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

[MarkyS]

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Colin Kaminsky makes the move to Indy NXT for 2023…

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The 23-year-old from Joliet, Illinois has been driving in the Road to Indy in both USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 since 2017, but almost never with a full season in his repertoire. In those years he drove for family team Kaminsky Racing and DEForce Racing, but he spent most of his track time in a car provided by Pabst Racing. Colin gave Pabst 13 podiums and two poles in his time with them., the last three in 2022.

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Colin Kaminsky

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But now he’s moving on and up as he will drive for Abel Motorsports in his rookie season of the Indy NXT series in 2023 in the # 57 Dallara IL-15.

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Said Colin, "I’m extremely excited to have joined Abel Motorsports for the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone season. Bill (Abel) has put together a sensational team, who all have years of experience in the series dating back over 20 years. This really reassures me that I’m with a team capable of winning and competing at a high level.

“On top of that, they all have big personalities and make the environment a blast to be around.

“This will be my first season in INDY NXT by Firestone so I’m trying to learn as much as I can and compete to the best of my ability. This is the perfect spot for me to further ignite my ambitions of making it to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and I can’t wait to get the ball rolling in St. Petersburg. Let’s ride.”

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It’s great to see this Road to Indy veteran and front-runner finally get a shot at the Lights and it’s even better knowing that NXT driver Jacob Abel will finally have a teammate to bounce stuff off of. We’ll be excited to see if the teaming bears fruit.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Hey! We have 23 K in views of the thread…and then some!

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While we were concentrating on The Rolex 24 at Daytona and IndyCar Spring Training at the Thermal Club, the thread passed 23 thousand views so it’s time to celebrate another thousand views the way we always do!

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This quartet of Monster Girls will do the trick nicely. Thank you, ladies!!

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M

[MarkyS]

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IndyCar testing at Sebring, this week…

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Seventeen IndyCars from 8 different teams participated in a test on the Sebring International Short Course on Monday and Tuesday, with ten running on Monday and eight cars on Tuesday. There were tests in the morning and tests in the afternoon of both days. Although no official times were kept, there were plenty of fence-sitters with stopwatches to give us some comparative times. We have the Monday ten here in order of speed:

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Here was the order of speed for the Sebring IndyCar test on Monday, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport - time of 52.059 seconds

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2 - Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Autosport - time of 52.089 seconds

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3 - Callum Ilott, Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 52.137 seconds

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4 - Marcus Armstrong [R], Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 52.217 seconds

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5 - Devlin DeFrancesco, Andretti Steinbrenner - time of 52.253 seconds

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6 - Conor Daly, Ed Carpenter Racing
7 - Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport
8 - Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
9 - Agustin Canapino [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing
10 - Will Power, Team Penske
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Notable:

• All four Andretti Autosport cars came to Sebring and they were rewarded with good times in the Monday group, with 3 in the TOP FIVE.

• Kyle Kirkwood led most of the day but was eclipsed in the afternoon by Romain Grosjean by a mere 0.030 seconds. The entire group was separated by 0.671 seconds, with thhe exception of Will Power.

• Power was there to test the new-for-2024 ERS hybrid system connected to the Chevrolet engine in his car. The hybrid system was not faulty but other engineering systems were troublesome enough to keep Will to only 24 laps, some several seconds slower than the standard cars.

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Romain Grosjean - TOPS for Monday

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On Tuesday there were 7 different cars on track along with Will Power, again attempting to wring out the new ERS system. Among the new cars on track were two non-IndyCar drivers, as 2019 Super Formula champ and current Formula E driver Nick Cassidy tested for Chip Ganassi Racing and IMSA driver Felipe Nasr tested for Team Penske.

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Here was the order of speed for the Sebring IndyCar test on Tuesday, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren - time of 51.882 seconds

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2 - Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren - time of 52.134 seconds

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3 - Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren - time of 52.236 seconds

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4 - Felipe Nasr [R], Team Penske - time of 52.239 seconds

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5 - Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Enterprises - time of 52.359 seconds

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6 - Nick Cassidy [R], Chip Ganassi Racing

7 - Benjamin Pedersen [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises

8 - Will Power, Team Penske

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Notable:

• The Arrow McLaren boys didn’t have much luck at the Thermal Club during Spring Training last week but they were ready for Sebring, as Pato O’Ward TOPS the test with the only car to break into the 151s.

• By the end of the day Will Power was less than 2 seconds off O’Ward’s time in the ERS-equipped Chevrolet. That’s progress.

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Nick Cassidy

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Pato O’Ward - TOPS for the tests

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The next time the IndyCars will howl in anger will be at St. Petersburg, in March
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M

[MarkyS]

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The last-minute confirmations in the Road to Indy are starting to come in…

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…and we have four of them here, starting with two from USF Juniors:
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First the bigger one, as Taiwanese American Ethan Ho has decided to re-up with DC Autosport for his full sophomore season, after an excellent rookie year with them in 2022.

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Ethan Ho (right) returns to DC Autosport for 2023

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The 17-year-old karter from Los Angeles started his first year of formula cars well in 2022, with good qualifying and good results in the Juniors, ending the season in 7th place. He pulled down no less than 10 TOP TEN results with a best finish of a P4 at the finales at Circuit of the Americas.

In addition, Ethan drove three races for Velocity Racing Development in USF2000 at Portland, where he substantially improved over his start near the back in all three events. The plan is for Ethan to once again pop up into USF2000 for some selected races at the Indy Grand Prix, Road America, Mid-Ohio and Portland rounds in 2023, this time for DC Autosport, in anticipation of a full-time move in 2024.

Said Ethan, “I’m very excited to rejoin DC Autosport and continue my relationship with Don Conner. We never quite got the result we deserved last year, but after a full off-season of testing I look forward to being in contention every weekend in 2023. I’m also happy to welcome my new sponsor Triple S Suspension to our program for this year. To have a Taiwanese company support me in my career is something I am very proud of and I look forward to having them ride on the car all year long.”

We expect Ethan to make a name for himself, this year, in many forums.
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Also joining the DC Autosport team for a rookie season of USF Juniors will be 18-year-old Californian Carson Etter. Carson 's path to open wheel racing was more like the great Rick Mears, as he has been a dirt rat for most of his career. Etter earned the 2017 Challenge Cup title in the Junior 2 off-road Kart class and placed third in the 2020 Lucas Oil Off-Road Regional Challenge.

