise, and everybody supporting us. Also, I want to thank the Andretti guys. I’m really happy!”

Juncos Racing veteran Sting Ray Robb started second and finished second. The championship leader lacked a little overall pace to challenge for the win. The trip to the second step is the Payette, Idaho native’s eighth of the season and fifth in the last six races.

Manuel Sulaiman, a DEForce Racing rookie, put pressure on Robb in the middle of the 25 lap race. The driver from Puebla, Mexico, came across the line in third, the third time he’s stood on the podium in 2020.

The call to fire the 275-hp 2.0L engines in the back of the 12 PM-18s was given at 4:30 pm. The ambient temperature was 72F, and the skies were partly sunny.

The front row of DeFrancesco and Robb brought the field the green flag on the front straight.

DeFrancesco got a good jump and led the field into Turn 1. Pabst Racing rookie Colin Kaminsky, who started sixth, went through the grass on the outside of the track and dropped to 10th.

Sulaiman quickly put pressure on Robb, but the championship leader shut the door, holding onto the second spot.

The running order after the first lap was: DeFrancesco, Robb, Sulaiman, Parker Thompson (DEForce Racing), Artem Petrov (Juncos Racing), Hunter McElrea (Pabst Racing), Danial Frost (Turn 3 Motorsports), Antoine Comeau (Turn 3 Motorsport), Jacob Abel (Abel Motorsports), Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing), Charles Finelli (Fatboy Racing!) and Kory Enders (DEForce Racing)

DeFrancesco turned the quickest lap of the race to that point, and his lead to start Lap 4 was 0.8 seconds over Robb. Sulaiman was 0.7 seconds behind Robb, holding onto the final spot of the podium.

After five laps, DeFrancesco’s lead had grown to 1.2 seconds after turning the first sub-74-second race lap. The closest battle in the top 10 at that point of the race was between Kaminsky, who was putting pressure on Abel for ninth.

Kaminsky made a move to ninth around the outside in Turn 1 on the next lap.

Upfront after ten laps, DeFrancesco was consistently running laps a few tenths quicker than Robb and had pulled a 1.7-second lead.

Robb had a comfortable 1.3-second gap back to Sulaiman. The two best battles on the track were between Thompson and Petrov for fourth and for eighth between Comeau and Kaminsky.

On Lap 12, the DAN-JET sponsored No. 68 came to a stop on the front straight at pit-out.

The Turn 3 Motorsport machine was cleared of the racing surface utilizing a local yellow, and the track remained green.

With ten laps remaining, DeFrancesco’s lead was 2.4 seconds. Robb’s had a 1.6-second gap back to Sulaiman. Thompson was 3.9 seconds behind his DEForce Racing teammate, and Petrov was right on Thompson’s rear wing.

On Lap 15, Kaminsky moved by Comeau, grabbing the seventh spot.

Four laps later, the gap upfront between DeFrancesco and Robb had grown to 3.4 seconds. The difference between Robb in second and Sulaiman in third was down to 1.3 seconds.

Thompson, in fourth, was facing tremendous pressure from Petrov.

The gap between Robb and Sulaiman was down to 1.2 seconds with five laps to go, 1.2 seconds with four laps remaining, 1.4 seconds with three laps left, 1.4 seconds with two laps to go, and 1.7 seconds when they got the white flag.

With three laps remaining, Thompson was able to put a slight 0.7-second gap between himself and Petrov.

DeFrancesco’s lead over Robb when he got the white flag was 5.1 seconds. The Canadian born driver crossed under the twin checker flags 5.3 seconds ahead of Robb.

Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix at NJMP Race #1 unofficial results

The middle rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires is back on track at 10:45 am on Sunday for qualifying.

Eduardo Barrichello in the No. 22 ALE Combustiveis sponsored machine from the Pabst Racing stable on pit road and ready to race at the New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Pabst Racing sophomore Eduardo Barrichello did everything he could in The Andersen Companies USF2000 Grand Prix Race #1 to close the gap in the chase for the scholarship.

The second-generation scored maximum points, winning from the pole, leading every lap, and turning the fastest lap during the 20 lap race. The

“I’m really happy to be here, and for the opportunity, I was given,” said Barrichello after getting out of his Pabst Racing No. 22. “The track was really dirty. We more than two seconds slower than qualifying, so it was really dirty. In the beginning, Christian (Rasmussen) was really close to me. I wasn’t comfortable with that, so I had to push a bit.

“In the end, I think he was struggling a bit. I saw him battling, and I just had to bring it home.

