IndyCars - The off-season: Series news and comment until the March 2014 kick-off

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Thursday at Sebring - The Porsche Carrera Cup NA title hunt is going to be a rout…
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…this season, unless someone is able to step up and challenge Riley Dickinson in the # 53 Porsche 992 for Kellymoss. The 20-year-old Texan was phenomenal this weekend at Sebring. He TOPPED both practice sessions, took pole for both races and then ran away, easily WINNING both races while also setting Fastest Lap in each. You CANNOT do it better and you cannot WIN more series points.

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Riley was a full 8 seconds to the better over P4 starter Tom Sargeant in the # 17 Porsche for McElrea Racing at the finish of Race 1. Coming in 3rd was P3 starter Will Martin in the # 9 JDX Racing Porsche.

In Race 2 Dickinson was a little less dominant, crossing the line 4 seconds ahead of P2 starter Tom Sargeant while P3 went to P3 starter Jason Hart in the # 20 Porsche for MDK Motorsports.

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Notable:

• The IndyCar contingent in Race 1 - P12 starter Thomas Nepveu went from P12 to P14 for McElrea Racing; Sabre Cook went from P19 to P15 for Kellymoss; P6 starter TJ Fischer went from his P6 start to a DNF and P18 for 762 Motorsports. Thus, Sabre was the only gainer.

• The IndyCar contingent in Race 2 - TJ Fischer went from a P7 start to a P10 finish; Thomas Nepveu from a P9 start to a P11 finish. Sabre Cook started P17 and went to P14, but got a 10-second penalty for contact with the # 4 of Elias De La Torre, dropping her to 16th overall. Still, she was again the only gainer in the contingent.

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Sabre Cook - moving forward

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With these results, here are the TOP FIVE in points leaving Sebring:

1 - Riley Dickinson, 56
2 - Tom Sargeant, 40
3 - Will Martin, 31
4 - Jason Hart, 31
5 - Dan Clarke, 24

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The next two outings for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America gang will be at Long Beach, April 14-16, in support of the IndyCar race.

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[MarkyS]

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Thursday at Sebring - BMW’s new GT4 car takes its first WIN in the GS class…

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…of the Michelin Pilot Challenge Alan Jay Automotive Network 120. Taking the WIN in the GS class and overall was Robey Foley in the # 96 BMW M4 GT4 (G82) for Turner Motorsport from a P12 start by Vince Barletta. Foley was 0.6 seconds ahead of teammate Cameron Lawrence in the # 95 BW M4 GT4 (G82) at the line, taking P2 from a P19 start by IndyCar driver Rob Megennis. Taking P3 was Frank DePew in the # 71 Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R for Rebel Rock Racing, from a P26 start by Robin Liddell.

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Robby Foley (left) and Vince Barletta for the first WIN by the new G82 Bimmer (the BIG-kidneys-in-the-grill car)

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Barletta drove the # 96 Bimmer to the first pit stop and stopped a little early, which due to full course cautions had the effect of putting Foley in P2. He then moved past Christian Szymczak in the # 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 with 22 minutes left on the race clock, then held on through one final restart to win. Symczak faded to P25 at the end.

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TCR class was far more frantic at the end. Taking the WIN was Tim Lewis in the # 5 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR for KMW Motorsports w/ TMR Engineering from a P7 start by Roy Block. P2 went to paraplegic IndyCar driver Robby Wickins in the # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport from a P4 start by Harry Gottsacker while P3 went to Mark Wilkins in the # 98 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport from a P3 start by Mason Filippi.

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Tim Lewis (left) and Roy Block

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Wickens had taken the lead of the race with about an hour to go by pitting just ahead of a caution. Robby then held off Lewis and the rest of the field by nearly a second at one point with Lewis fighting back and ultimately pulling up to challenge Wickens through multiple corners until a late caution flag came out just as Tim was making his move. Race control deemed that Lewis was already ahead of Wickens at the moment the flag flew and awarded him 1st place. He then soldiered on to a 1.671-second victory.

A BIG CONGRATS to IndyCar drivers Rob Megennis and Robby Wickens on their P2s!

Rob Megennis (left) and Robby Wickens

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With these results here are the TOP FIVE in points in each class leaving Sebring:

GS class

1 - Robby Foley, Vince Barletta, 480
2 - Eric Foss, Jeff Mosing, 470
3 - Anthony McIntosh, Jared Thomas, 450
4 - Hugh Plumb, Matt plumb, 450
5 - Anton Dias Perera, Scott Andrews, 440

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TCR class

1 - Mike Lamarra, WilliamTally, 600
2 - Mark Wilkins, Mason Filippi, 600
3 - Harry Gottsacker, Robert Wickens, 570
4 - Roy Block, Tim Lewis, 550
5 - Gavin Ernstone, Jon Morley, 530

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The next outing for the Michelin Pilot Challenge will be the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 in support of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race, the Motul Course de Monterey, May 12-14.

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[MarkyS]

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Wednesday at Sebring - the WeatherTech gang hold practice…

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All five classes of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series participated in 3 practice sessions today for the 12Hours of Sebring, including a requisite nighttime session, as the 12-hour race will end in the dark. We have COMBINED all three sessions to give you the fastest in each class for the day, starting with GTP class:

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GTP class - TOPPING the day was Tom Blomqvist in the # 60 Acura ARX-06 for Meyer Shank Racing with a P-2 session time of 1:47.049s for a speed of 125.773mph. Tom bested IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais with his own P-2 session time in the # 01 Cadillac V-Series R for Chip Ganassi’s Cadillac Racing by a teensy 0.026 seconds. Third quickest with another P-2 time was Louis Deletraz in the # 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 for Wayne Taylor Racing.

Tom shares the # 60 Acura with Colin Braun and IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves while Sebastien shares the # 01 Caddy with Renger van der Zande and fellow IndyCar driver Scott Dixon. Louis’ co-drivers are Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque.

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The # 60 Acura ARX-06 for Meyer Shank Racing - TOPS in practice

Tom Blomqvist

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LMP2 class - The TOPS for the day was Indy NXT driver Christian Rasmussen in the # 18 ORECA 07 Gibson for Era Motorsport with a P-2 session time of 1:50.506s for a speed of 121.839mph. Ras beat out the P-1 time of Nederlander Giedo van der Garde in the # 35 ORECA for TDS racing by 0.634 seconds. Third quickest was George Kurtz in the # 04 ORECA for Crowdstrike Racing by APR with another P-1 time.

Christian shares the # 18 ORECA with Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel while Giedo shares the # 35 ORECA with Francois Heriau and Road to Indy ace Josh Pierson. George’s co-drivers are IndyCar guys Ben Hanley and Nolan Siegel.

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The # 18 ORECA 07 Gibson for Era Motorsport - TOPS in practice

Christian Rasmussen

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LMP3 class - TOPPING the day was IndyCar driver Dakota Dickerson with a P-1 session time of 1:56.349s for a speed of 115.720mph in the # 30 Ligier JS P320 for Jr III Racing. Dakota bested Felipe Fraga’s P-1 session time in the # 74 Ligier for Riley by 0.068 seconds. Third quickest was Nico Varrone in the # 17 Duqueine D08 for AWA with his P-2 session time.

