Posted by Steve Wittich on Thursday, March 23rd 2023
Quinn Armstrong (DEForce Racing) in the NDA sponsored No. 16 during USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires testing at Sebring International Raceway – Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography
By Steve Wittich
The second USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires season officially began with a single practice session on the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway road course on a sunny and warm Thursday morning in the Highlands region of Florida.
DEForce Racing’s Quinn Armstrong led the session in the NDA-sponsored No. 16. The 15-year-old Aussie set a best lap time of 130.411 seconds, four-tenths ahead of the remainder of the field.
Exclusive Autosport’s Joey Brienza, the quickest driver during February testing at the same track, was second best, with Ethan Ho (DC Autosport) the only other driver with a half-second of the top of the timing screen.
The infamous Sebring International Raceway bumps claimed their first, of what we expect to be many, victims when bolts on the rear wing of recent F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda double race winner Jimmie Lockhart shook loose. However, quick work by the Velocity Racing Development crew got the Yacht Next sponsored No. 48 back on track within minutes.
Because sets of tires are limited, we won’t read too much into the lap times.
Management of their allotment of Cooper Tires will be a big part of determining a team and driver’s success during a USF Juniors race weekend. For this event, each entry can utilize one set of carry-over tires (from the Sebring International Raceway) test and will receive two new sets of Cooper Tires. The team’s discretion determines the utilization of the three sets of tires.
The Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Sebring consists of five sessions. A single 30-minute practice, one 25-minute qualifying session and three ten-lap (or 40 minutes) races make how to utilize the tires a critical part of the equation. It also puts tremendous pressure on the drivers to take care of each set of tires, a skill that will serve them well as they move towards the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
USF Juniors Cooper Tires Grand Prix Of Sebring Practice Results
RANK
CAR NO.
DRIVER
TEAM
FAST LAP
DIFF.
LAPS
1
16
Quinn Armstrong
DEForce Racing
2:10.411
——
9
2
91
Joey Brienza
Exclusive Autosport
2:10.824
-0.413
10
3
68
Ethan Ho
DC Autosport
2:10.887
-0.476
10
4
12
Ethan Barker
VRD Racing
2:11.399
-0.988
10
5
19
Nicolas Giaffone
DEForce Racing
2:11.528
-1.117
8
6
48
Jimmie Lockhart
VRD Racing
2:11.797
-1.386
9
7
17
Lucas Fecury
DEForce Racing
2:12.065
-1.654
8
8
18
Brady Golan
DEForce Racing
2:12.251
-1.84
7
9
92
Jack Jeffers
Exclusive Autosport
2:12.571
-2.16
7
10
57
Carson Etter
DC Autosport
2:14.389
-3.978
9
11
93
Giovanni Cabrera
Exclusive Autosport
2:19.132
-8.721
8
12
33
Max Taylor
VRD Racing
——
——
——
The bottom rung of the USF Pro Championships Presented By Cooper Tires ladder is back on track at 1:20 pm for qualifying.
Lochie Hughes, the pilot of the CSU | One Cure / Lucas Oil Products / LHP sponsored No. 8 celebrates his first USF2000 win with team owner Jay Howard (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography
A pole-to-checkered flag victory in only his first street circuit and fourth USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires race was the perfect way for Jay Howard Driver Development rookie Lochie Hughes to begin the 2023 chase for the $433,200 scholarship.
“I couldn’t ask for a better race,” said the 20-year-old from Gold Coast, Australia. “I started on pole and built a gap on the first lap and just managed the race really. I didn’t make any mistakes.
“I probably could have pushed a bit harder, but the goal was just to get the win. I sacrificed a starting position for tomorrow, but I am over the moon to get this race win. This (the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg) is my first time on a street circuit. It takes a little bit to get used to it, but I am loving it.”
The 2019 Australian Young Driver Of The Year, who didn’t race during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, moved to the United States last year, winning six races on the way to the F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda with Jay Howard Driver Development.
Hughes’ Jay Howard Driver Development teammate Evagoras Papasavvas made a pair of on-track passes to move from his fourth-place starting position to the second step of the podium.
The 15-year-old karting standout showed some late pace during a partial USF2000 campaign and missed the early part of the 2022 season while recovering from a karting incident.
The BodyWise / Tiger Natural Gas / Ares Elite Sports Vision sponsored No. 6 of Evagoras Papasavvas exits Turn 1 of the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit on the way to a second place finish (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography)
“I was in fourth for a little bit. I had a pretty decent start and didn’t lose or gain any positions,” said the Ohio resident after getting out of the BodyWise / Tiger Natural Gas / Ares Elite Sports Vision sponsored No. 6. “I stayed in fourth and got as close as I could and made the move for third. I followed second place around for a bit and kept the pressure on, and he made a mistake. I took advantage of that mistake and got myself into second and ran a smooth race from there. It was a great way to start the season.”
Rounding out the podium was the hometown driver Nikita Johnson, pilot of the Allen Exploration, LLC / Walker’s Cay / PSA Check / Tiger Precision Products sponsored No. 17 from the Velocity Racing Development stable. The 14-year-old started on used tires, while those around him began on fresh Cooper Tire slicks, making his chore of staying with the leaders tough.
“The race was pretty good, explained Johnson. “We ended up P3 after starting second. We lacked a bit of pace in the very beginning of the race, but towards the middle we were pretty fast, and I was trying to catch Lochie. Then the tires started falling off because we were running old tires, and third place caught up to me, and I fell back. I tried to catch him, but at that point, my tires were pretty cooked, and I just tried my best to keep third.”
Veteran Simon Sikes, who dominated spring training and the first practice on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit, drove his way from 15th to fourth after the Pabst Racing crew worked hard to get his Group6 Gear.com sponsored No. 22 back together after a hard crash in Turn 3 during qualifying.
Sam Corry, the driver of the Red Line Oil / Stilo Helmets / Simpson Race Products / Punch’d Energy / Windsor Windows & Doors sponsored No. 14, started third and was the second Velocity Racing Development driver in the top five.
The front row of Hughes and Johnson brought a perfectly formed field in rows of two to the first green flag of the 2023 USF2000 season.
Hughes was the first driver to Turn 1, getting cleanly through the dangerous first turn ahead of Johnson, who had Papasavvas on his outside. Corry, who started beside the Jay Howard Driver Development driver, could take advantage, sliding through on the inside of the No. 6 to grab third as the field entered the narrow and tricky Turn 3.
Lochie Hughes (No. 8), Nikita Johnson (No. 17) and Evagoras Papasavvas (No. 6) go three wide to start the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography)
The field made it cleanly to Turn 4 before a pair of single car incidents involving Zack Ping (Velocity Racing Development) and Avery Towns (Exclusive Autosport).
Ping, who started eighth and Towns, who started 21st, both got wide at the exit of the turn, catching the tire barrier with their left rear tires, bringing out the yellow flag for the 13th time in 27 USF2000 races on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit.
The running order after the first lap was Hughes, Johnson, Sam Corry (Velocity Racing Development), Papasavvas, Trey Burke (Future Star Racing), Andre Castro (Future Star Racing), Nicholas d’Orlando (Exclusive Autosport), Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport), Sikes, Jacob Douglas (Exclusive Autosport), Mac Clark (DEForce Racing), Louka St-Jean (Jay Howard Driver Development), Jorge Garciarce (DEForce Racing), Chase Gardner (Exclusive Autosport), Gordon Scully (Velocity Racing Development), Elliot Cox (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development), Maxwell Jamieson (DEForce Racing), Al Morey (Jay Howard Driver Development), Danny Dyszelski (Velocity Racing Development), Ping and Towns.
The race restarted to begin lap four, with Hughes getting to Turn 1 first and the remainder of the field filing in behind him, nose to tail. Papasavvas looked to the inside of Corry in the slippery Turn 4 braking zone but thought better of it, quickly filing back in line.
