Artem Petrov on the way to his first career Indy Pro 2000 pole with the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pagoda in the background (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

For the first time in his Road To Indy career, Juncos Racing pilot Artem Petrov will start an Indy Pro 2000 race from the pole. The 20-year-old earns the all-important bonus point that goes with winning the pole.

It’s the eighth time that a Juncos Racing driver will start on pole in an Indy Pro 2000 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Petrov joins Spencer Pigot, Timothe Buret, Victor Franzoni, and Rasmus Lindh as pole winners for the Speedway, Ind. based squad.

The Russian’s lap of 80.273 seconds was only 0.0647 seconds ahead of his teammate Sting Ray Robb, who will join Petrov in an all Juncos Racing front row.

Within five-thousandths of Robb is DEForce Racing veteran Parker Thompson, who will have Danial Frost starting beside him outside the second row.

Starting on the third row will be the top two 2019 USF2000 drivers, Pabst Racing’s Hunter McElrea and Exclusive Autosport’s Braden Eves.

A half-second separated the top seven drivers, and the top nine were within one second.

The start of Indy Pro 2000 qualifying, which was supposed to get rolling at 1:15 pm, was delayed a few minutes while the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team was cleaning up some water at the exit of Turn 7 after a sprinkler head broke off during a
Mazda Global MX-5 Cup Session.

The 14 drivers were warned to take it easy and test out that area on their first lap and to alter their plan of attack accordingly.

The field was given the green flag to begin the 20-minute session at 1:21 pm, with all of the 275 hp machines immediately taking to the 2.439-mile, 14-turn IMS road course.

The Firehouse/Goodheart Animal Health Centers sponsored No. 2 of Sting Ray Robb is pitted closest to pit out, and was he was the first driver to complete a lap at speed, coming within a tenth of a second of his quickest lap in the morning practice.

Robb went quicker yet on his next two laps, turning the event’s quickest lap to that point.

With 13-minutes remaining in the session, Robb came to pit road for adjustments and was quickly joined on pit lane by his teammate Petrov, who got a fresh set of Cooper Tire slicks.

At the halfway point of the 20 minutes session, Robb’s lap of 80.620 seconds held the provisional pole. Thompson, DeFrancesco, Petrov, and McElrea made up the rest of the top five.

After the halfway point, DeFrancesco led a slew of cars coming to the pit lane for adjustments and fresh rubber. Colin Kaminsky was the first driver to head back out with new rubber, but was quickly joined by the rest of the field.

Points leader DeFrancesco waited until six and half seconds were left in the session to go out for his final run.

With five minutes remaining, Robb was the first driver to go quicker, lowering the provisional pole time to 80.480 seconds, but it didn’t take long for the timing screen to start lighting up with green as drivers improved on their lap times.

Robb lowered the provisional pole one more time on his next lap, but over the last three minutes, that spot changed hands three times.

Thompson, looking for his third win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was the first, but he was quickly knocked off the provisional pole by Robb.

Robb was looking good to grab the pole but was just pipped by his Juncos Racing teammate Petrov.

Unfortunately, DEForce Racing rookie Manuel Sulaiman only turned one lap before taking his

The first Indy Pro 2000 race rolls off at 4:05 pm.

Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Indy Grand Prix unofficial qualifying results

The remainder of the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires schedule (all times EDT)

Thursday, September 3, 2020
4:05pm – 4:55pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #1 (20 laps)

Friday, September 4, 2020
9:45am – 10:15am – Indy Pro 2000 Qualifying #2
1pm – 1:50pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #2 (20 laps)
4pm – 4:50pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #3 (25 laps or 50 minutes)

Kiko Porto on track at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The DEForce Racing rookie will start on the pole for Thursday afternoon’s first race. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

For the first time in his short four-race Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires career, DEForce Racing rookie Kiko Porto in the Banco Daycoval/Petromega No 12, will start a race from the pole. The 17-year-old was one of only two drivers to crack the 86-second barrier turning a lap at 85.628 seconds.

That was just good enough to beat Cape Motorsports sophomore Reece Gold, who missed out on his first career pole by less than a tenth of a second. The just-turned 16-year-old will start his fifth straight race from the outside of the second row.

Almost a half-second behind Gold was Pabst Racing veteran Eduardo Barrichello, who had Jack William Miller (Miller Vinatieri Motorsports), championship leader Christian Rasmussen (Jay Howard Driver Development), Josh Green (Cape Motorsports), Matthew Round-Garrido (Pabst Racing), and Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Pabst Racing) within 0.2 seconds of the second generation driver.

Rounding out the top 10 were Christian Brooks (Exclusive Autosport) and Michael d’Orlando (Cape Motorsports).

The 20-minute qualifying session began at 11:30 am, with the 22 car quickly heading out on the sun-bathed 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course.

The first driver to turn a lap at speed on their fresh Cooper Tire slicks was Rasmussen, but the early leader was local driver Miller, born in Indianapolis, Ind.

As the session started, the Cape Motorsports foursome, along with Exclusive Autosport’s Brooks, were still on pit road, waiting until later in the session to go out. Gold, d’Orlando, and Green took the track with about 12 minutes remaining.

Miller’s early time to beat was 1:26.124 seconds, and his time on the provisional pole wasn’t long as the morning practice leader Porto turned the first lap sub-86 second lap. The Brazilian was one of only two drivers to break that barrier in morning practice.

With eight minutes gone in the session, Exclusive Autosport’s Prescott Campbell had an off-track excursion in Turn 5 and Turn 6, but he kept going, and the track remained green.

Porto held the provisional pole at the halfway point of qualifying with Barrichello, Miller, Rasmussen, Round-Garrido, Sundaramoorthy, Gold, d’Orlando, Brooks, and Nolan Siegel (Jay Howard Driver Development) rounding out the top 10.