Dakota’s co-drivers in the # 30 Ligier are fellow IndyCar driver Garett Grist and Ari Balogh while Felipe’s co-drivers in te # 74 Ligier are Josh Burdon and Gar Robinson. Nico shares the # 17 Duqueine with Anthony Mantella and Wayne Boyd.

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The # 30 Ligier JS P320 for Jr III Racing - TOPS in practice

Dakota Dickerson

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GTD Pro class - TOPS for the day was IndyCar driver Jack Hawksworth in the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan with his P-1 time of 2:01.156s for a speed of 111.129mph. Jack beat out Tommy Milner’s P-1 time in the # 3 Corvette C8.R GTD for Corvette Racing by 0.038 seconds. Third quickest was Ross Gunn in the # 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with his P-2 session time.

Jack shares the Lexus with Ben Barnicoat and fellow IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood while Tommy shares the Corvette with Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor. Ross’ co-drivers are Alex Riberas and David Pittard.

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The # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan - TOPS in practice

Jack Hawksworth

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GTD class - TOPPING the sessions was Trent Hindman in the # 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Wright Motorsports with his P-1 session time of 2:01.092s for a speed of 111.187mph. Trent beat out Kyle Marcelli’s P-1 session time in the # 93 Acura NSX GT3 for Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR by 0.102 seconds. Third quickest was Russell Ward in the # 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Winward Racing with his P-2 session time.

Trent shares the Porsche with Alan Brynjolfsson and Maxwell Root while Kyle shares the Acura with Ashton Harrison and Danny Formal. Russell’s co-drivers are Philip Ellis and Indy Dontje.
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The # 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Wright Motorsports - TOPS in practice

Trent Hindman

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There will be another practice on Friday morning followed by qualifying.

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Friday at Sebring - the WeatherTech gang qualify for the 12 Hours of Sebring…

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All five classes of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series participated in a final practice this morning and then quickly went into qualifying. We have the TOPS in that final practice for each class here, as well as the TOP THREE qualifiers for each class, starting with the GTP class:

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GTP class - Mathieu Jaminet in the # 6 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963 was the fastest guy in the P-4 practice session but when it came time to qualify it was a battle between Cadillacs and IndyCar drivers for pole, and it was finally taken by Indy Pro 2000 alum Pipo Derani in the # 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series R from Action Express, with a time of 1:45.836s for a speed of 127.215mph. Pipo bested fellow IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais in the # 01 Cadillac Racing Caddy by 0.087 seconds. Starting 3rd will be Ricky Taylor in the # 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 for Wayne Taylor Racing.

Matthieu shares the Porsche with Nick Tandy and Dane Cameron, Pipo shares the Whelen Caddy with Brits Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken, Sebastien shares the # 01 Caddy with Renger van der Zande and IndyCar driver Scott Dixon. Ricky’s co-drivers in the Acura are Louis Deletraz and Filipe Albuquerque.

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The # 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series R from Action Express - On the pole

Pipo Derani

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LMP2 class - Danish driver Anders Fjordbach was quickest in the P-4 practice in the # 20 ORECA 07 Gibson for High Class Racing but it was Ben Keating who took pole in the # 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA with a time of 1:51.780s for a speed of 120.450mph. Ben beat out Francois Heriau in the # 35 ORECA for TDS Racing by 0.120 seconds. Starting 3rd will be Francois’ teammate Steven Thomas in the # 11 ORECA for TDS Racing.

Anders shares the # 20 ORECA with Dennis Andersen and Indy Lights Champion Ed Jones, Ben shares the # 52 ORECA with Paul-Loup Chatin and Alex Quinn and Francois shares the # 35 ORECA with Giedo van der Garde and Road to Indy ace Josh Pierson. Steven’s co-drivers are Mikkel Jensen and Scott Huffaker.

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The # 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA 07 Gibson - on the pole

Ben Keating

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LMP3 class - TOPPING the P-4 session was LMP3 whizz Dan Goldburg in the # 85 JDC Miller Motorsports Duqueine D08 but in qualifying no one could best Glenn van Berlo in the # 36 Andretti Autosport Ligier JS P320 who posted a time of 1:55.215s for a speed of 116.859mph. Glenn eclipsed another LMP3 whiz, Tonis Kasemets in the # 4 Ave Motorsports Ligier by a very healthy 1.659 seconds. Starting 3rd will be Goldburg in the JDC Miller Duqueine.

Glenn shares the # 36 Ligier with Indy Lights driver Jarett Andretti and Indy Lights Champion Gabby Chaves while Tonis shares the # 4 Ligier with Seth Lucas and Road to Indy alum and Porsche GT3 Champ Trenton Estep. Goldburg’s co-drivers are Till Bechtolsheimer and Tijmen van der Helm.

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The # 36 Andretti Autosport Ligier JS P320 - on the pole

Glen van Berlo

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GTD Pro class - It was Daniel Serra in the # 62 Ferrari for Risi Competizione who TOPPED the P-4 practice session, but it was Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia who took pole in the # 3 Corvette C8.R GTD with a time of 1:59.315s for a speed of 112.843mph. Antonio bested Indy Pro 2000 Champion Jack Hawksworth in the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan by 0.267 seconds. Starting 3rd will be Daniel Juncadella in the # 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Daniel Serra shares the Ferrari with fellow Brazilian Gabriel Casagrande and Italian Davide Rigon, while Antonio shares the Corvette with Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner and Jack Hawksworth shares the Lexus with Ben Barnicoat and IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood. Daniel Juncadella’s co-drivers in the Mercedes are Jules Gounon and Maro Engel.

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The # 3 Corvette C8.R GTD for Corvette Racing - on the pole

Antonio Garcia

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GTD class - Taking the TOP SPOT in the P-4 practice was Mikael Grenier in the # 32 Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT3 but when the dust settled on the qualifying it was Kyle Marcelli on the pole in the # 93 Acura NSX GT3 for Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR with a time of 1:59.714s for a speed of 112.467mph. Kyle cooked it over Philip Ellis in the # 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 by 0.120 seconds. Starting 3rd will be Indy Pro 2000 Champion and Road to Indy ace Aaron Telitz in the # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan.

Mikael shares the # 32 Mercedes with Mike Skeen and Kenton Koch while Kyle shares the Acura with Ashton Harrison and Danny Formal and Aaron shares the Lexus with Frankie Montecalvo and fellow Road to Indy ace and Porsche Carerra Cup Champ Parker Thompson. Philip’s co-drivers in the # 57 Mercedes are Russell Ward and Indy Dontje.

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The # 93 Acura NSX GT3 for Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR - on the pole

Kyle Marcelli

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The race is scheduled for LIVE Saturday broadcast on Peacock Premium starting at 10:05am EASTERN time and running to the end. The last 6 hours can be seen on USA Network starting at 4:30pm EASTERN time and running to the end at 10:30pm.