“I want to thank ALE Combustiveis (sponsor) for their support, Pabst Racing for everything, and I want to dedicate this win to Kiko Porto (DEForce Racing driver and Barrichello’s best friend). He couldn’t be here because he tested positive for COVID, but he’ll be back in St. Pete.”

Points leader and Jay Howard Driver Development sophomore put steady pressure on Barrichello during the first half of the race. In the second half of the race, the Dane began to drop back into the clutches of Christian Brooks (Exclusive Autosport) and Michael d’Orlando (Cape Motorsports) later in the race. The Dane held onto second place – barely – and heads into the next race with a 33 point lead over Gold, who struggled to a 15th place finish. Barrichello was able to gain eight points and will start Sunday morning’s race 42 points out of the lead.

d’Orlando was the biggest mover in the top ten, standing on the podium for the fifth time during the 2020 season after starting the race from the inside of the fourth row.

Brooks spent most of the race in third, before falling behind d’Orlando after an unsuccessful attempt to get by Rasmussen for second place.

Rounding out the top five was Brooks Exclusive Autosport teammate, Prescott Campbell. The winner of last year, Lucas Oil School of Racing Formula Car Series, grabbed the best finish of his rookie season, making Exclusive Autosport the only team with two drivers in the top five.

The No. 1 Lucas Oil School of Racing USF-17 of Prescott Campbell on track at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. The Californian finished fifth in Race #1. His best career finish (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

“I’m stoked for P5,” exclaimed the 19-year-old after getting out of the car. “It’s my best career finish, and I have to be happy with that. I think the team and I have been really strong at this track. We’ve been able to apply what we learned in testing here a few weeks ago and bring it forward to this weekend, and we’ve been fast since the beginning of the event. I hope to continue with more of the same tomorrow!”

The Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires pace car led the front row of Barichello and Rasmussen to the green flag after a single pace lap.

Pole-sitter Barrichello was able to get the jump with Rasmussen slotting in behind the Pabst Racing sophomore.

The 18 car field was able to complete the first lap cleanly, and the running order after the first lap was:

Barrichello, Rasmussen, Gold, Brooks, Prescott Campbell (Exclusive Autosport), Michael d’Orlando (Cape Motorsports), Cameron Shields (DEForce Racing), Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Pabst Racing), Matthew Round-Garrido (Pabst Racing), Nolan Siegel (Jay Howard Driver Development), Josh Green (Cape Motorsports), Kyle Dupell (Cape Motorsports), Christian Bogle (Jay Howard Driver Development), Josh Pierson (Exclusive Autosport), Kent Vaccaro (Miller Vinatieri Motorsports), Nico Christodoulou (DEForce Racing) and Wyatt Brichacek (Jay Howard Driver Development).

Just after starting Lap 3, d’Orlando could make an inside pass in Turn 1 to grab the fifth spot.

Brooks was able to gain back the third spot, going to the inside of the Cape Motorsports driver just after starting lap five.

After five laps of action, Barrichello’s lead over Rasmussen was 0.6 seconds. Brooks was 2.5 seconds adrift of Rasmussen in third. Gold held the fourth spot but was facing pressure from his teammate d’Orlando.

The best battle in the top 10 was between Sundaramoorthy and Shields, with the Pabst Racing sophomore putting immense pressure on the DEForce Racing sophomore.

On Lap 8, d’Orlando made an outside pass of Gold to move up to the fourth spot.

The next driver to get by Gold was Campbell, who moved back into the top five.

At the halfway point of the race, Barichello’s lead up front was 1.1 seconds. Brooks was able to claw one second into the gap to Rasmussen, moving quickly within 1.3 seconds of the championship leader.

On Lap 10, Gold lot another spot, this time it was to Shields. On the next lap, the championship contender lost seventh to Sundaramoorthy. He was immediately under pressure from Jack William Miller.

When second and third began lap 13, Brooks was only 0.6 seconds behind Rasmussen.

On the next lap, Brooks made a mistake, dropping to 3.3 seconds behind Rasmussen.

On Lap 14, Gold fell down the running order from ninth to 14th.

On Lap 15, Green came to pit road with damage to the front wing of the

With five laps remaining, Barrichello had a 1.7 second lead over Rasmussen. Brooks was the quickest car on the track, and the gap between second and third had dropped to 2.2 seconds.

Brooks was 1.7 seconds behind Rasmussen with three laps left but was facing pressure from d’Orlando for the final spot on the podium.

