Archives for Cooper Tires USF2000 powered by Mazda – TSO

Road To Indy in Toronto – Friday – Christian Rasmussen grabs first career pole

A rookie pole for a rookie team.

Christian Rasmussen, a 20-year-old from Copenhagen, Denmark scored his first and Jay Howard Driver Development’s first USF2000 pole in a red flag shortened session.

“It feels amazing,” said Rasmussen to TSO Ladder. “Being on the streets of Toronto feels amazing. I’m glad I could finally do it; it’s been a long way here. We’ve been struggling a little the first part of the season, so it’s good to back where I feel I belong. I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

Christian Rasmussen wheeling the JHDD/CSU | One Cure/Lucas Oil sponsored No. 6 around the 1.786-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuit (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

For the fourth time this season, Cape Motorsports veteran Darren Keane will start a race from the front row. The driver who led the morning session turned a quick lap of 73.758 seconds.

Starting behind Rasmussen is the Soul Red No. 22 of Hunter McElrea. The American born Kiwi wasn’t sure he would make the qualifying session after a meeting with the Turn 8 tire barriers in the morning practice.

Keane’s rookie teammate, 14-year-old Reece Gold will start a career-best fourth.

Current points leader Braden Eves will have some work to do tomorrow. The 20-year-old start the race from the outside of the third row.

Before we get into our qualifying report, here are few clarifications on the USF2000 incidents from this morning.

The first red flag occurred when Yuven Sundaramoorthy made heavy contact in Turn 10/11. The S-team Motorsports No. 21 was subsequently clobbered by Jak Crawford’s No.52, which also sustained substantial damage.

The second red flag came out when Hunter McElrea was swallowed by the tire barriers at the exit of the right-hand Turn 8. His teammate Colin Kaminsky was following closely behind him and was unable to avoid t-boning the Mazda/Doric NZ/Miles Advisory Partners No. 22. Reece Gold, who was right behind Kaminsky, made the smart choice of nosing it into the tire barriers instead of tagging the two stranded Pabst Racing cars.

All three Pabst Racing cars made it out for qualifying and ended up third (McElrea), fifth (Kaminsky) and 14th (Sundaramoorthy). Crawford made a last minute appearance, completing one lap. He’ll start the race in the 17th spot.

I’ll have more on the impressive effort by the Pabst Racing crew to fix their three damaged cars between practice and qualifying later tonight.

The USF2000 session began on time under hazy skies.

Jay Howard Driver Development rookie Christian Rasmussen was the early leader in a 20-minute session that was interrupted by a 13+ minute red flag.

The cause of the red flag was hard contact with the tire barriers at the exit of Turn 8 by Zach Holden in the No. 14 Legacy Autosport USF-17. It appeared the Greenfield, Ind native got too deep into the bumpy right-hander. The rear of the car made contact with the tire barriers tearing of the rear wing and damaging at a minimum the left rear suspension.

It took a while to get the track crew a while to get the tire barrier appropriately situated, and when the green flag came out, only 90 seconds were remaining in the session. None of the 17 drivers were able to get enough heat in their Cooper Tires to improve their lap times.

It the first career USF2000 pole for Rasmussen and Jay Howard Driver Development.

The season-opening races of the season in St. Petersburg, Fla. was the first time the Dane had driven on a street course, and it’s a discipline he appreciates.

This is my second street race,” explained Rasmussen to TSO Ladder. “I like it. There are consequences if you go off. If you go off, you actually hit a wall. On a lot of the other tracks, you can push it a bit too far, and you can rejoin the track with no harm done. If you do that here, there is a consequence. I appreciate that.”

USF2000 Unofficial Qualifying Results For Race #1

RANK CAR NO NAME TEAM QUICK LAP DIFFERENCE TOTAL LAPS
1 6 Christian Rasmussen Jay Howard Driver Development 1:13.545 –.—- 6
2 2 Darren Keane Cape Motorsports 1:13.758 0.2131 6
3 22 Hunter McElrea Pabst Racing 1:14.135 0.5903 6
4 3 Reece Gold Cape Motorsports 1:14.499 0.9542 6
5 23 Colin Kaminsky Pabst Racing 1:14.527 0.9814 6
6 8 Braden Eves Cape Motorsports 1:14.559 1.0140 6
7 24 Bruna Tomaselli Pabst Racing 1:15.051 1.5057 6
8 73 Cameron Shields Newman Wachs Racing 1:15.057 1.5120 6
9 41 Eduardo Barrichello Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 1:15.143 1.5975 6
10 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 1:15.253 1.7078 6
11 27 Matt Round-Garrido BN Racing 1:15.270 1.7248 5
12 14 Zach Holden Legacy Autosport 1:15.524 1.9790 2
13 12 Manuel Sulaiman DEForce Racing 1:15.662 2.1164 6
14 21 Yuven Sundaramoorthy Pabst Racing 1:15.800 2.2551 6
15 7 Christian Bogle Jay Howard Driver Development 1:15.817 2.2719 6
16 36 Nolan Siegel Newman Wachs Racing 1:16.014 2.4686 6
17 52 Jak Crawford DEForce Racing 1:22.316 8.7710 1

The Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship teams and drivers will start a full day of on-track activity at 8 am on Saturday at the Honda Indy Toronto.

Road To Indy in Toronto – Friday – Darren Keane and Cape Motorsports strong in USF2000 practice marred by red flags

The Cape Motorsports duo of Darren Keane and Braden Eves led a disjointed opening USF2000 practice session that was marred by multiple red flags.

They were joined in the top five by teammate Reece Gold (fifth) and Legacy Autosport’s Zach Holden (third) and Cameron Shields (fourth) from Newman Wachs Racing.

The 17 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship drivers and cars kicked off the 2019 Honda Indy Toronto; serving as an 8 am alarm for the residents of nearby Liberty Village.

The ambient temperature was 71F, and the track temperature was 79F.

The green flag came out right on time but wasn’t shown for long before the starter had to reach for the red flag before any flying laps were turned.

Rookies Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Pabst Racing) and Jak Crawford (DEForce Racing) both made contact in Turn 11, the final turn on the 1.786-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuit.

Sundaramoorthy’s Pabst Racing No. 21 made significant contact after running out of room in the tight concrete confines of the final series of corners. Crawford was unfortunately collected in the incident.

It took just over 13 minutes for the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team to get the mess cleaned up. The session was extended by five minutes, and the green flag came back out with 18 minutes remaining.

The green flag was only out for five minutes before the red came back out again for contact between Pabst Racing teammates Hunter McElrea and Colin Kaminsky in Turn 8.

At the time, Keane had the quickest lap at 76.481 seconds. He was followed by Sulaiman, Tomaselli, Eves, Kaminsky, McElrea, Rasmussen, Round Garrido, Shields, and Barrichello in the top ten.

The green flag came back out with just over five minutes remaining, but only for two minutes.

The third red flag of the session came out when Manuel Sulaiman and his No. 12 from the DEForce Racing stable had an incident in Turn 6.

The green flag came back out with under a minute remaining, allowing the drivers to complete one more lap.

The 17 drivers were only able to complete 121 laps of the 1.786-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuit.