At just past the session’s halfway point, Gold, on only his third lap, turned the quickest lap of the event so far, a lap timed at 85.727 seconds.

Many drivers were on pit road for changes while Gold set his quick lap, so times should start dropping.

With five minutes remaining, Christian Bogle (Jay Howard Driver Development) had an off in Turn 6, necessitating local yellow flags. The sophomore was able to keep going, and the track remained green.

The first driver to improve in the second half of the session was Porto, who took over the provisional pole with a lap of 85.628 seconds, a lap less than a tenth of a second ahead of Gold.

Cooper Tires USF2000 Indy Grand Prix qualifying results (unofficial).

The remainder of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship schedule (all times EDT)

Thursday, September 3, 2020
2pm – 2:45pm – USF2000 Race #1 (15 laps)

Friday, September 4, 2020
8am – 8:30am – USF2000 Qualifying #2
11am – 11:45am – USF2000 Race #2 (15 laps)
2:45pm – 3:30pm – USF2000 Race #3 (20 laps or 50 minutes)

Hunter McElrea on track at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July. The Kiwi was the quickest in lone Indy Pro 2000 practice on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course ((Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

Pabst Racing rookie Hunter McElrea, who led a practice session during the Indy Pro 2000 portion of Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last fall, ended the lone practice session on the top of the timing screens.

But it wasn’t by much.

The American born Kiwi was followed by Devlin DeFrancesco (Andretti Steinbrenner Racing), Sting Ray Robb (Juncos Racing), and Parker Thompson (DEForce Racing). They were all with six-hundredths of a second of the top spot.

Rounding out the top five was Exclusive Autosport rookie Braden Eves, making five teams in the top five.

The top ten drivers, which also included Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing), Artem Petrov (Juncos Racing), Manuel Sulaiman (DEForce Racing), Jacob Loomis (BN Racing), and Danial Frost (Turn 3 Motorsport), were all within a slim half-second of McElrea.

The lone Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires practice before the triple-header at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, got underway promptly at 10:15 am.

A quick note about the entry list: Bob Kaminsky (Pabst Racing) has been added, and Charles Finelli (Fatboy Racing!) will be sitting this event out.

During the first of the half of the session, Petrov, Thompson, and McElrea all spent time at the top of the timing screen.

McElrea was the quickest driver at the 15-minute mark of the 30-minute session with a lap timed at 80.996 seconds; he was joined in the top five by Robb, Thompson, Kaminsky DeFrancesco.

At that point in the session, the top 10 were all within a half-second of the top spot, and the top four were within six-hundredths.

The first driver to improve on his time in the second half of the session was Eves, who led three of the six practice sessions during the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last fall.

The next driver to improve was 20-year-old DeFrancesco, who moved to third and then second. Several drivers, including Eves and Nate Aranda (Juncos Racing), all improved in the last few minutes.

The 14 drivers were able to complete 237 laps in a clean and green session. Petrov and Antoine Comeau (Turn 3 Motorsport) was the busiest drivers, each turning 19 laps.

Up next for the middle rung of the Road To Indy is qualifying at 1:15 pm.

Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Indy Grand Prix practice results

The remainder of the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires schedule (all times EDT)

Thursday, September 3, 2020
1:15pm- 1:45pm – Indy Pro 2000 Qualifying #1
4:05pm – 4:55pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #1 (20 laps)

Friday, September 4, 2020
9:45am – 10:15am – Indy Pro 2000 Qualifying #2
1pm – 1:50pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #2 (20 laps)
4pm – 4:50pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #3 (25 laps or 50 minutes)

Some four wide action at the start of a USF2000 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

After missing out on their annual trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) road course with the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES in May, the bottom rung of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires returns for a stand-alone triple-header with the Indy Pro 2000 and Mazda MX-5 Cup Series. 

The 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course has become a reliable predictor of championship success. With the eventual champion winning at least one race in five the six seasons, the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship has competed on the IMS Road Course. 

Throughout the first three events, Jay Howard Driver Development sophomore Christian Rasmussen has built up a substantial 85 point lead in the chase for the $328,000 advancement scholarship.

That’s what happens when you win the first six races of the year. 

The Dane’s six wins in a row to start the season are equal to the six wins his team owner Jay Howard won to start the 2005 USF2000 season. 

If Rasmussen were to win on Thursday afternoon, he would tie J.R. Hildebrand, who started the 2006 USF2000 season by winning seven in a row. 

Kyle Kirkwood’s 11 straight wins (not to start the season) in 2018 is the record. 

His competitors will need to go a similar tear of wins, or for Rasmussen to have some unfortunate luck. Rasmussen could only manage a season’s worst 20th, and an eighth-place finish in his two races on the IMS Road Course last year. 

Jay Howard Driver Development sophomore Christian Rasmussen on track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

“Indy last year was so early in the season and we were still figuring things out,” said Rasmussen, “so it was one of my worst results. But in the Chris Griffis Memorial Test in October, we led every session. We’ve got the speed there so the plan is to just keep doing what we’re doing. It’s just head down now – I want to win as many races as possible. We’re on a great path so I don’t want to change anything. It would mean a lot to win here, especially since Indy is home for the team. IMS is such a special place, with all the history, and it’s great that we have the opportunity to race there.”

With only 35 points separating Michael d’Orlando in second and Exclusive Autosport rookie Christian Brooks in seventh, the competition for a spot in the top five should be entertaining. 

The pilot that makes the fewest mistakes among that bunch that includes d’Orlando (Cape Motorsports), Reece Gold (Cape Motorsports), Eduardo Barrichello (Pabst Racing), Matthew Round-Garrido (Pabst Racing), and Brooks, will have the best chance to put pressure on Rasmussen. 

So far, that driver is d’Orlando, who has one podium, five top-fives, and a tenth place finish. He has also completed all 159 possible laps to start the season. 