Sikes, the dominant pilot in spring training and practice at St. Petersburg before a qualifying crash, gained six spots in the first four corners and moved into eighth on the fifth lap.
On Lap 7, Papasavvas broke deeper on the slippery inside line in Turn 1, getting his car turned and moving past Corry into the final podium position. The No. 14 Velocity Racing Development lost another spot, promoting Burke to fourth.
At the halfway point of the 20-lap race, Hughes’ lead over Johnson was 1.4 seconds, with Papasavvas, Burke, Corry, Castro, Sikes, d’Orlando, Douglas and Brienza rounding out the top ten.
Behind the top three, Burke faced a ton of pressure from the drivers running fifth through tenth.
On Lap 13, Corry got back around Burke for fourth, and Sikes got by Castro for sixth.
Hughes’ lead was still a comfortable 1.6 seconds with five laps remaining, but Johnson faced pressure from Hughes’ Jay Howard Driver Development teammate Papasavvas.
On the next lap, the second spot changed hands, with the No. 6 getting around the No. 17 of Johnson after a mistake by the hometown driver. Also making moves was Sikes to fifth, Clark to tenth, and Gargiarce to 13th.
Sikes’ march to the front continued, getting around Corry for fourth, but he was five seconds off the podium.
On the next to last lap, three drivers – Burke to fifth, d’Orlando to seventh and Douglas to eighth – gained spots.
Burke’s up-and-down race continued on the last lap, with the Future Star Racing driver falling to seventh after losing spots to Corry and d’Orlando on the final lap.
Hughes’ final gap to his Jay Howard Driver Development teammate was 2.4 seconds, with the top 11 within 13 seconds of the leader.
Sikes ended up gaining 11 positions and also set the fastest lap of the race, which will also give him the coveted pole for tomorrow’s race.
After the first lap single car incidents, the youngest drivers kept things clean, with 19 of the 21 starters finishing on the lead lap.
Posted by Steve Wittich on Wednesday, March 8th 2023
Myles Rowe, pilot of the Penske Entertainment No 99 (Pabst Racing w/ Force Indy) does his now familar victory bow after taking home victory in the Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography)
It took Pabst Racing w/Force Indy rookie Myles Rowe only two races to win his first USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires race, putting on a start and restart overtaking clinic in an impressive fifth-to-first drive.
The 22-year-old Pace Univeristy graduate has now won seven times in USF Pro Championships Presented By Cooper Tires action.
The victory, combined with the bonus point for leading the most laps and his third-place finish on Saturday, gives Rowe the USF Pro 2000 points lead after two of 18 rounds.
The pilot of the Penske Entertainment No. 99 joins Hunter McElrea as winners in St. Petersburg, Fla., for Pabst Racing, who now have five all-time USF Pro 2000 wins.
“It was a blast, honestly, exclaimed a beaming Rowe. “My opponents made it really hard for me. Coming from fifth, I had to get around Lirim, who didn’t make it easy at all that first couple of laps. Then I had to get by Jace, who always makes it hard on me, which is great. And then Francesco, who made it very difficult and pushed me all the way down to the inside in the marbles, but somehow I got it done. I capitalized on a little error from Kiko and, luckily, ran away with it.
“Pabst just gave me an amazing car to keep the lead and stretch it out a bit. Credit to Bob (Perona), my driver coach, and all my sponsors – Penske Entertainment, Force Indy, Pabst Racing, Sparco, Bell, and SimCraft. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible, so I am just super blessed. I am really thankful for my family being here, so they got to see it, and I am looking forward to going home and enjoying it with them.”
For the second race to start the season and the fourth consecutive USF Pro 2000 race going back to last season, Brazilian Kiko Porto drove an intelligent race to rack up another podium with a second-place finish. It’s the 19th time the 19-year-old DEForce Racing driver has visited the podium during his stellar USF Pro Championships career. He heads to the next round, only three points behind Rowe in second place in the battle for the $664,500 scholarship.
“It was a good race,” said Porto. “I passed Pizzi at the first corner and then started to open a gap. I saw the guys fighting in the back, and in two to three laps, I opened up a really considerable gap, and the full-course yellow came out. I managed half a lap, and another yellow came out, and I felt like the car was suffering a bit for grip.
“When the restart came out, I saw Myles had more grip than me. I tried to defend as much as possible, but the grip level was different. He passed me and opened up a huge gap. I understand the limits of the car and just tried to manage until the end of the race. Two second places and we still have a long way to go in the season, so I am happy with this.”
Jace Denmark joined his Pabst Racing teammate Rowe on the podium, finishing the 25-lap race where he started in third place.
“It was a tough race, really hot,” said Denmark, the pilot of the Metal Works Custom Fabrication sponsored No. 20. “The track conditions were a lot different (from Saturday), so grip offline was close to none. It was like sand. That was difficult for passing. I tried to go around the outside of Pizzi in Turn One on one of the restarts and just couldn’t make it stick because there was no rubber out there. On the third restart, I finally got around him and started to hunt down Kiko. The top three of us were so fast we pretty much got spread out. I missed the fast lap by like five-thousandths or something, and maybe I should have held my breath on the straightaway or something. It was a good race for me – started third and finished third; that’s all I can ask for. We need to work on the pace of the car out of the gate but really positive overall.”
Rounding out the top five were TJ Speed Motorsports newcomers Lirim Zendeli and pole-sitter Francesco Pizzi.
“Just missed out on the podium with P4,” Zendeli, the pilot of the Vexavit/Ajdini Spedition sponsored No. 10, posted on Instagram. “Apologies to the team for the mistake in Quali after a very promising FP & a big shoutout to them; they’ve done an amazing job throughout the whole weekend! Important we recovered some points at the end. We’ll go for that top spot at Sebring! Can’t wait.”
Rowe and Denmark’s Pabst Racing teammate Jordan Missig recovered nicely after being knocked out of Saturday’s race. The pilot of the Racing For Mental Health/AMV Ventures sponsored No. 19 won the Tilton Hard Charger Award, finishing seventh after starting 14th.
Jordan Missig in the Racing For Mental Health/AMV Ventures sponsored No. 19 (Pabst Racing) gained seven spots during the Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the most of any driver (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography)
Despite being his first race event on a street circuit, Exclusive Autosport rookie Joel Granfors set the quickest lap, earning that bonus point on the way to an eighth-place finish.
“It’s been mixed emotions this weekend,” said Granfors, the pilot of the Corpay Cross-Border sponsored No. 92. “Missing qualifying clearly hurt, especially for me as a rookie over here. I need all the laps I can get. For the same reason, though, I was really pleased to see the time we set in Race 2. It proves the pace we have, even here on a street track with a session missed, and it makes me confident for the coming races.”
The call to fire the engines to begin the final race of the weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla., came after a chaotic NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.
Originally slated to get the green flag at 3 pm, the length of the 100-lap INDYCAR race meant the call to fire engines finally came 72 minutes behind schedule at 4:12 pm.
The front row of first-time pole-winner, TJ Speed Motorsports rookie Francesco Pizzi and Porto led the ten rows of drivers onto the front straight, with both drivers punching off simultaneously.
Porto used a power move braking deeper than Pizzi and powering around the outside in Turn 1 to take the lead.
Kiko Porto in the Banco Daycoval/Petromega sponsored No. 12 (DEForce Racing) powers around the outside of pole-winner Francesco Pizzi in the Villa Mercede/Shaka Spirit/Roscioli Hotels sponsored No. 55 (TJ Speed Motorsports) at the start of the 2023 Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography)
Behind the leaders, the action was frantic, with much of the field going three wide through the opening right-hander before getting single file for the problematic Turn 2 and 3.
Porto began to pull away while Pizzi had to defend against another outside move. This time it was inside second-row starter Denmark that tried to take advantage of the Italian rookie, who hung tough and held the spot.