Said Carson, “My dad has been off-road racing for over 30 years. He started in dirt bikes then switched to cars. He got me and my older brother Ryan trophy karts when we were about four – we had to wait a year to get in them because we couldn’t reach the pedals! As we got older, we both got into off-road racing, though my brother went the desert route and I went the short course route. The priority now is open wheel, but my home ground is still off-road racing!”

His transition to asphalt open wheel was in 2022 and quite successfully, too. Contesting the 2022 Formula Pro USA Western Championships in the F4 category with Dave Freitas Racing, Etter finished an impressive second in the final standings, with five WINS and 12 podium finishes.

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Carson Etter (left)

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Carson is a freshman at Boise State University, majoring in Business Marketing, so he will have to balance school and racing for the first few months of the season.

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continued…

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[MarkyS]

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The last-minute confirmations in the Road to Indy are starting to come in…(part 2)…

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Next up are two CONFIRMS for USF Pro 2000 and they are big ones. First, going for a rookie season with Jay Howard Driver Development will be Japanese-American Reece Ushijima. The much-accomplished F3 veteran will join fellow rookie Ricardo Escotto on the squad.

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Reece Ushijima comes to North America

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After a 2019 season of MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Reece moved in 2020 to the BRDC Formula 3 Championship, claiming multiple podium results, but in 2021, Ushijima had a breakout season earning multiple pole positions, race WINS and podium results on his way to a fourth-place season. Later in 2021, Ushijima competed in the F3 Asian Championship before moving to the FIA F3 Championship in 2022. His goal now is IndyCars.

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Said Reece, “North America has some of the best racing in the world, and I am happy to be joining JHDD just two rungs on the ladder from the top level. The team is known for their success in multiple different series, and I only hope that I can help them add to their 2023 resume in the USF Pro 2000 Championship.”

Ushijima is not the only driver swapping FIA F3 for USF Pro 2000 this year, as Francesco Pizzi and Lirim Zendeli have both signed to race for TJ Speed in the series.

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The biggest news yet for the gang in USF Pro 2000 was today’s announcement that 2022 USF2000 Champion Michael d’Orlando has signed to drive for Peter Dempsey’s Turn 3 Motorsport for his rookie season.

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2022 USF2000 Champion Michael d’Orlando - on to Turn 3 Motorsport

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D’Orlando’s long journey to the 2022 title is well-known, as the New Yorker spent almost four full seasons in USF2000 trying to secure the title. After a short 2018 season Michael spent three years leading the Cape Motorsports squad, with a WIN, 4 podiums and 11 TOP FIVES in 2020, 3 WINS, 8 podiums and 14 TOP FIVES in 2021 and finally 4 WINS, 8 podiums, 14 TOP FIVES and the title in 2022, with one of the Road to Indy’s most exciting finishes to a season ever, at Portland.

Said Micheal, “I’m so excited to be back. Since the final USF2000 race in Portland last year, I’ve had very limited testing or any sort of driving time in general. I’m very appreciative of Turn 3 Motorsport’s support of me in the off-season, and I’ve absolutely loved working with them during pre-season testing. I’m confident that we can perform well together in my rookie year in the USF Pro 2000 series, especially in those beautiful USF Pro Championships scholarship colors. Bring on the season!”.
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D’Orlando joins sophomore Jonathan Browne and fellow rookie Jackson Lee on the Turn 3 Motorsport squad for 2023.

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Spring Training for the three Road to Indy series will be at Sebring and will be on Monday, February 27th for USF Juniors, Tuesday, February 28th for USF2000 and both the 27th and 28th for UP2K.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Two QUICK confirmations for the new USF Juniors season in 2023…

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…and they are both for Exclusive Autosport. First, we have learned that EA has signed 16-year-old Texan Jack Jeffers to drive the new # 92 JR-23 for the team.

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Jack Jeffers and his parents - ready for a formula car rookie season in 2023…

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Like most formula car drivers, Jack got his start in karting. At the age of nine he started on a path to WIN numerous regional and national races that sent him to Europe for several ROK Cup Superfinals and Rotax World Finals to represent the USA. In 2022 he jumped into formula cars by joining the Lucas Oil School of Racing, claiming their LOS of R Formula Car Series championship by taking an impressive six WINS and ten podiums enroute to the crown.

Said he, “I feel very fortunate and excited to be joining Exclusive Autosport for the 2023 USF Juniors series. This next step marks a very important chapter in my racing career and, I feel that in EA, I have found the perfect fit. I immediately felt right at home, and I can’t wait to get back on the race track. I am grateful to (team principal) Michael Duncalfe for the opportunity and trust that he has placed in me. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support. And a big thank you to the Lucas Oil School of Racing for giving me a solid foundation from which to make the transition from karting to open-wheel racing.”

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Also signed by EA this week was 15-year-old, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida driver Giovanni Cabrera who will drive the # 97 Tatuus JR-23 in the Juniors for 2023.

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Giovanni Cabrera flanked by (left) James Hinchcliffe and (right) Ryan Hunter-Reay

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Giovanni is relatively new to racing, but he amassed significant seat time in competitive karting at the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex before a run through the Lucas Oil School of Racing Advanced Course that led to F4 testing, the YACademy Winter Series and USF Juniors. Giovanni is exactly the kind of driver that the USF Juniors were made for - enthusiastic beginners wanting true racing experience.
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Said Giovanni, “I feel so fortunate to have been introduced to Exclusive Autosport. From the very first meeting I had with (team principal) Michael Duncalfe, I knew I wanted to be a part of this team. I have not had a lot of seat time, however, with just the few test days I have had with the team, including the YACademy Winter Series, I feel confident that I will be ready for the season. I am excited, ready to learn, and ready to keep improving this year. I am so appreciative of everything my parents and family have done to help me get to this level."

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With the addition of Giovanni and Jack to the squad along with already CONFIRMED sophomore Joey Brienza and fellow rookie Erick Schotten, Exclusive Autosport has the four-man roster they intend to run in 2023.

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Spring Training will commence at Sebring International Raceway for the USF Juniors and for USF Pro 2000 on Monday, the 27th of February. USF2000 will take to the track - again with the UP2K guys - on Tuesday, the 28th.