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Saturday at Sebring - As usual, the Mobile One 12 Hours of Sebring doesn’t disappoint…

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One thing the Michelin Endurance Cup races of the Weathertech SportsCar Championship season always provide is tons of drama, nearly all the way from start to finish, and this year’s 12 Hours certainly did that! How about the TOP THREE GTP class cars all taking each other out with 20 minutes to go - drama enough for you?

In the end, the WINNERS in GTP class and overall were IndyCar driver Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and closer Jack Aitkin, who was running a very close P4 when a big shunt occurred in front of him. This was the pole-sitting car, but encountered more than enough problems in the race to believe a WIN would be a gift of the racing gods - and it kinda was! This was Pipo’s 4th WIN of a 12-Hour at Sebring. Coming in P2 were IndyCar driver Connor de Phillippi, Nick Yelloly and Sheldon van der Linde in the # 25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8 while P3 in class and P9 overall was the not-running # 6 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963 OF Mathieu Jaminet, Nick Tandy and Dane Cameron.

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Jack Aitkin (left) Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims (right) - the WINNAS!

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A multi-car crash was triggered by contact between the # 6 Penske Porsche 963 of race leader Mathieu Jaminet and P2 Filipe Albuquerque’s # 10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06 in Turn 3, which sent Albuquerque’s Acura through the grass and slamming into Jaminet, instantly taking them both out. Felipe Nasr, in the third-placed GTP entry, also got collected in the pileup, with his # 7 Porsche 963 driving over the top of the sideways # 6 Porsche. All three drivers were unharmed. Other cars from the GT classes were also collected in the shunt. Ultimately, Albuquerque and Jaminet both called it “A racing accident.”

The # 01 Caddy, the # 60 Acura and the # 24 BMW all had expired before the accident. The accident then left only the # 31 Caddy and the # 25 BMW running for the GTP class, but the # 6 Porsche was leading when it was taken out and was thus awarded P3.

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Taking P1 in the LMP2 class was the # 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA 07 Gibson of John Farano and IndyCar drivers Kyffin Simpson and closer Scott Mclaughlin in only his 2nd SportsCar race. Simpson has now WON both the 12-Hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans. P2 went to the # 11 TDS Racing ORECA of Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen and Scott Huffaker while P3 went to the # 18 ORECA for Era Motorsport, driven by Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel and IndyCar driver Christian Rasmussen in his 2nd SportsCar race.

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The # 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA 07 Gibson for the WIN

John Farano (left) Scott McLaughlin and Kyffin Simpson (right)

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LMP3 class WINNERS were Josh Burdon, Felipe Fraga and Gar Robinson in the # 74 Ligier JS P320 for Riley. Fraga took over the class lead later in the race following a bizarre accident when a wheel came loose from Pietro Fittipaldi’s # 51 Rick Ware Racing LMP2 car and bounced in front of LMP3 class leading IndyCar driver Garett Grist in the # 30 Jr III Racing Ligier, doing significant damage and taking him out of the race. P2 went to Orey Fidani, Matthew Bell and Lars Kern in the # 13 Duqueine D08 for AWA, while P3 went to Till Bechtolsheimer, Tijmen van der Helm and Dan Goldburg in the # 85 Duqueine for JDC Miller MotorSports.

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The race WINNING # 74 Ligier JS P320 for Riley

Josh Burdon (left) Felipe Fraga and Gar Robinson (right)

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GTD Pro class was WON by Laurens Vanthoor, Klaus Bachler and closer Patrick Pilet in the # 9 PFAFF Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R - the first WIN for the latest iteration of the 911. P2 went to Ben Barnicoat and IndyCar drivers Kyle Kirkwood and closer Jack Hawksworth in the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan. This car was P2 at Daytona, too! P3 went to the # 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 driven by Jules Gounon, Maro Engel and closer Daniel Juncadella.

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The # 9 PFAFF Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R - WINNERS of GTD Pro class

Laurens Vanthoor (left) Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet (right)

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The GTD class WINNERS were Corey Lewis, Bryan Sellers and closer Madison Snow in the # 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3. P2 went to Patrick Gallagher, Robby Foley and Michael Dinan in the Turner Motorsport # 96 BMW M4 GT3 while P3 went to the # 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Kellymoss with Riley, driven by David Brule, Alec Udell and Julien Andlauer.

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The # 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 - WINNERS in GTD class

Corey Lewis (left) Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow (right)

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The GREAT thing about an IMSA endurance race is that it doesn’t matter where one tunes in to follow it. The action is almost continuous, start to finish, and this one was just that-a-way. Thank you Sebring!

A BIG CONGRATS to IndyCar alums and WINNERS Pipo Derani, Scott McLaughlin and Kyffin Simpson and IndyCar alums on podiums Connor de Phillippi, Christian Rasmussen, Kyle Kirkwood and Jack Hawksworth - You make us PROUD!!

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The next outing for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be at Long Beach, where both classes of GTD cars and the top GTP class will race in support of the IndyCar race, April 14-15.

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Great news!…Toby Sowery is returning to the Lights…

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While we were concentrating on the latest iteration of the superb Mobile One 12 Hours of Sebring it was reported that English driver Toby Sowery will be returning to Indy NXT action for at least 5 races in 2023, driving for HMD Motorsports after a one year absence from the series.
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We’ve only seen one full season of Indy Lights for the phenomenal driver, in 2019. Driving for BN Racing / Team Pelfrey Toby claimed 1 WIN and 7 podiums, coming in 3rd in the title hunt. He then ran out of sponsors and sat it out in 2020, hiring out as a driver coach to put bread on the table. In 2021 he ran in 13 of 20 Lights races for Juncos, securing 3 podiums for them. He was side-lined again in 2022, and again hired out as a coach, but to prove what he still has as a competitive driver, he entered the 1st annual Radical Cup World Finals, held at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch near Las Vegas, last November.

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Toby in his Pro 1500 Radical for Valour Racing at Spring Mountain.

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Driving in the Pro 1500 class for England’s Valour Racing team, Toby was one of 36 great drivers from 6 different counties competing in Platinum class, Pro 1500 class and Pro 1340 class in heat racing, followed by a Sunday Main that crowned the 3 Radical Cup World Champions.

Sowery beat the 17 other Pro 1500 drivers in two of three heat races, took pole for the Main and WON the Main, with a Fastest Lap that was 0.5 seconds faster than his nearest competitor, USF2000 driver Danny Dyszelski, who came home P2, making Sowery the first-ever Radical Cup World Champion in the Pro 1500 class. (Dyszelski went on to WIN three Pro 1500 races in early March at NOLA, proving his own skill in the cars. See post # 1976 above).

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In the 5 races scheduled for him in 2023, Sowery will compete at Barber Motorsports Park and both double-header weekends on the Streets of Detroit and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Said Toby of this new opportunity, “I am incredibly excited to return to INDY NXT with HMD Motorsports. It’s been fantastic to watch them grow and develop over the last three years, and I am honored to be back representing them on track.

“I was really impressed with the setup at St. Petersburg, and I am eager to get to work with the entire team for these five races. I am confident we can return to our winning ways.”

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We know that Sowery can be hugely impressive in a Lights car, so we hope for his early success and hope that may lead to more races in 2023. No one deserves it more.