The running order after the first lap was Porto, Pizzi, Denmark, Rowe, Zendeli, Christian Brooks (Turn 3 Motorsport), Joel Granfors (Exclusive Autosport), Reece Ushijima (Jay Howard Driver Development), Salvador de Alba (Exclusive Autosport), Michael d’Orlando (Turn 3 Motorsport), Jordan Missig (Pabst Racing), Jack William Miller (Miller Vinatieri Motorsports), Jonathan Browne (Turn 3 Motorsport), Christian Weir (TJ Speed Motorsports), Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Exclusive Autosport), Jackson Lee (Turn 3 Motorsport), Ricardo Escotto (Jay Howard Driver Development), Nicholas Monteiro (NeoTech Motorsport), Bijoy Garg (DEForce Racing), and Lindsay Brewer (Exclusive Autosport).
The biggest mover on the first of 25 laps was Missig, who gained three spots from his 14th starting position.
Unfortunately, the field could only complete 16 corners before the yellow flag flew from the timing stand. The No. 90 of Sundaramoorthy, who started from the 15th spot, stopped in Turn 3. The American-born Indian driver started back in the pack due to a non-functioning transponder in Saturday’s race despite having more pace than many drivers in front of him.
Just before the caution lights came on, Rowe made a textbook pass on the inside of teammate Denmark in Turn 4.
The AMR INDYCAR Safety Team quickly got the car on the hook, and the green flag returned to start Lap 6.
The top six were single file as they got through Turn 1, but behind them, Ushijima, who was running eighth, had contact, losing the rear wing and folding up the right rear suspension. The No 6 stopped between Turn 3 and Turn 4, bringing out the yellow flag for the second time.
Rowe, who started fifth, gained spots on the start and restart to move to second place.
The top ten when the green flag came out to start Lap 10 were: Porto, Rowe, Pizzi, Denmark, Zendeli, Brooks, Granfors, Missig, Miller and De Alba.
Porto quickly moved to the inside to defend against Rowe into Turn 1. Later in that lap, the No. 99 made a daring move in Turn 8 to grab the lead.
Denmark (one spot to third), Zendelli (one spot to fourth), Missig (one spot to seventh) and De Alba (one spot to ninth) were the other drivers that moved forward on the restart.
Rowe’s lead over Porto when the field was given the halfway crossed flags was a comfortable 1.5 seconds. Denmark, Zendelli, Pizzi, Brooks, Missig, De Alba, Granfors and Miller rounded out the top ten.
As the track cooled down, lap times kept dropping, with Rowe building a 2.1-second lead with seven laps remaining.
With six laps remaining, Escotto found the tire barriers in Turn 4, but he kept the engine running and extricating himself, keeping the green flag flying.
Porto wasn’t going quietly, keeping within two seconds of Rowe while holding a similar advantage to Denmark.
Behind the front group, De Alba, who was running sixth, had an issue, dropping to 15th with left rear suspension damage.
Rowe continued to grow his lead over Porto, crossing the line three seconds ahead of Porto for his first USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires win.
Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Results
RANK
CAR NO.
DRIVER
TEAM
DIFF.
1
99
Myles Rowe
Pabst Racing
25 LAPS
2
12
Kiko Porto
DEForce Racing
-3.0467
3
20
Jace Denmark
Pabst Racing
-3.7924
4
10
Lirim Zendeli
TJ Speed Motorsports
-8.8022
5
55
Francesco Pizzi
TJ Speed Motorsports
-9.2744
6
3
Christian Brooks
Turn 3 Motorsport
-9.99
7
19
Jordan Missig
Pabst Racing
-11.5199
8
92
Joel Granfors
Exclusive Autosport
-11.7264
9
40
Jack William Miller
Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
-19.1529
10
32
Christian Weir
TJ Speed Motorsports
-19.5208
11
1
Michael d’Orlando
Turn 3 Motorsport
-19.8489
12
2
Jonathan Browne
Turn 3 Motorsport
-29.9106
13
81
Nicholas Monteiro
NeoTech Motorsport
-30.4394
14
7
Bijoy Garg
DEForce Racing
-30.9297
15
47
Jackson Lee
Turn 3 Motorsport
-37.2662
16
93
Lindsay Brewer
Exclusive Autosport
-1 LAP
17
91
Salvador De Alba
Exclusive Autosport
-4 LAPS
18
4
Ricardo Escotto
Jay Howard Driver Development
-5 LAPS
19
6
Reece Ushijima
Jay Howard Driver Development
-20 LAPS
20
90
Yuven Sundaramoorthy
Exclusive Autosport
-23 LAPS
The series is back in action at Sebring International Raceway on March 24-25.
Nikita Johnson navigates the streets of his hometown (St. Petersburg, Fla.) in the Allen Exploration, LLC/Walker’s Cay sponsored No. 17 from the Velocity Racing Development stable (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography)
Hometown driver, 14-year-old Nikita Johnson couldn’t have asked for a better season-opening race weekend. After standing on the second step of the podium yesterday, he made an impressive on-track pass for the lead, celebrating on the top of the podium with family and friends on Sunday morning.
Sunday’s USF2000 Discount Tire Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner Nikita Johnson (Velocity Racing Development) celebrates on the top step of the podium with his family, friends and sponsors (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography)
“Yesterday, we were pretty fast,” said the pilot of the Allen Exploration, LLC/Walker’s Cay No. 17 (Velocity Racing Development). We made some improvements in my driving of the car. Coming into the race, I was third. I went to the outside and got into second and stayed behind Simon. The next lap, I went and did an over/under. After that, I was in the lead and just controlled the race the whole time, backing him up in some of the corners.
“I knew I needed to be in front to control the race and that’s what won it. The car was very fast and super consistent. I want to thank my friends and family for coming out, and all of my sponsors.”
The Floridian won three USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires races last year, giving him four total USF Pro Championship wins.
It is Velocity Racing Development’s fourth USF2000 win in its second year of competition.
Pabst Racing veteran and pole-sitter Simon Sikes pressured Johnson after losing the lead but had to settle for second place after a fourth-place finish yesterday. The 22-year-old pilot of the Group6Gear sponsored No. 22 added to his points haul by getting the bonus lap for the pole and setting the fastest lap of the race.
“Well, this was the most up-and-down weekend I have ever had in my racing career,” said the Georgian Sikes. “I started a half second up on the field in practice, went into qualifying and had the worse crash of my career by far. Pabst Racing did an excellent job to get the car back together for Saturday.
“We had to start deep in the field and drive it from 15th to fourth, but today was a much, much better day. I started from pole, had a great race with Nikita (Johnson) and ultimately came up short to finish P2 but had the fastest lap. I am thrilled with the weekend, even though it had its ups and downs, and am looking forward to getting back at it at Sebring.”
Simon Sikes, the pole-sitter on track at the USF2000 Discount Tire Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in his Group6Gear sponsored No. 22 from the Pabst Racing stable (Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography)
Jay Howard Driver Development drivers Evagoras Papasavvas and Lochie Hughes spent the 20 laps of the Discount Tire Grand Prix of St. Petersburg trading the final podium position, with Saturday’s winner Hughes eventually prevailing in the most entertaining fight of the race.
“The race was alright,” explained the Aussie after climbing from his JHDD/CSU One Cure/Lucas Oil Products/LHP sponsored No. 8. “I struggled a little bit to be honest. We were on an older tire, and everyone ahead had newer tires. I made some mistakes on the first lap, which made me drop some positions, so then I was trying to catch back up and make some passes.
“In the end, I finished third. It was tough with Evagoras behind me. It was a decent result. To take a pole, a win and a third from the first round of the year, I’m pretty happy.”
The distinct note of the 21 Elite Engine prepared 2.0L engines served as an 8 am alarm for the residents of downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., when the command to fire up the power plants to get the Discount Tire Grand Prix of St. Petersburg underway.
The front row Sikes and Papasavvas brought the field to the starter’s stand on the front straight, but with a spread-out field, the start was waived off.