[MarkyS]

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Hey! It’s time for Spring Training for the Road to Indy!..

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The three series that make up the USF Pro Championships - aka, the Road to Indy - have all been at Sebring International Raceway for the last two days, hammering out their Spring Training for 2023, in anticipation of the starts of their seasons in the next few weeks.

USF Juniors did three test sessions on Monday, while USF2000 did three test sessions on Tuesday. USF Pro 2000 did two on Monday and two on Tuesday for a total of four sessions.

Most of the drivers present have already been CONFIRMED by their teams for the 2023 season of racing, but a few drivers have never been formally announced. The likelihood that they will be racing in 2023 on the teams they are with for Spring Training is HIGH, but we will not know for sure until the first real racing of the season. We will point out these anomalies as we go on with this testing.

First up are the kids from USF Juniors. we have COMBINED all three of their test sessions to give you the TOPS of the test.

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Here was the order of speed for USF Juniors test sessions COMBINED, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie; driver’s best session is in ( )

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1 - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport - time of 02:11.964s for a speed of 102.028mph (2)

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2 - Nicolas Giaffone [R], DEForce Racing - time of 02:12.009s for a speed of 101.993mph (3)

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3 - Quinn Armstrong, DEForce Racing - time of 02:12.066s for a speed of 101.949mph (2)

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4 - Ethan Ho, DC Autosport - time of 02:12.144s for a speed of 101.889mph (3)

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5 - Jimmie Lockhart [R], VRD Racing - time of 02:12.244s for a speed of 101.812mph (2)

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6 - Jack Jeffers [R], Exclusive Autosport (3)
7 - Lucas Fecury, DEForce Racing (2)
8 - Max Taylor [R], VRD Racing (1)
9 - Ethan Barker, VRD Racing (2)
10 - Brady Golan [R], DEForce Racing (3)

11 - Erick Schotten [R], Exclusive Autosport (2)
12 - Carson Etter [R], DC Autosport (3)
13 - Giovanni Cabrera [R], Exclusive Autosport (3)
14 - Zack Ping [R], VRD Racing (No time)

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Notable:

• Joey Brienza ran in 3 USF2000 races in the Tatuus USF-22 car in 2022 with a best finish of P10, so he has more experience in the similar Tatuus JR-23 car than most here. It helps a lot. Coming out of a successful FRP 1600 career, we expect Joey to be a top performer, this season. He only ran in session 2, but he TOPPED the whole day, right there.

• We expect big things of Ethan Ho this year - his sophomore year in the Juniors. Ethan was TOP FIVE in all three sessions, as was fellow sophomore Quinn Armstrong - another strong runner.

• Both Nicolas Giafonne and Jimmie Lockhart are still a bit of a mystery, as they were budget-limited in what they could do in 2022, but they certainly showed speed here.

• ALL of the USF Juniors testers are CONFIRMED for 2023.

• Zack Ping wasn’t able to test in any of the sessions, despite being on the VRD roster for 2023.

Zack Ping

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Joey Brienza

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Next up, USF2000 takes to the track…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Tuesday, and USF2000 comes on track for Spring Training.

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Just as with the Juniors on Monday, USF2000 had three test sessions today and we have COMBINED them to give you the TOPS of the day.

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Here was the order of speed for the USF2000 test sessions COMBINED, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie; driver’s best session is in ( )

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1 - Simon Sikes, Pabst Racing - time of 2:05.431s (1)

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2 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport - time of 2:05.664s (3)

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3 - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing - time of 2:06.007s (3)

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4 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 2:06.085s (1)

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5 - Evagoras Papasavvas, Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 2:06.219s (1)

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6 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development (3)
7 - Al Morey IV [R], Jay Howard Driver Development (1)
8 - Louka St. John [R], Jay Howard Driver Development (1)
9 - Nikita Johnson [R], VRD Racing (1)
10 - George Garciarce, DEForce Racing (1)

11 - Jacob Douglas, Exclusive Autosport (3)
12 - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport (1)
13 - Nicholas d’Orlando, Exclusive Autosport (3)
14 - Trey Burke, Future Star Racing (3)
15 - Sam Corry [R], VRD Racing (2)
16 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing (3)
17 - Chase Gardner [R], Exclusive Autosport (3)
18 - Andre Castro, Future Star Racing (3)
19 - Zack Ping [R], VRD Racing (2)
20 - Danny Dyszelski, VRD Racing (3)

21 - Avery Towns [R], Exclusive Autosport (3)
22 - Gordan Scully [R], VRD Racing (3)

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Notable:

• Simon Sikes TOPPED all three sessions at the Fall Combines in Indianapolis last October, dominating the proceedings. Today, he only ran in 2 of the three sessions, but he again TOPPED both of them and the day. This guy is a MONSTER. Simon has not yet been CONFIRMED for Pabst, but they’d be nuts not to give him a ride.

• Ethan Ho plans on running in 8 USF2000 races this year, (as well as the full season of USF Juniors) and he TOPPED the third session, showing us he’s ready for it.

• A lot of this field were performers in the Juniors last year and some of them are obviously still good performers - Clark and Hughes should be contenders for the title.

• Not yet CONFIRMED are also Trey Burke, Andre Castro, Nicholas d’Orlando and Chase Gardner. Zack Ping was confirmed for the Juniors, but did run in 1 session of USF2000 and none in the Juniors.

• Joey Brienza, confirmed for USF Juniors, ran in all three sessions of USF2000, as well.

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Le Monstre - Simon Sikes

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Next, the UP2K gang take to the track…

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[MarkyS]

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Monday and Tuesday at Sebring - USF Pro 2000 holds their Spring Training…

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With two sessions on Monday and two sessions on Tuesday, we are COMBINING them all to give you the TOPS of the test.