With two laps remaining, the gap between second and third was 0.7 seconds.

On that lap, Sundaramoorthy, who was battling Miller for seventh, fell down the running order to 12th.

Brooks and Rasmussen received the white flag separated by 0.08 seconds, with the No. 44 making an outside pass attempt into Turn 1. Rasmussen came out the other side of the corner first as Brooks found himself in the grass. He dropped down to the fourth place.

On the last lap, d’Orlando was right on the gearbox of Rasmussen. The Cape Motorsports driver pulled out to make the pass on the Rasmussen, coming up just 0.04 seconds of grabbing the second spot on the podium.

The Andersen Companies USF2000 Grand Prix Race #1 unofficial results.

The bottom rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires is back on track at 9 am tomorrow for qualifying.

Devlin DeFrancesco before getting in the No. 17 Andretti Steinbrenner Racing PM-18 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Andretti Steinbrenner Racing rookie Devlin DeFrancesco will start from the pole for the third time this season.

As important as the inside front row start is the bonus point earned. The Canadian’s gap to points leader Sting Ray Robb (Juncos Racing) is now 48 points.

The pole win ties DeFrancesco with Manuel Sulaiman (DEForce Racing) at three poles apiece.

Robb didn’t miss out on the pole by much. His quickest lap was a slim eight-thousandths shy of winning the pole.

Race #1 will be the fifth time in six races that Robb has started on the front row and the sixth time this season. Two of the Idahoan’s wins have come from outside front row starting spots.

Sulaiman was gunning for his fourth pole of the season, but came up just short, and will start the race on the inside of the second row.

Starting behind Robb will be his Juncos Racing teammate Artem Petrov.

The four drivers in the front two rows were separated by a slim two-tenths of a second.

A half-second covered the top five in qualifying, and ten of the dozen drivers were within one second of DeFrancesco’s pole time.

Qualifying for the first of three Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 races got underway after Global MX-5 Cup practice.

The sun was shining, and the ambient temperature was 72F.

Unlike USF2000, every Indy Pro 2000 driver immediately hit the 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course.

Early in the session, it was Robb, Sulaiman, Petrov, and DeFrancesco that spent time at the top of the timing screens.

Robb, who was quickest with a lap timed at 73.060 seconds, came to pit road with 14-minutes remaining. The Juncos Racing crew bolted on fresh Cooper Tires.

The championship leader still held the provisional pole at the halfway point of qualifying. Thompson, Sulaiman, Petrov DeFrancesco, and Enders were all within a half-second of the top spot.

The majority of drivers came to pit road to make adjustments and bolt on a second set of fresh Cooper Tires.

The first driver to go quicker was Pabst Racing rookie Colin Kaminsky, who jumped up to the fourth spot. His teammate McElrea was the next driver to improve his lap time, moving to fifth quick.

At this point in the session, the top eight were all within a half-second of Robb.

Robb still had the provisional pole with five minutes remaining, with Thompson, Sulaiman, Kaminsky, and McElrea in the top five.

With just over four minutes remaining, DeFrancesco got his Cooper Tires up to the correct operating temperature and grabbed the provisional pole. He was the first driver to turn a lap under 73 seconds.

Robb briefly grabbed the provisional pole, but on the next lap, DeFrancesco could go a slim eight-thousandths of a second quicker.

DeFrancesco and Robb could not go quicker on their next laps, but there were still two minutes remaining in qualifying.

The next driver to improve on their time was Sulaiman, who could not grab his fourth pole of the season but was able to move up to the third starting spot.

DeFrancesco came to pit road, happy with what he had, but Robb remained on track. It was all for naught, though, as the red flag came out for Charles Finelli (Fatboy Racing!), who spun in Turn 9. The No. 83 was high-centered on the curbing, ending qualifying.

Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix at NJMP Race #1 unofficial qualifying results

Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix at NJMP Race #1 is scheduled to get the green flag at 4:35 pm.

The No. 22 Ale sponsored Pabst Racing USF-17 of Eduardo Barrichello on track at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The Brazilian won his third pole of the season in USF2000 qualifying (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

For the third time this season, Pabst Racing sophomore Eduardo Barrichello will start a USF2000 race from the pole position.

The 19-year-old turned a quick lap of 77.149 seconds to edge points leader Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development) by five-hundredths of a second. Race #1 will be the ninth time this season that the Dane will start on the front row of the grid.

The point for pole is the second generation pilot’s fifth bonus point of the season and moves him to within 49 points of the top spot.

