The Road to Indy - New Jersey: Echoes of Pratt & Whitney engines roaring overhead

[MarkyS]

This weekend the young drivers of the Road to Indy will have three chances to WIN races in a stand-alone triple-header event as they do…

The Cooper Tires GP at New Jersey Motorsports Park

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During WW II Millville Army Air Field in Millville, New Jersey was created in 1942 as a gunnery school for fighter pilots training in the new Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. After the war the base became Millville Municipal Airport. It later became the home to wonderful New Jersey Motorsports Park, which boasts TWO road courses as well as a world class karting track on over 300 acres. The road courses are named “Thunderbolt” and “Lightning,” after the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter. This weekend, Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000 will each hold three races on 2.25-mile, 12-turn “Thunderbolt.”

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The great Republic P-47 Thunderbolt…

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…and the track named for it.

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The two Road to Indy series racing at Millville this weekend are USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000, each doing Season Rounds 14, 15 and 16. To make the show even better for the fans the Road to Indy rented the track on Friday and sent out both series to do two tests apiece, for familiarization. The results of those test can be found in the “Off-Season” thread. The race weekend officially starts on Saturday morning with one practice session for each series, followed by qualifying and then the first of three races for the weekend, later in the day.

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Let’s take a look at the two series that will be racing, this weekend…

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(continued)

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M

[MarkyS]

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The Road to Indy ladder system builds talent for the IndyCar series by nurturing and training drivers through three increasingly difficult and capable series. They are USF2000, Indy Pro 2000 and Indy Lights.

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USF2000 - This is the bottom rung of the ladder - the entry point to young drivers who typically come out of karting or out of F1600 wingless formula cars. The Tatuus USF-17 is a carbon-fiber chassis with the latest in safety and performance features. The chassis are reinforced above F-4 specs for the rigors of oval racing. The cars have wings and slicks - sometimes the first cars as such for many drivers - and a good deal of downforce and grip. They are powered by a 180 hp Elite Engines MZR 4-cylinder. Gearboxes are 6-speed sequential, with paddle-shifters on the steering wheel. Brakes are ZR24 4-piston monobloc calipers at all four wheels, by Performance Friction Brakes.

The fields are often quite large and quite eclectic, with talent coming from all over the globe. The draw is the annual scholarship for WINNING the title. In 2021, the champion’s scholarship has been increased to a value of $401,305 and will again guarantee a full season of competition in the next step up, Indy Pro 2000, in 2022.

After 13 rounds of racing, the current points leader is sophomore Kiko Porto for DEForce Racing by virtue of 11 TOP FIVEs, including 6 podiums with 3 WINS - the latest at Mid-Ohio, in July. He’s being chased by 3rd-year veteran Michael d’Orlando for Cape Motorsports, 19 points back with 7 podiums, including 3 WINS.

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Kiko Porto, shooting for the top

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Indy Pro 2000 - The next step up the ladder is more than USF2000 …More of everything, including power and grip. The chassis is essentially the same as the Tatuus USF-17 but it has more wing, more tire and more brakes and it is pushed by more power. In this iteration it becomes the Tatuus PM-18. The engine is also an Elite Engines MZR 2.0 liter but it develops a snapping 275 hp and delightfully sounds a whole lot more powerful. The Sadev gearbox is a similar 6-speed sequential unit with paddle-shifters. The brakes are a similar PFB design 4-pot calipers but bigger tires make them more effective, and the tires are substantially bigger, with the fronts of the PM-18 the same as the rears of the USF-17 and the rears of the PM-18 much bigger than that.

The fields in “IP2K” are typically smaller in size than USF2000 but the level of talent across the board is much higher. Most of the drivers in this series have already cut their teeth for years in other junior formula series and have great racecraft in their back pocket. The competition level is therefore higher. Almost anyone in this field is capable of podiums and most are capable of WINS. In 2021, the champion’s scholarship has been increased to a value of $718,065 and will once again guarantee a full season of Indy Lights competition the following year.

After 13 rounds of racing, the current points leader is rookie Christian Rasmussen for Jay Howard Driver Development. The Dane was the 2020 Champion of USF2000. This year he already has 9 podiums including 5 WINS. Christian’s closest pursuer is sophomore Braden Eves for Exclusive Autosport with 11 TOP FIVES, including 3 WINS - the latest on the Gateway oval, last weekend.