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Here was the order of speed for the USF Pro 2000 test sessions COMBINED, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie; driver’s best session is in ( )

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1 - Myles Rowe [R], Pabst Racing - time of 01:58.669s for a speed of 113.458mph (3)

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2 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing - time of 01:58.755s for a speed of 113.376mph (3)

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3 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing - time of 01:58.826s for a speed of 113.309mph (3)

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4 - Michael d’Orlando [R], Turn 3 Motorsport - time of 01:59.058s for a speed of 113.088mph (3)

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5 - Christian Brooks, Turn 3 Motorsports - time of 01:59.058s for a speed of 113.088mph (3)

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6 - Jordan Missig, Pabst Racing (3)
7 - Lirim Zendeli [R], TJ Speed (2)
8 - Francesco Pizzi [R], TJ Speed (2)
9 - Reece Ushijima [R], Jay Howard Driver Development (4)
10 - Joel Granfors [R], Exclusive Autosport (3)

11 - Salvador de Alba, Exclusive Autosport (3)
12 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports (3)
13 - Jonathan Browne, Turn 3 Motorsports (4)
14 - Christian Weir [R], TJ Speed (4)
15 - Jackson Lee [R], Turn 3 Motorsports (3)
16 - Ricardo Escotto [R], Jay Howard Driver Development (3)
17 - Bijoy Garg [R], DEForce Racing (3)
18 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Exclusive Autosport (4)
19 - Lindsay Brewer, Exclusive Autosport (4)
20 - Nicholas Monteiro [R] NeoTech Motorsports (3)

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Notable:

• All the TOP title contenders for the 2022 USF2000 title showed up in the TOP performers for UP2K in these tests - No surprises at all. These are the very best in the Road to Indy and MOST of them are capable of podiums. At least half of them are capable of WINS on any given weekend. That includes Myles, of course. He TOPPED the T-1 and T-3 sessions and the two days.

• The FIA F3 guys did well, but not in the hot # 3 test session. Lirim Zendeli TOPPED the T-2 session and Francesco Pizzi was P2 in that same session.

• Kiko Porto was TOPS of the T-4 session and Reece Ushijima was P2, but a lot of the fast guys didn’t run that session, including Myles.

• Christian Brooks is not CONFIRMED for Turn 3 Motorsports yet, but the Santa Clarita native is one of the best drivers in the series, so expect them to keep him.

• Nicholas Monteiro is on a new team, NeoTech Motorsports, and both he and the team have been tight-lipped about their plans for 2023.

• NOT performing to their standards yet are both Bijoy Garg and Yuven Sundaramoorthy, given how well they performed at the Fall Combines. (Top performers). Both are slow starters, however, so we expect them to be there when the green flag drops at St. Pete.

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Myles Rowe - as fierce as ever

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That’s it for the actual testing. We will score the performances this coming week.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Enaam Ahmed jumps to Indy NXT for 2023!

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The British-born driver was one of the most exciting pilots for Indy Pro 2000 in 2022 and we were dreading him not returning there or advancing to the Lights in 2023, but here, at the last minute, the Pakistani has announced that he will complete the Cape Motorsports roster in the Lights for 2023, joining with fellow rookie Jagger Jones.

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Enaam Ahmed

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Said the 23-year-old, “I’m thrilled to join Cape Motorsports this season in INDY NXT. We will be racing the best teams and drivers of my generation as we fight to get to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. I have really been impressed working with the Cape brothers, and I love being an underdog driver with an underdog team.”

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Ahmed has proven in the past to be a thrill to watch and very productive, holding the 2017 BRDC British F3 title. Great to see him race on!

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M

[MarkyS]

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It’s time to do a quick scoring of the Road to Indy’s Spring Training…

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The just-completed two days of testing at Sebring International for USF Juniors, USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 told us a lot about what we can expect from the teams and drivers of each series in the coming months.

We want to show you who were the fastest and most consistent drivers from each series and we do that by scoring their efforts in the test. It’s a simple procedure: Each driver is given a point for their placement in each test. A P1 earns 1 point. A P2 earns 2 points, and so on. Those points are added and the driver with the lowest point total is generally going to be the most consistently fast guy or gal out there.

If a driver misses a session, his other session points are added together and then averaged, as that is about what they have been in the missing session. That number is added in for the missing session.

Thus, here are the driver’s points for the USF Juniors: Points shown are for each session; a point for a missing session is in ( )

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1 - Nicolas Giaffone [R], DEForce Racing - 1, 3, 1 = 5

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2 - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport - (1), 1, (1) = 3

3 - Quinn Armstrong, DEForce Racing - 3, 2, 4, = 9

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4 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport - 4, 5, 2, = 11

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5 - Jimmie Lockhart [R], VRD Racing - 6, 4, 5 = 18

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6 - Jack Jeffers [R], Exclusive Autosport - 5, 7, 3 = 15
7 - Max Taylor [R], VRD Racing - 2, 9, (5.5) = 16.5
8 - Lucas Fecury, DEForce Racing - 7, 6, 5, = 18
9 - Ethan Barker, VRD Racing - 8, 8, (8) = 24
10 - Erick Schotten [R], Exclusive Autosport - 9, 10, 7 = 26

11 - Brady Golan [R], DEForce Racing - 10, 11, 6 = 27
12 - Carson Etter [R], DC Autosport - 11, 12 8 = 31
13 - Giovanni Cabrera [R], Exclusive Autosport - 12, 13, 9 = 34

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Notable:

• While the resolved points give Joey Brienza the lowest score we put Nicolas Giaffone in first place because he topped TWO session and ran all three, whereas Joey ran only 1 session but he did TOP the one he ran. Joey also ran in USF2000 on Tuesday so He had more to contribute. DEForce is expecting BIG things of Nicolas and he is already impressing.

• We expected Ethan Ho and Australian Quinn Armstrong to make TOP FIVE but Jimmie Lockhart is a bit of a surprise, given his limited formula car experience and lack of budget for 2022, where he laid off racing. We may have a “sleeper” here!

• Rookie Zack Ping was slated to drive for VRD Racing but never got on track.

Zack Ping

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Nicolas Giaffone

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Next, USF 2000 scores…

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Continued…

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M

[MarkyS]

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It’s time to do a quick scoring of the Road to Indy’s Spring Training…(part 2)…

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Next, let’s see the scores from USF2000. These guys ran on Tuesday.