USF2000 Practice #1 Results

RANK CAR NO NAME TEAM QUICK LAP DIFFERENCE TOTAL LAPS
1 2 Darren Keane Cape Motorsports 1:14.795 –.—- 9
2 8 Braden Eves Cape Motorsports 1:15.441 0.6462 10
3 73 Cameron Shields Newman Wachs Racing 1:16.166 1.3712 11
4 3 Reece Gold Cape Motorsports 1:16.331 1.5366 9
5 6 Christian Rasmussen Jay Howard Driver Development 1:16.390 1.5956 11
6 12 Manuel Sulaiman DEForce Racing 1:16.784 1.9895 7
7 24 Bruna Tomaselli Pabst Racing 1:16.836 2.0414 10
8 23 Colin Kaminsky Pabst Racing 1:16.983 2.1888 4
9 27 Matt Round-Garrido BN Racing 1:17.048 2.2537 10
10 22 Hunter McElrea Pabst Racing 1:17.137 2.3428 4
12 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 1:17.550 2.7559 10
12 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 1:17.550 2.7559 10
13 14 Zach Holden Legacy Autosport 1:18.271 3.4768 8
14 7 Christian Bogle   1:18.353 3.5585 8

Road To Indy testing at Mid-Ohio – Frost tops Indy Pro 2000 – Crawford tops USF2000 – championship contenders are all close

By Steve Wittich

A pair of drivers, Danial Frost, and Jak Crawford put behind forgettable weekends in Wisconsin behind them to top the timesheets during a two-day USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 test at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Both series will be back at the 2.258-Mile, 13-Turn Road Course in a month for each series ninth and tenth round.

Whether it occurs in May, June or July, an official test for the bottom two rungs of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires test has been part of the schedule (except in 2017) since 2012.

The schedule included three 45-minutes sessions each day, equaling six total sessions of 4.5 hours of total track time.

Teams were allotted five fresh sets of Cooper Tire slicks as well as having the option to use a carryover set from last weekend at Road America.

Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires testing

Exclusive Autosport rookie Frost, a winner on the 0.686-mile Lucas Oil Raceway oval to end the “Month of May, failed to finish either race at Road America last weekend. ‘Winning’ a test only days after is an excellent way to start the second half of the season.

Danial Frost and the his No. 68 Exclusive Autosport PM-18 led two days of Indy Pro 2000 testing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Frost’s quickest lap of 76.2167 seconds in Thursday’s fifth session, is below the race track record, set last year by Rinus van Kalmthout (VeeKay).

The 17-year-old was one of four drivers, who are all in championship contention, to lead one of the six sessions. Current points leader, Juncos Racing rookie Rasmus Lindh, another 17-year-old, led a pair of sessions and ended up with the second quickest time on the combined timesheet.

Parker Thompson, a winner at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in USF2000, led the opening and closing sessions in his No. 8 Abel Motorsports PM-18 and ended the two-day test with the fourth quickest lap on the combined timesheet.

Double Road America winner and reigning USF2000 champion Kyle Kirkwood ended up third on the combined timesheet after leading the fourth test session on Thursday morning.

The lone newcomer was Antoine Comeau, a veteran of Radical racing who was testing with the Peter Dempsey owned Turn 3 Motorsport.

The top nine drivers were all within one second of Frost.

A dozen drivers completed 1,441 laps (3,253.8 miles). Frost’s Exclusive Autosport teammate Nikita Lastochkin, who totaled 139 circuits, was the busiest driver.

Indy Pro 2000 session leaders

  • Wednesday – Indy Pro 2000 Test Session #1 – Parker Thompson (Abel Motorsports) – 76.7062 seconds
  • Wednesday – Indy Pro 2000 Test Session #2 – Rasmus Lindh (Juncos Racing) – 76.7276 seconds
  • Wednesday – Indy Pro 2000 Test Session #3 – Rasmus Lindh (Juncos Racing) – 76.4068 seconds
  • Thursday – Indy Pro 2000 Test Session #4 – Kyle Kirkwood (RP Motorsport) – 76.3949 seconds
  • Thursday – Indy Pro 2000 Test Session #5 – Danial Frost (Exclusive Autosport) – 76.2167 seconds
  • Thursday – Indy Pro 2000 Test Session #6 – Parker Thompson (Abel Motorsports) – 76.8355 seconds

Indy Pro 2000 combined timesheet

RANK CAR NO. DRIVER TEAM SESSION # BEST TIME (seconds) DIFFERENCE TOTAL LAPS
1 68 Danial Frost Exclusive Autosport 5 76.2167 136
2 10 Rasmus Lindh Juncos Racing 5 76.3178 -0.1011 124
3 28 Kyle Kirkwood RP Motorsport 4 76.3949 -0.1782 131
4 8 Parker Thompson Abel Motorsports 4 76.5555 -0.3388 130
5 5 Ian Rodriguez RP Motorsport 2 76.8217 -0.6050 113
6 51 Jacob Abel Abel Motorsports 2 76.8886 -0.6719 124
7 2 Sting Ray Robb Juncos Racing 2 77.0487 -0.8320 116
8 90 Nikita Lastochkin Exclusive Autosport 6 77.0760 -0.8593 139
9 98 Phillippe Denes Fatboy Racing! 4 77.1436 -0.9269 108
10 6 Moisés de la Vara DEForce Racing 5 77.4538 -1.2371 117
11 3 Antoine Comeau Turn 3 Motorsport 5 77.6405 -1.4238 119
12 11 Antonio Serravalle Pserra Racing 2 77.7702 -1.5535 84

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship testing

A late Thursday afternoon thunderstorm ended the two-day test before the bottom rung of the Road To Indy could get on track for their sixth and final session.

DEForce Racing rookie Jak Crawford set the quickest lap of the day during Thursday morning’s fourth session, a lap that was timed at 81.3106 seconds.

14 year-old DEForce Racing rookie was the quickest of 18 drivers during two days of USF2000 testing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Championship contender Hunter McElrea (Pabst Racing) led the second and fifth sessions, while his veteran teammate Colin Kaminsky led the first session on Wednesday morning. Cape Motorsports veteran Darren Keane, who has had the quickest race lap in three of the seven USF2000 races so far this season was the fastest driver in Wednesday afternoon’s third session.

Keane’s teammate and championship leader Braden Eves didn’t lead a session, but the 20-year-old had the second quickest lap on the combined timesheet.

The top four drivers on the combined timesheet, Crawford, Eves, McElrea, and newcomer Kiko Porto, were all within one-tenth of a second.

Porto, a double-winner through the first six races of the F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda, was testing with DEForce Racing and ended up with the fourth quickest time.

The top eight drivers were all within a half-second of the 14-year-old Crawford, with the top 14 within one-second.

The 18 drivers completed a total of 1,767 circuits of the 2.258-Mile, 13-Turn Road Course. Jay Howard Driver Development rookie Christian Bogle was the busiest driver, completing 129 laps.

