Latest mot

welcome race fans to krazyaboutracing.com the leader in motor sports coverage on the world wide web we are now in our 24th year

WE MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE WHISTLES & BELLS OF OTHER SITES , hOWEVER  krazyaboutracing.com has THE most complete MOTOR SPORTS COVERAGE on the web !

(HOME)  (CONTACT US)  ( THE PIT )  (LOCAL RACING)   (PREVIOUS NEWS)  (PREVIOUS RACING)   (SITE NEWS)  (MEET THE STAFF)   (HALL OF FAME)  (MULTIMEDIA)   (SPECIAL EVENTS) (ANNUAL AWARDS)  (DRIVER & TEAM RELEASES) (LOCAL TRACK NEWS) (MISC RELEASES)

 

  

     

for more coverage on the series click on the series lOgo

  indypro 2000 series  usf20000 series road to indyUSF JUNIORS

USF Pro  2000 Championship

www.usfpro2000.com

USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire is an evolution of the Road to Indy, one of the most successful driver development programs in the world. Comprised of USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire

 

Escorpioni Cleans Up

in USF Pro 2000 Portland Finale


 

PORTLAND, Ore. – Leonardo Escorpioni extended his lead in the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire championship following a dominant victory to close out the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland. The Florida-based Brazilian had to work hard for his fifth victory of the season for Turn 3 Motorsport, working his way from seventh in the early stages, but once into the lead he cruised away after another stylish performance.


 

Escorpioni’s closest challenger in the championship, Texan Jack Jeffers, finished second on the road for Exclusive Autosport before a penalty dropped him to fourth in the final results behind Pabst Racing teammates G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., and Colin Aitken, from Jacksonville Beach, Fla.


 

Results


 

The grid for today’s race was set by each driver’s second-fastest lap for the solitary qualifying session on Saturday. Escorpioni duly scooped his fourth Continental Tire Pole Award of the campaign, although the application of a three-grid-place penalty for avoidable contact yesterday relegated him to fourth on the grid behind Jeffers, Argyros and JHDD powered by ECR’s Andres Cardenas, from Lima, Peru.


 

Portland International Raceway’s tight first chicane provided the usual drama on the opening lap. Nose-to-tail contact between Cardenas and Jeffers resulted in the polesitter having to take to the escape road... which he performed masterfully so that he only fell to fifth place in the order behind Cardenas, Aitken, who started fifth, Teddy Musella (VRD Racing), from Orlando, Fla., and Argyros. However, the race stewards determined that Jeffers had impeded several pursuers at Turn Four, and therefore handed him a five-second penalty which would be served post-race.


 

Cardenas also received a substantial penalty for hitting Jeffers at the first corner, although that became moot when the Peruvian’s car slowed abruptly with a mechanical problem after leading the first 12 laps. He was done for the day.


 

Escorpioni, meanwhile, had been flying up the order after being elbowed down to seventh place during the early exchanges. The Brazilian easily disposed of Aitken in Turn Four for second place on lap 11, and was hot on the heels of Cardenas when the race leader faltered on the exit of the first chicane.


 

Escorpioni never looked back. He had pulled out a margin of over eight seconds by the time the caution flags fluttered for the first and only time after 18 laps when Musella’s car also gave up the ghost and stranded him on the front straightaway while running in third place. No bother. Escorpioni took off again at the restart and was comfortably clear before easing his pace in the closing stages.


 

Escorpioni also claimed the GhostLap Fastest Race of the Weekend Award.


 

After losing a place to Escorpioni early on, Jeffers found a way past Argyros after 14 laps, then shadowed the impressive Aitken before making the move for second with four laps remaining.


 

Jeffers romped away before the addition of his time penalty, and then Aitken offered no serious challenge to his championship-chasing teammate, Argyros, heading into the Turn 10/11 chicane for the final time, which elevated yesterday’s race winner to second position.


 

VRD Racing’s Frankie Mossman, from Newport Beach, Calif., struggled for pace in the late stages but narrowly managed to fend off the advances of TJ Speed Motorsports’ Thomas Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio. Mossman still did enough to claim the Tilton Hard Charger Award after having started 10th.


 

Turn 3 Motorsport’s Peter Dempsey pocketed the PFC Award as the winning team owner. 