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Here are the driver’s points for the USF2000: Points shown are for each session; a point for a missing session is in ( )

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1 - Simon Sikes, Pabst Racing - 1, 1, (1) = 3

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2 - Lochie Hughes [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - 2, 3, (2.5) = 7.5

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3 - Nikita Johnson [R], VRD Racing - 6, 4, 5 = 15

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4 - Elliot Cox [R], Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development - 10, 2, 3, = 15

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5 - Ethan Ho [R], DC Autosport - 11, 7, 1 - 19

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6 - Mac Clark [R], DEForce Racing - 7, 10, 2 = 19
7 - Joey Brienza [R], Exclusive Autosport - 9, 5, 5 = 19
8 - Evagoras Papasavvas, Jay Howard Driver Development - 3, 9, 11 - 22
9 - George Garciarce, DEForce Racing - 9, 14, 6 = 29
10 - Sam Corry [R], VRD Racing - 14, 6, (10) = 30

11 - Al Morey IV [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - 4, 15, 13 = 32
12 - Louka St. John [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - 5, 12, 16 - 33
13 - Chase Gardner [R], Exclusive Autosport - 15, 8, 10 = 33
14 - Zack Ping [R], VRD Racing - (11), 11, (11) - 33
15 - Jacob Douglas, Exclusive Autosport - 12, 21, 4 = 37
16 - Nicholas d’Orlando, Exclusive Autosport - 18, 13, 7 = 38
17 - Trey Burke, Future Star Racing - 19, 16, 8 = 43
18 - Andre Castro, Future Star Racing - 17, (14.5), 12 = 43.5
19 - Avery Towns [R], Exclusive Autosport - (16), 17, 15 = 48
20 - Maxwell Jamieson [R], DEForce Racing - 13, 19, 16 = 48

21 - Gordan Scully, VRD Racing - 16, 18, 17 = 51
22 - Danny Dyszelski, VRD Racing - (17), 20, 14 = 51

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Notable:

• Simon Sikes DOMINATED the Fall Combines and he is doing it again, here. His TOP performance in the 1st session was not only fastest for the day but was a full 0.233 seconds faster than # 2 for the day, Ethan Ho. If Pabst can keep Simon in the car for the full season, he is EASILY the favorite to WIN the 2023 title, after a few years of scrambling to afford a ride at all. Could be a fairytale story.

• We are not at all surprised that Australian Lauchlan “Lockie” Hughes scored 2nd for the testing. This guy has been great since he showed up from WINNING the F4 United States title in 2022. He will likely be Sikes’ main competitor, though there are a few very good candidates up from the Juniors.

• Nikita Johnson, Eliott Cox, Mac Clark, Joey Brienza, Ethan Ho, Sam Corry, Eva Papasaavas and Jorge “George” Garciarce are among the former Juniors who will be excellent. No surprise that they all scored in the TOP TEN here.

• We are a bit surprised by Andre Castro in 18th and Danny Dyszelski in 22nd. Both are a LOT better than this.

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Simon Sikes - Scary good.

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Now, we look at UP2K…

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continued…

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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It’s time to do a quick scoring of the Road to Indy’s Spring Training…(part 3)…

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Finally, let’s score the gang from USF Pro 2000 - the new TOP DAWGS In the Road to Indy.

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Here are the driver’s points for the USF Pro 2000: Points shown are for each session; a point for a missing session is in ( )

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1 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing - 2, 3, 3, 1 = 9

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2 - Myles Rowe [R], Pabst Racing - 1, 5, 1, (2.33) = 9.33

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3 - Francesco Pizzi [R], TJ Speed - 4, 2, (3), (3) = 12

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4 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing - 6, 6, 2, (4.66) = 18.66

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5 - Michael d’Orlando [R], Turn 3 Motorsport - 5, 4, 4, 7 = 20

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6 - Lirim Zendeli [R], TJ Speed - 11, 1, (6), (6) = 24
7 - Jordan Missig, Pabst Racing - 3, 11, 6, (6.66) = 26.66
8 - Christian Weir [R], TJ Speed - 7, 7, (7), (7) - 28
9 - Christian Brooks, Turn 3 Motorsports - 17, 8, 5, 3 = 33
10 - Joel Granfors [R], Exclusive Autosport - 10, 13, 7, 5 = 35

11 - Salvador de Alba, Exclusive Autosport - 8, 14, 8, 8 - 38
12 - Reece Ushijima [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - 14, 12, 10, 2 = 38
13 - Ricardo Escotto [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - 19, 16, 12, 6 = 43
14 - Jonathan Browne, Turn 3 Motorsports - 13, 10, 16, 4 = 43
15 - Jack William Miller, Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - 12, 15, 9, 9 = 45
16 - Bijoy Garg [R], DEForce Racing - 15, 9, 13, 10 = 47
17 - Jackson Lee [R], Turn 3 Motorsports - 16, 17, 11, 12 = 56
18 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Exclusive Autosport - (14.5), 18, (14.5), 11 = 58
19 - Lindsay Brewer, Exclusive Autosport - 19, 19, 14, 13 = 65
20 - Nicholas Monteiro [R] NeoTech Motorsports - 18, 20, 15, 14 = 67

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Notable:

• Kiko Porto barely beats Myles Rowe on points, but Myles pulled down two P1s. We’re giving the TOP spot to Kiko because he was slightly more consistent, but these guys are both title contenders, as are most of the guys in the TOP ELEVEN.

• UP2K pulls in great talent from all over the globe as evidenced by how many in the TOP TEN are rookies.

• Yuven Sundaramoorthy will do much better than this when the racing starts. The kid from Wisconsin is a bit of a slow starter.

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Both USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 will be at St. Petersburg, this coming weekend!

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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HEY!!! The Off-Season is OVER!!!

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It’s time to go RACING!!! Look for the St. Petersburg thread!

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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The incredible Matthew Brabham does it again…

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Last week, IndyCar driver Matty Brabham entered his 6th ever Trans Am race at Sebring International Raceway, driving the # 20 Gym Weed Ford Mustang for CD Racing. In the end, Brabham WON his 4th Trans Am in 6 starts. (He finished P2 in the other two races).

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Matty in the # 20 Mustang for another TA WIN

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Coming in P2 was CD Racing teammate Adam Andretti. Keith Grant in the # 40 Showtime Motorsports Camaro rounded out the podium. Early in the race CD Racing team owner Chris Dyson was fighting for the lead of the race when he lost power in the # 16 Gym Weed Mustang and DNF’d. That left Brabham to chase after polesitter Justin Marks in the # 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro.

The two battled for many laps with Brabham hot on Marks’ tail, periodically challenging for the lead but unable to complete the pass. But eventually, Marks experienced his own power failure, leading to his retirement from the race. Once Brabham took over the lead, he maintained it for the remaining 10 laps.