USF2000 session leaders

  • Wednesday – USF2000 Test Session #1 – Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing) – 81.9564 seconds
  • Wednesday – USF2000 Test Session #2 – Hunter McElrea (Pabst Racing) – 81.5681 seconds
  • Wednesday – USF2000 Test Session #3 – Darren Keane (Cape Motorsports) – 81.5927 seconds
  • Thursday – USF2000 Test Session #4 – Jak Crawford (DEForce Racing) – 81.3106 seconds
  • Thursday – USF2000 Test Session #5 – Hunter McElrea (Pabst Racing) – 81.3468 seconds

USF2000 combined timesheet

RANK CAR NO. DRIVER TEAM SESSION # BEST TIME (seconds) DIFFERENCE TOTAL LAPS
1 52 Jak Crawford DEForce Racing 4 81.3106 109
2 8 Braden Eves Cape Motorsports 4 81.3392 -0.0286 109
3 22 Hunter McElrea Pabst Racing 5 81.3468 -0.0362 94
4 11 Kiko Porto DEForce Racing 4 81.4018 -0.0912 92
5 23 Colin Kaminsky Pabst Racing 4 81.4806 -0.1700 113
6 2 Darren Keane Cape Motorsports 3 81.5927 -0.2821 108
7 6 Christian Rasmussen Jay Howard Driver Development 4 81.6742 -0.3636 118
8 21 Yuven Sundaramoorthy Pabst Racing 5 81.7947 -0.4841 101
9 12 Manuel Sulaiman DEForce Racing 4 81.8750 -0.5644 101
10 41 Eduardo Barrichello Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 4 81.9580 -0.6474 99
11 73 Cameron Shields Newman Wachs Racing 3 82.0283 -0.7177 65
12 24 Bruna Tomaselli Pabst Racing 4 82.0738 -0.7632 102
13 3 Reece Gold Cape Motorsports 4 82.1575 -0.8469 117
14 27 Matthew Round-Garrido BN Racing 5 82.4101 -1.0995 95
15 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 4 82.7278 -1.4172 73
16 36 Nolan Siegel Newman Wachs Racing 5 82.8081 -1.4975 117
17 7 Christian Bogle Jay Howard Driver Development 4 82.8691 -1.5585 129
18 77 Timmy Paglusio Jay Howard Driver Development 3 90.1023 -8.7917 25

Both series have two weekends off before they are back on-track again north of the border in Toronto. Practice on the 1.786-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuit begins on Friday, July 12, 2019.

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USF2000 at Road America – Sunday – Eves wins fifth of year – is joined on the podium by Keane for a Cape Motorsports one-two finish – McElrea rounds out podium

After “disappointing” finishes of fifth and fourth in his last two races, Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship points leader, Braden Eves got back to his winning ways on Sunday, standing on the top step of the podium for the fifth time in seven race this season.

“After struggling last month on the oval and struggling again yesterday, this one feels so good,” said the Cape Motorsports rookie after getting out of his No. 8. “We put our heads down, worked on the car and got it better and better every session. We moved from eighth to fourth and got the fastest lap yesterday, and to finish the weekend off with our fifth win was great. I knew I had the tire advantage, since Hunter (McElrea) used his new tires yesterday, and with the car being the best it’s been all weekend, all I had to do was get into the lead and try to build a gap. With all the aggressive guys behind me, I know that I can’t have any DNFs to stay in the championship, so it’s all about calculated moves and getting to the finish.”

Eves collects his thought s before getting out his No. 8 Cape Motorsports machine to celebrate his fifth USF2000 race of the 2019 season (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

The New Albany, Ohio driver, followed the pole sitter, and his chief championship contender Hunter McElrea through the first 18 corners of the race, making the pass for the lead in their 19th corner and leading the final 149 corners to come home victorious.

Eves began the weekend with a 44 point lead over McElrea and left the Kettle Moraine region with a similar margin of 41 points. A fourth-place finish combined with a McElrea win on Saturday, briefly lowered Eves lead to 33 points.

Eves is the 10th different driver to win 13 races for Cape Motorsports on the 4.014-mile, 14-turn natural terrain road course.

For the second straight USF2000 race at Road America, a pair of drivers from a single team finished one-two, with Cape Motorsports driver Darren Keane joining Eves on the podium. The St. Petersburg, Fla. based squad now has 26 USF2000 podiums at Road America, doubling Pabst Racing as the most of any team.

Keane, was able to recover from being pushed off track, and dropping to the rear of the field in Race #1, to make some nifty late lap moves to grab his second podium of the season.

The pole sitter, McElrea had a concern with his 2.0L engine on the grid, but the Pabst Racing crew and Elite Engines was able to get the car on track when the grid rolled off for the lone pace lap. The 19-year-old was able to salvage a podium, his sixth in seven USF2000 races to start the 2019 season.

“It was unfortunate, having the issue before the race, and it was out of our control,” explained McElrea. “I’m just happy that the team was able to get me out for the start of the race. The fact that we were competitive and finished on the podium was a win, given how competitive this series is. I have no doubt that we were the fastest car this weekend and I think we showed that yesterday, so I’m disappointed on the one hand – but on the other, to get my first pole and first win and another podium from the weekend, there are a lot of positives to take away from this weekend.”

The command to start the Elite 2.0L engines that power the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship was given by Kathy Knapp at 8 am.

The temperature was 63F, and the skies were cloudy.

The front row starters, McElrea on the inside and Eves on the outside made the long climb up the hill to the start zone side-by-side, but before they got the green flag, Eves quickly tucked in behind McElrea.

Eves looked to the outside of McElrea in the first turn, leaving a little room open for Christian Rasmussen to stick the nose of his CSU | One Cure/Lucas Oil No. 6 inside of the points leader.

Eves held the second spot, while Rasmussen immediately came under attack from Colin Kaminsky.

All 18 cars were clean through the first five corners, but Matthew Round-Garrido, who started the race in the eighth spot ran wide at the exit of Turn 6, rejoining well behind the field after a bumpy ride through the grass.

McElrea crossed the start/finish line to complete the first lap ahead of Eves. Behind them, the running order was: Rasmussen, Kaminsky, Keane, Manuel Sulaiman, Alexandre Baron, Jak Crawford, Cameron Shields, Eduardo Barrichello, Reece Gold, Bruna Tomaselli, Jack William Miller, Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Anthony Famularo, Nolan Siegel, Christian Bogle, and Round-Garrido.

The No. 22 Soul Red machine of McElrea led through the first four corners of Lap 2, but Eves was able to get by for the lead before they got to Turn 5. That almost left the door open for Rasmussen to jump into second, but McElrea was able to hold him off.

Rasmussen looked around the outside of McElrea in Turn 1, before making the pass in the braking zone of Turn 5.

On lap 3 Famularo was given a drive thru-penalty for blocking. He was battling with Tomaselli and Sundaramoorthy on the lap prior.

On Lap 4, Kaminsky, Keane, and Baron went three wide up the hill, under the Corvette Bridge and towards Turn 6, with the three drivers making cleanly through the blind right-hander.

Kaminsky was right under the gearbox of teammate McElrea as they crossed the start/finish line to start Lap 5, and was able to complete the pass to move up to the final spot on the podium before they got to Turn 1.

Behind the podium battle, Sulaiman was able to get by Baron for the sixth spot, but that battle was not over. Later on that lap, Baron got into the back of Sulaiman in Turn 5, getting the Telcel sponsored No. 12 loose at the apex of the corner and damaging Barons front wing. The two drivers went side-by-side up the hill to the Corvette Bridge with the Mexican running the Frenchman into the grass.