 

There will be only a brief respite before the USF Pro 2000 field reconvenes for a brand-new event next weekend on the streets of Markham, Ont., Canada, for another doubleheader event. Escorpioni currently holds a 25-point edge over Jeffers in the quest for a scholarship valued at $593,056 to advance next year to INDY NXT with six races remaining on the docket.


 

Provisional championship points after 12 of 18 rounds:

1. Leonardo Escorpioni, 278

2. Jack Jeffers, 251

3. G3 Argyros, 233

4. Frankie Mossman, 193

5. Andres Cardenas, 192

6. Thomas Schrage, 177

7. Michael Costello, 166

8. Teddy Musella, 149

9. Brady Golan, 147

10. Christian Cameron, 144.


 

Leonardo Escorpioni (#4 Data Pioneer Solutions/Corix/Peer 1-Turn 3 Motorsport Tatuus IP-22): “I had an amazing race. The start didn't go how we planned. I fell down to like seventh, I think. After that it was about staying clean. I knew I had a lot more pace than everyone. We showed it in qualifying and in all the practices. It was about staying clean, making clean overtakes and then Cardenas had an issue and he had a penalty as well. So, I mean I'm super happy to come up with the win and I'm super happy to go into Canada with the points lead. Let's see how it goes from there.”


 

G3 Argyros (#18 Positive Beverage/Elephant Cooperation-Pabst Racing Tatuus IP-22): “Jack penalized himself early on with a five-second post-race penalty. I stayed tight to his rear bumper and just followed him through the pack and stayed within a second for most of the race. The last four laps he got around my teammate Colin, and I thought I had to follow him if I wanted to keep those championship points that mean so much. I really had to put the pedal all the way 110 percent and get focused up for the last two laps and made a good pass on the last lap to secure myself those points. I won yesterday and had a second today, and then Colin's had a great weekend with a second and a third. Truly a great result for our team and the Pabst family, so I'm looking forward to keeping the strong results going and to keep closing the gap when it comes to the finale for the all-important scholarship on the line.”


 

Colin Aitken (#19 Morgan Stanley.Hennessy Performance-Pabst Racing Tatuus IP-22): “This gives me a lot of confidence going into Markham, and I hope to keep that ball rolling and step on the top step of the podium next week. Yesterday, running up front with the guys really showed me how to drive and how to manage the tires with the aero wash. I learned a lot from yesterday. Definitely it was a lot more stressful today, but still stressful today managing up front. I definitely learned a lot and I'm going to take that to Markham and hopefully get a win.”

 

Argyros Heads USF Pro 2000

Pabst One-Two in Portland


 


 

PORTLAND, Ore. – G3 Argyros sped to his third USF Pro 2000 win of the season in this afternoon’s action packed first of two races for the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland. Pabst Racing’s Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., grasped the lead at the first turn after lining up third on the grid and was never headed during the 30-lap race.


 

New teammate Colin Aitken, from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., chased home in second while 16-year-old Christian Cameron, from Sonoma, Calif., finally profited from the misfortune of others to claim a well-deserved maiden podium finish for TJ Speed Motorsports.


 

Results


 

USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire points leader Leonardo Escorpioni equaled his primary championship rival Jack Jeffers’ tally of four Continental Tire Pole Awards after comfortably outpacing the field in qualifying earlier today for Turn 3 Motorsport. Jeffers edged Argyros for second on the grid with new teammate Aitken lining up fourth.


 

As with the earlier USF2000 event – not to mention a host of other races at Portland International Raceway – there was drama at the tight first chicane. Argyros managed to squeeze through into the lead after also running a little wide through the initial right-hand turn, while the unfortunate Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport) was clattered from behind by New Zealander Sebastian Manson, who had lined up sixth for Turn 3 Motorsport.


 

As Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, retired to the pits with significant damage to his Exclusive Autosport Tatuus, Manson rejoined a lap down after his team replaced the car’s front wing.


 

Several other contenders also lost time at the first corner, yet the race continued under green-flag conditions. Argyros and Aitken looked to be firmly in control at the front of the field, especially with overtaking at a premium on the 1.964-mile road course, although Peru’s Andres Cardenas remained in their wheel tracks for JHDD powered by ECR. 