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Brabham for anther "W"

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Matty has now WON multiple Road to Indy races and championship, multiple Stadium Super Truck races and championship, 4 out of 6 Trans Am races (and two P2s) and let’s not forget the 2018 Liqui-moly Bathurst 12 Hour - another WIN. This guy is a machine!.
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This is not the only good news to come out of February for Matty. He ALSO finally got engaged to long-time girlfriend Kimberley Bogle!

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Good luck, kids!!!

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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IndyCar drivers were WINNERS in other forms of racing over the weekend…

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We hailed the Trans Am victory of IndyCar driver Matthew Brabham at Sebring three weeks ago in the post above. This last weekend, Brabham made his way to NOLA Motorsports Park in Louisianna to race once again in the Trans Am TA2 class for CD Racing. This time, Matty in the # 20 Gym Weed Mustang pulled in P2 behind his boss, Chris Dyson in the # 16 Gym Weed Mustang. Matty started the race from P2 while Chris started from P3. Both were able to get past pole-sitter Justin Marks in the # 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro. As Brabham passed Marks for the lead he took a hit from Justin that upset his momentum enough to allow Chris to go by both and take the lead from P3.

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Matty Brabham gets another P2 - This time at NOLA

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Chris Dyson (left) and Matthew Brabham - both hard to beat.

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With this result Brabham now has 4 WINS and 3 P2s in just 7 TA starts. His next chance at a WIN will be at Road Atlanta, March 23-26 for the Mission Foods Atlanta SpeedTour.

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Also WINNING at NOLA this last weekend was USF2000 sophomore driver Danny Dyszelski who took the Pro 1500 class to THREE WINS for WISKO Racing, from pole, sweeping the weekend of the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America season debut. The 14-year-old drives for VRD Racing in USF2000, and was coming off the series start at St. Petersburg, the week before. Danny failed to start Race 1 at St. Pete but came home P7 from his P20 start in Race 2 - a remarkable recovery!

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Danny Dyszelski sweeps the weekend at NOLA in Radical Cup, Pro 1500 class

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The next racing for Dyszelski will be in USF2000, March 23-26 at Sebring, where all three of the Road to Indy series will be competing. Then, Danny will race again in Radical Cup on April 28 - 30 at Barber Motorsports Park, in support of the IndyCar race.

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Finally, Three IndyCar drivers participated in the 3rd and 4th rounds of the new IMSA VP SportsCar Challenge series this last weekend at Sebring and two of them made the podiums in both races.

SWEEPING the weekend was USF Pro 2000 rookie Bijoy Garg, who WON both 45-minute races from pole in the # 3 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320 in the P-3 class of the contests. Coming in P3 in Race 1 and P2 in Race 2 from a P3 start in each was former Indy Lights driver Antonio Serravalle in the # 18 Muehlner Motorsports America, LLC Duqueine D08. Both Garg and Serravalle are rookies in the series and rookies to SportsCars.

Bijoy claimed another pole and a P3 finish in Season Round 1 and went from P2 to P5 in Season Round 2 - both at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona, so the Californian is a HOT SHOE in this series, currently 2nd in the standings behind Dan Goldburg for JDC Motorsports

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Bijoy Garg - on a hot streak in IMSA racing

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The Jr III Racing Ligier - Sweeping the P3 class at Sebring.

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The third IndyCar driver in the IMSA VP SportsCar Challenge is Road to Indy alum Courtney Crone, who is showing us a lot in the # 99 Duqueine for Forty7 Motorsports. Courtney started P3 in Round 1 and finished in P8, started P3 in Round 2 and finished in P3. Started P4 in Round 3 and finished P7 and started P4 in Round 4 but got caught up in a lap-1 shunt with two other cars and DNF’d.

We fully expect Courtney and Antonio to keep collecting podiums as the season goes on. They’re both front runners, while Bijoy has a great shot at the title.

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Courtney Crone (left) and Antonio Serravalle - podiums already.

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The next 2 outings for IMSA VP SportsCar Challenge will be at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park - aka Mosport - July 7-9, but first Bijoy will be driving the USF Pro 2000 # 7 DEForce Racing IP-23 at Sebring, March 23-26, for the Road to Indy weekend of racing.

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A HUGE CONGRATS to all five of these IndyCar drivers. You’re making us PROUD!

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Monday at Barber Motorsports Park - 16 IndyCars tested…

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…and we have the unofficial times. As this was not an open test, no official times were released, but as usual, there are a number of fence-sitters with reliable stopwatches willing to provide.

Here was the order of speed for the 16 IndyCars testing at Barber, with times for the TOP FIVE: [R] denotes rookie

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1 - Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske - time of 01:06.222 seconds

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2 - Will Power, Team Penske - time of 01:06.429 seconds

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3 - Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan - time of 01:06.525 seconds

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4 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing - time of 01:06.570 seconds

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5 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske - time of 01:06.753 seconds

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6 - Marcus Armstrong [R], Chip Ganassi Racing
7 - David Malukas, Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports
8 - Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing
9 - Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
10 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing

11 - Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing
12 - Benjamin Pedersen [R], AJ Foyt Enterprises
13 - Juri Vips [R], Rahal Letterman Lanigan
14 - Agustin Canapino [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing
15 - Sting Ray Robb [R], Dale Coyne Racing w/ Rick Ware Racing
16 - Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing

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Notable:

• McLaughlin is certainly a hot shoe this season and this is no surprise. Scott’s time on Monday bested Rinus VeeKay’s 2022 pole position effort of 01:06.251s. The entire field was covered by 1.45 seconds

• Team Penske always does well at Barber and here they put all three cars in the TOP FIVE and took the TOP TWO spots, as well, but look out, as Chip Ganassi was able to get all four cars in the TOP TEN, so they are not resting on Marcus Ericsson’s WIN and Scott Dixon’s podium at St. Pete, two weeks ago.

• Christian Lundgaard was the fastest Honda and the best Rahal Letterman Lanigan car. Graham Rahal was P9 and Jack Harvey might also have made TOP TEN if he had been there, but he was not cleared to test, after getting his bell rung at St. Pete in one of the two big schlemozzles. In his place on Monday was former F2 pilot Juri Vips from Estonia. Juri tested with RLL once before at Sebring in 2022. Jack will be tested again for the next race at Texas Motor Speedway, April 1-2.