Starting behind Barrichello on the inside of the second row, with his best starting spot since the season-opening race of the year at Road America, is Exclusive Autosport rookie Christian Brooks. The Californian has gained 24 positions in his last eight races and is hungry for his first win.

Cape Motorsports sophomore Reece Gold will start outside of Brooks. The sixteen-year-old trails Rasmussen by 14 points but will need to move forward early to make up ground.

Starting fifth, his best start of the season to date is Exclusive Autosport rookie Prescott Campbell.

The top seven drivers, including Cameron Shields (DEForce Racing) and Michael d’Orlando (Cape Motorsports), were all within a half-second of Barrichello’s pole lap. A baker’s dozen drivers were within one second.

Qualifying for the first of three The Andersen Companies USF 2000 Grand Prix races got started at noon. The sky was partly cloudy, and the temperature in Millville, NJ, was 67F.

The first driver to turn a lap at speed in qualifying was Rasmussen, who was joined on the 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course by eight of the 18 entries. The other ten drivers were on pit road. With five minutes remaining, the Cape Motorsports duo of Michael d’Orlando, Kyle Dupell, Reece Gold, and Josh Green joined qualifying.

That left Cameron Shields, Nico Christodoulou, Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Eduardo Barrichello, Matthew Round-Garrido, and Kent Vaccaro as drivers still on pit road.

Rasmussen’s fourth lap, timed at 77.199 seconds, was the quickest of the session and event to that point.

Rasmussen held the provisional pole at the halfway point of the session, with Gold, Brooks, d’Orlando, and Siegel rounding out the top five.

At just past the halfway point, the trio of Pabst Racing drivers finally took to the track.

It only took two laps for Barrichello to get his Cooper Tire slicks up to optimal operating temperature and grabbing the provisional pole with five minutes remaining.

The timing screen began to light up green as drivers continued to get quicker as the track started to take rubber.

With four minutes remaining, Exclusive Autosport rookie Prescott Campbell went fourth quickest.

A minute later, his teammate Brooks moved to fourth, and on the next lap, went third quick.

There were a pair of penalties handed out during the session.

• Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Pabst Racing) lost a lap time for shortcutting the course.
• Nolan Siegel (Jay Howard Driver Development) completed a lap after checkered and will be penalized two starting spots, dropping him from ninth to 11th.

The Andersen Companies USF2000 Grand Prix Race #1 unofficial qualifying results.

The Andersen Companies USF2000 Grand Prix Race #1 is scheduled to get the green flag at 3 pm.

Sting Ray Robb on track at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the Firehouse/Goodheart Animal Health Center PM-18 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Mirroring the USF2000 morning practice, the two quickest drivers in the Indy Pro 2000 practice were separated by six-thousandths of a second.

Championship leader Sting Ray Robb’s lap at 73.102 seconds was a minuscule 0.0067 seconds better than Manuel Sulaiman (DEForce Racing).

Rounding out the top five and within a half-second of Robb were Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing), Devlin DeFrancesco (Andretti Steinbrenner Racing), and Robb’s Juncos Racing teammate Artem Petrov.

Early in the half-hour session, Hunter McElrea (Pabst Racing) and DeFrancesco spent time at the top of the timing screens.

With ten minutes gone in the session, DeFrancesco was the quickest of the seven drivers who had turned laps.

Still on pit road was championship leader Robb, Kory Enders (DEForce Racing), Petrov, Sulaiman, and Parker Thompson (DEForce Racing).

Robb and Petrov hit the 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course with just under 20-minutes remaining in the session.

It didn’t take long for Robb to get up to speed, grabbing the top spot on only his second lap of practice. Robb went quicker yet on his next three laps and held the top spot at the halfway point of practice with a lap timed at 73.102 seconds.

DeFrancesco, McElrea, Kaminsky, and Petrov round out the top five in the first half of practice.

The trio of DEForce Racing drivers finally took to the track just before the session’s halfway point.

In the next five minutes, Kaminsky and Sulaiman take runs at Robb at the top of the timing screen, but they fell short, placing themselves between the points leader and DeFrancesco.

With ten minutes remaining in the session, Robb, who is on pit road for adjustments, is quickest, with Sulaiman, Kaminsky, DeFrancesco, and Petrov rounding out the top five.

At this point in the session, the top five are within a half-second of Robb, and the top nine are within one second.

Sulaiman, who leads the series with three poles, came within six-thousandths of Robb on only his fifth lap of practice.

The track was busy in the final ten minutes of practice, but Frost was the only one of the dozen drivers who improved on his lap time.