Future Star Racing’s Andre Castro, who was starting 8th, came to pit road on the first of two attempts at a start. Unfortunately, the New Yorker was forced to retire due to a mechanical issue.
The field did a much better job getting two-by-two on the second attempt. There was some contact back in the field, with one car getting airborne over the back of another. However, everybody kept it pointed forward and got cleanly through Turn 1 and the remainder of the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit.
Johnson, who started behind the pole-sitter, followed him closely, moving by outside front-row starter Papasavvas at the exit of the right-hand Turn 1.
With Papasavvas Turn 3 compromised, his Jay Howard Driver Development teammates Hughes and St-Jean made it three wide. With team owner and former USF2000 Jay Howard holding his breath, the trio sorted things out, and all emerged from Turn 4 safely.
Nicholas d’Orlando (Exclusive Autosport), who started outside the third row, got into Turn 10 too hot and found the run-off area. But, the 19-year-old kept going, recovering from 21st to 13th.
The running order after the first green flag lap was Sikes, Johnson, Papasavvas, Louka St-Jean (Jay Howard Driver Development), Hughes, Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport), Nicholas d’Orlando (Exclusive Autosport), Elliot Cox (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development), Jacob Douglas (Exclusive Autosport), Chase Gardner (Exclusive Autosport), Trey Burke (Future Star Racing), Al Morey (Jay Howard Driver Development), Mac Clark (DEForce Racing), Gordon Scully (Velocity Racing Development), Sam Corry (Velocity Racing Development), Danny Dyszelski (Velocity Racing Development), Zack Ping (Velocity Racing Development), Maxwell Jamieson (DEForce Racing), Avery Townes (Exclusive Autosport), and Nicholas d’Orlando (Exclusive Autosport).
Morey, from 17th to 12th and Scully, from 19th to 14th, were the biggest movers forward on the first lap.
On Lap 3, Ping locked up in Turn 1, banging into the side of his Velocity Racing Development teammate Corry, spinning both drivers. Ping, a 15-year-old Georgian, was penalized, serving a drive-thru penalty for avoidable contact. Corry had already lost his front wing but held on to finish an impressive 11th.
On the next lap, Johnson got a superb drive off the final corner, putting immense pressure on Sikes, who missed his braking point at the end of the 3,677-foot Runway 7/25 at the Albert Whited Airport, getting into the marbles and allowing Johnson through on the inside.
Between Lap 4 and 6, several drivers had issues coming to pit road, including the No. 1 of USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires driver champion Mac Clark (engine problem), Chase Gardner (front wing askew), Jacob Douglas (missing a front wing), and Louka St-Jean (mechanical issue). Gardner replaced a front wing and got back on the track.
On Lap 8, Cox lost a front wing while running 7th, coming to pit road to replace that critical part. The Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development crew got that wing changed, but the car did not sound great, coming to a stop in the Turn 10 run-off.
At the front of the field, Johnson had Sikes, Papasavvas and Hughes within 1.1 seconds at the halfway mark of the 20-lap race.
With eight laps remaining, Ping and Towns had an incident in Turn 8, with the No. 97 stopping behind the barriers and retiring from the race.
On that same lap, Saturday’s winner Hughes got around his teammate Papasavvas for the final spot on the podium.
Behind the top four, Brienza faced heavy pressure from Garciarce and Burke, losing the spot, dropping to seventh, and eventually coming to pit road and retiring with a mechanical issue.
With five laps remaining, Johnson, the only driver to start up front with fresh Cooper Tire slicks, had a 1+ second lead for the first time. Sikes had a 1.7 gap to third place Hughes, who was defending against his Jay Howard Driver Development teammate Papasavvas.
Over the next three laps, Sikes was much quicker than Johnson, cutting the gap to two-tenths of a second as they crossed the line with two laps remaining, going side-by-side in the Turn 1 brake zone, before the No. 22 filed in behind the No. 17 again.
Sikes had the better car in the corners, closing up on Johnson in the higher-speed corners. However, Johnson was getting a better drive off the corners, making a pass impossible for the pole-sitter. Johnson crossed under the checkered flag a half-second ahead of Sikes while his Velocity Racing Development crew cheered him from the pit wall.
Behind the front pair, Jay Howard Driver Development teammates Hughes and Papasavvas were waging a fantastic battle for the final spot on the podium.
On the last lap, American/Cypriot driver Papasavvas and the Jay Howard Driver Development No. 6 forced Saturday’s race winner into a mistake. The driver of the Jay Howard Driver Development No.8 tapped the wall at the exit of Turn 8 after losing rear grip. However, Hughes kept his foot in it for the final six corners, crossing the line two-tenths of a second ahead of Papasavvas to complete a successful weekend that included a pole, win, an additional podium, and the points lead.
Discount Tire Grand Prix of St. Petersburg unofficial results
RANK
CAR NO.
DRIVER
TEAM
DIFF.
1
17
Nikita Johnson
VRD Racing
20 LAPS
2
22
Simon Sikes
Pabst Racing
-0.5627
3
8
Lochie Hughes
Jay Howard Driver Development
-3.5172
4
6
Evagoras Papasavvas
Jay Howard Driver Development
-3.7147
5
10
Jorge Garciarce
DEForce Racing
-17.5834
6
58
Trey Burke
Future Star Racing
-18.0588
7
18
Danny Dyszelski
VRD Racong
-27.7082
8
19
Gordon Scully
VRD Racing
-31.6273
9
12
Maxwell Jamieson
DEForce Racing
-35.9222
10
7
Al Morey
Jay Howard Driver Development
-50.5005
11
14
Sam Corry
VRD Racing
-53.4696
12
93
Avery Towns
Exclusive Autosport
-71.3989
13
92
Nicholas d’Orlando
Exclusive Autosport
-71.6354
14
95
Chase Gardner
Exclusive Autosport
-3 LAPS
15
90
Jacob Douglas
Exclusive Autosport
-3 LAPS
16
91
Joey Brienza
Exclusive Autosport
– 5 LAPS
17
97
Zack Ping
VRD Racing
-10 LAPS
18
67
Elliot Cox
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development
-11 LAPS
19
9
Louka St.-Jean
Jay Howard Driver Development
-14 LAPS
20
1
Mac Clark
DEForce Racing
-15 LAPS
21
56
Andre Castro
Future Star Racing
– 18 LAPS
The series is back in action at Sebring International Raceway on March 25-26.
Who doesn’t love redemption stories? Look no further than Turn 3 Motorsport’s Christian Brooks to write the first comeback arc of the season at a track that almost brought his burgeoning open-wheel career to an end. A crash in practice at this same event last year ended Christian Brooks’ rookie USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires rookie season before it began.
The 22-year-old Californian stepped back for the rest of the season and signed a last-minute deal to race the first USF Pro 2000 event with the Peter Dempsey-led Turn 3 Motorsport.
Brooks, a three-time “St. Pete” winner in USF2000, started from the pole, survived two restarts and led all 25 laps on the way to his first series victory in his fourth start.
Today’s win is the second straight for Turn 3 Motorsport on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit.
Kiko Porto extended his series podium streak to three races going back to the final two races at the Portland International Raceway last year.
Pabst Racing rookie Myles Rowe drove a patient race, standing on the bottom step of the podium in his first USF Pro 2000 start.
The call to fire the Elite Engine prepared 2.0L engines for the first USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires race of the season came at 11:25 am. The ambient temperature was 81F, and the track temperature was 106F
After a single pace lap, the front row of Brooks and Pizzi brought the field to the green flag on runway 7/25 of Albert Whitted Airport.
The first four or five rows were lined up nicely, but the rest of the field held back, making them quicker as they approached the green flag. Race control called off the start, and the field circulated for another lap before getting the green flag the second time by the starter’s stand.
Pole sitter Brooks was the first car to Turn 1, with Porto, who started behind him, moving into second.
Reigning USF2000 champion Michael d’Orlando, who started sixth, got bottled up in Turn 1, making contact with other drivers and stopping on track. The No. 1 continued but was one lap down.