• The only other Estonian racer we can think of is a “Deusey” - the great Tonis Kasemets.

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Juri Vips (left) in great company - Tonis Kasemets.

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Scott McLaughlin

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Scott and a bunch of other IndyCar guys will be at Sebring this comning weekend to participate in IMSA’s 12 Hours of Sebring…

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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It’s time for the Mobile One 12 Hours of Sebring!!

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This is the second of four Michelin Endurance Cup races in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

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The venue is Sebring International Raceway which is perhaps the favorite venue of the four endurance races as far as the drivers are concerned. Old and bumpy as hell, it is nevertheless a great challenge and a great layout.

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All five classes of the WeatherTech gang will be racing this weekend and joining them will be the Michelin Pilot Challenge series and the Porsche Carerra Cup North America series and InyCar drivers will be in all four races put on, this coming week and weekend. Let’s see who they are, starting with the WeatherTech folks:

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GTP class - IndyCar driver Scott Dixon is the “add” for the 12 Hours of Sebring in the # 01 Cadillac V-LMDh for Cadillac Racing. Scott will help out regulars Renger van der Zande and IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdias.

Scott Dixon (left) and Sebastien Bourdais

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Former Road to Indy ace Connor de Phillippe is a series regular in the # 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 for BMW M Team RLL. He will be joined by Nick Yelloly and Sheldon van der Linde in the 12 Hours.

Connor de Phillippe

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Former Indy Pro 2000 driver Pipo Derani returns in the Whelen Cadillac for Action Express, the # 31 Cadillac V-LMDh. He will be joined by Brits Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken.

Luis “Pipo” Derani

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Former DPi class Champion and multiple Rolex race WINNER Helio Castroneves will help out in the # 10 Acura ARX-06 LMDh for Meyer Shank’s IMSA team. He will supplement regulars Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun. These guys WON the 2023 Rolex 24 with the help of Simon Pagenaud, though there is now controversy over the car’s tire pressures in the race.

Helio Castroneves

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LMP2 class - Former IndyCar driver Ben Hanley will co-drive the # 04 ORECA 07 Gibson for Crowdstrike Racing by APR. He will share the car with George Kurtz and Road to Indy ace and Indy NXT driver Nolan Siegel. Hanley and Kurtz were on the team at Daytona and took P2 while Siegel was in the LMP3 car that took P2. These guys are all used to podiums.

Ben Hanley (left) and Nolan Siegel

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The # 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA 07 Gibson will have IndyCar talent with regular John Farano getting help from IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin and Indy NXT driver Kyffin Simpson who is the old hand at SportsCars, with a few years experience and a WIN last season at Road Atlanta. This is McLaughlin’s 2nd ever SportsCar race.

Scott McLaughlin (left) and Kyffin Simpson

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Current Indy NXT driver Christian Rasmussen will join Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel in the # 18 ORECA 07 Gibson for Era Motorsport.

Christian Rasmussen

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Former IndyCar driver and Indy Lights Champ Ed Jones will join Dennis Andersen and Anders Fjordbach in the # 20 ORECA for High Class Racing.

Ed Jones

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Young Road to Indy phenom and Indy NXT driver Josh Pierson will be a driver In the TDS Racing # 35 ORECA, joining Francois Heriau and Giedo van der Garde. Pierson, at 15, already has multiple LMP2 class WINS and podiums around the world on his resume.

Josh Pierson

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IndyCar driver Devlin DeFrancesco returns to SportsCar competition in the # 51 ORECA for Rick Ware Racing, with Eric Lux and Pietro Fittipaldi. Devlin had a WIN for DragonSpeed in LMP2 last season.

Devlin DeFrancesco

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LMP3 class - Road to Indy alum and Porsche GT3 Challenge Champion Trenton Estep will join Seth Lucas and IMSA Prototype Challenge Champion Tonis Kasemets in the # 04 Ave Motorsports Ligier JS P320.

Trenton Estep

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Indy Lights driver Garett Grist and Road to Indy ace Dakota Dickeson will join Ari Balogh in the # 30 Ligier for Jr III Racing.

Garett Grist (left) and Dakota Dickerson

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The # 36 Andretti Autosport Ligier JS P320 boasts two IndyCar guys with Indy Lights driver Jarett Andretti and Lights Champ and IndyCar driver Gabby Chaves. They will be joined with Nederlander Glenn van Berlo.

Jarett Andretti (left) and Gabby Chaves

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GTD Pro class - IndyCar driver and Indy Pro 2000 Champion Jack Hawksworth will pilot the # 14 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan with fellow Brit Ben Barnicoat. Helping them out will be IndyCar driver and Road to Indy ace Kyle Kirkwood. Barnicoat and Hawksworth came home P3 at Daytona in January with the help of IndyCar driver Mike Conway

Jack Hawksworth (left) and Kyle Kirkwood

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IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean will be an add in the # 63 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 for Iron Lynx, joining Jordan Pepper and Franck Perera. Romain was also in the car at Daytona where they came home P4. He is coming off that heartbreaking DNF at St. Petersburg a few weeks ago.

Romain Grosjean

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GTD class - Road to Indy ace and Indy Pro 2000 Champ Aaron Telitz returns with Frankie Montecalvo behind the wheel of the # 12 Lexus RCF GT3 for Vasser Sullivan. For Sebring, as at Daytona, they will get help from fellow Road to Indy ace Parker Thompson, newly crowned Champion of Porsche Carrera Cup, North America. Lots of talent, here.

Aaron Telitz (left) and Parker Thompson

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One of the best Porsche drivers in North America with multiple titles in the car is IndyCar driver Jan Heylen. He will drive the # 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Wright Motorsports with Ryan Hardwick. They will be joined by another Porsche ace, Zacharie Robichon. The question is whether or not IMSA has the Balance of Performance right for the Porsches at Sebring. It was way off at Daytona and the cars suffered.

Jan Heylen

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Former Champ Car driver and GTD class Vice-Champion Katherine Legge returns in the # 66 Acura NSX GT3 for Gradient Racing with fellow regular Sheena Monk. Katherine WON her V-C driving an NSX for Mike Shank. They will be aided at Sebring by Marc Miller. This car was P4 at Daytona. Katherine was recently picked to drive for Rahal Letterman Lanigan in this year’s Indy 500.