Gold, from Miami, Fla. is the group’s hottest, standing on four straight podiums and going from 12th to third in points in the last four races. The 15-year-old has also had one of the three quickest laps of the race in five straight races. 

The Cape Motorsports teammates have both made a pair of starts on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course but have no finishes inside the top ten. 

Second-generation driver Barrichello started the season well with two podiums in his first three races, but the last three races, while not horrible, have not been what was expected with Barrichello’s pre-season pace. The Brazilian had an impressive fifth-place finish in the second race in 2019, so he will have that result to build confidence from. 

In the season-opening event at Road America, Team USA scholarship winner Josh Green was the best driver not named Rasmussen, but a 17th place finish in the first race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course followed by a string on upper mid-pack results. 

Outside of a first lap disappointment in the third race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, sophomore Round-Garrido has been the picture of consistency, finishing in the top five four times. 

Currently trailing Green by 10 points as the highest-scoring rookie so far in 2020, Brooks put a DNF at Road America behind him and has only been outscored by Rasmussen, Gold, and d’Orlando in that stretch of races. 

The third tier of drivers is led by the fourth member of the Cape Motorsports squad, Kyle Dupell, and includes Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Pabst Racing), Jack William Miller (Miller Vinatieri Motorsports), and Cameron Shields. 

Miller, who has moved from 18th to 10th in the last two races, in which he scored his best two career finishes, is the home town driver looking for an advantage. 

“We’re just trying to keep the momentum going, keep on improving and get three good results this week,” said Miller. “That’s the biggest thing, to get consistent results to move us up in the championship. The season started out pretty rough, so we need to claw our way up in the title chase. We’ve had some bad luck but things are coming together now, with a new engineer. I’m looking forward to the racing at Indy – I’ve been there so much growing up and at last year’s race weekend and Chris Griffis Test. I’m hoping for another good weekend.”

Shields, an Australian sophomore, will be switching from Legacy Autosport to DEForce Racing this weekend to partner with Kiko Porto. 

2020 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship standings 

Newcomers

Legacy Autosport has two entries for a pair of newcomers.

Behind the wheel of the Marotti Autosport/Medi-Share sponsored No. 20, will be Simon Sikes.

The 19-year-old is currently leading the F1600 Championship Series after 12 of 18 rounds. The Georgian has won six times and has nine podiums.

“This is the biggest opportunity of my life,” said Sikes. “I’m honored to work with such a determined and inspired man such as Will. I have always wanted to race in USF2000, and now we have set our minds to figuring out how we can run the full season together next year.”

Joining Sikes will be Michael Myers, an 18-year-old, who will pilot the Heavy Right Foot Coffee Company/Myers Garage sponsored No. 24.

Myers, from Lizton, Ind. made a move from ATV racing to formula car racing. The Team USA Scholarship finalist won the Lucas Oil Formula Car Winter Series and was the runner-up in the 2019 Lucas Oil Formula Car series, collecting three wins and seven podiums.

“Being a new driver to the USF2000 series is a welcoming and empowering feeling,” said Myers. “Coming from off-road ATV racing, I have never experienced this level of teamwork and camaraderie before as that sport is very individualized between the rider and mechanic. Having Legacy Autosport to work with is an amazing experience and provides me the confidence that I will always have a solid team to trust and work with.

“The USF2000 cars are different from what I am used to driving, but I feel as if the previous steps I took in my transition to the road-side of motorsports have properly prepared me for the Road to Indy series. As I have had no karting experience, my background is significantly different from most in this sport. As off-road racing is a very brutal yet intimate sport between the driver and the machine, the feeling I have in the race car is unique. I believe this will greatly benefit me in the long run as I develop as a driver.”

Some quick facts:

• Ten of the 12 winners have come from the pole.
• The average starting position of the winner is 2.1.
• Pabst Racing’s Will Owen won from the 13th starting spot during a wet first race in 2014, the lowest starting spot of any winner.

2014 Race #1 winner, Pabst Racing’s Will Owen on Cooper Tires slicks passes the pole sitter Florian Lattore (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

• Cape Motorsports leads all teams with nine USF2000 wins on the IMS road course.
• The average finishing position of the pole sitter is 1.3.
• Florian Lattore, the pole sitter for the first race in 2014, has the worst finishing position of any pole sitter, a fourth-place finish.
• Cape Motorsports has started on pole in 11 of the dozen races, including all six since the introduction of the USF-17.
• Cape Motorsports has 17 total podiums on the IMS road course, the most of any team.
• With 163 laps led, Cape Motorsports has led 148 laps more than any other team, and 119 laps more than all other teams combined.
• The qualifying track record is held by Braden Eves, who turned a lap at 84.5396 seconds last year.
• With a lap timed at 84.7740 seconds set last year, Braden Eves holds the race track record.
• The closest finish occurred in Race #1 last year when Braden Eves beat Hunter McElrea to the line by a slim 0.2998 seconds.
• Will Owen made the correct call on when to move to Cooper Tires slicks during a damp race, beating Jake Eidson to the checkered flag by 15.9994 seconds, the largest margin of victory.
• Only two of the USF2000 races on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course have gone without a yellow flag.
• Three of the 12 races have had a first lap caution.
• Five races have had more than one caution.

Previous Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship winners on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Schedule (all times EDT)

Thursday, September 3, 2020

• 8am – 8:30am – USF2000 Practice
• 11am – 11:30am – USF2000 Qualifying #1
• 2pm – 2:45pm – USF2000 Race #1 (15 laps)

Friday, September 4, 2020

• 8am – 8:30am – USF2000 Qualifying #2
• 11am – 11:45am – USF2000 Race #2 (15 laps)
• 2:45pm – 3:30pm – USF2000 Race #3 (20 laps or 50 minutes)

The 2019 Indy Pro 2000 field streams towards Turn 1 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

For the second time this year, the Road To Indy will be conducting a mid-week race ‘weekend.’ 