Frankie Mossman (VRD Racing), from Newport Beach, Calif., Cameron and Teddy Musella (VRD Racing), from Orlando, Fla., also were in contention until Musella’s car ground to a halt out on the track with an electrical glitch. Cue to the first full-course caution with half of the 30-lap race in the books.


 

Cruelly, VRD teammate Mossman also fell by the wayside due to a suspension breakage after 22 laps which occasioned another brief caution period.


 

The cautions seemed to play into the hands of Escorpioni, who had worked his way impressively from 12th to fifth. He swept past Cameron for fourth at the restart, with five laps remaining, only to collide with Cardenas in Turn Seven while making a pass for third. The incident allowed Cameron back through into third for a well deserved maiden podium result for the youngest driver in the field.


 

Escorpioni crossed the line in fourth, but was later assessed a 30-second penalty for avoidable contact which relegated him to eighth in the final results.


 

Teammate Tyke Durst, from Charlotte, N.C., was the primary beneficiary, elevated to a career-best fourth ahead of yet another Turn 3 Motorsport entry driven by Brady Golan, from Austin, Texas.


 

Durst also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award, while Augie Pabst secured his fourth PFC Award as the winning team owner. 


 

Race Two will see a green flag tomorrow, Saturday, at 2:30 p.m. PDT.


 

Provisional championship points after 12 of 18 rounds:

1. Leonardo Escorpioni, 243

2. Jack Jeffers, 233

3. G3 Argyros, 208

4. Andres Cardenas, 185

5. Frankie Mossman, 176

6. Michael Costello, 166

7. Thomas Schrage, 161

8. Teddy Musella, 141

9. Brady Golan, 133

10. Christian Cameron, 131.


 

G3 Argyros (#18 Positive Beverage/Elephant Cooperation-Pabst Racing Tatuus IP-22): “I ran good in quali and I knew that we've had the car all week. I just had the confidence and in [Turn] One it was exactly as we drew it out at Pabst. We knew he was going to outbrake himself and I just gave him a ton of pressure and he cracked. I'd like to thank the entire Pabst racing crew first and foremost but secondly my brand new teammate Colin Aitken for putting on a show. At the end of the day we're such a family organization that to have a new kid come on and do so well his first race is a testament to how good our cars are and how amazing of a program we have.”


 

Colin Aitken (#19 Morgan Stanley/Hennessy Performance-Pabst Racing Tatuus IP-22): “It was a really good start. I slotted in P2 right behind G3. The team said just slot laps and I slotted laps and it worked out for me. I ended up where I needed to be on the podium. I didn't have the pace for G3 but it was a good race. The aero wash was hard. It was so very hard to pass around here with the high speed corners, but it was overall a good finish.”


 

Christian Cameron (#27 Bitumen Group/Desert Flight The Movie-TJ Speed Motorsports Tatuus IP-22): “The team deserves this. We've been working so hard for this and to really come home with the podium means a lot for my family, the team and everybody. It was a pretty close race, some restarts and starts, and it's tough in the aero wash.”

 

 

Portland Next as USF Pro Championships

Title-Chases Tighten


 


 

PALMETTO, Fla. – Championships and scholarships remain on the line as the top two rungs on the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire open-wheel driver development ladder head this week to Portland International Raceway. The 1.964-mile, 12-turn road course situated just a few miles from downtown Portland, Ore., will play host to a pair of races each for USF Pro 2000 and USF2000, with the season-long chases for top honors still very much in the balance.

 

Two-Point Separation

The top two USF Pro 2000 contenders both have happy memories of Portland, albeit in different series. Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, won one of the three USF2000 races during the PIR finale 12 months ago, which proved comfortably enough to secure the championship crown and a scholarship to graduate this year to USF Pro 2000.

 

The same weekend was equally memorable for Florida-based Brazilian Leonard Escorpioni, who emerged on top in two of the three USF Juniors races and also secured a championship crown.

 

One year on, Portland no longer serves as the final weekend of the season, but it could turn out to be pivotal as the two talented youngsters are separated by only two points as they each seek back-to-back titles. At stake is a scholarship valued at almost $600,000 to graduate to INDY NXT in 2027.