Sulaiman was given a penalty for blocking and was forced to serve a drive-thru, and dropping him back to 16th, where he finished the race.

Without the downforce from the front wing, Baron had a massive moment in Kink, dropping two wheels on driver’s left. The veteran smartly came to pit road for repairs to his Metalloid Corporation sponsored No. 14 and ended up finishing the race in 17th.

Eves crossed the line with a 2.3 second lead over Rasmussen to start the second half of the 12-lap race. Kaminsky was able to move past Rasmussen just before the start/finish line.

The two drivers traded that spot a couple more times, with McElrea and Keane joining them to form a train of USF-17s battling for the final two spots on the podium.

A shake-up among those four drivers occurred with four laps remaining.

Rasmussen spun after appearing to carry too much speed into Turn 5, and he immediately got going again, losing only one spot.

Kaminsky, made a mistake in The Carousel, allowing McElrea and Keane to get past him; dropping him to fourth.

Further back, Pabst Racing teammates Tomaselli and Sundaramoorthy, along with Cape Motorsports rookie Gold were waging an entertaining battle for the final spot in the top ten, which was won by Gold. The reigning Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series champion has now finished in the top ten in five of seven starts so far this year.

Pabst Racing drivers Yuven Sundaramoorthy (front) and Bruna Tomaselli (behind) spent most of Sunday’s USF2000 race at Road America battling for position (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Eves’ lead when he crossed the line to start the next to lap race was five seconds over McElrea, who was under immense pressure from Keane, who had just turned the quickest lap of the race. The veteran Cape Motorsports driver has now had the fastest lap of the race three times this season.

Keane looked to outside of McElrea in Turn 1 but tucked the Cal Development/Keane Architectural Woodwork No. 2 back in behind McElrea’s Soul Red No. 22.

Keane forced McElrea to take a defensive inside line on the run down to Turn 3. That compromised the Kiwi’s exit of the critical corner leading onto the Moraine Sweep and allowed Keane to utilize an outside to inside move in Turn 5 and push McElrea wide while grabbing the second step of the podium.

McElrea put tremendous pressure on Keane for the remaining 23 corners, but the American was able to hold on to guarantee a Cape Motorsports one-two finish.

“Today I had a good battle with Colin (Kaminsky) and Christian (Rasmussen),” said Keane after the race. “It was difficult to get by them because we were so close. I would try a move, and Christian would try a move and we’d go down the back straight in a big square and there wasn’t anywhere to go. So it was a struggle to move up. But they both had issues and gave me free spots. I had to work hard to get around Hunter (McElrea) – but I really like racing Hunter, we have good respect for each other, and it’s always fun.”

Eves MDRN Livery/Community Choice Financial No. 8 crossed the line 4.5908 seconds ahead of his teammate Keane, who was a half-second ahead of McElrea.

Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America Powered by Elite Engines USF2000 Race #1 Unofficial Results.

RANK CAR NO DRIVER TEAM DIFFERENCE
1 8 Braden Eves Cape Motorsports 12 laps
2 2 Darren Keane Cape Motorsports -4.5908
3 22 Hunter McElrea Pabst Racing -5.0703
4 23 Colin Kaminsky Pabst Racing -7.3739
5 6 Christian Rasmussen Jay Howard Driver Development -10.0942
6 52 Jak Crawford DEForce Racing -14.3073
7 41 Eduardo Barrichello Miller Vinatieri Motorsports -17.3643
8 27 Matthew Round-Garrido BN Racing -17.8063
9 73 Cameron Shields Newman Wachs Racing -18.2941
10 3 Reece Gold Cape Motorsports -18.9009
11 24 Bruna Tomaselli Pabst Racing -20.9776
12 21 Yuven Sundaramoorthy Pabst Racing -21.5106
13 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports -22.6532
14 36 Nolan Siegel Newman Wachs Racing -24.4908
15 7 Christian Bogle Jay Howard Driver Development -34.4033
16 12 Manuel Sulaiman DEForce Racing -45.8987
17 14 Alexandre Baron Legacy Autosport -130.1422
18 28 Anthony Famularo BN Racing -5 LAPS
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Road To Indy bolsters role as top North American ladder series, announcing a long-term partnership with the Lucas Oil School Of Racing

By Steve Wittich

For the second time in four days, Andersen Promotions and the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires (RTI) have announced a partnership aimed at bolstering the top level open wheel development ladder in North America.

The Lucas Oil School of Racing has entered a long-term partnership with Andersen Promotions to become the Official Driving School of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.

The Lucas Oil School of Racing and it’s companion, the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series, have quickly become the must-attend racing school for young drivers looking to pursue a career as a professional race car driver. The car is a derivative of multi-championship winning Ray Formula Ford/F1600 chassis with a 2.0-liter powerplant that is made by Elite Engines, the same engine builder as USF2000. The hi-tech car features a Sadev five-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shift, an AIM data acquisition system and Cooper Tires, making the jump to a USF2000 that much easier.

“We receive a lot of requests from drivers, particularly in karting, asking how to get started on the Road to Indy and we always direct them to the Lucas School of Racing, so to welcome them as our Official Driving School makes perfect sense. With their scholarship programs, they have a driver development program in place and are a true feeder series to the Road to Indy as witnessed by Reece joining our series this year. Our new alignment will allow us to further expand that message in marketing, live streaming, social media, websites, and beyond.”

“Our partnership is a natural progression of the relationships we already have in place with Neil and his family, Gerardo Bonilla, Director of Operations and former Road to Indy series driver coach, Cooper Tires and Elite Engines,” said Dan Andersen, Owner, and CEO of Andersen Promotions.

Current USF2000 drivers, Darren Keane, Manuel Cabrera, and reigning Lucas Oil Formula Car School champion Reece Gold are all graduates of the school and race series.

Reece Gold on track in a USF2000 race at Road America (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

The winner of the six-event, 18 race, arrive-and-drive Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series will take home a $75,000 scholarship to utilize in USF2000. Also, drivers in the series will be allowed to attend Road To Indy events; learning more about the next step in career advancement while being embedded with USF2000 teams.

The CEO of the Lucas School of Racing is Neil Enerson, a Road To Indy team owner and father of RTI graduate and NTT IndyCar Series RC Enerson.

“A partnership between The Lucas Oil School of Racing and Andersen Promotions is a no-brainer,” said Neil Enerson, Lucas Oil School of Racing Founder and CEO. “It’s an honor to be named the Official Driving School of the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires and we look forward to cultivating the next crop of Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship drivers.

“As the dad to a successful graduate of the Road To Indy and team owner, I’m in a unique position to understand what it takes to move from karting to a professional race car driver at the top tier. My staff of passionate racers at the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series have pooled years of experience to create a race series that will teach drivers what is expected of them – both on and off the track – at the next level of their racing careers.”

The Lucas Oil School of Racing and the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series will travel next to New Jersey Motorsports Park for basic and advanced classes on July 9/10 and the next championship rounds on July 16/17. The series is currently led by 16-year-old Jackson Lee of Avon, Ind.

The Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires will be back in action north of the border in Toronto, Ont., Canada on July 13/14

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USF2000 at Road America – Saturday – McElrea breaks through for his first win – Pabst Racing puts four drivers in top eight

Hunter McElrea joins Rinus VeeKay and his engineer Tonis Kasemets as USF2000 winners at Pabst Racing’s home track, Road America.

It’s McElrea’s first win, after starting the season with four podiums in his first five races.

After the race, McElrea shared a huge embrace with team owner Augie Pabst and told us that getting his first win was “like having an elephant, no two elephants off my back.”

McElrea was able to get around his teammate and pole sitter Colin Kaminsky on the third lap. Veteran driver Kaminsky kept in touch with McElrea, to collect his second straight podium finish and best career finish at his home track.

Kaminsky was disappointed but still satisfied when we talked with him after the race. The 19-year-old REALLY wants to win a race, but second place is also his best career finish.

The winner of the last race, Cameron Shields started sixth, finished the first lap in fifth and was able to pass a pair of drivers to move onto the podium.

The front row of Kaminsky and Alexandre Baron brought the field to green after a single pace lap.

Kaminsky got the jump on Baron, who appeared to get bogged down headed up the hill to the green flag. McElrea was also able to get by Baron, who entered Turn 1 with Darren Keane. It didn’t work well for either driver as they both fell to the back of the 18 car field.

The running order at the end of the first lap was: Kaminsky, McElrea, Rasmussen, Sulaiman, Shields, Eves, Barrichello, Sundaramoorthy, Jak Crawford, Bruna Tomaselli, Jack William Miller, Nolan Siegel, Anthony Famularo, Christian Bogle, Darren Keane, Matthew Round-Garrido and Alexandre Baron, who was forced to pit road.

Keane was able to recover to 12th, passing Bogle on the final lap.

McElrea popped to the outside of his teammate as they crossed the line to start the second lap, but was not able to make the pass on that lap.

On the next lap, McElrea waited until later down the front straight before making his move. This time the Soul Red No. 22 moved the inside and was able to complete the pass.

On Lap 5, Rasmussen, who was running in third was passed by Sulaiman, Shields and Eves, dropping to the sixth spot.

Lucas Oil Raceway oval winner Shields was able to get by Sulaiman for the final spot on the podium in Turn 5.

Sulaiman lost another spot, this time to Eves, in Turn 1 on the next lap.

At the halfway point of the race, McElrea lead over his teammate was just under two seconds. Kaminsky’s gap to Shields in third was just over three seconds.

With three laps remaining the lead had grown to 3 seconds. Further back, Rassmussen, Tomaselli, and Crawford were having a good tussle for sixth place. On lap 10, Crawford was able to get past Tomaselli for the seventh spot.

Even further back, Barrichello, who was running ninth, lost a pair of spots to Gold and Sundaramoorthy.

With two laps remaining, Miller and Siegel made contact in Turn 5, the bright red No. 40 of Miller spun, and Siegel was forced wide.

Later in that lap, Crawford and Rasmussen, who were fighting for sixth, made contact in Canada Corner with the No. 6 Jay Howard Driver Development car of Rasmussen making contact with the concrete barrier on driver’s left and ending up in gravel on the outside of Turn 12.

Crawford was penalized 30-seconds post-race for avoidable contact, which should drop him from seventh to 13th.

On the final lap, Sundaramoorthy was able to get around Gold to make half of the top eight cars from the Pabst Racing stable.

At the white flag, the lead had grown to 3.9 seconds, and the American born Kiwi finished off his first win by crossing under the checkered flag 3.532 seconds ahead of Kaminsky.

Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America Powered by Elite Engines USF2000 Race #1 Unofficial Results.

RANK CAR NO DRIVER TEAM DIFFERENCE
1 22 Hunter McElrea Pabst Racing  
2 23 Colin Kaminsky Pabst Racing 3.5352
3 73 Cameron Shields Newman Wachs Racing 4.3421
4 8 Braden Eves Cape Motorsports 4.8401
5 12 Manuel Sulaiman DEForce Racing 7.0456
6 24 Bruna Tomaselli Pabst Racing 15.3371
7 52 Jak Crawford DEForce Racing 16.0134
8 21 Yuven Sundaramoorthy Pabst Racing 20.4097
9 3 Reece Gold Cape Motorsports 20.6873
10 41 Eduardo Barrichello Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 21.5012
11 36 Nolan Siegel Newman Wachs Racing 34.7268
12 2 Darren Keane Cape Motorsports 35.5221
13 7 Christian Bogle Jay Howard Driver Development 36.3606
14 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 37.8142
15 27 Matt Round-Garrido BN Racing 57.5158
16 28 Anthony Famularo BN Racing 69.6448
17 6 Christian Rasmussen Jay Howard Driver Development -2 LAPS
18 14 Alex Baron Legacy Autosport -5 LAPS

The second USF2000 race of the weekend rolls off bright and early at 8 am tomorrow.

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USF2000 at Road America – Saturday – McElrea dominates for his first career pole, the fifth straight at Road America for Pabst Racing

For the first time in his Road To Indy career, Pabst Racing rookie Hunter McElrea will start a race from the pole.

The Kiwi’s pole is the fifth straight for Pabst Racing on the 4.014-mile, 14-turn natural terrain road course, joining Colin Kaminsky, Tonis Kasemets, Rasmus Lindh, and Rinus VeeKay as pole winners for the Oconomowoc, Wisc. team.

For the second straight day, campers around the historic Road America road course were awoken by the buzzing of the 2.0L engines powering the lowest rung on the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.

Darren Keane (Cape Motorsports) and Cameron Shields (Newman Wachs Racing) were the early leaders in qualifying for Sunday’s second USF2000 race.

At just past the half-way point of the 20-minute session, McElrea was the first driver to turn a lap under 130 seconds, going quicker on his next two laps.

At that point of the session, McElrea’s lap was over seven tenths quicker than any of his competitors.

Rassumssen was the second driver to break the 130-second barrier but was still over a half-second behind McElrea. The Jay Howard Driver Development rookie went quicker on his next lap to get within three-tenths and will start on the inside of the second row.

Championship leader Eves moved to the third spot with two minutes remaining and went quicker yet on his next lap to move to within two-tenths of McElrea.

The pole sitter for race #1, Colin Kaminsky, was in the middle of the pack until his eighth and final lap, when he was able to move up to fourth.

Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America Powered by Elite Engines USF2000 Unofficial Race #1 Qualifying Results.