Since 2014, the Indy Pro 2000 series has contested a baker’s dozen races on 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course, with only two eventual champions, Santi Urrutia (2014) and Victor Franzoni (2017) winning a race at iconic facility. 

Devlin DeFrancesco, a Andretti Steinbrenner Racing rookie had a seven point championship lead as the middle rung of the Road To Indy visited St. Louis and their second straight oval at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway. 

The 20-year-old DeFrancesco, started from the pole, and led every lap on the way to his first victory after moving back stateside this year. 

The win propelled the Italian-Canadian to a 25 point championship lead as the series headed east on Interstate 70 and back to central Indiana. 

Devlin DeFrancesco gets a fist bump from Michael Andretti after winning his first Indy Pro 2000 race at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

The 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course will provide a new challenge for DeFrancesco, and for the first time this season, he will not have the luxury of having extended test time at the circuit the series is racing at. 

With only one 30-minute practice, before qualifying and a race on Thursday, he will have to get up to speed quickly. 

“This weekend will be really tough,” acknowledged DeFrancesco. “It’s a new track for me and we only have 30 minutes of practice before qualifying. So, we need to be realistic and keep our feet firmly on the ground.

“Do I think we’re going to be fast? Absolutely yes, I don’t have a doubt in my mind about that. But, I don’t want to go in with super high expectations outside of doing the best we can and see what comes of it. 

“The entire Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport team is just fantastic. I get to work with some of the best engineers and mechanics in the entire Road to Indy on this program. Their experience is especially useful on weekends like this one when we don’t have much time to practice and I, personally, don’t have experience at the track. While I’m not expecting that we go there and dominate right out of the gate, don’t count us out!”

Sting Ray Robb, who trails DeFrancesco by 25 points, has plenty of experience on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to fall back on. 

Robb, whose 19th Birthday is on Thursday, has made six previous starts at IMS, finishing on the podium twice and in the top ten five times. 

The Idahoan’s team Juncos Racing is the winningist Indy Pro 2000 team at IMS. Their five wins include two last year by Rasmus Lindh. 

“IMS has been a good track for Juncos Racing, so while I know we’ll have a good setup, it seems this year that having historically fast setups is not good enough,” said Robb. “We have to keep investing in and developing the car all season, given all the teams that are right there with us. It’s been fun, to adapt and learn new things about the car on the engineering side, and it’s been good to have a fast teammate.

“It’s so tight at the front, but that makes it fun. Every week, you don’t know where you’ll be, since there are six teams at the front of the pack. We just need to take it to the next level to beat Devlin. He’s been so consistent, so we have to work on getting the wins – that’s what it’s going to take to win this championship.”

A strong late race charge at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway moved Braden Eves (Exclusive Autosport) into third place in the championship, trailing DeFrancesco by 29 points. 

The reigning USF2000 champion won both of his races on the IMS Road Course last year. If he can stand on the top step of the podium a couple of times this week, the Ohioan will find himself in the middle of the title fight. 

Braden Eves on the USF2000 podium at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2019 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

“I’m ready to get back to Indy,” said Eves. “It’s one of my best tracks historically, so I’m very excited for the week. The racing is always good and with three races, there’s an opportunity to make a huge dent in the championship standings. Devlin’s been so consistent but our pace on road courses has been so good. I was quickest in a couple of sessions last year at the Chris Griffis Test in this car, so I’m feeling good.”

In a pair of Indy Pro 2000 starts on the IMS Road Course last year, Danial Frost had a third and fourth place finish. 

The 18-year-old is currently 30 points behind DeFrancesco, but the Turn 3 Motorsport driver and his DEN-JET sponsored No. 68, have been quick on the natural terrain road course so far. Frost had the quickest and second quickest laps in races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and twice had the second quickest lap at Road America in July. 

Artem Petrov, like DeFrancesco, who he trails by 32 points, will be making his first visit to the IMS Road Course. Like his teammate Robb, he should be buoyed by the team’s past success at the track. 

Petrov is also the only driver with two trips to victory lane this season, winning once at each of the natural terrain road course the series has visited. 

Don’t be surprised to see Manuel Sulaiman (DEForce Racing), Hunter McElrea (Pabst Racing), Parker Thompson (DEForce Racing) or Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing) play spoiler at least once during the triple header event. 

Sulaiman, a 20-year-old from Mexico City, Mexico, was quick in a pair of USF2000 starts on the same circuit last year, collecting a podium in Race #1.

McElrea, who has shined in each of his Chris Griffis Memorial Test appearances on the IMS Road Course, led his first Road To Indy laps in the 2019 USF2000 event, that included a second and third place finish. 

Pabst Racing teammates Hunter McElrea and Colin Kaminsky were all smiles after testing the PM-18 for the first time during the gmt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

If he makes all three starts, Parker Thompson will tie fellow Canuck and current NTT INDYCAR® SERIES driver Dalton Kellett with the most Road To Indy starts on the IMS Road Course. 

In his 10 starts to date at the iconic facility, Thompson has two wins, three podiums and seven top five finishes. 

McElrea’s Pabst Racing teammate Colin Kaminsky, has three top tens, including a fourth place last year. 

2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires points standings

RANK	DRIVER		TOTAL	BACK
1	Devlin DeFrancesco		183
2	Sting Ray Robb		158	-25
3	Braden Eves		154	-29
4	Danial Frost		153	-30
5	Artem Petrov		151	-32
6	Manuel Sulaiman		124	-59
7	Hunter McElrea		115	-68
8	Parker Thompson		112	-71
9	Colin Kaminsky		95	-88
10	Antoine Comeau		89	-94
11	Moisés de la Vara		79	-104
12	Kody Swanson		60	-123
13	Charles Finelli		54	-129
14	Kory Enders		54	-129
15	Nate Aranda		52	-131
16	Sabre Cook		47	-136
17	Bob Kaminsky		46	-137
18	Jacob Loomis		41	-142
19	Jacob Abel		31	-152

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Turning Left and Right 

After completing the two scheduled oval races, the rest of the Indy Pro 2000 schedule consists of natural terrain and road course races.