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Ryan Hunter-Reay will contest the 2023 Indy 500 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing…

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While we were watching the wonderful 2023 Mobile One 12 Hours of Sebring it was announced that the 2014 Indy 500 WINNER will drive the # 23 Chevrolet, alongside the already confirmed Stefan Wilson in the # 24 entry which partners DRR with Cusick Motorsports.

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Ryan has known about the deal for some time, but wasn’t allowed to post it. “I’ve been eager to share this news for quite some time,” said the 42-year-old.

Hunter-Reay has not raced in IndyCar since losing his seat at Andretti Autosport at the end of 2021, after which he took up a role as an IMSA development driver with Chip Ganassi Racing, but when this possible ride with DRR came up, Hunter-Reay was immediately interested, based on the great track record the small team has at Indy. Last year, Santino Ferrucci finished 10th in one of two DRR cars, after Sage Karam got home in seventh in 2021.

Said Ryan, “I was incredibly attracted to the fact that DRR is a streamlined program that puts all of its energy into the month of May. I guess you can say I’m going back to my roots, considering how I started my IndyCar career with smaller teams that took the fight to the bigger efforts and won.

“If you look at DRR’s record at Indy and their impressive recent results, the pool of talented engineers and crew; it’s a perfect fit.

“Dennis Reinbold embodies everything the Indy 500 is about. He is, without a doubt, one of the Indy 500’s most passionate entrants.

“I look forward to working with him, the entire team, and my team-mate Stefan Wilson.”

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With this entry there are now 33 CONFIRMED entries for the 2023 Indy 500. If any more entries come in, we will be having bumping during qualifying, but none are looming on the horizon.

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Good news!..Linus Lundqvist is getting a test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan…

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2022 Indy Lights Champion Linus Lundqvist was the first so crowned under the smaller scholarship payout given to the Lights Champion by the IndyCar series, compared to previous years. Previously, there was a scholarship of about 3 million dollars which was sufficient to get at least 3 races, (including the Indy 500), in the big cars with any team willing to sell the ride. It was enough to allow the Champion to show his stuff in a big car to teams and owners alike.

But with the much smaller award given in 2022 there wasn’t even enough to get a single race with anyone, much less the Indy 500, and Lundqvist, without any other sponsorship, was unable to secure a ride for 2023.

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2022 Indy Lights Champion Linus Lundqvist

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Now, the word has come down that Rahal Letterman Lanigan will put Linus in one of their cars for a test at Texas Motor Speedway on April 3rd - the Monday after the upcoming IndyCar race, there. It will be his 2nd test in an IndyCar, having tested for Andretti Autosport very successfully in 2021.

There are no guarantees, but Bobby Rahal has let the Swedish press know their hometown boy MAY get a few races in 2023 in an RLL car, if the test goes well. Lundqvist hasn’t been in a race car at all since the end of the 2022 Lights season, but he has been keeping fit while looking for any kind of love from any IndyCar team.

Said Linus, “It will be about a year and a half since my last time in an Indy car, so hopefully I can do a good job and hopefully the team can get a good feeling for me. Then maybe we’ll see what we can work out for the rest of the year. My dream is that we can put something together for more than just a test, but this is a great start. This test gets me going for the year.”

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Lundqvist is easily deserving of a ride and could be a phenomenal talent in the series. Let’s hope all goes well!

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It’s time to go RACING, this weekend, as the USF Pro Championships come to Sebring…

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The three series that make up what used to be called “the Road to Indy” are all converging on Sebring International Raceway this weekend to start the 2023 season for the USF Juniors series with races 1, 2 and 3 and do races 3 and 4 of the season for USF2000 and USF Pro 2000. (They debuted at St. Pete, in support of the IndyCars.)

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The venue for these five races will be the full course at Sebring, which is the same 3.74-mile circuit that was just used by IMSA to do the Mobile One 12 Hours of Sebring. The 17-corner course is rough and rugged and considered too rugged for IndyCars at their speeds, but okay for all these junior formulas. (The IndyCars CAN use the short course, which is in better shape.)

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The schedule calls for the USF Juniors to complete their 3 races by Friday afternoon, USF Pro 2000 to race Friday and Saturday and USF2000 to race Saturday and Sunday. But Thursday is dedicated solely to USF Juniors.

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Let’s get this thing GOING!!!

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Thursday at Sebring - USF Juniors practice and qualify for their weekend of racing…

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The Juniors had one practice session this morning and then came out for a single qually session that will grid Season Round 1 and then influence the next two races.

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The TOP FIVE drivers in practice were:

1 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing
2 - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport
3 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport
4 - Ethan Barker, VRD Racing
5 - Nicolas Giaffone [R], DEForce Racing

• Of the 13 cars that are here only 11 were in the practice, with Max Taylor for VRD Racing and Erick Schotten for Exclusive Autosport not making the track.

• The TOP THREE guys were all fast at Spring Training, here at Sebring, so no surprises. Ethan Barker is a bit of a surprise and a good one.

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Following the practice the field came out and qualified a few hours later.

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Here is the way USF Juniors will gord for Season Round 1, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 2:10.600s for a speed of 103.093mph

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P2 - Jack Jeffers [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 2:11.124s for a speed of 102.681mph

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Row 2

P3 - Max Taylor [R], VRD Racing - time of 2:11.143s for a speed of 102.667mph

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P4 - Jimmie Lockhart [R], VRD Racing - time of 2:11.458s for a speed of 102.421mph

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Row 3

P5 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport - time of 2:11.505s for a speed of 102.384mph

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P6 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing - time of 2:11.510s for a speed of 102.380mph

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Row 4

P7 - Lucas Fecury [R], DEForce Racing
P8 - Nicolas Giaffone [R], DEForce Racing

Row 5

P9 - Ethan Barker, VRD Racing
P10 - Brady Golan [R], DEForce Racing

Row 6

P11 - Erick Schotten [R], Exclusive Autosport
P12 - Carson Etter [R], DC Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Giovanni Cabrera [R], Exclusive Autosport

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Notable:

• No surprise that Joey Brienza took pole. He was the fastest Juniors driver at Sebring for Spring Training, TOPPING the one session he participated in. He was the only guy today to crack both the 2:10s on time and the 103s on speed. Brienza actually was in the first two USF2000 races at St. Pete to start his season, with a best finish of P10 in Race 2. Expect him to do several USF2000 races, this year. That’s the plan.

• Jack Jeffers is still a bit of an enigma, but he was the most recent Lucas Oil School Champion. He was good at Spring Training with a best showing of P5.

• Jimmie Lockhart is coming off a double race WIN at NOLA in the first rounds of F4 United States.

• Max Taylor was inconsistent at Spring Training - lightning fast in one session and a dud in the next. We gotta watch him this weekend to see what we really have.

• Nicolas Giaffone TOPPED two sessions at Spring Training and was P3 in the third, so we expected much better than a P8 start. Let’s see how he races.

• This is the first outing for the new Tatuus JR-23 car the series will use, going forward, replacing the F-4 Ligier Hondas that were used in Season One. The cars are the same chassis as USF2000 and USF Pro 2000, but with less tires, less wing and less power. The improvement over the old Ligiers is significant.