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Christian Rasmussen - 2nd title in a row?

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Saturday will see both series get a single practice, followed by qualifying and 1 race each in the afternoon. Let’s get GOING!

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday morning at MIllville - USF2000 holds practice…

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The single practice session for the weekend saw mostly now-familiar names at the top of the time sheet, as we inch closer to the end of the season.

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

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1 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing - time of 01:18.1749s for a speed of 98.548mph

2 - Nolan Siegel, DEForce Racing - time of 01:18.2804s for a speed of 98.415mph

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3 - Christian Brooks, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:18.4323s for a speed of 98.225mph

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4 - Prescott Campbell, DEForce Racing - time of 01:18.6017s for a speed of 98.013mph

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5 - Christian Weir [R], Turn 3 Motorsports - time of 01:18.6153s for a speed of 97.996mph

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6 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports
7 - Josh Green, Turn 3 Motorsports
8 - Billy Frazer [R], Exclusive Autosport
9 - Spike Kohlbecker [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports
10 - Bijoy Garg, Jay Howard Driver Development

11 - Trey Burke [R], Joe Dooling Autosports
12 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Pabst Racing
13 - Josh Pierson, Pabst Racing
14 - Thomas Nepveu [R], Cape Motorsports
15 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing
16 - Evan Stamer [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports
17 - Dylan Christie [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
18 - Peter Vodanovich [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
19 - Myles Rowe [R], Force Indy
20 - Michael Myers, Michael Myers Racing

21 - Elysiah Navarro [R], DEForce Racing
22 - Kent Vaccaro [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
23 - Nathan Byrd [R], Legacy Autosport

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Notable:

• Brazilian Kiko Porto celebrates his 18th birthday with a P1 in practice. We think he has more to give himself this afternoon.

• 16-year-old Nolan Siegel has been wicked fast is SportsCars as well as formula cars, this year. He owns the Millville tack race record from 2020. Can he break through for a WIN this weekend?

• It’s unusual to see Chrisitan Weir best his Turn 3 teammate Josh Green. Green TOPPED Friday’s track testing, so it’s Christian who is stepping it up, here. This is only his 2nd Road to Indy event.

• The “speed boys” at Pabst Racing have all been speedier than this. Yuven Sundaramoorthy sits 3rd in the points and 15-year-old Josh Pierson has been phenomenal all year. Even rookie Jace Denmark has shown more speed than this.

• Conversely, this is a very good showing for Trey Burke for Joe Dooling, after struggling near the bottom most of the season.

Trey Burke - best yet

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Birthday boy Kiko Porto

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USF2000 will qualify at 10:15 for this afternoon’s Race 1 of the weekend. Next up, Indy Pro 2000 holds their P-1 session…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday morning at MIllville - Indy Pro 2000 holds practice…

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The middle rung of the ladder got their practice in following USF2000 and we saw the championship leader lead the way.

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

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1 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:14.4936s for a speed of 103.418mph

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2 - Hunter McElrea, Pabst Racing - time of 01:14.5129s for a speed of 103.391mph

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3 - Wyatt Brichacek [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:14.5785s for a speed of 103.301mph

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4 - Braden Eves, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:14.6011s for a speed of 103.269mph

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5 - Reece Gold [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:14.6327s for a speed of 103.226mph

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6 - Jacob Abel, Abel Motorsports
7 - Artem Petrov, Exclusive Autosport
8 - Jack William Miller [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
9 - James Roe [R], Turn 3 Motorsport
10 - Kyffin Simpson [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing

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Notable:

• At this point in the season there are really good guys and great guys left in the field. The entire field was covered in this practice by less than a second and the TOP FIVE by 0.13 seconds!

• If there is an outlier here it’s Wyatt Brichacek, who has not been TOP FIVE most of the season. He tested on Friday just as well as he practiced, here.

• Braden Eves had a broken vertabra in his neck at this point of the season in 2020, and was out when the series visited Millville, so he’s a track rookie, but he’s also Braden Eves and that makes the difference.