In the first five road course races of the 2020 season, championship leader Devlin DeFrancesco has scored the most points, but not by much. The Canadian born driver has total 107 points, but is still looking for his first win on a twisty. 

The next four drivers, Sting Ray Robb, Braden Eves, Danial Frost and Artem Petrov are within 13 points of DeFrancesco’s road and street course total and each of them has a win on a road course. 

DeFrancesco, Robb and Frost each have three podiums on road courses, Petrov has a pair of podiums and Eves, has a single podium.

Where Andretti Steinbrenner Racing rookie DeFrancesco has stood out on the road course so far this season is his consistency. His worst finish is a seventh place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and his average finish over five road course races is 3.3. His fellow championship contenders average finish over the same five races is 4.2 (Robb), 5.0 (Frost) and 5.6 (Eves and Petrov). 

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Some quick facts:

• Nine of the thirteen winners have started on pole. 
• The average starting position of the winner is 1.7.
• Parker Thompson, who started on the outside of the third row in Race #2 in 2018, is the furthest back a winner has started.
• Juncos Racing leads all teams with five wins on the IMS road course.
• The average finishing position of the pole sitter is 2.3.
• The lowest finishing position of a pole sitter is Spencer Pigot’s eighth place finish in Race #2 in 2014.
• Juncos Racing leads all teams with seven poles on the IMS road course.
• Juncos Racing leads all teams with 141 laps led.

Timothe Buret celebrates with Juncos Racing owner Ricardo Juncos. It was the first of the teams five Indy Pro 2000 wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

• The qualifying track record is held by Rasmus Lindh, who turned a lap at 78.9953 seconds last year.
• Kyle Kirkwood, with a lap timed at 79.3332 seconds set last year, holds the race track record.
• The closest finish occurred in Race #1 in 2018 when Harrison Scott beat Oliver Askew to the finish line by 0.3834 seconds.
• The largest margin at the finish was Victor Franzoni’s 13.0798 second win over TJ Fisher in the second race in 2017.
• Six of the Indy Pro 2000 races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been caution free.
• Six of the Indy Pro 2000 races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have had a first lap caution.
• Five races have had more than one caution.

Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires schedule (all times EDT)

• 9:45am – 10:15am – Indy Pro 2000 Practice
• 12:45pm – 1:15pm – Indy Pro 2000 Qualifying #1
• 3:35pm – 4:25pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #1 (20 laps)

• 9:45am – 10:15am – Indy Pro 2000 Qualifying #2
• 1pm – 1:50pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #2 (20 laps)
• 4pm – 4:50pm – Indy Pro 2000 Race #3 (25 laps or 50 minutes)

Don’t miss any of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires action:

• download the Road To Indy TV app from the Apple App Store or on Google Play to get video, audio, timing & scoring, news from TSO Ladder and much more – you can also get Road To Indy TV via Apple TV, Amazon Video, Roku or Microsoft Xbox One
• live timing – Road To Indy TV – Indy Lights – Pro Mazda – USF2000 – IndyCar Race Control
• on twitter – TSO Ladder – Team Cooper Tire – Road To Indy TV – Indy Lights – Indy Pro 2000 – USF2000
• on all social media channels via the #TeamCooperTire and #RoadToIndy hashtags

The race-winning Kimoa sponsored No. 17 Andretti Steinbrenner Racing PM-18 of Devlin DeFrancesco on track at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

By Steve Wittich

For the first time in his short Road To Indy career, Devlin DeFrancesco made the trip to victory lane, beating Braden Eves to the crossed checkers by 0.7651.

The Andretti Steinbrenner Racing rookie extended his points lead to 25 points over Sting Ray Robb, who finished fourth at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway.

With a daring last-lap pass, reigning USF2000 champion Braden Eves, grabbed second place, his second podium the year, and the 11th of his Road To Indy career.

Crossing the line in third place was Robb’s Juncos Racing teammate Petrov. Finishing in a distant fifth place was Turn 3 Motorsport veteran Danial Frost.

DeFrancesco’s lead over Robb is 25 points, but the next four drivers, Robb (158), Eves (154), Frost (153), and Petrov (151), are separated by only seven points.

The 15 Elite Engines prepared 2.0L 275hp engines for the 55-lap Indy Pro 2000 Oval Challenge of St. Louis Presented by Cooper Tires were fired at 1:55 pm.

After two pace laps, the front row of DeFrancesco and Petrov led the field to the green flag under cloudy skies at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway.

The No. 17 Andretti Steinbrenner Racing machine of DeFrancesco got a great jump with Petrov sliding into second, with Robb and Frost grabbing third and fourth. The field got cleanly through the first lap.

The running order at the end of the first lap was: Devlin DeFrancesco, Artem Petrov, Sting Ray Robb, Danial Frost, Braden Eves, Manuel Sulaiman, Parker Thompson, Hunter McElrea, Colin Kaminsky, Moisés de la Vara, Kory Enders, Antoine Comeau, Jacob Abel, Kody Swanson, and Charles Finelli.

Frost was able to get back by Robb for third on the second lap.

After four laps, the most significant early mover was Jacob Abel, who had moved from 13th to ninth. The biggest loser was McElrea, who had lost four spots from his eighth-place starting position.

On Lap 6, Robb went back to third with an inside pass of Frost in Turn 3 and Turn 4. Right behind them, Eves was able to get past Sulaiman and Frost, to move up to fourth.

With ten laps remaining, Petrov was only a half-second behind the leader, with Robb, who had just turned the quickest lap of the race within one second of the leader.

On Lap 12, Thompson moved to sixth, getting by his DEForce Racing teammate Sulaiman.