The 30-minute session ran completely under green flag conditions, and the dozen drivers completed 160 laps of the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix at NJMP practice results

Indy Pro 2000 qualifying for Race #1 rolls off at 1:45 pm.

Christian Brooks in the Hot Wheels/Chaco Flaco/Bell Helmets Exclusive Autosport USF-17 during a Friday test session at New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

For the third time in 2020, Christian Brooks led a Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship practice session. The Exclusive Autosport rookie, who also led practice at Lucas Oil Raceway Park and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (September), turned in a lap timed at 77.949 seconds.

Only 6-thousandths (0.006) behind Californian Brooks was Pabst Racing sophomore Eduardo Barrichello.

Rounding out the top five were championship contender Reece Gold (Cape Motorsports), Cameron Shields (DEForce Racing), and Matthew Round-Garrido (Pabst Racing).

Points leader Christian Rasmussen, a Jay Howard Driver Development veteran, could only manage the tenth quickest time.

The entire field is tight, though. Only one second separates the 15 drivers.

The green flag for the lone USF2000 practice session of the weekend came out at 9 am.

During the first ten minutes of the session, Gold, Round-Garrido, and Barrichello all spent time atop the timing screen. Absent from the 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course during the early part of the session was the Jay Howard Driver Development quartet of Christian Bogle, Wyatt Brichacek, Christian Rasmussen, and Nolan Siegel.

After 10-minutes of running, the Cape Motorsports cars were on pit road for adjustments.

Bogle, Brichacek, and Siegel took to the track with 16-minutes remaining, while Rasmussen and the No. 6 waited until there were 13-minutes left in the session.

Barrichello, who was quickest during Friday testing, had the fastest lap time at 77.955 seconds. The only driver who had gone under 78 seconds. Gold, d’Orlando, Sheilds, and Round-Garrido made up the remainder of the top five.

Five minutes later, it was still the second-generation driver at the head of the timing screens, but the field was close. Fourteen of the 18 entries were within one second of Barrichello’s best time.

Barrichello’s quick time stood for the next five minutes with Barichello and Shields trading the second spot a few times.

Brooks was the second driver to break the 78-second barrier with just under five minutes remaining, going a mere sixth-thousandths of a second quicker than Barrichello.

The entire 30-minute practice was run under green flag conditions, and the 17 drivers who took to the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park circuit completed a total of 258 laps.

Unfortunately, newcomer Kent Vaccaro (Miller Vinatieri Motorsports) was unable to turn any laps in practice due to a

The Andersen Companies USF2000 Grand Prix Practice Results

Qualifying for race #1 is scheduled to begin at noon.

Sting Ray Robb on track during the final test session at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The points leader set the quickest time of the day (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Championship leader Sting Ray Robb only needed 26 laps of testing to prove that catching him in the scholarship hunt won’t be easy.

The Juncos Racing veteran had an engine expire early in the first test session, which forced him to miss the second session. Once Robb got on track, he was able to show his speed, turning the quickest lap of the day late in the third session with a lap timed at 72.2447 seconds.

Devlin DeFrancesco (Andretti Steinbrenner Racing), Robb’s closest competition in the title fight, turned in the second quickest time of the day. DeFrancesco and fellow Canadian Parker Thompson (DEForce Racing) were the only drivers in the top five in all three sessions.

The quickest lap, timed at 72.9274 seconds, in the first of three Friday Indy Pro 2000 test sessions, was completed by DEForce Racing rookie and 2020 race winner Manuel Sulaiman.

Only Sulaiman, along with Artem Petrov (Juncos Racing), Parker Thompson (DEForce Racing), and Devlin DeFrancesco (Andretti Steinbrenner Racing), were within one second of the top spot on the timing screens.

The 12 entries completed 223 laps of the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park. DEForce Racing veteran Kory Enders was the busiest of the drivers, completing 24 laps.

Championship leader and Juncos Racing veteran Sting Ray Robb was only able to turn seven laps after having an engine expire early in the 45-minute test session.

The second session was led by DEForce Racing again, but this time, it was veteran Thompson with a lap timed at 72.6398 seconds that went quickest.

Petrov, DeFrancesco, Sulaiman, and the third DEForce Racing driver, Kory Enders, were all within one second of Thompson at the top of the timing screens.

Unfortunately, Robb was unable to turn any laps in the session.

Robb and the Firehouse/Goodheart Animal Health Centers sponsored No. 2 was able to turn 19 laps in the final test session, and his lap at 72.2447 seconds was the quickest of the day and session.