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Christian Rasmussen

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Indy Pro 2000 will qualify for Race 1 right after USF2000 do their own qually sesion, next up…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday morning at Millville - USF2000 is qualified for Race 1…

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…of the weekend. Race 1 will be run later today. On the pole is Pabst Racing “speed boy” Yuven Sundaramoorthy. The young American from Wisconsin is currently 3rd in the points.

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Here is the way USF2000 will grid for Season Round 14, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Pabst Racing - time of 01:17.3411s for a speed of 99.611mph

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P2 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing - time of 01:17.4016s for a speed of 99.533mph

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Row 2

P3 - Christian Brooks, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:17.5804s for a speed of 99.303mph

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P4 - Josh Green, Turn 3 Motorsports - time of 01:17.6499s for a speed of 99.215 mph

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Row 3

P5 - Josh Pierson, Pabst Racing - time of 01:17.6673s for a speed of 99.192mph

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P6 - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports - time of 01:17.705s for a speed of 99.144mph

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Row 4

P7 - Nolan Siegel, DEForce Racing
P8 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing

Row 5

P9 - Prescott Campbell, DEForce Racing
P10 - Christian Weir [R], Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 6

P11 - Myles Rowe [R], Force Indy
P12 - Billy Frazer [R], Exclusive Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Spike Kohlbecker [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports
P14 - Dylan Christie [R], Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 8

P15 - Elysiah Navarro [R], DEForce Racing
P16 - Thomas Nepveu [R], Cape Motorsports

Row 9

P17 - Michael Myers, Michael Myers Racing
P18 - Evan Stamer [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 10

P19 - Bijoy Garg, Jay Howard Driver Development
P20 - Peter Vodanovich [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 11

P21 - Kent Vaccaro [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports
P22 - Trey Burke [R], Joe Dooling Autosports

Row 12

P23 - Nathan Byrd [R], Legacy Autosport

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Notable:

• This is Yuven’s 4th pole of the season and he converted two of three previous poles into WINS. Kiko Porto will be hard on him at the drop of the green, but Thunderbolt is a difficult track to pass on, and if Yuven gets away, he may have his 4th WIN this year.

• Pabst Racing stepped it up in qually with all three drivers in the TOP EIGHT, while DEForce has three of four drivers in the TOP TEN.

• The two Joshes - Pierson and Green - are where we have become used to seeing them - TOP SIX.

• Not racing this weekend is Simon Sikes for Legacy Autosport, for reasons unknown. Sikes has been superb lately, with great showings at several events, including 3 podiums at the last event at Mid-Ohio.

Simon Sikes

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Yuven Sundaramoorthy - a University of Wisconsin Badger

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The race is scheduled for this afternoon at 2:30pm EASTERN time and can be seen LIVE on the USF2000 website and on Youtube. The weather may turn to rain. Next up, Indy Pro 2000 qualifies for Race 1…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday afternoon at Millville - Indy Pro 2000 holds qualification for Race 1…

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…and on the pole will be rookie Reece Gold for Juncos Hollinger Racing after laying down an unassailable flyer late in the session.

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Here is the way Indy Pro 2000 will grid for Season Round 14, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Reece Gold [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:13.3965s for a speed of 104.964mph

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P2 - Hunter McElrea, Pabst Racing - time of 01:13.5423s for a speed of 104.756mph

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Row 2

P3 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Jay Howard Driver Development - time of 01:13.7685s for a speed of 104.435mph

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P4 - James Roe [R], Turn 3 Motorsport - time of 01:13.7700s for a speed of 104.433mph

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Row 3

P5 - Braden Eves, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:13.8896s for a speed of 104.264mph

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P6 - Jack William Miller [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - time of 01:14.0695s for a speed of 104.010mph

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Row 4

P7 - Kyffin Simpson [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing
P8 - Jacob Abel, Abel Motorsports

Row 5

P9 - Wyatt Brichacek [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P10 - Artem Petrov, Exclusive Autosport

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Notable:

• Reece Gold will occasionally scare you with how good he is, but he just wasn’t this good at NJMP in USF2000 last year. He has learned something in the interim. He took pole on his 8th lap and came in a lap later. Christian Rasmussen and Hunter McElrea tried to answer him for a few more laps but eventually had to concede the pole to the Floridian - His 5th pole this season.