By lap 15, the front four of DeFrancesco, Petrov, Robb, and Eves had formed a four-car breakaway. They were all within one second and had 2.5 seconds over Frost in fifth.

On Lap 16, the lead group came upon the lapped car of Finelli. That allowed Eves a chance to get side-by-side with Robb. The two Americans went side by side for the next six corners before Eves dropped back in behind Robb.

At the same time, Petrov was able to get side-by-side with DeFrancesco before thinking better of it and falling into line.

On Lap 20, Eves took another look to Robb’s inside in Turn 1, but with the better exit, Robb was quicker down the back straight.

On Lap 24, Eves turned the race’s quickest lap to that point, putting immense pressure back on Robb.

At lap 25, the gap upfront between DeFrancesco and Petrov was still only 0.4953 seconds.

On Lap 26, Petrov, Robb, and Eves were in a bunch, going three-wide into Turn 3. Robb was able to get the move done on his teammate.

On Lap 27, Robb got balked by a lapped car, which allowed Petrov to shoot a gap and move back to second.

The battling for second, third, and fourth, allowed DeFrancesco to pull a 0.8472-second gap, the most comfortable lead of the race.

Eves took another look at Robb on Lap 32, but again, could not get a good enough run to complete the pass.

On Lap 32, Petrov had caught back up with DeFrancesco, but the Canadian could find a little more in his Cooper Tires and turned his quickest lap of the race on Lap 34.

With 20 laps left, the top four were separated by only 1.2 seconds. The front four had a 4.3-second gap to Frost in fifth.

Over the next five laps, the gap between DeFrancesco and Petrov was a constant 0.5 seconds. Behind the front pair, Eves was still tremendous pressure on Robb, continually looking to the inside of Turn 1.

Robb used a broader line to get a better drive off Turn 2 then Eves and was able to hold on to the spot.

With ten laps remaining, DeFrancesco’s lead was 0.6 seconds, with the top four still departed by less than a second.

On that lap, Eves went back to the bottom in Turn 1, and the two drivers went side-by-side down the back straight and into Turn 3. Once again, Robb’s line allowed him to get a better drive off the corner.

On Lap 48, Eves was finally able to get by Robb, diving to the inside of the No. 2 Juncos Racing machine in Turn 3.

With five laps remaining, DeFrancesco’s lead over Petrov was 0.7 seconds, but the Russian had to defend from Eves, who went to the inside in Turn 1.

With two laps left, the top three were separated by only a half-second. On the final lap, Eves got a get run off Turn 2 and drove around the outside of Petrov in Turn 3 and Turn 4, and winning the drag race to the line. That final lap of the race by Eves was the quickest lap of the race, grabbing the single bonus point for collecting that honor.

After winning his Road To Indy debut, five-time USAC Silver Crown champion Kody Swanson, driving again for Legacy Autosport, found the sledding a little more challenging at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway. Swanson gained two spots after starting 14th, bring home the No. 20 in 12th.

The race’s biggest mover was Turn 3 Motorsport’s Antoine Comeau, who started 12th and finished eighth.

Unofficial Results Indy Pro 2000 Oval Challenge of St. Louis Presented by Cooper Tires

Devlin DeFrancesco and his Kimoa sponsored No. 17 Andretti Steinbrenner Racing PM-18 on track at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

For the second time this season, Andretti Steinbrenner Racing rookie Devlin DeFrancesco will start an Indy Pro 2000 race from the pole, but this one is likely a little more special than the first.

The 20-year-olds first pole, at Road America, came when a competitor’s pole-winning car was disqualified. Also, it’s only DeFrancesco’s second oval start, and he was able to improve on a sixth-place qualifying effort for the Freedom 90 at Lucas Oil Raceway.

“This is my first time here, so we ran through quite a few things today,” said DeFrancesco. “The morning was about getting up to speed, which I think we did quite quickly. We focused on longer runs and only did one qualifying simulation and I got blocked by traffic. But it was enough to know that we were in good shape. When Frost put that first lap in, I thought ‘that will be tough to beat but if he pushes any more it will be over the limit’ and he did. But I think we had a great balance and a great car. The Andretti guys really know their stuff on ovals – they know their stuff everywhere, but on ovals they really are masters. I can’t thank them enough. We look good for tomorrow.”

Devlin DeFrancesco celebrates winning the pole at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

The single bonus point for winning the pole increases his lead over Sting Ray Robb to eight points headed into tomorrow’s 55-lap Indy Pro 2000 Oval Challenge Of St. Louis Presented By Cooper Tires.

Robb will start directly behind DeFrancesco on the inside of the second row, with his Juncos Racing teammate Artem Petrov, who only trails the points leader by 18 points, starting on the outside of the front row.

“I’m really happy with how the car handled with only two laps to get it right,” said Petrov. “The team gave me a great car, we worked hard all day on the balance and we were right there in every session. Now we need to make sure we have a good race car. The championship leaders are all together so it will be important to get a good start and get to the front.”

Juncos Racing’s Artem Petrov focuses before his qualifying run at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Rounding out the first three rows are Danial Frost (Turn 3 Motorsport), Braden Eves (Exclusive Autosport), and Freedom 90 pole-winner Manuel Sulaiman (DEForce Racing).

The first driver on track for the Indy Pro 2000 Oval Challenge Of St. Louis Presented By Cooper Tires qualifying was Jacob Abel (Abel Motorsports). The 2019 Indy Pro 2000 full-timer, who also contested the oval event at Lucas Oil Raceway, turned in laps at 136.049mph and 135.647mph, for a two-lap average of 135.848mph.

The next driver on track, DEForce Racing veteran Kory Enders, who stood on the podium at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway last year, could go substantially quicker than Abel. The 23-year-old turned in a two-lap average of 137.748mph, with his second lap his fastest at 128.256mph.

The fourth driver on track was the winner of the Freedom 90, Kody Swanson, who put together a local sponsorship package of St. Louis companies to return to the Indy Pro 2000 series for his second straight oval event.

