DEForce Racing’s Mac Clark on track at the Ozarks International Raceway. The Canadian won his second USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires race (Photo Courtesy of Jose Mario Dias/USF Juniors)

By Steve Wittich

After a second flag-to-flag USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires victory, DEForce Racing’s Mac Clark has the chance to complete the perfect weekend on Sunday morning.

The 18-year-old, who calls Campbellville, Ontario home, led testing, led practice, scored two poles, and stood on the top step of the podium twice.

For the second race in a row, Velocity Racing Development pilots occupied the second and third steps of the podium. Sam Corry repeated his third-place finish while his 15-year-old teammate from Miami, Fla., Alessandro De Tullio, came home in second.

For the second race in a row, Andre Castro finished fourth.

After a pace lap, the front row of Clark and Nikita Johnson (Velocity Racing Development) brought the field to the green flag on the front straight of the 3.97-mile, 19-turn road course.

Once again, Clark was able to grab the lead with the first five drivers holding station.

The field made it cleanly through the first eight corners before the pilots who started sixth, seventh, and eighth ended up in the barriers on the driver’s right in Turn 9, bringing out the yellow flag.

The incident included the No. 87 of Jeremy Fairburn, who went backward into the barrier, the No. 19 of Jake Bonilla, who made the lightest contact, and the No. 53 of Alan Isambard, who was nose-first into the barriers.

The running order after crossing the line, under yellow, to complete one lap was Clark, Nikita Johnson, Sam Corry, Andre Castro, Alessandro De Tullio, Ethan Ho, Titus Sherlock, Earl W. Tucker, IV, Elliot Cox, Noah Ping, Bianca Bustamante, Jeremy Fairburn, Jake Bonilla, Alan Isambard, and Nicholas d’Orlando.

Unfortunately, much like the earlier race, a few drivers could not take the start in the second of three Cooper Tires Grand Prix Of The Ozarks. Maxwell Jamieson again missed the start of a race. He was joined by Jacob Bolen, who made late contact in Race #1 after avoiding his teammate Bustamante.

With multiple cars in the tire barrier, race control decided to throw the red flag so the drivers didn’t lose track time under green.

The green flag came back out on Lap 3, with Clark getting a good restart. Noah Ping lost two laps, and d’Orlando lost one lap during the red flag period.

On Lap 4, Castro moved to the final spot on the podium. Further back in the field, Sherlock got by Ho for sixth.

On the next lap, Castro lost that spot and one more, dropping to fifth place. The driver that grabbed fourth was De Tullio.

Clark’s lead over Johnson when he was shown the cross flags to signify the race’s halfway point was 2.7 seconds. Johnson had 2.4 seconds over Corry, who had De Tullio and Castro right on his tail.

On Lap 7, the driver running in second place had an issue, dropping down the field to the seventh spot. That promoted Corry to second and De Tullio to the final spot on the podium.

Clark’s lead over Corry after eight laps of action was 7 seconds. Corry, who finished third in the first race, had De Tullio and Castro within one second in the three-car battle for the final two spots on the podium.

Further back in the field, Tucker and Cox were nose-to-tail for the eighth spot.

With two laps remaining, the battle for the last two spots was still going hot and heavy, but it wasn’t the only action on the undulating track. Johnson was able to gain back one of the spots he lost earlier, going to sixth after passing Ho, and Cox finally got around Tucker for eighth.

Clark took the white flag 8.8 seconds ahead of a side-by-side Velocity Racing Development battle for second. The gap between Corry and De Tullio as they took the white flag was a scant 0.08 seconds.

De Tullio completed the pass, grabbing the second step on the podium after getting by his teammate.

“It was a really exciting race,” said De Tullio to Rob Howden, explaining the pass for second. “I got a run out of the last turn. He went to the inside early, forcing me to take the outside line. Coming into Turn 1, there was a small gap, and I went for it. He raced me super clean. He also did a great job with him behind him the whole race, so good job to Sam. Also, good job to Mac Clark for the win.”

Cooper Tires Grand Prix Of The Ozarks Unofficial Race #1 Results

USF Juniors Announces 2023 Equipment Package

Longtime Manufacturing Partner Tatuus to Produce JR-23 Chassis

PALMETTO, Fla. – Andersen Promotions today confirmed the equipment package for its USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires series beginning with the 2023 season. The Tatuus JR-23 will utilize the same base chassis as the first two steps of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires with some modifications to conform to an entry level step. Drivers and teams can begin with the JR-23 chassis and continue to advance up the world’s most complete driver development system with a forward-thinking three-step concept.

Announced in September of last year, USF Juniors is a professionally managed series serving as a pre-step to the Road to Indy. The series will provide a scholarship of over $220,000 to graduate to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship – the first official step on the ladder. For 2022, USF Juniors will employ the popular Ligier JS chassis and HPD powerplant in its inaugural season.

The Tatuus JR-23 will utilize the same monocoque and main components of both the USF-22 and IP-22 chassis, which will launch this year in USF2000 and the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires respectively. Upgrades include a new, wider monocoque with the addition of a Halo-type device as well as new sidepods, underfloor, engine cover, air ducts, damper cover and fuel cell.

Modifications for the USF Juniors series include the uprights, brake package, dampers and wheels. The USF2000 2-liter MZR powerplant prepared by Elite Engines will use a different restrictor plate producing 150 horsepower. The Cooper tire-shod chassis will feature a slightly harder compound than a USF2000 car. Completing the package is the latest Cosworth Badenia 2 data logger and ECU.

“We are very pleased to announce the new Tatuus JR-23 as the chassis the USF Juniors championship will use starting with the 2023 season,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “Tatuus has been an amazing manufacturer to work with since 2017 and this car completes a three-step lineup using the same basic design. The JR-23 combines the highest small formula car quality in the world with the economic advantages of our three-step concept, and we expect to see wide team and driver acceptance. Coupled with an Elite engine and Cooper tires, this car will be strong.”

The price of a complete car, including two sets of wheels, Elite engine, engine installation kit, Cosworth data logger and ECU, is projected to be approximately $94,000. The first shipment of Tatuus JR-23s will be delivered in July/August.

“This upgrade brings a huge step forward in safety, performance and quality to the USF Juniors program,” said Series Manager Gustavo Yacaman. “The ease of moving up or down between series is a huge benefit for the teams. I really look forward to seeing the new 2023 USF Juniors car hit the track.”

USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires will make its racing debut on April 23/24 with a triple-header event at Ozarks International Raceway outside Gravois Mills, Mo. in conjunction with USAC Racing and the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America.