• Reece’s fast teammate, Manuel Sulaiman, WON here last season and also pulled in P3. He is not here this weekend, so it’s a case of what might have been for Juncos - possibly a 1, 2 in each race.

• Artem Petrov put in his banker laps early, but when it came time for his late-session fliers, the car gave up on him and he couldn’t fly. He will likely pass a number of guys on his way towards the front, but not likely get on the podium, as he did last year.

Artem Petrov - bad luck

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Reece Gold - 5th pole of the season

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The race is scheduled for 4:30pm EASTERN time this afternoon, and can be seen on the Indy Pro 2000 website or on Youtube. Next up, USF2000 holds Race 1. The grid for this is in post # 5…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday afternoon at Millville - USF2000 Race 1 extends the points lead…

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…of Kiko Porto for DEForce Racing, as the Brazilian WINS from his P2 start. Coming in P2 was pole-sitter Yuven Sundaramoorthy for Pabst Racing while P3 went to P3 starter Christian Brooks for Exclusive Autosport.

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On the opening lap Kiko moved to the outside of Turn 1 in an effort to keep Christian Brooks from getting by him into P2 but as he did he realized that Yuven was hanging close to the inside and Porto kept his foot in it to complete the unexpected pass for the lead. On the same lap Michael d’Orlando for Cape Motorsports moved past Josh Pierson for Pabst to take over P5, while Jace Denmark for Pabst followed through to take P6, pushing Pierson to P7. On lap 2 Christian Weir for Turn 3 Motorsports took P9 from Prescott Campbell for DEForce.

For a number of laps Sundaramoorthy was hanging onto Kiko’s tail, trying to find a way back around, but eventually his front tires were too raw to make it work, and Porto inexorably pulled away. Lap 5 saw Peter Vodanovitch for Jay Howard Driver Development jump from P20 to P15. Also on lap 5 Michael d’Orlando set Fastest Lap but in his effort to escape Yuven, Kiko reset Fastest Lap on lap 7.

Lap 17 saw Thomas Nepveu for Cape Motorsports reclaim P16 from Peter. On the final lap, lap 20, Josh Pierson reclaimed P6 from Jace Denmark while Christian Weir made a mistake that saw him fall from P9 to P12. Kiko cleared the finish line by just over 5 seconds over Yuven, with Brooks only 0.24 seconds behind Sundaramoorthy.

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Notable:

• No one was more surprised to be in the lead on lap 1 than Porto, who didn’t expect Yuven to take the line that he did, but it’s Kiko’s birthday, so maybe it was a gift.

• While Yuven wanted the WIN he at least bested Michael d’Orlando, tightening up the points chase, but Porto is getting too far out to be caught by either Sundaramoorthy or d’Orlando. They need to best him in the next two races.

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Your happy podium - That’s Yuven Sundaramoorthy in P2 on the left, Kiko Porto in P1 in the middle and Christian Brooks in P3 on the right:

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USF2000 will qualify for Race 2 early Sunday morning, rain or shine. Next up, Indy Pro 2000 will hold Race 1 of the weekend. The grid for this is in post # 6…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Saturday afternoon at Millville - Indy Pro 2000 Race 1 becomes the breakthrough…

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…for Reece Gold, as the Miami native becomes a race WINNER in his rookie season
of Indy Pro 2000 for Juncos Hollinger Racing, from pole. Coming in P2 was American-born Kiwi Hunter McElrea for Pabst Racing from P2 while P3 went to Danish points-leader Christian Rasmussen for Jay Howard Driver Development from his P3 start.

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The opening lap has always been the bane of existence for Gold, as in 4 previous starts from pole he lost the lead, but not this time. He kept to his line and held a challenge off from McElrea. Behind him, others were indeed making passes. From P6, Jack William Miller for Miller Vinatieri passed Braden Eves for Exclusive Autosport and then James Roe for Turn 3 Motorsports, to end up in P4. Following Jack through, Jacob Abel for Abel Motorsports went from P8 to P5, while Roe fell to P6 and Eves fell to P7 - not great for his title hopes. Kyffin Simpson for Juncos slipped back to P9 from his P7 start.