• Sebring is already taking its toll on the cars. Bolts on the rear wing of Jimmie Lockhart’s Tatuus shook loose. However, quick work by the Velocity Racing Development crew got the # 48 back on track within minutes. EXPECT more incidents just due to the roughness of the track.

• Tires will be a HUGE factor in this weekend, as teams are only able to use one set held over from Spring Training and two new sets for this weekend - 3 sets for 3 races, a practice and qualifying. Tire management will be CRUCIAL.

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Nicolas Giaffone - watch this one

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The first race will be held later this afternoon…

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Thursday at Sebring - USF Juniors hold Race 1 of the weekend…

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…and taking his first WIN of his Juniors career quite convincingly is Aussie Quinn Armstrong for DEForce Racing from his P6 start. P2 went to pole sitter Joey Brienza for Exclusive Autosport while P3 went to P2 starter Jack Jeffers, also for Exclusive.

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As Brienza led the field away for the first lap Quinn made a big leap past Ethan Ho for DC Autosport, Jimmie Lockhart for VRD Racing and Max Taylor for VRD Racing to spot in at P3 after just a few corners. Max also lost to Jimmie and ended up in P5. By the end of the lap Quinn also passed Jack Jeffers to take over P2, while Lucas Fecury for DEForce Racing dropped from P7 to P11. Gaining one spot was Nicolas Giaffone for DEForce, going past Lucas to take over P7. On lap 2 Nicolas took P6 from Ethan Ho, Lucas retook P9 by passing Ethan Barker for VRD Racing and Brady Golan for DEForce. Quinn set Fastest Lap in pursuit of Joey Brienza.

On lap 3 Max Taylor looped his car in Turn 3 and collected Ethan Ho at the same time. Both were able to recover, but Max dropped to P11 and Ethan dropped to P12. On lap 4 Quinn got a little closer to Joey, knocking off a half a second of his lead. Max pitted to get a new front wing while Ethan Ho set Fastest Lap trying to regain all he’d lost. On lap 6 Quinn took P1 from Brienza as they started the lap. Giaffone took P4 from Jimmie Lockhart, Brady Golan took P8 from Erick Schotten for Exclusive Autosport and Ethan Ho took P10 from teammate Carson Etter.

By lap 7 Quinn was slowly easing away from Brienza, but the two were far away from the rest of the field. Ethan Barker took over P6 from Lucas while Ethan Ho took P9 from Erick Schotten. On lap 8 Joey set Fastest Lap trying to reel in Armstrong. He was a half a second back. Ethan Barker took over P5 from Jimmie Lockhart and Lucas Fecury followed through to take P6. Ethan Ho took P8 from Brady. In lap 9 Joey fumbled a bit as he was almost two seconds back at the end of it. In lap 10 the gap grew even bigger as Armstrong crossed the finish line 4.5 seconds ahead of Joey, who was then only 0.8 seconds ahead of Jack.

A great race with lots of passing through the whole field. Let’s hope the rest of the season is this competitive.

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Notable:

• Post race, it was revealed that Joey Brienza’s Juniors car was suffering from a recalcitrant gearbox that had him stuck in 4th gear, at times, and that was how he lost the lead and faded, near the end of the race.

• Quinn did 16 of 20 races in 2022, with 7 TOP TEN finishes and a best finish of P7 at VIR. This is a big step up for the 16-year-old from Newcastle, New South Wales. He looked completely self-assured out there. Quinn clearly spent 2022 LEARNING, and his three TOP FIVES at Spring Training were a warning to everyone else.

• Nicolas Giaffone ended the race in P4 and needed to qualify better and Ethan Ho needed not to get punted out of P5. Both could have otherwise been a factor for the podium.

• We will likely see Ethan Ho also race in the USF2000 races, along with possibly Joey Brienza. All the teams need to do is change the engine after Race 3 for the Juniors on Friday afternoon, add a few bigger wings and put bigger tires on the cars and they will be ready to practice in USF2000 on Saturday morning.

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Your happy podium - That’s Joey Brienza in P2 on the left, Quinn Armstrong in P1 in the middle and Jack Jeffers in P3 on the right:

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The Juniors will hold Race 2 on Friday morning, following the first practice session for USF Pro 2000. The grid for that race is in the next post.

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This was the last on-track activity of the day

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M
.

[MarkyS]

+++

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Thursday at Sebring - USF Juniors sets the grid for Race 2 of the weekend…

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The grid for Race 2 was set by using either the driver’s 2nd best qualifying lap or the driver’s best Race 1 lap - whichever is faster.

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Here is the way USF Juniors will grid for Season Round 2: [R} Denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport

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P2 - Jack Jeffers [R], Exclusive Autosport

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Row 2

P3 - Max Taylor [R], VRD Racing

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P4 - Jimmie Lockhart [R], VRD Racing

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Row 3

P5 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport

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P6 - Nicolas Giaffone [R], DEForce Racing

Row 4

P7 - Lucas Fecury [R], DEForce Racing
P8 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing

Row 5

P9 - Ethan Barker, VRD Racing
P10 - Brady Golan [R], DEForce Racing

Row 6

P11 - Erick Schotten [R], Exclusive Autosport
P12 - Carson Etter [R], DC Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Giovanni Cabrera [R], Exclusive Autosport

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Notable:

• This grid is similar to the Race 1 grid, but Quinn Armstrong’s 2nd fastest lap in qually wasn’t good and his fastest Race 1 lap - used here - isn’t much better. He will start in P8 and need to make up a lot of ground to compete for a podium.

• In addition to 25 points for his P2 in Race 1, Joey Brienza got one point for pole in Race 1, one point for pole here and one point for ultimate Fastest Lap in Race 1. Those single points become hugely important, as the season goes on.

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This race is scheduled for Friday morning early - Just after the practice session for USF Pro 2000.

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Friday morning at Sebring - USF Pro 2000 comes out for their practice session…

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It has been 13 years since the last time USF Pro 2000 was on the Sebring full course, so there was lot to learn about the track for the teams and the drivers. This was the only practice they will have before their first of two qualifying sessions, later today, midday.

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Here was the order of speed for the USF Pro 2000 P-1 practice, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Myles Rowe [R], Pabst Racing - time of 1:58.609s for a speed of 113.516mph

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2 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing - time of 1:58.620s for a speed of 113.505mph

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3 - Reece Ushijima [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 158.878s for a speed of 113.259mph

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4 - Jordan Missig, Pabst Racing - time of 1:58.965s for a speed of 113.176mph

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5 - Lirim Zendeli [R], TJ Speed - time of 1:58.993s for a speed of 113.150mph

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6 - Joel Granfors [R], Exclusive Autosport
7 - Francesco Pizzi [R], TJ Speed
8 - Jackson Lee [R], Turn 3 Motorsport
9 - Jonathan Browne, Turn 3 Motorsport
10 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

11 - Salvador de Alba, Exclusive Autosport
12 - Bijoy Garg, DEForce Racing
13 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Exclusive Autosport
14 - Michael d’Orlando [R], Turn 3 Motorsport
15 - Nicholas Monteiero [R], NeoTech Motorsports
16 - Christian Weir [R], TJ Speed
17 - Lindsay Brewer, Exclusive Autosport
18 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing
19 - Ricardo Escotto [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

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Notable:

• As usual, the fast guys are still the fast guys. This is a great start for birthday boy Jordan Missig who turned 25 on Wednesday. Also, good show for Jackson Lee who often struggles to grab TOP TEN.