 

Entry List

 

USF Pro 2000 rookies Jeffers and Escorpioni have been locked in combat since claiming the top two spots in qualifying for the opening race of the year on the streets of Arlington, Texas, in March. Escorpioni took advantage of a slip by Jeffers to win the first race for Turn 3 Motorsport, while Exclusive Autosport’s Jeffers rebounded the following day to climb onto the top step of the podium.

 

Their fortunes have fluctuated regularly since then, although a perfect sweep of three wins last time out at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course enabled Escorpioni to turn a 24-point deficit into a two-point advantage heading into this week’s Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland.

 

The battle for third place in the standings is equally hard-fought with 10 of 18 rounds completed. Only 26 points separate G3 Argyros from seventh-placed Thomas Schrage. Both are also USF Pro 2000 rookies.

 

After claiming victory in the USF2000 finale in 2024, Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., recorded his first wins at the more senior level with Pabst Racing earlier this season at Road America.

 

Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio, has developed into a consistent top-five finisher for TJ Speed Motorsports, although he is still chasing an elusive first podium result at the track where he won and established a new race lap record last year in USF2000.

 

Sandwiched between them in the points table are impressive Peruvian rookie Andres Cardenas (JHDD powered by ECR), who has recorded podium finishes in three of the last four races, and series veteran Frankie Mossman, from Newport Beach, Calif., who has made five podiums visits to date this year for VRD Racing.

 

A pair of one-hour test sessions on Thursday afternoon, August 6, will lead into 30 minutes of practice at 9:45 a.m. PDT on Friday. A critical qualifying session at 12:30 p.m. will determine the starting order for 30-lap races at 5:05 p.m. on Friday and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

 

Garzon Under Pressure

Not so long ago, Colombian youngster Sebastian Garzon seemed to be cruising toward a USF2000 championship and a scholarship valued at almost $410,000 to advance next year to USF Pro 2000.

 

Three race wins and three podium finishes from the opening six races for DEForce Racing saw Garzon gallop to a 54-point advantage over his nearest rival. But with a total of 11 races now in the books and seven remaining, that margin has been trimmed to just 19 prior to this week’s Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland doubleheader.

 

A pair of Australians, Brad Majman, from Melbourne, and Sydney’s Eddie Beswick, are in hot pursuit of Garzon. They are also teammates at Pabst Racing, which secured back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024 with Simon Sikes, who, ironically, now serves as driver coach/engineer for Garzon, and Max Garcia, who will be among the top contenders this week in INDY NXT.


 

Entry List

 

Majman and Beswick have each won twice. They also share three pole positions and six fastest laps. Majman currently has 246 points to his name, 19 adrift of Garzon, while Beswick holds down third in the standings on 208.

 

Two others have tasted the fruits of victory this year: Exclusive Autosport teammates Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., who won the only oval race of the season at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Canadian Anthony Martella, who scored his third win of the season recently at Mid-Ohio.

 

After winning two of the three USF2000 races at Portland in 2025, VRD Racing also will hold high expectations with Joao Vergara, from Miami, Fla., Sebastian Wheldon, from St. Petersburg, Fla., and Ryan Giannetta, from Manhattan Beach, Calif. All three have recorded podium finishes this year.

 

The 22-car field also will include current USF Juniors championship leader Karol Pasiewicz, from Lodz, Poland, who is set to make his USF2000 debut along with Olivia Racing as part of a toe-in-the-water exercise as they seek to progress along the USF Pro Championships ladder in 2027.

 

The USF2000 schedule mirrors that of USF Pro 2000 with two test sessions on Thursday afternoon, followed by a hectic Friday comprising practice at 9:00 a.m., qualifying at 11:45 a.m. and the first race at 4:10 p.m. The second race is set to start at 12:50 p.m. on Saturday.

 

Complete coverage can be found on the free USF Pro Championships App, YouTube channel and respective series websites, usfpro2000.com and usf2000.com.

 

USF Pro Championships and GhostLap

Form Partnership


 

Video Performance Platform to Aid in Driver Training and Development


 

PALMETTO, Fla. (July 30, 2026) – As a further commitment to assist young drivers on their climb up the motorsports ladder, Andersen Promotions today announced a partnership with GhostLap – a key analysis asset in determining where lap times are gained or lost. Beginning this month, GhostLap will become the Official Driver Development Tool of the three series comprising USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire – USF Juniors, USF2000 and USF Pro 2000.