Reece slowly checked out, increasing the gap back to Hunter and in the doing set Fastest Lap on lap 2. Simpson very quickly found Artem Petrov for Exclusive hot on his tail, trying to get out of the cellar. The Russian made several attempted passes but found that Kyffin was able to keep him just from completing them. Finally, on lap 18 Artem took P9 and then went after Wyatt Brichacek for JHDD. By this time, two battles developed up front, as Hunter began to close on Reece, but Jack William Miller also began to close on Christian, still in P3.

By lap 24 Hunter had erased the 3 second gap to Gold and was only a half second behind, but on the final lap Hunter put a wheel off and lost much of what he had gained. Gold crossed the line 0.92 seconds ahead, with Rasmussen 7 seconds off McElrea and only 1 second ahead of 4th place Miller.

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Notable:

• Gold and Juncos believe they have found the secret to qualifying well, especially at Millville, so they will shoot for another two pole positions on Sunday, and hopefully the race WINS with them. Weather may play a big part.

• With his P1 over McElrea, Gold closes up the points to him, but Rasmussen extended his points over Braden Eves, who finished the race in 7th. Gold is now shooting for a 3rd place series trophy and thinks it is feasable…maybe even 2nd place.

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Your happy podium - That’s Hunter McElrea in P2 on the left, Reece Gold in P1 in the middle and Christian Rasmussen in P3 on the right:

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Mid-morning Sunday the IP2K gang will qualify for Race 2 and Race 3, followed by Race 2 in the early afternoon. This was the last on-track activity of the day.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday morning at Millville - USF2000 holds their second qually session…

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On a triple-header weekend the 2nd qually session is used to grid Race 2, but each driver’s 2nd fastest lap during qually will also grid Race 3, OR his fastest Race 2 lap will grid him in Race 3 - whichever is better. It is usually the qually lap, but drivers out of contention have been known to pull in late in a Race 2, get new tires and attempt to put in a flier that will put them in a better place in Race 3.

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Here is the way USF2000 will grid for Season Round 15, with times for theTOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports - time of 01:16.9750s for a speed of 100.084mph

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P2 - Nolan Siegel, DEForce Racing - time of 01:17.0691s for a speed of 99.962mph

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Row 2

P3 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing - time of 01:17.0890s for a speed of 99.936mph

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P4 - Josh Pierson, Pabst Racing - time of 01:17.2474s for a speed of 99.732mph

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Row 3

P5 - Josh Green, Turn 3 Motorsports - time of 01:17.2742s for a speed of 99.697mph

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P6 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing - time of 01:17.3023s for a speed of 99.661mph

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Row 4

P7 - Prescott Campbell, DEForce Racing
P8 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Pabst Racing

Row 5

P9 - Christian Weir [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P10 - Myles Rowe [R], Force Indy

Row 6

P11 - Spike Kohlbecker [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports
P12 - Christian Brooks, Exclusive Autosport

Row 7

P13 - Billy Frazer [R], Exclusive Autosport
P14 - Elysiah Navarro [R], DEForce Racing

Row 8

P15 - Dylan Christie [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P16 - Thomas Nepveu [R], Cape Motorsports

Row 9

P17 - Bijoy Garg, Jay Howard Driver Development
P18 - Michael Myers, Michael Myers Racing

Row 10

P19 - Trey Burke [R], Joe Dooling Autosports
P20 - Evan Stamer [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 11

P21 - Peter Vodanovich [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P22 - Kent Vaccaro [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

Row 12

P23 - Nathan Byrd [R], Legacy Autosport

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Notable:

• Points-leader Kiko Porto held pole for much of the session, but near the end Nolan Siegel took the top spot, only to lose it a lap later to Michael d’Orlando, who is Porto’s closest chaser. Micheal’s time is a new track qualifying record and also gives him 1 series point for pole.

• The TOP SIX are the series fast guys, but we expected Yuven Sundaramoorthy to do better than P8. It will be hard for the guy 3rd in the points to do anything from there.

• We also expected Christian Brooks to be TOP SIX and Spike Kohlbecker to be easily in the TOP TEN, but instead Myles Rowe stepped it up a bit and Christian Weir is quickly getting a good reputation, after joining the series at Mid-Ohio. This is the 14-year-old’s first year in formula cars, but he already has WINS in FRP Eastern Pro 4 Challenge and Radical Cup racing.