• Michael d’Orlando and Ricardo Escotto produced a red flag when both went off in Turn 1 with damage and needed towing to the paddock.

• There are at least 15 drivers here capable of podiums which makes USF Pro 2000 one of the most competitive series in the world of junior formula racing. The TOP TEN were all covered by 1 second.

• Unfortunately, NOT here is Christian Brooks, WINNER of Race 1 at St. Pete for Turn 3 Motorsports. Christian is struggling to find the budget to keep racing, despite his obvious TOP TIER talent in the car.

Christian Brooks MIA

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Myles Rowe

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USF Pro 2000 will qualify for Race 1 at midday and then run that race in the mid-afternoon, today. Next up, Race 2 for USWF Juniors. The grid for this is in the post above.
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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Friday morning at Sebring - USF Juniors hold Race 2 of the weekend…

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…and taking his first Road to Indy WIN was Brazilian Nicolas Giaffone for DEForce Racing from his P6 start. P2 was once again pole-sitter Joey Brienza for Exclusive Autosport and P3 was also once again Joey’s teammate Jack Jeffers from his P2 start.

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As Joey led the field away at the start P3-starter Max Taylor for VRD Racing jumped Jack Jeffers in Turns 1 through 3 and took over P2. Jimmie Lockhart for VRD was able then to go from P4 to P2 past Max Taylor, as Jack fell to P4. Nicolas Giaffone took P5 starter Ethan Ho for DC Autosport and then passed Jack who also fell to Ho and ended up in P6. Joey set Fastest Lap out front. On lap 2 Max lunged from P3 and reclaimed P2 from Jimmie Lockhart as Nicolas followed through and Jimmie fell to P4. Jack Jeffers reclaimed P5 from Ethan Ho with a hard-charging Ethan Barker for VRD following through to take P6 from his P9 start. Ho fell to P7. Lucas Fecury for DEForce passed teammate Quinn Armstrong for P8.

On lap 3 Erick Schotten for Exclusive Autosport passed Brady Golan for DEForce to take over P10 as Nicolas Giaffone set Fastest Lap. Lap 4 saw Nicolas pass Max Taylor to take over P2. Ethan Ho retook P6 from Ethan Barker and Quinn Armstrong reclaimed P8 from Lucas Fecury. Jack Jeffers reset Fastest Lap. On lap 5 the battle up front continued as Jimmie Lockhart reclaimed P3 from Max Taylor. Quinn Armstrong took P7 away from Ethan Barker and Brady Golan reclaimed P10 from Erick Shotten. Nicolas Giaffone set Fastest Lap in pursuit of leader Joey Brienza, inching ever closer to him.

On lap 6 Jack took back P4 from Max Taylor. On lap 7 Nicolas finally took over the lead from Joey through Turn 6. Jack Jeffers took P3 from Jimmie Lockhart. Max Taylor attempted to follow through but he and teammate Jimmie Lockhart clashed instead and both dropped down the order, with Jimmie falling to P8 and Max falling to the back of the pack. On lap 8 new leader Nicolas Giaffone went off course and back on in Turn 3 but was able to maintain the lead. On lap 9 Max had to pit for repairs as Joey Brienza climbed up on Nicolas. On the final lap Joey was virtually nose-to-tail with the Brazilian all the way up the Ulman Straight, through Turn 17 and up the front straight. He poked out his nose, but Nicolas held on for the WIN, 0.2 seconds ahead of Brienza, who was 1.7 seconds ahead of Jack Jeffers at the line.

Another GREAT race with shuffling position back and forth throughout the field. NO ONE was secure.

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Notable:

• Incredible racing, the positions were traded and re-traded several times between several drivers. It may be the nature of Sebring, with so many passing opportunities over almost 4 miles of track.

• With his two P2s and poles and a Fastest Lap, Brienza is at the moment the points leader, but he wants and needs a P1 finish. He will once again start on pole for Race 3 but Nicolas Giaffone will be right beside him at the start.

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Your happy podium - That’s Joey Brienza in P2 on the left, Nicolas Giaffone in P1 in the middle and Jack Jeffers in P3 on the right:

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USF Juniors will be on track late this afternoon for their third and final race of the weekend. The grid for this is in the following post. Next up on track, USF Pro 2000 will qualify for Race 1 of their weekend…

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Friday at Sebring - USF Juniors sets the grid for Race 3 of the weekend…

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The grid for Race 3 was set by using either the driver’s 2nd best qualifying lap or the driver’s best Race 2 lap - whichever is faster.

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Here is the way USF Juniors will grid for Season Round 3: [R} Denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport

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P2 - Nicolas Giaffone [R], DEForce Racing

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Row 2

P3 - Jimmie Lockhart [R], VRD Racing

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P4 - Jack Jeffers [R], Exclusive Autosport

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Row 3

P5 - Ethan Barker, VRD Racing

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P6 - Max Taylor [R], VRD Racing

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Row 4

P7 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport
P8 - Quinn Armstrong [R], DEForce Racing

Row 5

P9 - Lucas Fecury [R], DEForce Racing
P10 - Brady Golan [R], DEForce Racing

Row 6

P11 - Carson Etter [R], DC Autosport
P12 - Erick Schotten [R], Exclusive Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Giovanni Cabrera [R], Exclusive Autosport

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Notable:

• Part of the team strategy for each race is the use of the new sets of tires. For the weekend teams were only given 2 new sets and the use of their best remaining set from Spring Training, so there is no telling WHEN each driver has been on fresh rubber or who will have fresh rubber for Race 3.

• This grid has all the TOP race performers from Race 1 and Race 2 in the top spots up to P8. Look for a LOT of action up front.

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Joey Brienza - 3rd pole for the weekend

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Friday at Sebring - USF Pro 2000 holds their first of two qually sessions…

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Both USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 will be allowed to have a separate qualifying session for each race of the weekend. That allows teams to make adjustments to their cars for each race, as track and weather conditions change. USF Pro 2000 came out for the Race 1 qually session at about 1:00pm today.