 

GhostLap is already established in the open-wheel paddock, supporting over 75% of INDYCAR and INDY NXT teams with a visual data layer uncovering performance gaps in racing lines, driving styles, and car setup changes in real time. It allows drivers, engineers, and coaches to quickly see where improvements can be made on track.


 

Brian Boly, founder of GhostLap, is a former performance and software engineer who spent years working at the highest level of motorsport, constantly chasing performance. Since launching in 2025, GhostLap has expanded across open-wheel and sports car paddocks, becoming one of the fastest-adopted performance tools in North American motorsport.


 

GhostLap will roll out as a USF Pro Championships partner at the upcoming Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland next week, with two double-header events held in support of both INDYCAR and INDY NXT. As an introduction to the platform, drivers with the fastest race laps in each series will be awarded a credit for a free race weekend of GhostLap service.


 

“Our partnership with GhostLap gives our young drivers a vital performance edge, supporting their development from our baseline series all the way to INDYCAR,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “The opportunity to visually see where you are gaining or losing to your competitors in real time is incredible technology and we are excited to partner with Brian and his team.


 

“As to the series, we are looking forward to also implementing the benefits of this platform in both our officiating and our live stream broadcasts.”


 

Drivers posting the fastest race laps at Portland will have the advantage of utilizing GhostLap the following week at the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham.


 

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Dan and the USF Pro Championships to support the growth and development of the best up and coming open-wheel talent in North America,” said Brian Boly, founder of GhostLap. “Giving young drivers access to this kind of visual analysis early in their careers is going to help them learn the hidden techniques that separate the good from the very best in the sport.”

 
 

USF 2000 Championship

www.usf2000.com

USF2000 Championships Presented by Continental Tire is an evolution of the Road to Indy, one of the most successful driver development programs in the world. Comprised of USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire

 

Dominant Wheldon on a Roll,

Sweeps USF2000 at Portland


 

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oliver Wheldon couldn’t seem to buy any good fortune once he joined the USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire series for the third and fourth races of the season at Indianapolis. Now he has developed into a dominant force. Too young to contest the opening rounds on the streets of his hometown, St. Petersburg, Fla., the 15-year-old son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon followed up his maiden victory yesterday by leading from flag to flag in today’s second leg of the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland for VRD Racing.


 

Sebastian Garzon, from Neiva, Colombia, padded his championship lead by finishing second for DEForce Racing, while Exclusive Autosport’s Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., placed third following a penalty for title contender Brad Majman (Pabst Racing), from Melbourne, Australia.


 

Results


 

Wheldon earned his series-leading fifth Continental Tire Pole Award of the year by virtue of having posted the best of each drivers’ second-fastest laps during the lone qualifying session on Friday. He was joined on the front row of the grid by Majman with Pabst Racing teammate and fellow Aussie Eddie Beswick and Garzon on row two.


 

Wheldon withstood intense pressure during the opening stages of the 25-lap race. Beswick and Garzon both jumped Majman at the start, then exchanged positions a couple of times while remaining hot on Wheldon’s heels.


 

Beswick seemed to have settled into second place after the initial skirmishes, only to lose control at the exit of the Turn 10/11 chicane on lap seven, sending his car into a lurid slide. He joined a distant 18th.


 

Wheldon then managed to eke out a slight but appreciable advantage over Garzon, in second, until the caution flags waved following an incident farther down the field.


 

Another late caution left enough time for only a one-lap dash to the checkered flag, and once again Wheldon was up to the challenge. The teenager displayed enough confidence to not even adopt a defensive line under braking for the tight Turn One/Two chicane on the final lap, and was rewarded with another fine win.


 

Garzon also comfortably retained second following the restart. The Colombian also earned the first-ever GhostLap Fastest Race Lap of the Weekend Award.


 

Behind, though, there was mayhem as Majman dived to the inside under braking for Turn One and came into contact with VRD Racing’s Ryan Giannetta, from Redondo Beach, Calif. Giannetta had slipped past Majman shortly before the final caution period after Majman had lost a little momentum while attempting to pass Garzon in Turn Seven, but the Californian was the unfortunate loser from the last-lap contact, which sent his car high into the air and cost him the opportunity for a third consecutive podium finish. The incident earned Majman a 30-second post-race penalty for avoidable contact.