Robb’s closest championship competitor, DeFrancesco, had the second quickest lap of the session.

The 12 drivers turned a total of 251 laps on the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Combined Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship results from New Jersey Motorsports Park (three test sessions)

Championship snapshot

It took 49 Indy Pro 2000 starts for Sting Ray Robb to grab his first win, but since that win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July, Robb has stood on the top step of the podium four more times.

Over that time-frame, the Payette, Idaho native has moved from fifth in points into a 49 point lead in the chase for the championship and a ride in Indy Lights. He leads the series in wins (five), podiums (7), top fives (10), and laps led (98).

Wins would certainly help DeFrancesco, but what he really needs to find is the same incredible run of consistency he early in the season. In the first nine races of the season, the 20-year-old had one win, five podiums, and finished no worse than seventh. Over the past three races, DeFrancesco’s average finish is a less than ideal 11.0.

Petrov and Danial Frost (Turn 3 Motorsport) are currently 63 and 64 points behind Robb. They will need some mistakes from Robb and DeFrancesco to work themselves into a position that they can fight for the scholarship in the finale at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Sitting fifth and sixth in points are Hunter McElrea and Parker Thompson, both drivers that are long overdue for a win during the 2020 season.

Devlin DeFrancesco in the Kimoa sponsored No. 17 Andretti Steinbrenner Racing PM-18 on track during testing at the New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

DeFrancesco currently holds a 38 point margin to McElrea in the tussle for the Rookie Of The Year. Over the last five races, McElrea has outscored DeFrancesco by a 26 point margin. A further 22 points adrift is Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race winner Sulaiman.

Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires points standings with five races remaining.

Pre-event notebook

• The Indy Pro 2000 portion of the weekend will include a trio of Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix at NJMP 25 lap races.
• New Jersey Motorsports Park, located in Millville, New Jersey, opened in 2008, and is billed as “Motorsports Entertainment Complex” and features two independent road courses, a karting facility, and VIP garages.
• The Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, will be utilizing the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park, a 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course.

• Other series that have used New Jersey Motorsports Park include open-wheel categories and other racing categories.
• Open-wheel categories: F1600 Championship Series, F2000 Championship Series, F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda, Formula Atlantic, Formula BMW, and Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered By Honda and Skip Barber National Series.
• Other racing categories: Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, ARCA Racing Series, NASCAR K&N Series, Trans-Am Series, and American Superbikes.
• Indy Pro 2000 (Star Mazda at the time) has raced at New Jersey Motorsports Park six times previously. John Edwards (AIM Autosport), Peter Dempsey (Andersen Racing), Conor Daly (Andersen Racing), Richard Kent (Andersen Racing), Caio Lara (JDC Motorsports), and Tristan Vautier (Andersen Racing) have all won races on the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
• The team owned by Dan Andersen, the New Jersey-based Road To Indy promotor, leads all Indy Pro 2000 teams in wins (four), poles (three), and podiums (nine) at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
• Current NTT INDYCAR® SERIES driver Conor Daly leads all drivers with three poles at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
• Only two Garden State tracks have played host to the Road To Indy, New Jersey Motorsports Park, and the Meadowland Sports Complex street circuit, which hosted Indy Lights for six seasons.
• Unfortunately, DEForce Racing’s Moisés de la Vara will be missing out on the weekend’s festivities. We wish him a quick recovery.

See tweet here

Indy Pro 2000 Saturday Session

• Practice at 10:45am
• Qualifying at 1:45pm
• Race #1 at 4:35pm

Eduardo Barrichello in the Ale sponsored No. 22 USF-17 from the the Pabst Racing stable during a Friday test at Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

If testing is any indication, Pabst Racing sophomore Eduardo Barrichello will be the driver to beat as the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship teams, and drivers head to the penultimate event at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.

The just-turned 19-year-old blitzed the field, turning a lap timed at 77.3383 seconds, almost three-tenths of a second ahead of championship leader Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development). The second-generation Brazilian pilot led the second and third test sessions.

The rest of the field is bunched more tightly, with ten drivers lap times on the combined time-sheet coming within a half-second of Rasmussen. That includes Rasmussen’s closest championship contender, Cape Motorsports sophomore Reece Gold, who was within two-tenths of the points leader.

The first test session was led by championship leader Rasmussen, with a lap timed at 77.6842 seconds. Christian Brooks (Exclusive Autosport), Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Pabst Racing), Nolan Siegel (Jay Howard Driver Development), and Jack William Miller (Miller Vinatieri Motorsports) made up the remainder of the top five.