Christian Weir - impressive

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Michael d’Orlando - on the pole

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Race 2 will be held at 11:30am EASTERN time and can be seen on the USF2000 website and on Youtube. Next up, Indy Pro 2000 holds their 2nd qually session…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday morning at Millville - Indy Pro 2000 holds their 2nd qualifying session…

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…and rain takes a hand. It rained just before the session began, but not during the session. As a result, the TOP TIMES kept getting lower and lower as the session went on and the track got drier. Pole shifted several times between the top series drivers. When it was over, Hunter McElrea for Pabst Racing was on pole.

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Here is the way Indy Pro 2000 Season Round 15 will grid, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Hunter McElrea, Pabst Racing - time of 01:22.2095s for a speed of 93.712mph

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P2 - Artem Petrov, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:22.3117s for a speed of 93.595mph

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Row 2

P3 - Braden Eves, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:22.6049s for a speed of 93.263mph

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P4 - Kyffin Simpson [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:22.8505s for a speed of 92.987mph

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Row 3

P5 - Reece Gold [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:22.9617s for a speed of 92.862mph

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P6 - Jack William Miller [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - time of 01:23.0468s for a speed of 92.767mph

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Row 4

P7 - Jacob Abel, Abel Motorsports
P8 - James Roe [R], Turn 3 Motorsport

Row 5

P9 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P10 - Wyatt Brichacek [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

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Notable:

• Hunter’s time is well over the typical time but he set it literally in the last few seconds of qualifying. Also on top for a time were Christian Rasmussen, Jacob Abel, Artem Petrov and Braden Eves - but it was all changing rapidly.

• Points leader Rasmussen got caught out on the final laps and quickly lost positions. His closest pursuer in the title hunt is Eves, who should be able to make up ground today.

Christian Rasmussen off song

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Hunter McElrea - on the pole

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Race 2 for Indy Pro 2000 will go off at 1:30pm EASTERN time and can be seen on the Indy Pro 2000 website and on Youtube. Next up, USF2000 holds their Race 2 of the weekend. The grid for this is in post # 9…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Millville - USF2000 holds Race 2 and we have a new series WINNER…

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Today will be remembered for the incredible drive of Myles Rowe for Force Indy, who drove from a P10 start to WIN his first Road to Indy race. P2 was points leader Kiko Porto for DEForce Racing from a P3 start while P3 went to teammate Nolan Siegel from his P2 start.

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USF2000 Series

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The pass that did it:

USF2000 Series

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The race was actually in the dry but had to be started on wet weather Cooper tires, as the track was very wet from an earlier rain. Pole-sitter Michael d’Orlando for Cape Motorsports got away well on the first lap with Josh Green for Turn 2 Motorsports passing Josh Pierson for Pabst Racing for the P4 spot. On lap 2 several cars nearer the back ducked into the pits to take on slicks, in the hope that the performance difference would make for a better showing, as the wet weather tires would quickly degrade in the drying conditions. They included Christian Weir, Peter Vodanovich, Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Dylan Christie, Kent Vaccaro, Bijoy Garg and Michael Myers.

On lap 4 Kiko Porto passed Nolan Siegel to take over P2, which quickly became P1 as Michael d’Orlando suddenly dropped to P4. D’Orlando kept dropping and by lap 7 he was back in P11. By this time Myles had gone from P10 to take P5 from Prescott Campbell for DEForce. On lap 12 Myles set up Jace Denmark for Pabst Racing and took him for P4. Prescott followed him through to take over P5. It took two laps of running right on his transmission, but Myles finally took Josh Green for the P3 spot on lap 16.

On lap 17 Myles hunted down Nolan Siegel and took P2. At this point he was about 5 seconds away from Kiko, but he charged in and by the start of the last lap, lap 20, he was on the Brazilian’s tail. By the time they were at Turn 9 of the 12-turn circuit Myles made his move past Porto and took the lead. He crossed the finish line 0.32 seconds ahead of Kiko, who was 5.6 seconds ahead of Nolan.

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Notable:

• Rowe credited his ability to run well in slick conditions, and he was easily the fastest guy on rain tires all the race. This first WIN should give him a lot of confidence.