As the field got to Turn 4, Jonathan Browne (Turn 3 Motorsport), Ricardo Escotto (Jay Howard Driver Development) and Jordan Missig (Pabst Racing) were involved in an incident in Turn 4, with the No. 19 of Missig stopping on track.
The running order after two laps, as the field circulated under yellow, was Brooks, Porto, Rowe, Pizzi, Jace Denmark (Pabst Racing), Jack William Miller (Miller Vinatieri Motorsports), Salvador de Alba (Exclusive Autosport), Joel Granfors (Exclusive Autosport), Lirim Zendeli (TJ Speed Motorsports), Nicholas Monteiro (NeoTech Motorsport), Bijoy Garg (DEForce Racing), Lindsay Brewer (Exclusive Autosport), Christian Weir (TJ Speed Motorsports), Jackson Lee (Turn 3 Motorsport), Browne, Escotto, d’Orlando, Missig, along with Reece Ushijima (Jay Howard Driver Development) and Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Exclusive Autosport) who were not shown on timing and scoring, but were on track with transponders that were not working.
The green flag returned to start the sixth lap, with Brooks getting to Turn 1 first again. Behind him, Denmark and Pizzi went side-by-side in Turn 4, with the TJ Speed Motorsports driver holding the spot.
Porto immediately began pressuring Brooks at the head of the field, but the Turn 3 Motorsport driver was getting a better drive off the final corner, making a move into Turn 1 tougher.
After ten laps, the top four – Brooks, Porto, Rowe and Pizzi- covered by only 1.8 seconds. Exclusive Autosport sophomore De Alba was the fastest car on the track, but lap times kept coming down.
Brooks’ lead over Porto when he got the crossed flags to signify the race’s halfway point was 0.6 seconds, with the top four within two seconds and the top nine within nine seconds of the leader.
With three laps remaining, rookie Montiero, who was running ninth, made contact with the concrete barrier coming to a stop in Turn 9 and bringing out the yellow flag.
The top ten under yellow were Brooks, Porto, Rowe, Pizzi, Ushijima, Denmark, Miller, De Alba, Sundaramoorthy, and Granfors.
The green flag returned for a two-lap shootout to decide the first USF Pro 2000 race of the season.
Porto couldn’t get close enough to make a move for the lead, and behind the lead pair, things remained steady until the final corner of the last lap when Miller spun, dropping from seventh to 14th.
Unofficial Discount Tire Grand Prix of St. Peterburg results
#8 Lochie Hughes, Jay Howard Driver Development, JHDD/CSU One Cure/Lucas Oil Products/LHP – Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography
By Steve Wittich
A last-second hot lap by Jay Howard Driver Development’s (JHDD) Lochie Hughes topped a chaotic USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires qualifying session, giving the Aussie driver his first pole in only his fourth series start.
The pole is the first on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit for Jay Howard Driver Development. The pole is the 11th for the team and their first since 2020.
Velocity Racing Development’s (VRD) Nikita Johnson will start from outside the front row at his home race, matching his best career USF2000 start from Portland International Raceway in 2022. The 14-year-old has an average starting position of 4.0 in nine series starts and has never qualified worse than seventh.
Row two also includes drivers from VRD and JHDD, but this time they are reversed, with VRD’s Sam Corry starting third and JHDD’s Evagoras Papasavvas starting fourth.
Rookie team Future Star Racing racing, with veterans Trey Burke and Andre Castro, had an impressive first qualifying session in the series and will start from the third row.
The lone USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires qualifying session followed a 75-minute NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice. That means the drivers and teams that adjust to the increased grip will have the best starting spots for both races.
When the 25-minute qualifying session began, the ambient temperature was 79F, and the track temperature was 96F.
Trey Burke (Future Star Racing) was penalized for the Turn 4 incident with Sam Corry in practice, sitting for the first five minutes of qualifying.
Early in the session, Lochie Hughes (Jay Howard Driver Development), Sam Corry (Velocity Racing Development) and Simon Sikes (Pabst Racing) were the early provisional pole sitters.
The first red flag of the test came out with just over ten minutes gone when Sikes, spring training and practice #1 leader, made contact with the wall in Turn 3. His Pabst Racing No. 22 stopped on the right side of the track halfway down the back straight toward Turn 4.
The AMR INDYCAR Safety Team cleared the track, and green conditions returned with 11 minutes remaining.
Just as times started to fall as drivers got their Cooper Tire slicks into the proper operating window, the red flag came out for the No. 95 Exclusive Autosport machine of Chase Gardner in the Turn 8 tire barrier.
Corry had just turned the quickest lap, putting the Velocity Racing Development driver on the provisional pole. He was followed in the top ten by Hughes, Evagoras Papasavvas (Jay Howard Driver Development), Nikita Johnson (Velocity Racing Development), Jacob Douglas (Exclusive Autosport), Nicholas d’Orlando (Exclusive Autosport), Zack Ping (Velocity Racing Development), Danny Dyszelski (Jay Howard Driver Development), Jorge Garciarce (DEForce Racing) and Mac Clark (DEForce Racing).
Qualifying restarted with five minutes remaining, putting pressure on the drivers to quickly get their tires up to temperature to improve their lap time.
Clark was the first driver to improve, followed closely by his USF Juniors rival Johnson, who jumped to the provisional pole.
However, the timing screen was blinking green with two minutes remaining as drivers continued to improve on their best laps.
Johnson held the provisional pole until the final driver to cross the timing line, Hughes, pipped him, going a slim eight-hundredths of a second quicker.
Also jumping up on their final laps were Corry (to third), Burke (to fifth) and d’Orlando (to 7th).
USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires qualifying results
RANK
CAR NO.
DRIVER
TEAM
BEST LAP
DIFF.
1
8
Lochie Hughes
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:13.0836
——-
2
17
Nikita Johnson
VRD Racing
1:13.1640
0.0804
3
14
Sam Corry
VRD Racing
1:13.3569
0.2733
4
6
Evagoras Papasavvas
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:13.4954
0.4118
5
58
Trey Burke
Future Star Racing
1:13.5984
0.5148
6
56
Andre Castro
Future Star Racing
1:13.5993
0.5157
7
92
Nicholas d’Orlando
Exclusive Autosport
1:13.7408
0.6572
8
97
Zack Ping
VRD Racing
1:13.7843
0.7007
9
91
Joey Brienza
Exclusive Autosport
1:13.8184
0.7348
10
18
Danny Dyszelski
VRD Racong
1:13.8212
0.7376
11
90
Jacob Douglas
Exclusive Autosport
1:13.8609
0.7773
12
9
Louka St.-Jean
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:13.8665
0.7829
13
1
Mac Clark
DEForce Racing
1:13.9397
0.8561
14
22
Simon Sikes
Pabst Racing
1:13.9728
0.8892
15
10
Jorge Garciarce
DEForce Racing
1:14.0153
0.9317
16
7
Al Morey
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:14.1798
1.0962
17
12
Maxwell Jamieson
DEForce Racing
1:14.3327
1.2491
18
95
Chase Gardner
Exclusive Autosport
1:14.3753
1.2917
19
19
Gordon Scully
VRD Racing
1:14.6691
1.5855
20
67
Elliot Cox
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development
1:14.9023
1.8187
21
93
Avery Towns
Exclusive Autosport
1:15.8445
2.7609
The 20-lap Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg gets the green flag at 3:45 pm on Saturday.
Last year, at this same race track, Christian Brooks rookie USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires season ended before it started after a hard crash in practice meant he missed the event and didn’t race at all in 2022.
The Californian topped qualifying in his return to racing and this track, setting a lap of 70.0549 seconds in the OFTV-sponsored No. 3 from the Turn 3 Motorsport stable.
Despite a forgettable visit to “St. Pete” last year, Brooks has had substantial success on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit, grabbing a pair of poles and a trio of trips to victory lane across two USF2000 visits.