 

Cooley therefore inherited the final podium position ahead of Joao Vergara, from Miami, Fla., who recorded his fourth consecutive top-five finish for VRD Racing.


 

Wian Boshoff, from Johannesburg, South Africa, finished fifth on the road for PFH Racing only to fall well down the order after being assessed a post-race penalty for avoidable contact earlier in the race.


 

Beswick recovered strongly after his earlier incident to claim fifth ahead of USF Juniors championship leader Karol Pasiewicz, from Lodz, Poland, who capped an impressive first-ever USF2000 weekend for himself and Olivia Racing.


 

Kaylee Countryman earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award for JHDD powered by ECR after moving up from 19th on the grid to 10th at the finish.


 

VRD Racing team principal Dan Mitchell took home another PFC Award as the winning car owner.


 

The USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire teams and drivers now head east for another pair of races next weekend, once more in support of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, at a highly anticipated brand-new event on the streets of Markham, Ont., Canada.


 

Provisional championship points after 13 of 18 races:

1. Sebastian Garzon, 299

2. Brad Majman, 269

3. Eddie Beswick, 230

4. Joao Vergara, 207

5. Evan Cooley, 203

6. Oliver Wheldon, 197

7. Anthony Martella, 183

8. Ryan Giannetta, 173

9. Ayrton Cahan, 151

10. Gabriel Cahan, 150


 

Oliver Wheldon (#98 TWG Motorsports-VRD Racing Tatuus USF-22): “It was a pretty difficult race – super long compared to the others in my opinion. Obviously, it was super hot as well which played a big role in the race. I was able to have a pretty good gap in the beginning and then that first yellow came out, so I started to just focus on my restarts. I got a good restart and then managed to pull a little bit of a gap and then on the last lap another restart came out, which I was pretty annoyed at but it went well. I was able to have a gap on the restart as well. Going to Turn One, I didn't have to defend and in the end all the hard work paid off. The wins definitely boosted my confidence a lot after my crash in Mid-Ohio, so I'm really looking forward to Markham next week.”


 

Sebastian Garzon (#12 Orsolon Racing/Café de Colombia-DEForce Racing Tatuus USF-22): “It was a really difficult race. I knew I had the pace and at the beginning I had too much. I think my pace was really good at the beginning, and then at the end, no. I used up too much of my tires at the beginning. The P2 result is really good after yesterday and my crash. It is good to extend a little bit more my points in this race, and prepare better for Toronto to hopefully extend more my championship lead.”


 

Evan Cooley (#90 Brown Brothers Harriman-Exclusive Autosport Tatuus USF-22): “A great race getting third in the end. I fell back a bit at the start but was able to just stay calm. It was a long race so I just picked off all the cars one by one and brought it home third. The pace was really strong so I want to thank my team – we've been working hard all weekend – and all my sponsors and my parents for their support as always. I’m excited to get back in the car in one week at Markham.”

 

Wheldon Keeps his Cool, Scores Overdue First USF2000 Win


 


 

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oliver Wheldon kept his head while others around him seemed to be losing theirs in baking hot conditions this afternoon before claiming a well-deserved maiden USF2000 race victory in the first of two races that comprise the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland.


 

VRD Racing’s Wheldon, 15, from St. Petersburg, Fla., slipped from first to third in the opening stages, but took advantage of a slice of misfortune for Pabst Racing’s championship contender Eddie Beswick, from Sydney, Australia, who dropped out of the lead with a broken suspension, to become the fifth youngest winner in USF2000 history.


 

Canadian Anthony Martella maintained his run of form for Exclusive Autosport to take second after starting eighth, while Wheldon’s teammate Ryan Giannetta, from Redondo Beach, Calif., recorded his second straight podium finish in third.


 

Results


 

Despite being forced to miss the opening two races of the season, which occurred before his 15th birthday, Wheldon became the first driver to claim four Continental Tire Pole Awards this season when he posted the fastest lap in qualifying earlier today. His best lap of 1:11.0033 was barely a tenth of a second away from Rasmus Lindh’s record set all the way back in 2018.


 

Wheldon managed to maintain his lead at the start – just – while all manner of mayhem erupted behind at the first chicane to ensure the Safety Car was scrambled almost right away.