The 18 drivers completed a total of 375 laps. Jay Howard Driver Development rookie Wyatt Brichacek was the busiest, completing 28 circuits of Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Barrichello, a two-time race winner in 2020, topped the second USF2000 test session, turning a lap timed at 77.6698 seconds. For the second straight session, Brooks and Sundaramoorthy were the second and third names on the timing screens, with the Pabst Racing sophomore leading the Exclusive Autosport rookie this time. Prescott Campbell and Josh Pierson completed the stellar session for Exclusive Autosport, going fourth and fifth quickest.

A pair of Cape Motorsports pilots, Michael d’Orlando and Josh Green, were the busiest of the drivers, each turning 26 laps. The 18 entries completed 702 miles (312 laps) of the 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course.

Barrichello led the way for the second straight test session. His lap timed at 77.388 seconds was 0.3843 seconds quicker than Rasmussen. The rest of the top five in the session were Siegel, Reece Gold (Cape Motorsports), and Sundaramoorthy.

The 18 drivers completed a total of 362 laps. Championship leader Rasmussen was the busiest driver in the final session, completing 25 laps.

Combined Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship results from New Jersey Motorsports Park (three test sessions)

Scholarship chase

After winning the first six races of the 2020 USF2000 season, it looked like Jay Howard Driver Development sophomore Rasmussen might run away with the championship. However, a combination of bad luck, a few mistakes, and a surge by sophomores Gold and Barrichello have tightened the championship gap.

What was an 87 point lead for Rasmussen over Gold after the Freedom 75 was down to a slender three points after the second race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Rasmussen rebounded in the third race, winning from pole and increasing his gap to Gold to 14 points.

In the fight for the Rookie Of The Year, Brooks currently leads Green by 25 points. Both drivers have a pair of podiums, but Californian Brooks has out ‘top fived’ New Yorker Green by a seven to four margin.

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship points standings with five races remaining.

Who’s hot

Look no further than the points scored over the past five races to see where Rasmussen substantial championship lead has gone. The Danish driver has only scored the ninth most points over the last five races, including a win.

Of note is Michael d’Orlando. The 18-year-old from Hartsdale, New York, won his first career USF2000 race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and could play an essential role in the championship by stealing points from Rasmussen.

Also of note is Cameron Shields, who moved to DEForce Racing for round 7 of the championship. Since switching teams, the Aussie has moved from 11th to 8th in the points standings, and he collected the third-most points at the most recent round of races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

USF2000 points scored over the past five races

Pre-event notebook

• The USF2000 portion of the weekend will include a trio of The Andersen Companies USF2000 Grand Prix at NJMP 20 lap races.
• New Jersey Motorsports Park, located in Millville, New Jersey, opened in 2008, and is billed as “Motorsports Entertainment Complex” and features two independent road courses, a karting facility, and VIP garages.
• The Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires, will be utilizing the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park, a 2.25-mile, 12-turn road course.

• Other series that have used New Jersey Motorsports Park include open-wheel categories and other racing categories.
• Open-wheel categories: F1600 Championship Series, F2000 Championship Series, F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda, Formula Atlantic, Formula BMW, and Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered By Honda and Skip Barber National Series.
• Other racing categories: Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, ARCA Racing Series, NASCAR K&N Series, Trans-Am Series, and American Superbikes.
• The last time that the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship visited the Garden State and New Jersey Motorsports Park were in 2010. Sage Karam (Andretti Autosport) and Patrick McKenna (Cape Motorsports) won races from the pole.
• Eduardo Barrichello, Brichacek, Jack William Miller, Rasmussen, and newcomer Kent Vaccaro have all made F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda starts at Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Vaccaro’s fifth and sixth place finishes are the best of the bunch.
• Sundaramoorthy and Green were winners in F1600 Championship Series races at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
• DEForce Racing rookie Kiko Porto, who is 10th on the points table, will miss this round of the championship after testing positive for COVID-19.

Link to Instagram post

• F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda and Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered By Honda veteran Kent Vaccaro will be making his USF2000 and Road To Indy debut this weekend with Miller Vinatieri Motorsports. The 18-year-old from Plattsburgh, New York, is just starting his freshman year at Purdue University.

“I went to the Lucas Oil Raceway to watch the oval race in August and then to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway event in September and was really impressed,” said Vaccaro. “The level of competition and professionalism is second to none, and I am looking forward to experiencing it as a driver, rather than a spectator. A huge thank you to Jack Miller and Miller Vinatieri Motorsports for the opportunity and to my partners for their continued support.”