RANK CAR NO DRIVER TEAM QUICK LAP DIFFERENCE TOTAL LAPS
1 22 Hunter McElrea Pabst Racing 2:09.427 –.—- 7
2 8 Braden Eves Cape Motorsports 2:09.655 0.2284 9
3 6 Christian Rasmussen Jay Howard Driver Development 2:09.761 0.3341 8
4 23 Colin Kaminsky Pabst Racing 2:09.769 0.3426 8
5 2 Darren Keane Cape Motorsports 2:09.775 0.3489 9
6 12 Manuel Sulaiman DEForce Racing 2:09.895 0.4681 9
7 52 Jak Crawford DEForce Racing 2:09.992 0.5657 8
8 27 Matt Round-Garrido BN Racing 2:10.189 0.7620 8
9 14 Alex Baron Legacy Autosport 2:10.201 0.7748 8
10 73 Cameron Shields Newman Wachs Racing 2:10.327 0.8999 8
11 24 Bruna Tomaselli Pabst Racing 2:10.394 0.9677 8
12 3 Reece Gold Cape Motorsports 2:10.431 1.0042 9
13 41 Eduardo Barrichello Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 2:10.573 1.1462 8
14 36 Nolan Siegel Newman Wachs Racing 2:10.620 1.1937 8
15 21 Yuven Sundaramoorthy Pabst Racing 2:10.736 1.3091 7
16 28 Anthony Famularo BN Racing 2:11.877 2.4504 8
17 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 2:12.010 2.5834 8
18 7 Christian Bogle Jay Howard Driver Development 2:13.312 3.8851 8

The first Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America Powered by Elite Engines, a 12-lap race, rolls off at noon.

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USF2000 at Road America – 2019 – McElrea leads first practice that had a trio of Pabst Racing drivers in the top five

Hunter McElrea used a last-minute flyer at 130.783 seconds to lead the lone USF2000 practice session that saw three of the top five times set by drivers representing Oconomowoc, Wisconsin’s Pabst Racing.

McElrea’s lap was just over one-tenth of a second quicker than his teammate Colin Kaminsky. The third Pabst Racing pilot, Bruna Tomaselli was fifth fastest, just behind Darren Keane (Cape Motorsports) and Alexandre Baron (Legacy Autosport).

The green flag to start the REV Group Grand Prix officially At Road America waved promptly at 8 am, as the multitude of campers surrounding the scenic road course were roused by the buzzing of the 2.0L engines powering the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship cars.

The ambient temperature when the session started was 64F (up 15 degrees from when I woke up at 6 am), and the track temperature was 69F.

With only 30-minutes of practice before qualifying, it was paramount for the drivers and teams to make the most of the early morning practice.

At the half-way point of the session veteran, Kaminsky with a lap of 130.897 seconds was the quickest driver, as most drivers were able to complete five laps of the 4.014-mile, 14-turn natural terrain road course in the first 15 minutes.

Kaminsky was joined in the top five by Darren Keane (Newman Wachs Racing), McElrea (Pabst Racing), Alexandre Baron (Legacy Autosport) and Tomaselli (Pabst Racing).

The red flag came out just after the half-way point of the session for the No. 28 BN Racing machine of Anthony Famularo, who made contact with the concrete barriers on drivers left at the exit of Canada Corner (Turn 12).

Famularo was just about to complete his sixth lap of the day and

The AMR INDYCAR Safety Team was able to get the Venezuelan’s USF-17 on the hook quickly, and the green flag came back out with six minutes and 20 seconds remaining.

Most drivers were able to get one out lap and three flying laps in the time remaining, and nine of the 18 drivers were able to turn their quickest lap on their final flying lap.

The 18 entries were able to complete 151 laps.

Nine drivers were within one second of McElrea’s quick lap, including championship leader, Cape Motorsports rookie Braden Eves, in ninth.

Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America Powered by Elite Engines USF2000 Practice Results

RANK CAR NO DRIVER TEAM QUICK LAP DIFFERENCE TOTAL LAPS
1 22 Hunter McElrea Pabst Racing 2:10.783 –.—- 9
2 23 Colin Kaminsky Pabst Racing 2:10.897 0.1141 8
3 2 Darren Keane Cape Motorsports 2:11.085 0.3027 8
4 14 Alex Baron Legacy Autosport 2:11.175 0.3928 10
5 24 Bruna Tomaselli Pabst Racing 2:11.259 0.4767 10
6 12 Manuel Sulaiman DEForce Racing 2:11.606 0.8234 10
7 3 Reece Gold Cape Motorsports 2:11.729 0.9468 9
8 73 Cameron Shields Newman Wachs Racing 2:11.812 1.0297 10
9 8 Braden Eves Cape Motorsports 2:11.832 1.0496 9
10 6 Christian Rasmussen Jay Howard Driver Development 2:11.919 1.1361 10
11 36 Nolan Siegel Newman Wachs Racing 2:11.956 1.1733 9
12 52 Jak Crawford DEForce Racing 2:12.083 1.3002 10
13 28 Anthony Famularo BN Racing 2:12.532 1.7492 5
14 41 Eduardo Barrichello Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 2:13.187 2.4045 9
15 21 Yuven Sundaramoorthy Pabst Racing 2:14.005 3.2226 9
16 40 Jack William Miller Miller Vinatieri Motorsports 2:14.052 3.2696 9
17 7 Christian Bogle Jay Howard Driver Development 2:14.720 3.9372 7
18 27 Matt Round-Garrido BN Racing No Time

The next Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship session is the first qualifying session, which is scheduled to roll off at 1:05 pm.

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USF2000 at Road America preview – Eves rivals desperately seeking wins

With only five of fifteen rounds of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship completed, it is likely a little too early to focus on the chase for the advancement scholarship that will be handed out in three months.

But, at the same time, it is also hard not to be impressed by the substantial 44 point lead the Braden Eves has built up at the one-third point of the season.

The Cape Motorsports rookie won the first four races of the season before overcoming some adversity at the Lucas Oil Raceway Oval event. The 20-year-old lacked some speed in qualifying, starting the lone oval race of the season on the outside of the sixth row. However, Eves recovered nicely, finishing a superb fifth after a steady and consistent 75-lap drive. The New Albany, Ohio native, is one of only five drivers to complete every lap so far this season.

It’s safe to say that in most seasons, starting the season with four straight wins would yield an even bigger points lead, but Eves’ edge has been mostly kept in check by another impressive rookie that has also completed every lap so far this season.

Pabst Racing rookie Hunter McElrea started the season with four straight podiums before a mistake on a qualifying run that was projecting to the pole relegated him to the final starting spot in the 19-car field. The Kiwi able to move up eight spots – passing one more car than his rival Eves – but unfortunately still lost ground to his opponent.

McElrea needs to win some races, and Road America is just the track for a breakthrough from the American born New Zealander. Since the USF-17 was introduced two seasons ago, Pabst Racing, McElrea’s home state team, has been the dominant USF2000 squad on the 4.014-mile, 14-turn natural terrain road course.

Drivers from the Oconomowoc based team have started pole three times, visited victory lane twice, stood on the podium seven times and led 33 of a possible 50 laps to lead all teams in those categories.

The lowest rung on the Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder is visiting the Kettle-Moraine region for the 14th year to contest their 26th and 27th races at Road America. Cape Motorsports, represented by nine different drivers have won a dozen of those races, including a sweep of both races last year by Kyle Kirkwood.

A scant four points separate the five drivers directly behind McElrea in the championship, Darren Keane (86 points), Colin Kaminsky (86 points), Alexandre Baron (85 points), Cameron Shields (84 points) and Manuel Sulaiman (83 points).