• The soft-spoken Rowe was very emotional in Parc Ferme, with the obvious pressure of needing to succeed for Force Indy finally off his back. He thanked everyone at Force Indy and all his mentors at Team Penske, including IndyCar driver Will Power. He also thanked his family, who were all around him.

• Kiko is very close to clinching the the title and will probably do it this afternoon. He likely decided in the very tight pass that it was better to not fight Myles for the WIN and risk losing the points. His closest rival, Michael d’Orlando, had the worst luck, going from pole to his eventual P13 finish.

• Of all the guys who opted to go for slick tires, none made up any ground. Rookie Christian Weir was able to get back to his original starting position, in P9, and set Fastest Lap in the doing.

Christian Weir

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Your happy podium - That’s Kiko Porto in P2 on the left, Myles Rowe in P1 in the middle and Nolan Siegel in P3 on the right:

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USF2000 will hold Race 3 at 2:30 today. Next up is Indy Pro 2000 Race 2. The grid for that is in post # 10…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Millivile - the grid is set for USF2000 Race 3…

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All the series drivers will be using their 2nd fastest qually lap from the Race 2 qualifying session to grid Race 3, as they bettered the Race 2 laps of each driver.

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Here is the way USF2000 will grid for Season Round 16, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Michael d’Orlando, Cape Motorsports - time of 01:17.0498s

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P2 - Nolan Siegel, DEForce Racing - time of 01:17.2798s

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Row 2

P3 - Josh Pierson, Pabst Racing - time of 01:17.2833s

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P4 - Kiko Porto, DEForce Racing - time of 01:17.3502s

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Row 3

P5 - Jace Denmark [R], Pabst Racing - time of 01:17.3806s

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P6 - Josh Green, Turn 3 Motorsports - time of 01:17.4118s

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Row 4

P7 - Prescott Campbell, DEForce Racing
P8 - Spike Kohlbecker [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 5

P9 - Christian Brooks, Exclusive Autosport
P10 - Dylan Christie [R], Turn 3 Motorsports

Row 6

P11 - Christian Weir [R], Turn 3 Motorsports
P12 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Pabst Racing

Row 7

P13 - Myles Rowe [R], Force Indy
P14 - Elysiah Navarro [R], DEForce Racing

Row 8

P15 - Thomas Nepveu [R], Cape Motorsports
P16 - Billy Frazer [R], Exclusive Autosport

Row 9

P17 - Michael Myers, Michael Myers Racing
P18 - Bijoy Garg, Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 10

P19 - Trey Burke [R], Joe Dooling Autosports
P20 - Evan Stamer [R], Ignite Autosport w/ Cape Motorsports

Row 11

P21 - Peter Vodanovich [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P22 - Kent Vaccaro [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports

Row 12

P23 - Nathan Byrd [R], Legacy Autosport

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Michael d’Orlando

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The race is set for 2:30pm EASTERN time and can be seen on the USF2000 website or on Yuotube…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Millville - Indy Pro 200 holds Race 2 of the weekend…

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…and it proved to be the vindication of Artem Petrov for Exclusive Autosport, who had a terrible Race 1, but WON Race 2 in a rout from his P2 starting spot. P2 was pole-sitter Hunter McElrea for Pabst Racing while P3 went to Braden Eves for Exclusive from his P3 start.

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Team Cooper Tire

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The race began in the rain, necessitating wet weather Coopers on all the cars at the start. The first lap was under yellow with the pace car out front, but Kyffin Simpson for Juncos Hollinger had a spin anyway and dropped from P4 to P10. When the green flag dropped on lap 2 Artem Petrov immediately jumped on Hunter McElrea and took the top spot from him. Jacob Abel for Abel Motorsports jumped from P7 to P4, past Jack William Miller for Miller Vinatieri and Reece Gold for Juncos. Miller and James Roe for Turn 3 Motorsports then got into it, with damage to Roe, who headed to the pits. Points-leader Christian Rasmussen for Jay Howard Driver Development somehow ended up losing his front wing on his P9 start and also headed to the pits for a new one. Ras would lose 1 lap but Roe lost 5 laps.