 

After six laps of caution, Wheldon continued to hold the advantage at the restart, although Beswick took advantage of a trimmed out aerodynamic setup to pull alongside and snatch the lead heading into the Turn 10/11 chicane.


 

Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., in another Exclusive Autosport entry, profited from Wheldon’s loss of momentum to slip into second with Giannetta in fourth ahead of Martella.


 

Beswick stretched his lead to as much as two seconds by the mid-point of the 25-lap race, but by then Wheldon had regained his mojo and moved ahead of Cooley under braking for Turn Seven. Cooley, unfortunately, ran off at the exit and ultimately retired to the pit lane minus his car’s front wing.


 

Wheldon proceeded to set a string of fast laps as he narrowed the gap to Beswick to less than a second, then grasped the lead when the unfortunate Australian suffered a left-front suspension failure as he entered the first chicane at the start of Lap 18.


 

Another brief full-course caution was necessitated while Beswick’s stricken car was removed from the course, and Wheldon made no mistakes as he reeled off the remaining laps to take the win.


 

Martella glimpsed an opportunity to slip past Giannetta for second shortly before the finish to cap off another fine drive, while Florida-based Brazilian Joao Vergara finished hot on Giannetta’s heels in another VRD Racing entry.


 

Wesley Gundler, from Holly Springs, N.C., rebounded from stone cold last on the opening lap to a career-best fifth for ENVE Motorsports, while South African Wian Boshoff pocketed the Tilton Hard Charger Award for PFH Racing after climbing from 18th to eighth.


 

Championship leaders Sebastian Garzon (DEForce Racing), from Neiva, Colombia, and Brad Majman (Pabst Racing), from Melbourne, Australia, both encountered a series of difficulties. After being involved in the first-corner fracas, both worked their way back into contention before additional errors dropped them back down the order again. Majman ultimately recovered to sixth, while Garzon had to be content with 14th.


 

The PFC Award went to VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell as the winning car owner.


 

The final USF2000 race of the weekend will see a green flag tomorrow at 12:50 pm Pacific Time.


 

Provisional championship points after 12 of 18 races:

1. Sebastian Garzon, 272

2. Brad Majman, 261

3. Eddie Beswick, 213

4. Joao Vergara, 188

5. Anthony Martella, 182

6. Evan Cooley, 181

7. Oliver Wheldon, 165

8. Ryan Giannetta, 161

9. Ayrton Cahan, 149

10. Gabriel Cahan, 136.


 

Oliver Wheldon (#98 TWG Motorsports-VRD Racing Tatuus USF-22): “After a kind of not great restart, I just put my head down. I saw that Beswick had an issue so I just capitalized on that and tried to pull away as much as I could. And in the end, it paid off.”


 

Anthony Martella (#92 NIN Transport/VPS Services-Exclusive Autosport Tatuus USF-22): “From how qualifying went, I can't complain to be honest. We maximized what we could this race. Unfortunately, we couldn't go for the win, but congrats to the VRD boys. They did a good job, and hopefully tomorrow we can chase them for the race win.”


 

Ryan Giannetta (44 R3 Recover and Wellness/Chilli Surfboards-VRD Racing Tatuus USF-22): “I am super happy to be back up here and a huge thank-you to the team. The car was mega again. I couldn't be more happy.”

 

 

 

USF JUNIORS

usfjuniors.com.

USF JUNIORS Championships Presented by Continental Tire is an evolution of the Road to Indy, one of the most successful driver development programs in the world. Comprised of USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire, USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire and USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire

 

 

  indypro 2000 series  usf20000 series road to indy usf20000 series

2026 USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires 2023 Schedule

 

 

 

2026 USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires Schedule

 

 

2026 USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires  Schedule

 

 Copyright 2002- 2026 Motorsportsgarage productions

no part of site site can be copied or duplicated without written permission from Motorsportsgarage productions

all logos and images are copyrighted to the racing series and used for editorial purposes only

   

              

follow up on

This site is dedicated to my father " hoot " who introduced me to the Great sport of auto racing when I was a very young child

Thru the years I have befriended several people Thru Racing that have passed on and I honor them here

Larrt Criss. Charlie Patterson. Carrol Horton, Todd shaffer, gary lee and Judy Morris