It’s the second year in a row that a Turn 3 Motorsport driver has won the season-opening pole in St. Peterburg, with Josh Green taking that honor last year.
The top five drivers – from five different teams – were within one-tenth of a second, and the top 16 were within one second, portending what should be an epic USF Pro 2000 season.
Within 0.01 seconds of Brooks was newcomer Francesco Pizzi (TJ Speed Motorsports), Kiko Porto (DEForce Racing), Myles Rowe (Pabst Racing) and Reece Ushijima (Jay Howard Driver Development).
When USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires, got the green flag at 1:18 pm, the ambient temperature was 82F, and the track temperature was 115F.
With quick breaks and slightly shortened sessions, the day’s events were close to being back on schedule. Accordingly, five minutes were removed from what was originally a half-hour session.
The 20 cars and drivers quickly got to work their fresh sets of Cooper Tires up to the optimal temperature.
After only two minutes, with drivers only completing one lap at speed, USF Pro Championships newcomer and Formula 2 veteran Lirim Zendeli (TJ Speed Motorsports) made fairly significant contact with the concrete barriers in Turn, with the No. 10 coming to rest closer to Turn 10.
The No. 10 of Lirim Zendeli (TJ Speed Motorsports) on the hook (Photo Courtesy of Steve Wittich – TSO)
The session went green again with 16 minutes remaining.
Porto, who led the lone practice session, quickly went to the timing screens, holding the provisional pole after all the drivers had turned five laps and the clock hit the halfway point of qualifying.
Turn 3 Motorsport was quick in the middle portion of the session, with rookies Christian Brooks first and Michael d’Orlando next, holding the provisional pole and veteran teammate Jonathan Browne fourth on the timing screen.
Rowe, who led spring training and was a USF2000 winner on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit last year, grabbed the provisional pole on his tenth qualifying lap.
Rowe and Brooks traded the top spot three times over the next two laps and were separated by less than one-tenth of a second.
Porto and Pizzi entered the conversation late, placing themselves between Brooks and Rowe with three minutes remaining.
Nobody could go quicker in their last few circuits, giving Brooks the pole.
Exclusive Autosport newcomer Joel Granfors could not complete qualifying laps after an incident on his out lap.
USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires qualifying results
RANK
CAR NO.
DRIVER
TEAM
BEST LAP
DIFF.
1
3
Christian Brooks
Turn 3 Motorsport
1:10.0549
——
2
55
Francesco Pizzi
TJ Speed Motorsports
1:10.0668
0.0119
3
12
Kiko Porto
DEForce Racing
1:10.1362
0.0813
4
99
Myles Rowe
Pabst Racing
1:10.1529
0.0980
5
6
Reece Ushijima
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:10.1567
0.1018
6
1
Michael d’Orlando
Turn 3 Motorsport
1:10.2251
0.1702
7
2
Jonathan Browne
Turn 3 Motorsport
1:10.3299
0.2750
8
20
Jace Denmark
Pabst Racing
1:10.3799
0.3250
9
91
Salvador De Alba
Exclusive Autosport
1:10.5272
0.4723
10
90
Yuven Sundaramoorthy
Exclusive Autosport
1:10.5586
0.5037
11
19
Jordan Missig
Pabst Racing
1:10.6123
0.5574
12
40
Jack William Miller
Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
1:10.6230
0.5681
13
32
Christian Weir
TJ Speed Motorsports
1:10.6529
0.5980
14
4
Ricardo Escotto
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:10.9664
0.9115
15
7
Bijoy Garg
DEForce Racing
1:11.0546
0.9997
16
93
Lindsay Brewer
Exclusive Autosport
1:11.1470
1.0921
17
81
Nicholas Monteiro
NeoTech Motorsport
1:11.4368
1.3819
18
47
Jackson Lee
Turn 3 Motorsport
1:11.8718
1.8169
19
10
Lirim Zendeli
TJ Speed Motorsports
6:05.3741
295.3192
20
92
Joel Granfors
Exclusive Autosport
No Time
—
The 25-lap Discount Tire Grand Prix of St. Peterburg will get the green flag at 11:15 am on Saturday.
Veteran Pabst Racing’s Simon Sikes picked up where he left off USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires spring training earlier this week, dominating the competition.
The 22-year-old Georgian’s lap, timed at 74.4548 seconds, was almost six-tenths quicker than the next-best driver, Lochie Hughes (Jay Howard Driver Development), with the following 13 drivers within a second of the Aussie.
The lone 25-minute USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires got underway with the 21 entries quickly taking to the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit.
After five minutes, the first red flag came out when the No.92 of Nicholas d’Orlando stopped in the run-off, with most drivers only completing two laps. He could drive back to pit road but did not complete another lap at pace.
Reigning USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires champion Mac Clark (DEForce Racing), had the quickest lap time, followed by Elliot Cox (Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development), Lochie Hughes (Jay Howard Driver Development), Nicholas d’Orlando (Exclusive Autosport), and Simon Sikes (Pabst Racing).
The green flag remained out for ten minutes before a chaotic lap, which saw four cars bring out the second red flag with 11 minutes remaining in the session.
Single-car incidents involving Chase Gardner (Exclusive Autosport) in Turn 1 and Cox, along with a two-car disagreement in the Turn 4 braking zone between Trey Burke (Future Star Racing) and Sam Corry (Velocity Racing Development) brought out the second red flag of the session.
Race control ordered Burke and Corry to the principal’s office (race director Joel Miller) immediately after practice.
Sikes had taken over the top spot, followed by Nikita Johnson (Velocity Racing Development), Clark, Andre Castro (Future Star Racing), Corry, Zack Ping (Velocity Racing Development), Jorge Garciarce (DEForce Racing), Douglas, Hughes and Gardner.
The green flag returned, allowing the drivers to complete a few more laps before the third red flag flew for the Hughes’ No. 8 off-track in Turn 4 with three minutes remaining.
Drivers were given one green flag lap to see if they could improve. Unfortunately for Velocity Racing Development rookie Gordon Scully, his No. 19 ended up backwards against the wall in Turn 9.
USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires practice timesheet
RANK
CAR NO.
DRIVER
TEAM
BEST LAP
DIFF.
1
22
Simon Sikes
Pabst Racing
1:14.4548
—
2
8
Lochie Hughes
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:15.0499
0.5951
3
14
Sam Corry
VRD Racing
1:15.1012
0.6464
4
6
Evagora Papasavvas
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:15.1891
0.7343
5
17
Nikita Johnson
VRD Racing
1:15.2394
0.7846
6
10
Jorge Garciarce
DEForce Racing
1:15.3147
0.8599
7
97
Zack Ping
VRD Racing
1:15.4030
0.9482
8
1
Mac Clark
DEForce Racing
1:15.4375
0.9827
9
90
Jacob Douglas
Exclusive Autosport
1:15.5064
1.0516
10
18
Danny Dyszelski
VRD Racong
1:15.5076
1.0528
11
56
Andre Castro
Future Star Racing
1:15.6838
1.2290
12
7
Al Morey
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:15.7957
1.3409
13
91
Joey Brienza
Exclusive Autosport
1:15.8496
1.3948
14
67
Elliot Cox
Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development
1:15.9103
1.4555
15
19
Gordon Scully
VRD Racing
1:15.9937
1.5389
16
95
Chase Gardner
Exclusive Autosport
1:16.1116
1.6568
17
9
Louka St.-Jean
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:16.1843
1.7295
18
58
Trey Burke
Future Star Racing
1:16.7160
2.2612
19
12
Maxwell Jamieson
DEForce Racing
1:16.7295
2.2747
20
93
Avery Towns
Exclusive Autosport
1:16.9520
2.4972
21
92
Nicholas d’Orlando
Exclusive Autosport
1:18.3639
3.9091
The middle rung of the USF Pro Championships Presented By Cooper Tires will qualify for the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at 4:30 pm.