The No. 41 of newcomer Kent Vaccaro on track during a Friday test at the New Jersey Motorsports Park (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Saturday Sessions

• 9am – 9:30am – Practice
• noon – 12:30pm – Qualifying
• 3pm – 3:45pm – Race #1

The 2019 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires field at the Circuit of The Americas (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

After taking a one-year hiatus due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires championship will return better for the 35th season of competition in 2021.

Anderson Promotions, along with Indy Lights sanctioning body INDYCAR, have put forward enhancements for the 2021 season that include an increased scholarship award of $1,250,000, a Titanium Halo, and guaranteed NTT INDYCAR® SERIES tests for the top three finishers in the championship.

“After careful planning with the INDYCAR team, we are pleased to confirm the exciting addition of a season-ending INDYCAR test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway soon after the 2021 season,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “We continue to explore additional ways to strengthen the Indy Lights championship. In the interim, we want to spread the word that Indy Lights will be back, and it will be stronger than ever.”

The top-three in the current NTT INDYCAR® SERIES standings, Scott Dixon (2000), Josef Newgarden (2011), and Colton Herta (2018), were all winners of multiple races in the ultra-competitive Indy Lights championship on the way to the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES.

2011 Indy Lights champion and two-time NTT INDYCAR® SERIES champion Josef Newgarden celebrates his 2011 Lights championship (Photo courtesy of INDYCAR)

“From top to bottom, the entire team recognizes the role, and commitment Indy Lights has played in bringing new talent to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” said Mark Miles, president and CEO of Penske Entertainment. “We are firmly committed to ensuring its continued success.”

Forming the foundation of the 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires field will be a trio of scholarship winners.

Leading that group is 2019 Indy Pro 2000 champion Kyle Kirkwood, a winner in 21 of the 30 Road To Indy races he’s contested.

“It’s all good news, said the Jupiter, Fla. native to TSO Ladder. “It’s fantastic news! I love to see that Indy Lights is back on the roster for next year. I’m looking forward to getting testing again and getting the year started.

“I love it. I love the idea (of the Titanium Halo). I’ve driven with halos before, in Formula E and FR Americas. It doesn’t hinder your vision at all, and it gives you a sense of safety of being in the car with the halo around you. Especially the lighter Titanium Halo because it won’t affect the car that much.”

2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires champion Kyle Kirkwood on track during the lone Indy Lights practice session of the season. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Linus Lundqvist, a 21-year-old Swedish driver, provisionally wrapped up the Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered By Honda (FR Americas) title this past weekend. The 2018 BRDC British Formula 3 champion has won 12 of 14 races to wrap up the title before the final event, to win the Honda backed scholarship to Indy Lights.

Joining Kirkwood and Lundqvist will be the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires champion who receives a scholarship for a full season seat in Indy Lights.

Juncos Racing veteran Sting Ray Robb currently holds a 49 point advantage over Andretti Steinbrenner Racing rookie Devlin DeFrancesco with five races remaining in the Indy Pro 2000 season. Also, within 65 points of leader Robb is Artem Petrov (Juncos Racing) and Danial Frost (Turn 3 Motorsport).

Kirkwood, Lundqvist, and the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 champion, along with the rest of the field, will be fighting for a championship that includes a $1,250,000 scholarship, a 25% increase over the 2019 scholarship. The prize guarantees a driver entry into at least three 2022 NTT INDYCAR® SERIES races, including the Indianapolis 500.

Along with the increased scholarship, the drivers in the Road To Indy’s top level will have a Dallara-designed and installed Titanium Halo for enhanced safety.

The increased safety combined with the larger winner’s prize should make the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires series more attractive to drivers worldwide.

I’m thrilled with the announcement,” said Exclusive Autosport team owner Michael Duncalfe to TSO Ladder. “We’ve been waiting for this for a little while now, and we’re thrilled with the announcement today.

“I’m excited that we’ll have the halo on the (Dallara) IL-15 for 2021 and moving forward. I think this really allows us to start bringing in European drivers because the safety aspect will be equal to that in Europe.

“Combine the halo with the prize offering and scholarship the Road To Indy has put together, and it makes Indy Lights an incredible opportunity for drivers to come over to the U.S. and have a career over here.”

Exclusive Autosport team owner Michael Duncalfe celebrates an Indy Pro 2000 win in Toronto (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

The schedule for the 2021 Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires season will be released shortly.