Previous Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship winners at Road America

YEAR DRIVER TEAM
2018 Race #2 Kyle Kirkwood Cape Motorsports
2018 Race #1 Kyle Kirkwood Cape Motorsports
2017 Race #2 Rinus VeeKay Pabst Racing
2017 Race #1 Rinus VeeKay Pabst Racing
2016 Race #2 Anthony Martin Cape Motorsports
2016 Race #1 Anthony Martin Cape Motorsports
2012 Race #3 Scott Anderson Belardi Auto Racing
2012 Race #2 Matthew Brabham Cape Motorsportsm
2012 Race #1 Matthew Brabham Cape Motorsports
2011 Race #2 Petri Suvanto Cape Motorsports
2011 Race #1 Spencer Pigot Andretti Autosport
2010 Race #2 Sage Karam Andretti Autosport
2010 Race #1 Sage Karam Andretti Autosport
2006 Race #2 J.R. Hildebrand Cape Motorsports
2006 Race #1 Dane Cameron Cape Motorsports
2005 Race #2 Jay Howard Aiken Racing
2005 Race #1 Joey Foster Cape Motorsports
2004 Race #2 Bobby Wilson Cape Motorsports
2004 Race #1 Adam Pecorari Andersen Racing
2003 Race #2 Charlie Kimball PR1 Motorsports
2003 Race #1 Charlie Kimball PR1 Motorsports
2001 Race #2 Tonis Kasemets Pabst Racing
2001 Race #1 Tonis Kasemets Pabst Racing
2000 Race #2 Marc-Antoine Camirand Key Motorsports
2000 Race #1 Aaron Justus Cape Motorsports
1993 Chris Simmons SOTARE Racing

Eves’ Cape Motorsports teammate Keane heads to Road America needing some results that match the mega quick pace of the 19-year-old. Keane has twice had the fastest lap of the race, and his average rank over five races is 2.0, well ahead of McElrea (5.6) and Eves (6.0). Keane will be making his fifth and sixth starts on the Road America road course. His previous four starts include two top tens and two DNFs.

“I’m really looking forward to Road America this weekend,” said the University of Florida engineering student. “It’s one of my favorite tracks and I love the high-speed corners. I’m ready for a great weekend and looking to score some really good points.”

Kaminsky, from Homer Glen, Ill. made his first start in cars at Road America during the 2015 SCCA June Sprints. The University of Pittsburgh Business Administration major scored his first podium in the last race at Lucas Oil Raceway, carrying meaningful momentum to his home track this weekend. In four previous Road America starts, the 19-year-old has three top tens, including a fourth-place finish in last year’s second race.

A second place finish in the lone oval race of the season allowed veteran French pilot Alexandre Baron to move from ninth to fifth in the points standings. The 24-year-old, who is piloting a lone Legacy Autosport entry this weekend, had two seventh-place finishes in a pair of USF2000 races last year. Baron needs a couple of clean finishes on the podium to continue to move up the points table.

Only Eves has scored more points than Newman Wachs Racing rookie Shields during the “Month of May” in Indianapolis, Ind. The 19-year-old will be making his first appearance at Road America. The team started by Paul Newman and Eddie Wachs for the 2006 Atlantic Championship season visited victory lane in a 2008 Atlantic Championship race with Jonathan Summerton at the wheel.

Newman Wachs Racing rookie is the most recent USF2000 race winner (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

“After a fantastic last race at Lucas Oil Raceway, everybody at Newman Wachs Racing and myself are ready to go and continue our line of success for this weekend’s racing in USF2000 at Road America to support the NTT IndyCar Series,” said the Australian who is coming off his first USF2000 victory on the oval at Lucas Oil Raceway. “Both myself and Nolan have yet to drive around the track so, with just 30 minutes of practice before qualifying, we will be looking to make the most of it ensure we have the best chance at taking pole position. It’s a very big track with long straights, so I’m sure it will produce some of this year’s best racing over Saturday and Sunday, and I am definitely looking forward to it!”

DEForce Racing teammates Sulaiman and Jak Crawford spent last weekend battling each other at in the sixth round of the NACAM Formula 4 Championship at Autódromo Miguel E. Abed just east of Puebla, Mexico. Sulaiman has won eight of the first 14 races headed into last weekends action to build a significant lead over Crawford. However, a pair of wins and three podiums by Crawford combined with Sulaiman finishing behind him in all three races, brought the Texas native back into the title fight with two rounds (six races) remaining.

We’ll be curious to see how the 18-year-old responds to being bested by his 14-year-old teammate in the past five races (two in USF2000 and three in NACAM F4).

The DEForce Racing duo weren’t the only drivers busy last weekend. Matthew Round-Garrido and Yuven Sundaramoorthy were both part of the Formula F (F1600) field in the SCCA Junes Sprints at Road America.

Round-Garrido, who is making a move from Jay Howard Driver Development this weekend to BN Racing, finished second in a dry race on Saturday before winning in the wet on Sunday.

Sundaramoorthy had an impressive run in the dry on Saturday, moving up eight spots from his 12th starting spot. The native of Oconomowoc, Wisc. gained a single place on Sunday, finishing the wet race in sixth.

Pabst Racing rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy is buckled into his USF-17. The driver and team both hail from Oconomowoc, Wisc. (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Editorial note from Steve – I’d like to take a little time-out to commend a trio of young rookies for an impressive start to the season.

Only five of the 23 drivers that have contested USF2000 races this season have completed 100% of the 153 laps contested so far this season. All five are rookies, but three of them stand out to me, and also make me feel really old because their combined age doesn’t equal my advanced number of years on this planet.

Through the first five races of the season, 14-year-olds Reece Gold (Cape Motorsports) and Nolan Siegel (Newman Wachs Racing) along with 16-year-old Sundaramoorthy (Pabst Racing) have exhibited race-craft well beyond their years.

Round-Garrido’s teammate at BN Racing, Anthony Famularo has been consistent, finishing the four road and street course races in between eighth and tenth. The Juan Montoya mentored 16-year-old should benefit from having an older teammate to push him to get quicker.

Jay Howard Driver Development, who as a team is also running in the F4 United States Championship Powered By Honda championship at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex will have Christian Rasmussen and Christian Bogle on hand at Road America.

Christian Rasmussen is another driver whose pace has not translated into results. The 19-year-old has the fourth best quickest race lap average but is still looking for his first podium.

Eduardo Barrichello and Jack William Miller round out the 18-car grid, looking to gain experience and turn as many laps as possible at Road America.

“We had highs and lows last month in Indianapolis, but we have taken these couple of weeks to focus and regroup to come back strong,” said Miller Vinatieri Motorsports team principal Jack Miller. “Both Jack and Eduardo are still in their rookie seasons, and at every track, we go to, we have been able to learn and gain experience. Speed has been there, and we have been able to improve throughout the season to date.”


Other USF2000 notes

  • Eventual champion Chris Simmons was a winner the first time USF2000 visited Road America in 1993. Scott Dixon’s race engineer is joined by Aaron Justus (2000), Bobby Wilson (2004), Jay Howard (2005), JR Hildebrand (2006), Sage Karam (2010), Petri Suvanto (2011), Matthew Brabham (2012), Anthony Martin (2016) and Kyle Kirkwood (2018) as USF2000 champions that have won at Road America.
  • Cape Motorsports leads all teams at Road America with 24 podiums, but since the introduction of the USF-17 two season ago, trails Pabst Racing seven to three in that category.
  • The 12 DNFs in Race #2 last year was the most in a USF2000 race at Road America since 14 drivers failed to finish the first race in 2000.
  • The closest finish in the 25 previous USF2000 races at Road America came in 2004 when Adam Pecorari beat Bobby Wilson to the line by 0.143 seconds.
  • At just over 3,600 feet long, the Moraine Sweep a run downhill from Turn 3 through a forest to Turn 5 is one of the quickest spots (not on an oval) that the drivers will experience all year. Oscar DeLuzuriaga’s trap speed just before Turn 5 in Race #1 last year was 148.221 mph.