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Here is the way USF Pro 2000 will grid for Season Round 3, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing - time of 1:58.405s for a speed of 113.711mph

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P2 - Myles Rowe [R], Pabst Racing - time of 1:58.477s for a speed of 113.642mph

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Row 2

P3 - Francesco Pizzi [R], TJ Speed - time of 1:58.522s for a speed of 113.599mph

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P4 - Jordan Missig, Pabst Racing - time of 1:58.536s for a speed of 113.586mph

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Row 3

P5 - Michael d’Orlando [R], Turn 3 Motorsport - time of 1:58.572s for a speed of 113.551mph

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P6 - Joel Granfors [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 1:58.824s for a speed of 113.310mph

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Row 4

P7 - Lirim Zendeli [R], TJ Speed
P8 - Reece Ushijima [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 5

P9 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing
P10 - Salvador de Alba, Exclusive Autosport

Row 6

P11 - Jonathan Browne, Turn 3 Motorsport
P12 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Exclusive Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Bijoy Garg, DEForce Racing
P14 - Christian Weir [R], TJ Speed

Row 8

P15 - Ricardo Escotto [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P16 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

Row 9

P17 - Jackson Lee [R], Turn 3 Motorsport
P18 - Nicholas Monteiero [R], NeoTech Motorsports

Row 10

P19 - Lindsay Brewer, Exclusive Autosport

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Notable:

• The boys from Pabst Racing are clearly living up to their nickname as “the Speed Boys” with all three of them in the TOP FIVE. All three drivers also had their time as the fastest guy on track during the session and Jace Denmark is on pole - his first in USF Pro 2000.

• The TOP NINE were all within a second - in fact, within .0.62 seconds - of each other.

• Both Bijoy Garg and Yuven Sundaramoorthy race exceptionally well, but they haven’t been qualifying anywhere near their potential and it’s hurting their causes. They are spending half the races making up ground they should have already had in the bag. This is especially true for Yuven, with 4 Road to Indy WINS in his resume.

• We were also expecting much better from Jack William Miller. The sophomore should be in the TOP TEN, for sure.

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Jack William Miller (left) Bijoy Garg and Yuven Sundaramoorthy (right)

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Jace Denmark - First pole for 2023

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The race is scheduled for 4:00pm EASTERN time today.

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Friday at Sebring - USF Pro 2000 holds Race 1 of their weekend…

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…and taking his 2nd WIN of the season is rookie Myles Rowe for Pabst Racing from a P2 start. P2 went to fellow rookie Joel Granfors for Exclusive Autosport from his P6 start while P3 went to another rookie, Francesco Pizzi for TJ Speed from his P3 start.

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Before the field could complete the warm-up lap and start the race Kiko Porto for DEForce Racing dropped out of P9 and ran to a halt on track. At the same time Michael d’Orlando for Turn 3 Motorsports also pulled off the track from P5 with a mechanical and drifted to the pits. The 1st lap was a full-course yellow. The race started on lap 2 and Myles immediately took pole-sitter and teammate Jace Denmark in Turns 1 to 3 to take the lead. At the same time Joel Granfors passed Jordan Missig for Pabst to take over P4 and then took Francesco Pizzi for P3. Lirim Zendeli for TJ Speed next passed Jordan to take over P5. Yuven Sundaramoorthy for Exclusive Autosport took P9 from Jonathan Browne for Turn 3 Motorsport. Then, Ricardo Escotto for Jay Howard Driver Development and Nicolas Montiero for NeoTech Motorsport collided in Turn 7, bringing out another full course caution to retrieve them.

On the lap 6 restart Michael d’Orlando was able to rejoin, two laps down. Myles took off up front, setting Fastest Lap. Reece Ushijima for Jay Howard passed Jordan Missig to take P6 while Yuven passed teammate Salvador de Alba for P8, but one lap later Salvador reclaimed the position. Myles reset Fastest Lap. On lap 8 Jordan passed Lirim and then Reece to take over P5. Reece followed through and took P6 as Lirim dropped to P7. On lap 9 Jordan set Fastest Lap. Yuven again took P8 from Salvador. On lap 10 Jordan made a statement and reset Fastest Lap. Jonathan Browne took P12 from teammate Jackson Lee, but on lap 11 Jackson reclaimed the position. Salvador again took P8 from Yuven.

In the front of the race Jace Denmark set the latest Fasted Lap as the TOP FIVE cars were covered by less than a half of a second, with P2 through P5 running nose to tail or often side-by side. On lap 12 Jordan put a wheel off but was able to get back on the island without losing his P5 spot. On lap 14 as the battle raged up front Joel Granfors took P2 from Denmark in Turns 1 to 3. Francesco Pizzi then took P3 away from Denmark in Turn 7. Lirim took P6 from Reece and Salvador followed through, sending Ushijima to P8. Jonathan Browne again took P12 from Jackson Lee.

Seemingly spent, the field stretched out a little bit on the final lap and Myles took the WIN over Joel by 3.2 seconds, with Francesco 1 second back of the young Swede for P3.

Another great race, with lots of drama and lots of position-shuffling in the front half.

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Notable:

• While he never really got away from the pack until the very end, Myles also never looked pressured, but was rather in control for the whole race. This guy is an absolute star and is well ahead on points, at the moment. The absence of Christian Brooks for this weekend is helping Myles in this respect, as we suspect the Californian would be giving him a run for his money as the only other UP2K race WINNER.

• A great day for sophomore Jordan Missig who qualified well in P4, set two Fastest Laps in the race and finished in P5 - his best finish ever in USF Pro 2000. Looks like Jordan has arrived.

• Great result for Pabst Racing in the teams points, with all three drivers finishing in the TOP FIVE for this race.

• Sweden’s Joel Granfors finished second in the GB3 Championship in 2022 with two WINS and 11 podium finishes, in case one wonders where the talent comes from.

• Francesco Pizzi earned a Rolex watch after winning the LMP2 class in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona this January, so he too has displayed his talent, lately.

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Your happy podium - That’s Joel Granfors in P2 on the left, Myles Rowe in P1 in the middle and Francesco Pizzi on P3 on the right:

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The UP2K gang will be back on track Saturday morning to qualify for Saturday afternoon’s 2nd and final race of the weekend. Next up, USF Juniors do Race # 3. The grid for this is in post # 1995…

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Friday at Sebring - USF Juniors closes out their weekend with Race # 3…

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…and after three attempts this weekend from pole, Exclusive Autosport’s Joey Brienza finally takes the checkered flag in P1. P2 went to Nicolas Giaffone for DEForce Racing from a P2 start while P3 went to Jimmie Lockhart for VRD Racing from his P3 start.

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As Joey led the field away cleanly Jimmie Lockhart quickly took P2 from Nicolas Giaffone while Max Taylor for VRD Racing passed teammate Ethan Barker for P5 and Quinn Armstrong for DEForce took P7 from Ethan Ho for DC Autosport. Joey set the Fastest Lap. On lap 2 Nicolas reclaimed P2 from Jimmie and Max claimed P4 from Jack Jeffers for Exclusive Autosport. Ethan Barker went off course and got back on but did damage in the process and headed for the pits. His day was done. Lucas Fecury for DEForce Racing set Fastest Lap. Something was wrong with Ethan Ho because he kept fading. On lap 3 he was passed by Erick Schotten for Exclusive. Joey reset Fastest Lap. On lap 4 Max Taylor took P3 from Jimmie Lockhart and Ethan Ho lost P10 to Brady Golan for DEForce.