Kiko Porto, the pilot of the No. 12 DEForce Racing USF Pro 2000 machine at the fan welcoming party in St. Petersburg, Fla. Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography
By Steve Wittich
Series returnee and USF2000 pole-winner in St. Petersburg, Kiko Porto (DEForce Racing), led the lone USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires, turning the only sub-71-second lap.
Fifteen of the 20 drivers were within one second of Porto, with series rookies holding down the second through sixth spots.
Impressively, four drivers making their first visit to the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit – Lirim Zendeli (TJ Speed Motorsports), Francesco Pizzi (TJ Speed Motorsports), Joel Granfors (Exclusive Autosport) and Reece Ushijima (Jay Howard Driver Development) set one of the ten quickest times.
After a slight delay (45 minutes) to sort out a track communication issue, the first USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires practice session of the 2023 season got underway.
To help get Friday’s schedule back on track, INDYCAR and the promoter shortened the 35-minute practice to 25 minutes.
Porto led early and often, heading the timing screens with ten minutes remaining. He was joined by TJ Speed Motorsports rookie Lirim Zendeli, Jay Howard Driver Development rookie Reece Ushijima, reigning USF2000 champion Michael d’Orlando and Exclusive Autosport Joel Granfors.
The first issue during the session was a single trip into the Turn 4 run-off by Jay Howard Driver Development newcomer Ricardo Escotto, who continued after getting his No. 4 turned around.
The second issue of the session came with four minutes remaining when the No. 32 of Christian Weir (TJ Speed Motorsports) made contact with the concrete barrier at the exit of Turn 8. The Illinois-based driver had just turned the tenth quickest lap of practice.
That brought out the red and checkered flag to end the practice.
The 20 drivers vying for the $664,500 scholarship completed 268 laps of the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit.
USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires practice results
RANK
CAR NO.
DRIVER
TEAM
BEST LAP
DIFF.
1
12
Kiko Porto
DEForce Racing
1:10.9099
——
2
10
Lirim Zendeli
TJ Speed Motorsports
1:11.1991
0.2892
3
1
Michael d’Orlando
Turn 3 Motorsport
1:11.2102
0.3003
4
99
Myles Rowe
Pabst Racing
1:11.3453
0.4354
5
55
Francesco Pizzi
TJ Speed Motorsports
1:11.3953
0.4854
6
3
Christian Brooks
Turn 3 Motorsport
1:11.3983
0.4884
7
19
Jordan Missig
Pabst Racing
1:11.4026
0.4927
8
92
Joel Granfors
Exclusive Autosport
1:11.4596
0.5497
9
6
Reece Ushijima
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:11.4708
0.5609
10
32
Christian Weir
TJ Speed Motorsports
1:11.5735
0.6636
11
20
Jace Denmark
Pabst Racing
1:11.5806
0.6707
12
2
Jonathan Browne
Turn 3 Motorsport
1:11.6147
0.7048
13
91
Salvador De Alba
Exclusive Autosport
1:11.7398
0.8299
14
90
Yuven Sundaramoorthy
Exclusive Autosport
1:11.8917
0.9818
15
40
Jack William Miller
Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
1:11.9363
1.0264
16
7
Bijoy Garg
DEForce Racing
1:12.1106
1.2007
17
81
Nicholas Monteiro
NeoTech Motorsport
1:12.5684
1.6585
18
4
Ricardo Escotto
Jay Howard Driver Development
1:12.7118
1.8019
19
47
Jackson Lee
Turn 3 Motorsport
1:12.9146
2.0047
20
93
Lindsay Brewer
Exclusive Autosport
1:13.6817
2.7718
The top step of the USF Pro Championships Presented By Cooper Tires is back on track at 1:15 pm for their lone qualifying session.
Welcome to our 2023 coverage of the USF Pro Championships Presented By Cooper Tires. With much thanks to Chris Pantani and Cooper Tire, we are back to provide the fans of the ladder series with the only on-site media coverage of the USF Juniors, USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 championships, starting this weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The 20 drivers entered in the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires season-opener all have their eye on the $664,500 advancement scholarship to move up to INDY NXT by Firestone.
The car of choice for the series is a Tatuus full carbon composite and aluminum honeycomb monocoque with a halo. The IP-22, introduced last year, features upgraded side impact panels, front and rear impact structures, HANS-compliant INDYCAR head restraint, front and rear wheel tethers, upgraded uprights and front bulkhead structure to meet the unique demands of street circuits and ovals.
Power comes from an Elite Engine developed Mazda MZR 2.0-liter based 250hp powerplant. Reliability is outstanding, with no engine failures in the previous two seasons.
Slicks and rain tires are manufactured and branded by long-time series partner Cooper Tires.
The 2022 USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires season gets underway on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit in 2022. Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography
Racing in the Sunshine City
Saturday’s (11:15 am Eastern) and Sunday’s (3 pm Eastern) 25-lap races will be the series’ 25th and 26th races – the second most of any USF Pro 2000 track since 1999 – on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit.
Sixteen different drivers representing ten teams have stood on the top step of the podiums on the shores of Tampa Bay.
Previous USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires winners in St. Petersburg, Fla.
YEAR
DRIVER
TEAM
2022 Race #2
Nolan Siegel
DEForce Racing
2022 Race #1
Josh Green
Turn 3 Motorsport
2021 Race #2
Christian Rasmussen
Jay Howard Driver Development
2021 Race #1
Braden Eves
Exclusive Autosport
2020 Race #2
Hunter McElrea
Pabst Racing
2020 Race #1
Sting Ray Robb
Juncos Racing
2019 Race #2
Parker Thompson
Abel Motorsports
2019 Race #1
Parker Thompson
Abel Motorsports
2018 Race #2
Rinus VeeKay
Juncos Racing
2018 Race #1
Rinus VeeKay
Juncos Racing
2017 Race #2
Anthony Martin
Cape Motorsports
2017 Race #1
Anthony Martin
Cape Motorsports
2016 Race #2
Aaron Telitz
Team Pelfrey
2016 Race #1
Patricio O’Ward
Team Pelfrey
2015 Race #2
Neil Alberico
Cape Motorsports
2015 Race #1
Neil Alberico
Cape Motorsports
2014 Race #2
Spencer Pigot
Juncos Racing
2014 Race #1
Spencer Pigot
Juncos Racing
2013 Race #2
Matthew Brabham
Andretti Autosport
2013 Race #1
Matthew Brabham
Andretti Autosport
2012 Race #2
Jack Hawksworth
Team Pelfrey
2012 Race #1
Connor De Phillippi
Juncos Racing
2011
Connor De Phillippi
Team Pelfrey
2010
Conor Daly
Juncos Racing
Double USF Pro 2000 winner at St. Petersburg in 2014, Spencer Pigot (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)
St. Pete notes:
The average starting position of the race winner is 2.0, and the lowest starting position of any winner was eighth (Matthew Brabham in 2013 Race #1 and Rinus VeeKay in 2018 Race #1).
The winner started from the pole in 18 of 24 races.
Juncos Hollinger Racing leads all teams with seven wins.
Active teams DEForce Racing (one), Exclusive Autosport (one), Pabst Racing (one) and Turn 3 Motorsport (one) have also won.
Eighteen drivers representing nine teams have started from the pole.
The average finishing position of the pole sitter is 1.6, and the lowest a pole winner has finished fifth.
Juncos Hollinger Racing leads all teams with eight poles.
Active teams DEForce Racing (one), Exclusive Autosport (one), Pabst Racing (one) and Turn 3 Motorsport (one) have also started from the pole.
Fourteen teams have sent drivers to the podium, with Juncos Hollinger Racing leading with 23 top-three finishes.
Active teams Exclusive Autosport (five), Jay Howard Driver Development (three), Pabst Racing (three), and Turn 3 Motorsport (three) and DEForce Racing (one) have also finished on the podium.
The 20 races since 2013 have averaged 1.1 cautions and 2.6 yellow flag laps.