Race weekend basics

Race name: Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Road America Powered by Elite Engines

Race #1 length: 12 laps or 40 minutes
Race #2 length: 12 laps or 40 minutes

Qualifying Record: 129.656 seconds by Scott Anderson in 2012
Race Record: 129.2583 seconds by Rasmus Lindh in 2018

Each entry can utilize three new sets of Cooper Tire slicks as well as one set of used/scuffed tires from the race weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Drivers failing to slow at least 15% in a timing sector with a local yellow will be subject to a two-place grid spot penalty

Drivers who fail to heed the checkered flag at the end of a session will receive a two-grid spot penalty

In order to avoid a red flag and penalty (see below) during qualifying you must park your disabled vehicle in a safe area (determined by the race director)

Causing one red flag during a session will result in a driver losing their fastest lap

Causing a second red flag during the same session will wipe out all of drivers laps and they will be parked for the remainder of the session

Driver points are distributed as follows: 30 – 25 – 22 – 19 – 17 – 15 -14 – 13 – 12 – 11 – 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – an additional one point will be awarded to the pole sitter, to the driver who leads the most laps, and to the driver who turns the quickest race lap


Watch the 2018 Road America races:

Race #1

Race #2


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

USF2000 – Freedom 75 Qualifying results from the 0.686-mile Lucas Oil Raceway oval – Kaminsky recovers for first pole – championship leaders start deep in the field

Freedom 75 pole sitter Colin Kaminsky provided a trio of compelling storylines in a Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship qualifying session full of them.

1) A crash late in the afternoon practice session left the Pabst Racing crew only two-hours to get the 19-year-olds car fixed for his qualifying run.

2) Kaminsky’s first career Road To Indy pole began with the third quickest first laps, ended with the fastest second and overall lap, and had a two-lap average of 110.266 mph.

3) The pole run by the Pabst Racing veteran ended a run of 11-straight poles, dating back to 2000, by Cape Motorsports on the 0.686-mile Lucas Oil Raceway oval.

Pole Sitter Colin Kaminsky watches as other cars qualify for the Freedom 75 (Photo Courtesy Of Andersen Promotions)

Starting outside of Kaminsky on the front row is Newman Wachs Racing rookie Cameron Shields. Australian Shields, who spent Tuesday with his mentor Will Power in Washington D.C. as part of media day for the Indianapolis 500, joined Kaminsky as the only other driver to average over 110 mph over the 1.372-miles of qualifying.

Cape Motorsports’ highest starting driver Reece Gold will start on the inside of the second row. The 14-year-old held the provisional pole through five drivers after a pair of consistent laps separated by only 0.365 mph.

Disappointing qualifying efforts by the top three in points should make for an exciting race. Points leader Braden Eves starts 12th on the grid and will have some work to do if he wants to win his fifth race. Hunter McElrea made a mistake on his second lap and will start from the back of the field. Manuel Sulaiman, who is tied for third with Darren Keane will start just ahead of Eves in 11th.

The order for the single car, two-lap qualifying for the Freedom 75 on the 0.686-mile Lucas Oil Raceway was determined by inverting the entries by championship points.

That meant the unmistakable bright red Indy Dental Group, LLC/Lumist sponsored No. 40 of Jack William Miller was the first car on the track. Miller turned in two consistent laps that averaged 109.433 mph, good enough for the outside of the fourth row.

Miller’s Miller Vinatieri Motorsports teammate Eduardo Barrichello, the fifth car on track was quicker than Miller on his first lap before dropping off on his second lap. Barrichello will start the race on the outside of row five.

The second car on track was Manuel Cabrera, whose first lap at 110.063 mph was the quickest first lap of all 19 drivers. Unfortunately, his second lap was over 0.6 mph slower, meaning the Exclusive Autosport driver will start on the outside of the second row.

Darren Keane, who comes into the lone oval event of the year tied for third place in the points has been looking for some luck and may have found it in his closest competitors misfortune. The 19-year-old turned in two laps in the high 109 mph range and will start Friday night’s race in sixth.

Hunter McElrea was on a qualifying attempt that would have given him a good chance at pole when the right rear of his Soul Red No. 22 from the Pabst Racing stable made contact with the wall at the exit of Turn 2. The 19-year-old was able to complete his run with a car that crab-walked across the line and will have to start at the tail of the 19-car field. The Aussie should be fun to watch as he tries to carve his way through the field.

The last car on the track, was the Cape Motorsports Magic 8 Ball driven by Braden Eves. The winner of the first four races of the year turned the fifth slowest second lap of qualifying and will start the race in 12th spot.

Freedom 75 Qualifying Results.

RANK

CAR NO.

DRIVER

TEAM

LAP 1 (MPH)

LAP 2 (MPH)

AVERAGE (MPH)

LAP SPREAD

1

23

Colin Kaminsky

Pabst Racing

109.974

110.560

110.266

0.586

2

73

Cameron Shields

Newman Wachs Racing

109.726

110.389

110.057

0.663

3

3

Reece Gold

Cape Motorsports

109.623

109.988

109.805

0.365

4

90

Manuel Cabrera

Exclusive Autosport

110.063

109.440

109.751

-0.623

5

14

Alex Baron

Legacy Autosport

109.838

109.642

109.740

-0.196

6

2

Darren Keane

Cape Motorsports

109.542

109.934

109.738

0.392

7

52

Jak Crawford

DEForce Racing

109.304

109.846

109.574

0.542

8

40

Jack William Miller

Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

109.142

109.724

109.433

0.582

9

41

Eduardo Barrichello

Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

109.567

108.980

109.273

-0.587

10

5

Matt Round-Garrido

Jay Howard Driver Development

109.545

108.791

109.167

-0.754

11

12

Manuel Sulaiman

DEForce Racing

109.020

109.277

109.148

0.257

12

8

Braden Eves

Cape Motorsports

109.518

108.744

109.129

-0.774

13

21

Yuven Sundaramoorthy

Pabst Racing

109.444

108.722

109.082

-0.722

14

24

Bruna Tomaselli

Pabst Racing

108.840

108.946

108.893

0.106

15

6

Christian Rasmussen

Jay Howard Driver Development

108.679

108.941

108.810

0.262

16

36

Nolan Siegel

Newman Wachs Racing

107.933

108.533

108.232

0.600

17

28

Anthony Famularo

BN Racing

107.958

107.767

107.862

-0.191

18

7

Christian Bogle

Jay Howard Driver Development

106.259

106.350

106.305

0.091

19

22

Hunter McElrea

Pabst Racing

109.978

102.499

106.107

-7.479

A 20-minute practice at 4:05 pm precedes the 75 lap race scheduled to start at 6:45 pm

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