On lap 5 Jack Jeffers was the next to pass Jimmie Lockhart, for P4. Quinn Armstrong looped his car in Turn 17 and dropped from P7 to P12. By this time Joey was plus 2 seconds on Nicolas who responded with his own Fastest Lap on lap 7. He reduced Brienza’s lead to 1.8 seconds. On lap 8 Jimmie set Fastest lap and Nicolas reduced Joey’s lead to 1.5 seconds. On lap 9 Jimmie reclaimed the P4 spot from Jack Jeffers and a 4-car battle for P3, P4, P5 and P6 developed, with the cars running nose-to-tail and often side-by-side for a lap and a half. As the cars approached the final turn, Turn 17, on the final lap Jimmie jumped out of the pack and passed Max Taylor to take P3 with Max falling into P4, Jack taking P5 and Lucas Fecury coming home P6.

Joey cruised in to the WIN with 1.5 seconds on Nicolas who was 4.8 seconds ahead of Jimmie - Another thriller at the end for the final podium spot.

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Notable:

• With two P2s and a WIN Joey Brienza starts the season off with the points lead in a spectacular weekend for Exclusive Autosport, but Nicolas Giaffone pulled in a WIN, a P2 and a P4 for DEForce to be 2nd in the points. The pair are the most obvious competitors for the title at this early stage.

• Expect Joey Brienza to now strap on a USF2000 car for the rest of the weekend. Ethan Ho may also do the same.

• There are a lot of absolute hard-chargers in this field. Jimmie Lockhart, Jack Jeffers, Lucas Fecury, Ethan Barker, Max Taylor and Ethan Ho were all aggressive throughout the weekend and at times very productive. But at other times they were in their own way. This is what they are here to learn - the racecraft that gets them to the finish in great shape. We expect a lot of great racing for the 2nd season of USF juniors!

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Your happy podium - That’s Nicolas Giaffone in P2 on the left, Joey Brienza in P1 in the middle and Jimmie Lockhart in P3 on the right:

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With these results, here are the TOP FIVE in points leaving Sebring:

1 - Joey Brienza, 86
2 - Nicolas Giaffone, 75
3 - Jack Jeffers, 61
4 - Quinn Armstrong, 59
5 - Jimmie Lockhart, 50

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The next outings for USF Juniors will be at Barber Motorsports Park for Rounds 4 and 5, in support of the IndyCar race, April 27-28.

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This was the last on-track activity of the day.

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Saturday morning at Sebring - USF2000 comes out for the first time, this weekend…

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…to do their one and only practice session on the storied full course at Sebring, in anticipation of their first of two qually sessions, to be held midday, today. Spring Training was held at Sebring so there is a new book of notes on the circuit already being established by the crews and drivers.

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Here was the order of speed for the USF2000 P-1 practice, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Simon Sikes, Pabst Racing - time of 2:04.799s for a speed of 107.885mph

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2 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 2:04.857s for a speed of 107.835mph

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3 - Max Garcia [R], Pabst Racing - time of 2:05.002s for a speed of 107.710mph

4 - Ethan Ho, DC Autosport - time of 2:05.291s for a speed of 107.462mph

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5 - Nikita Johnson [R], VRD Racing - time of 2:05.55.6s for a speed of 107.235mph

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6 - Evagoras Papasavvas, Jay Howard Driver Development
7 - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing
8 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development
9 - Jacob Douglas, Exclusive Autosport
10 - Sam Corry [R], VRD Racing

11 - Louka St. John [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
12 - Chase Gardner [R], Exclusive Autosport
13 - Al Morey [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
14 - George Garciarce, DEForce Racing
15 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing
16 - Avery Towns [R], Exclusive Autosport
17 - Gordan Scully, VRD Racing
18 - Danny Dyszelski, VRD Racing - no time
19 - Zack Ping [R], VRD Racing - no time

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Notable:

• Okay, the same as it ever was…the incredible Simon Sikes is dominating again. Simon dominated the Fall Combines and Spring Training and here he is, ready to dominate this weekend of racing.

• Sikes got caught out on the newly-paved Turn 3 at St. Pete, as did half the IndyCar field, and it cost him a certain pole, but he recovered in Race 1 so well that he secured pole for Race 2 on Race 1 speed alone. He ended the weekend with a P4 and a P2 and sits 3rd in the points to race WINNERS Lochie Hughes and Nikita Johnson, who are both showing here they have no intention of letting him scare them off.

• 16-year-old Max Garcia is still a bit of a mystery man, coming to the series for the first time, this weekend. He is straight out of karting with very little formula car seat time, but he is clearly ready for the challenge.

• Ethan Ho is coming into the field after just completing 3 races in USF Juniors, on Thursday and Friday. We expected Joey Brienza to do the same thing, but so far, he’s a no-show, although he was at St. Pete. Also NOT in the field this weekend are Andre Castro and Nicholas d’Orlando, both of whom were at St. Pete.

• Danny Dyszelski and Zack Ping put in no time during the session.

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Andre Castro (left) and Nicholas d’Orlando - no-shows

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Simon Sikes - scary good

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USF2000 will qualify for Race 1 of the weekend in the late morning. Next up, USF Pro 2000 qualifies for Race 2…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday morning at Sebring - USF Pro 2000 holds their 2nd qually of the weekend…

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…in anticipation of Race 2, to be run this afternoon.

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Here is the way USF Pro 2000 will grid for Season Round 4, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Michael d’Orlando [R], Turn 3 Motorsport - time of 1:58.538s for a speed of 113.584mph

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P2 - Francesco Pizzi [R], TJ Speed - time of 1:58.594s for a speed of 113.530mph

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Row 2

P3 - Myles Rowe [R], Pabst Racing - time of 1:58.616s for a speed of 113.509mph

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P4 - Lirim Zendeli [R], TJ Speed - time of 1:58.819s for a speed of 113.315mph

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Row 3

P5 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing - time of 1:58.851s for a speed of 113.285mph

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P6 - Salvador de Alba, Exclusive Autosport - time of 1:58.869s for a speed of 113.268mph

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Row 4

P7 - Reece Ushijima [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P8 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing

Row 5

P9 - Jordan Missig, Pabst Racing
P10 - Joel Granfors [R], Exclusive Autosport

Row 6

P11 - Jonathan Browne, Turn 3 Motorsport
P12 - Jackson Lee [R], Turn 3 Motorsport

Row 7

P13 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
P14 - Bijoy Garg, DEForce Racing

Row 8

P15 - Ricardo Escotto [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P16 - Christian Weir [R], TJ Speed

Row 9

P17 - Lindsay Brewer, Exclusive Autosport
P18 - Nicholas Monteiero [R], NeoTech Motorsports

Row 10

P19 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Exclusive Autosport

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Notable:

• This is Michael d’Orlando’s first pole of the season, as the 2022 USF2000 Champion asserts himself among a very talented field.

• The TOP THIRTEEN cars are all covered by 1 second. The TOP FIVE posted times are produced by series rookies, although Lirim Zendeli and Francesco Pizzi are familiar with similarly-powered cars from their European racing.

• Jace Denmark’s time from the first qually session remains the fastest time for any car, this weekend.

• Yuven Sundaramoorthy only put in 1 lap, so we suspect a mechanical is at fault for his poor showing. The team only has a few hours to find and correct it.

Yuven Sundaramoorthy

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The race is scheduled for mid-afternoon. next up, USF2000 holds their first qually of the weekend…

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M