Swanson, who qualified on the outside of the front-row at Lucas Oil Raceway, could not find the same pace on the 1.25-mile, four turn egg-shaped oval. His first lap was solid, at 135.297mph, but that dropped off to 133.893mph on his second lap.

The sixth car on track was Enders DEForce Racing teammate Moisés de la Vara, who was quicker than his teammate on both laps, grabbing the provisional pole—setting a two-lap average of 137.875mph as the speed to beat.

Pabst Racing rookie Colin Kaminsky was the first driver to go over 138mph on his first lap and go even quicker on his second lap, putting down the fastest lap of the qualifying session to that point at 138.726mph.

The eighth car on track was the third DEForce Racing machine piloted by Parker Thompson. The first lap for the Canadian was slower than Kaminsky, but he broke the 139mph barrier on his second lap to grab the provisional pole.

Freedom 90 pole sitter and the fourth DEForce Racing driver, Manuel Sulaiman was next car on the track, and he was able to break the 140mph lap mark, ending up with a two-lap average of 139.619mph and grabbing the provisional pole.

Hunter McElrea, coming off two straight second-place finishes, was the last of two Pabst Racing cars on track, beating teammate Kaminsky, but slotting in behind the two quickest DEForce Racing drivers.

The last five drivers on track, who were all within 25 points of points leader Devlin DeFrancesco, put in two consistent laps at 139.467mph and 139.794mph, to just go only 0.005 seconds quicker than Sulaiman over the two laps. The Exclusive Autosport driver’s first lap was the fastest of qualifying to that point.

Juncos Racing’s Artem Petrov was the first driver to turn in a first lap over 140mph and turn the first lap over 141mph on his second circuit, grabbing the provisional pole away from Eves.

Danial Frost was the next driver to take to the track. Frost’s first lap at 141.948mph was the quickest driver on his first lap, but had an issue in Turn 1 and Turn 2 on his second lap, dropping to 137.440mph on his second lap, falling in behind Petrov in the order.

The first two laps were pretty good,” said Frost. “We had a lot of pace but I just turned a bit too late (in Turn One) and over cooked it. I only have myself to blame. The team did a great job getting the car there. I just have to redeem it tomorrow and get the win for them, that’s the most important thing right now. At least we’re not starting so far back, but I’m still disappointed not to get that pole position; we had a ridiculous amount of speed. We’ll go to our race car setup so it can last long and be quick at the end of the race. I just have to focus on getting to the front in the early laps.”

Turn 3 Motorsport veteran Danial Frost heads out for his qualifying run at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

The penultimate driver to take to the track was Petrov’s teammate Robb, who put in a two-lap average of 140.353mph, to grab the provisional outside pole.

As the championship leader, DeFrancesco was the 11th and final driver on the track. The Andretti Steinbrenner Racing’s pilot’s first lap was 141.317mph, and his second lap was 141.145mph, equating to a pole-winning two-lap average of 141.231mph.

Indy Pro 2000 Oval Challenge Of St. Louis Presented By Cooper Tires unofficial qualifying results

The start of the Indy Pro 2000 race at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway in 2019 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Previewing the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires action at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway.

Close battle for the Indy Lights advancement scholarship.

Devlin DeFrancesco parlayed a successful oval debut at Lucas Oil Raceway into a larger championship lead in the chase for the Indy Lights advancement scholarship. The Andretti Steinbrenner Racing pilot made a pair of passes in the final five laps. The waning lap passes of his two closest title rivals, Sting Ray Robb and Danial Frost means the 20-year-old could extend his season-long championship lead over Robb and Frost to seven and nine points, respectively.

Indy Pro 2000 points leader Devlin DeFrancesco on track at Lucas Oil Raceway (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

“Leading the championship gives everyone a confidence boost, which is really nice,” explained the Toronto, Ontario born driver. “But we still have to take it race by race, we can’t get complacent just because we’re leading the championship.

“There’s still work to be done to be able to maintain that lead. It’s hugely satisfying to be in this position at this point in the season, but I’m still staying grounded.

“The level of competition is really high. The other guys are more used to oval racing than I am, they know the tracks better than I do, so we can’t slip up at any point. Luckily, I’ve got a great team in Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport.

“They’re a group that has a lot of experience racing and winning on these tracks. I really couldn’t ask for a better team of people around me. So, we’re just going to keep working like we’re working and move forward and find more and more speed.”

2020 Indy Pro 2000 points through Lucas Oil Raceway

Juncos Racing drivers Robb and Artem Petrov should have plenty of confidence as they head to the season’s second oval event. The Speedway, Ind. based squad, has been the team to beat at the good on the 1.25-mile, four turn egg-shaped oval.

The Ricardo Juncos lead team has two wins, four podiums, and led 93 laps, leading all of those categories.

Robb finished fifth at Gateway last year and will be making his fourth start at the Madison, Ill. track. Petrov’s oval debut came at Gateway last year when he started fifth and finished seventh.

The 2019 race at Gateway was the first oval event for Turn 3 Motorsport, giving them data to work from. Then, Frost was driving for Exclusive Autosport, started seventh last year, but made up three spots to finish fourth.

Reigning USF2000 champion Braden Eves is in fifth in the championship, only 21 points behind DeFrancesco. The Exclusive Autosport rookie will have to find a little more oval pace out of his Road To Indy/Cooper Tires/MDRN Livery/Huston Insurance sponsored No. 1, if he wants to make inroads to the drivers in front of him.

Last weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway, Eves finished seventh after starting eight and turned in the race’s sixth quickest lap.

The only drivers to make up ground on DeFrancesco last weekend were Hunter McElrea and Manuel Sulaiman, who both stood on the podium. Pabst Racing rookie McElrea used his second straight second-place finish to move from 41 points to 32 points behind DeFrancesco.