Katherine Legge

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• The Michelin Pilot Challenge series has a few IndyCar folks in it too, starting with the Grand Sports class:

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GS class - Road to Indy alum Austin McCusker will drive the # 19 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for van der Steur Racing co-driving with Rory van der Steur and Glen Head.

Austin McCusker

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Former USF2000 Champion Eric Filgueiras will drive the # 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS for RS1 with Stevan McAleer.

Eric Filgueiras

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Indy Lights race WINNER Rob Megennis will co-drive the # 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 with Cameron Lawrence.

Rob Megennis

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TCR class - The only IndyCar driver in Touring Car class is Robert Wickens in the # 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Bryan Herta Autosport. Robby, a paraplegic, drives the car using hand controls. His co-driver, Harry Gottsacker, uses conventional controls when he is in the car.

Robby Wickens

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• Porsche Carrera Cup North America has two IndyCar drivers. They are both in the Porsche Pro class:

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Canadian Road to Indy driver Thomas Nepveu is new to SportsCar racing, this year, after two great seasons of USF2000. He will drive the # 24 Porsche 992 for McElrea Racing.

Thomas Nepveu

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Road to Indy alum Sabre Cook will drive the # 37 Porsche 992 for Kellymoss. This will be Sabre’s first foray into a full season of SportsCars

Sabre Cook

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The first practice sessions will be on Wednesday, as the Porsches and the Michelin Pilot gang will both hold sessions. LET’S GET THIS GOING!!

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Wednesday at Sebring - the Porsche Carrera Cup gang practice and qualify…

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First a bit of news: 762 Motorsports has a last-minute driver announcement and it’s Road to Indy alum TJ Fischer, so he will be added to the IndyCar driver contingent of Thomas Nepveu and Sabre Cook. Thomas and Sabre are both Porsche Cup and SportsCar rookies, so TJ, with 3 years of Porsche Cup experience, will likely be the TOP IndyCar performer, for a while, anyway. He drove for TOPP Racing last year and was frequently a TOP FIVE performer, ending the season in 5th place.

TJ Fischer

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On Wednesday the Porsche gang held 2 practice sessions and then qualified for the two weekend races - the first to be on Thursday morning. We have the TOPS in practice and the TOP THREE qualifiers, here:

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Texan Riley Dickinson was TOPS in practice, topping everyone in both sessions in the # 53 Kellymoss Porsche 992. When it came time to qualify Riley was able to translate that speed into pole for Race 1 with a time of 2:01.667s for a speed of 110.663mph. He bested Jason Hart in the # 20 MDK Motorsports Porsche by a decent 0.394 seconds. Starting 3rd will be Will Martin in the # 9 JDX Racing Porsche. That car took Road to Indy ace Parker Thompson to the title in 2022.

Riley also put in the 2nd fastest lap during qualifying, so, unless someone else has a faster Race 1 lap, Riley will also be on pole for Thursday afternoon’s Race 2.

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The Kellymoss # 53 Porsche 992 - on the pole - maybe twice?

Riley Dickinson

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Notable:

• Last season’s battle for the title was between eventual Champion Parker Thompson and eventual Vice-Champion Kay van Berlo, but Riley Dickinson was always in the hunt, too, with 12 podiums and a WIN and ended up 3rd in the title. Now that van Berlo and Thompson are gone, we FULLY expect Dickinson to be the title favorite.

• IndyCar driver TJ Fischer posted a P6 in qualifying for Race 1 in the # 58 Porsche for 762 Motorsports; IndyCar driver Thomas Nepveu will start Race 1 in the # 24 McElrea Racing Porsche from P12; IndyCar driver Sabre Cook will start Race 1 in the # 37 Kellymoss Porsche from P19 in the 22-car class and 20th in the 41-car field.

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Race 1 will be first thing Thursday morning while Race 2 will be in the late afternoon.

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M

[MarkyS]

+++

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Wednesday at Sebring - The Michelin Pilot challenge gang practice and qualify…

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…for Thursday’s Alan Jay Automotive Network 120. Both classes drove in the two practice sessions and then qualified late in the day. We have the TOPS in practice for each class and the TOP THREE qualifiers for each class, here:

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Grand Sport class - Aussie Scott Andrews was TOPS in practice with his P-1 session time of 2:09.311s for a speed of 104.121mph in the # 27 Lone Star Racing Mercedes AMG GT GT4. The GS class was unable to complete their qually session due to red flags, so pole position was awarded based on championship points. AS A RESULT, on pole will be the # 83 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport of Thomas Collingwood and Spencer Pumpelly for BGB Motorsports. Starting P2 will be the # 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak while starting P3 will be the # 58 Crucial Motorsports McLaren 570S GT4 of Michael de Quesada and Aurora Straus.

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The # 83 Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport for BGB Motorsports - on the pole

Thomas Collingwood (left) and Spencer Pumpelly

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Notable:

• A pair of incidents for the # 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Porsche of Sean McAlister and the # 71 Rebel Rock Racing Chevrolet Camaro GT4 of Frank DePew meant that the minimum guaranteed green flag time for the session could not be met, causing it to be abandoned for series points, instead.

• Daytona class WINNERS Harrison Burton and Zane Smith in the PF Racing Ford Mustang GT4 actually lead the points but they are not racing at Sebring, so P2 finishers Collingwood and Pumpelly get the nod.

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Touring Car class - TOPPING the practice sessions was South African Mikey Taylor with his P-1 session time in the # 17 Unitronic / JDC Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR but when it came time to qualify it was Mat Pombo in the # 37 Honda Civic FL5 TCR for LA Honda World Racing that took pole with a time of 2:11.796s for a speed of 102.158mph. Mat bested Mikey Taylor’s co-driver Chris Miller in the # 17 Audi by only 0.110 seconds. Starting 3rd will be Mason Filippi aboard the # 98 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR.

Mat shares the Honda with Ryan Eversley while Mason shares the Hyundai with Mark Wilkins.

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The # 37 Honda Civic FL5 TCR for LA Honda World Racing - on the pole.

Mat Pombo

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The race is scheduled for Thursday broadcast LIVE on Peacock Premium starting at 1:15pm EASTERN time to 3:20pm. It will be rebroadcast on Saturday, from 11:00am EASTERN time to 1:00pm on CNBC, but that is during the early hours of the 12 Hours of Sebring.

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

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M