Three cautions (twice – 2018 & 2022) and seven yellow flag laps (twice – 2015 & 2021) are the highs in those categories.
None of the 25 races have finished under caution
The most significant margin of victory was Matthew Brabham crossing the finish line 9.980 seconds ahead of Diego Ferreira in 2013.
In 2018, Parker Thompson crossed the line only 0.3309 seconds ahead of Rinus VeeKay, the closest finish in St. Petersburg.
Race #1
The 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit is hosting the first USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires race of the season for the tenth time, tying it with the Sebring International Raceway.
Saturday’s first race of the season will be the 20th time in 25 seasons (since 1999) that the USF Pro 2000 championship will begin in the Sunshine State.
Since 1999, seven drivers that won the first race of the season went on to win the championship, with the last being current NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Rinus VeeKay in 2018.
The eventual champion has finished on the podium in 70.8% (17 of 24) of season openers.
The average finish of the championship winner in the season’s first race is 5.0.
2004 champion Michael McDowell was disqualified from the season opener at Sebring International Raceway, finishing 32nd.
Juncos Hollinger Racing leads all teams with four wins in the season’s first race. Active teams with wins in the season opener include Turn 3 Motorsport (two) and Exclusive Autosport (one).
The average championship finishing position of the season’s first winner is 2.9.
Eighteen of the 24 season-opening winners have finished in the top three of the championship, and all have finished in the top ten.
Does testing speed translate to championship results?
Pabst Racing rookies Myles Rowe and Jace Denmark capped off a successful spring training for Pabst Racing, who also led USF2000 testing with Simon Sikes.
Myles Rowe during USF Pro 2000 testing at Sebring International Raceway pcrti
Combined USF Pro 2000 spring training timesheet
RANK
CAR NO.
DRIVER
TEAM
SESS.
BEST LAP
DIFF.
1
99
Myles Rowe
Pabst Racing w/Force Indy
3
118.669
2
20
Jace Denmark
Pabst Racing
3
118.755
-0.086
3
12
Kiko Porto
DEForce Racing
3
118.826
-0.157
4
1
Michael d’Orlando
Turn 3 Motorsport
3
119.058
-0.389
5
3
Christian Brooks
Turn 3 Motorsport
3
119.142
-0.473
6
19
Jordan Missig
Pabst Racing
3
119.148
-0.479
7
10
Lirim Zendeli
TJ Speed Motorsports
2
119.451
-0.782
8
55
Francesco Pizzi
TJ Speed Motorsports
2
119.472
-0.803
9
6
Reece Ushijima
Jay Howard Driver Development
4
119.541
-0.872
10
92
Joel Granfors
Exclusive Autosport
3
119.598
-0.929
11
91
Salvador De Alba
Exclusive Autosport
3
119.640
-0.971
12
40
Jack William Miller
Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
3
119.655
-0.986
13
2
Jonathan Browne
Turn 3 Motorsport
4
119.966
-1.297
14
32
Christian Weir
TJ Speed Motorsports
1
119.973
-1.304
15
47
Jackson Lee
Turn 3 Motorsport
3
120.060
-1.391
16
4
Ricardo Escotto
Jay Howard Driver Development
3
120.103
-1.434
17
7
Bijoy Garg
DEForce Racing
3
120.293
-1.624
18
90
Yuven Sundaramoorthy
Exclusive Autosport
4
121.042
-2.373
19
93
Lindsay Brewer
Exclusive Autosport
4
122.827
-4.158
20
81
Nicholas Monteiro
NeoTech Motorsport
4
122.835
-4.166
Rowe led two of the four sessions, with Lirim Zendeli (TJ Speed Motorsports) and Kiko Porto (DEForce Racing) each leading one session apiece.
How champions fared in spring training:
In 2022, eventual champion Louis Foster had the third-best time during spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
In 2021, eventual champion Christian Rasmussen had the second-best time during spring training at Barber Motorsports Park.
In 2020, eventual champion Sting Ray Robb had the second-best time at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during the final test before the season started.
In 2019, eventual champion Kyle Kirkwood had the third-best time during spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
In 2018, eventual champion Rinus VeeKay had a mechanical issue at Barber Motorsports Park during the final test before the season started.
In 2017, eventual champion Victor Franzoni did not participate in spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
In 2016, eventual champion Aaron Telitz led spring training at Barber Motorsports Park.
Aaron Telitz during USF Pro 2000 spring training at Barber Motorsports Park in 2016 ((Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)
How spring training leaders fared in the title hunt
In 2022, Wyatt Brichacek led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finished 13th on the championship table.
In 2021, Manuel Sulaiman led spring training at Barber Motorsports Park and finished ninth on the championship table.
In 2020, Danial Frost led the final test at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before the season started and finished third on the championship table.
In 2019, Sting Ray Robb led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finished fourth on the championship table.
In 2018, David Malukas led the final test at Barber Motorsports Park before the season started and finished fourth on the championship table.
In 2017, Anthony Martin led spring training at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finished second on the championship table.
In 2016, eventual champion Aaron Telitz led spring training at Barber Motorsports Park.
Building a champion
There is no one formula or mixture of ingredients to build the perfect racing driver. Instead, champions are born from intangible and tangible elements influenced by split-second decisions. Below are some measurable factors that will go into building the next USF2000 Championship Presented By Cooper Tires champion.
Age and experience
Since 1999, the average age of the USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires champion has been 20.3.
Since 2010, the average age of the USF Pro 2000 champion has been 20.1.
John Edwards was the youngest champion at 17 years, seven months, and seven days old when he won the 2008 title. Adrian Carrio (2006) and Rinus VeeKay (2018) were also 17 when they won their championships.
Championships by season
Rookie – 11 titles – the last rookie champion was Louis Foster in 2022.\
Second season – 11 titles – the last sophomore champion was Victor Franzoni in 2017
Third season – one title – Luis Schiavo in 2003
Fourth season – one title – Sting Ray Robb in 2020
Five drivers have won the championship as 19 and 20-year-olds, the most of any age.
Fourteen champions since 1999 have been American, with drivers from the United Kingdom (three), Brazil (Two), Venezuela, France, Uruguay, the Netherlands and Denmark also winning championships.
Six of the American champions called California home, the most of any state.
Wins
The average number of wins for the USF Pro 2000 champion all-time is 5.5
The average number of wins for the USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is 7.0
The average win percentage of the USF Pro 2000 champion all-time is 42.3%
The average win percentage of the USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is 45.9%
The fewest wins by a USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is three by Santi Urrutia in 2015.
The most wins by a USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is 13 by Matthew Brabham in 2013.
Poles
The average number of poles for the USF Pro 2000 champion all-time is 5.1.
The average number of poles for the USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is 6.1.
The average pole percentage of the USF Pro 2000 champion all-time is 39.6%.
The average pole percentage of the USF Pro 2000 since 2010 is 40.5%
The fewest poles by a USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is one by Christian Rasmussen in 2010.
The most poles by a USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is 11 by Jack Hawksworth in 2012.
Podiums
The average number of podiums by the USF Pro 2000 champion all-time is 9.0.
The average number of podiums by the USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is 10.8.
The average podium percentage of the USF Pro 2000 champion all-time is 70.5%.
The average podium percentage of the USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is 71.7%.
The fewest podiums by a USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 are six by Tristan Vautier in 2011.
The most podiums by a USF Pro 2000 champion since 2010 is 15 by Matthew Brabham in 2013.
Teams
Since 1990, championship-winning drivers have driven for 16 different teams.
Juncos Hollinger Racing, who will not be on the USF Pro 2000 Presented By Cooper Tires grid this season, leads all teams with five drivers championships.
Jay Howard Driver Development (Christian Rasmussen in 2021) and Exclusive Autosport (Louis Foster in 2022) are the only active teams to win a driver’s championship.
Since 2006, the team that won the driver’s championship has also won the team championship in eight of 17 seasons.