DEForce Racing Manuel Sulaiman also had a successful Lucas Oil Raceway event. The Mexican started on the pole, led 40 laps, turned the quickest lap of the race, and finished in third, gaining six points on DeFrancesco.

With 45 points on the line for a victory this weekend, Parker Thompson (DEForce Racing) and Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing) can quickly jump back into contention with a win.

Two in a row?

He might not be in the title fight, but that doesn’t mean Kody Swanson won’t have plenty of eyes on him this weekend. The 32-year-old led 50 laps and drove away from the field to take home the win in the Freedom 90, his first-ever race in a formula car.

UCAS regular Kody Swanson will try to make it two-for-two in Indy Pro 2000 oval starts (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Unlike the rest of the Indy Pro 2000 field, the five-time USAC Silver Crown Champion has been very busy since the Freedom 90 received the checkered flag, racing four-times across three different United States Auto Club (USAC) divisions.

Later on Friday night, the Kingsburg, Calif. native started from the pole in the Dave Steele Carb Night Classic and ended up finishing in tenth.

On Saturday night, Swanson was back in action at Lucas Oil Raceway for some pavement midget and sprint car action in the “Night Before The 500.”

Swanson started on pole in the midget race but was passed by eventual winner and fellow pavement guru Bobby Santos at the start of the race. His night ended with a cut tire, and a disappointing 18th place finish.

Things went much better for Swanson in his Nolen Racing prepared sprint car. Swanson started on the pole and led all 40 laps to win the special event.

Sunday night, Swanson started sixth in his Nolen Racing #20 on the one-mile dirt oval at the Indianapolis Fairgrounds, where he was looking for his fifth Hoosier Hundred win. It wasn’t meant to be though, as Swanson tangled with a few other drivers, flipping and ending up with a disappointing 26th place finish.

“I was familiar with the Road to Indy,” related Swanson during the run-up to his second Indy Pro 2000 start. “And while I’ve known people in the sport and the series, it was never intimately enough to make a break to drive in it myself. But I know how the ladder system works, that it is a path to Indianapolis for someone like me.

“Although I’ve been to World Wide Technology Raceway before, the Legacy (Autosport) guys have talked to me about the importance of the draft – and while the Silver Crown cars can draft there and I’m familiar with the idea, it’s not to the level that it’ll play in these cars. I obviously have more experience now, I know a little bit about how the car reacts, but still, it’s a whole new set of challenges to learn and a bunch of good drivers and experienced teams to try to have to learn that against. I’m looking forward to the challenge and finding out where we stack up.

“We had a great night last week and while there’s still pressure to perform this weekend, I’m just focusing on the opportunity to gain more experience at a new speed and a new type of racetrack, and continue to move forward.”

Swanson is no stranger to the 1.25-mile, four turn egg-shaped Gateway oval, collecting two top-five finishes in a pair of USAC Silver Crown starts in 2013 (2nd) and 2014 (5th).

The difference between a USAC Silver Crown Car and PM-18 goes well beyond one having the engine in front of the driver and the other having the engine behind the driver.

The Silver Crown weighs approximately 1650 pounds and has over 800hp derived from an 8-cylinder engine. The PM-18 weighs approximately 1100 pounds and makes approximately 275hp from a four-cylinder engine.

The speed difference at a track like Gateway? The two cars are surprisingly close. The last time the USAC Silver Crown series visited Gateway in 2014, Tracy Hines won the pole with a lap speed of 144.356mph. Last year in Indy Pro 2000, the fastest lap in qualifying was a lap by Rasmus Lindh with a speed of 143.102mph.

A few other tidbits

• The Indy Pro 2000 champion has been the race winner at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway in the three seasons the series has raced at the 1.25-mile, four turn egg-shaped oval.
• In three Indy Pro 2000 races at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway, the winner has never come from the pole. The average starting position of the winner is 5.3, but that is a little skewed. Kyle Kirkwood won from 12th on the grid last year.
• The average finishing position for the pole sitter is 2.3.
• DEForce Racing was quick at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway last year, with Kory Enders standing on the podium and setting the fastest race lap.
• The track record was set in qualifying last year by Juncos Racing’s Rasmus Lindh, who turned in a lap at 143.102mph.
• The first two Indy Pro 2000 races at Gateway had zero DNF’s. Last year, two cars failed to finish.
• Last year’s 0.8679-second victory by Kirkwood over Lindh was the closest in the three Indy Pro 2000 races at Gateway. In 2018, Rinus VeeKay beat Robert Megennis to the checkered flag by 8.5507 seconds.

First Indy Pro 2000 test session notes and results

The first of three 45-minute Indy Pro 2000 test sessions got underway with Danial Frost (Turn 3 Motorsport) being the first driver to take to the 1.25-mile, four turn egg-shaped oval.

With 30-minutes left in the session, the yellow flag came out for a track inspection. At that point in the session, Frost had turned the quickest lap at 140.346mph. He was joined in the top five by Moisés de la Vara (DEForce Racing), Parker Thompson (DEForce Racing), Sting Ray Robb (Juncos Racing), and Manuel Sulaiman (DEForce Racing).

The track remained green for practice until the yellow flag came out for a spin by Fatboy Racing! driver Charles Finelli, with just over six minutes remaining.

When the track went back to green, Juncos Racing driver Artem Petrov was the first to improve on his time, breaking the 32-second barrier with a lap 141.037mph. The Russian’s time at the top of the timesheet didn’t last long, with Frost once again going fastest with a lap at 142.005mph.

Points leader Devlin DeFrancesco (Andretti Steinbrenner Racing) had the third fastest lap time and turned a total of 38 laps. Braden Eves (Exclusive Autosport) and Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing) were the busiest drivers, each 62.5 miles (50 laps) of running.

Test session #1 results – Indy Pro 2000 Oval Challenge of St. Louis Presented by Cooper Tires.