By lap 4 it was clear that Artem Petrov was on a tear. He was already 6 seconds ahead of Hunter and gaining a second a lap on the entire field. On lap 5 Reece took P4 from Jacob and then went after Braden Eves, who was holding down P3, some 8 seconds ahead. After that pass the race settled out with Petrov simply increasing his distance with Reece closing his. On lap 15 Rasmussen set Fastest Lap in his effort to get his lap back. By lap 17 Reece had slowly erased Braden’s huge lead on him down to about a half a second.

On lap 18 Rasmussen again set Fastest Lap but couldn’t gain positions, stuck in P9, still a lap down. Jack William Miller spun on the wet track but was able to rejoin in the same P7 spot, due to the stretch-out of the field. For the remaining 7 laps Artem increased his lead while Braden finally put a tiny bit of light between himself and Reece. Artem crossed the finish line 15.43 seconds ahead of Hunter, who was 8 seconds ahead of Braden.

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Notable:

• The beat down by Petrov in the rain was amazing to watch, especially given how badly Race 1 had gone for him, but it should be remembered that Artem was working in a car cobbled together with spare parts, following his hard crash into the wall at Gateway, last weekend, and the transmission was not 100% for Race 1. He says it still doesn’t “feel” like his car. Petrov will start Race 3 from P3.

• McElrea and Braden Eves will start P1 and P2 in Race 3, respectively, while Christian Rasmussen will start from P8. That likely means Ras will not be wrapping up the title here in Millville - but the Dane is always wicked fast, and he will make up ground. Weather may again play a huge roll.

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Your happy podium - That’s Hunter McElrea in P2 on the left, Artem Petrov in P1 in the middle and Braden Eves in P3 on the right:

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Next up on track is the final USF2000 race of the weekend. The grid for that is in Post # 12…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Millville - The grid for Indy Pro 2000 Race 3…

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All the drivers in IP2K will be using their 2nd fastest lap from the Race 2 qually session to grid Race 3 and we have that grid here.

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Here is the way Indy Pro 2000 will grid Season Round 16, with times for the TOP SIX: [R] denotes rookie

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Row 1

Pole - Hunter McElrea, Pabst Racing - time of 01:22.4447s

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P2 - Braden Eves, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:22.7419s

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Row 2

P3 - Artem Petrov, Exclusive Autosport - time of 01:22.9040s

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P4 - Reece Gold [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing - time of 01:23.1636s

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Row 3

P5 - Jacob Abel, Abel Motorsports - time of 01:23.2797s

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P6 - Jack William Miller [R], Miller Vinatieri Motorsports - time of 01:23.9401s

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Row 4

P7 - Kyffin Simpson [R], Juncos Hollinger Racing
P8 - Christian Rasmussen [R], Jay Howard Driver Development

Row 5

P9 - Wyatt Brichacek [R], Jay Howard Driver Development
P10 - James Roe [R], Turn 3 Motorsport

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Hunter McElrea - Kiwi takes another point for pole

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This race will be the last race of the weekend and will begin at 4:45pm EASTERN time with broadcast on the Indy Pro 2000 website and on Youtube.

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Millville - USF2000 holds Race 3 of the weekend…

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…and it proves to be the breakthrough first WIN of a young series star, as Nolan Siegel for DEForce Racing finally gets the dingus, from a P2 start, after several near misses over the last 2 seasons. Coming in P2 was Josh Green for Turn 3 Motorsports from a P6 start while P3 went to Yuven Sundaramoorthy for Pabst Racing in a great drive from a P12 start.

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USF2000 Series

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The race had a wet start, despite the end of the rain, so everyone was on rain tires at the green flag, which dropped on lap 2, after a lap under yellow. On that lap Josh Green moved past Kiko Porto for DEForce to take over P4, while Spike Kohlbecker for Ignite Autosport took P6 from Prescott Campbell for DEForce. On the same lap a bunch of cars, most on the rear half of the grid, pitted to get slick tires. They included Jace Denmark, Dylan Christie, Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Peter Vodanovich, Bijoy Garg, Kent Vaccaro and Christian Weir. Taking the biggest chance on the strategy was Denmark, who had started from P5 - a big number to make back up on slicks.

On lap 3 Christian Brooks for Exclusive Autosport took P7 from Prescott Campbell, but then decided to go in for the slicks, as well, a lap later.On lap 5 Prescott took P6 from Spike Kohlbecker. On lap 6 Josh Green slotted into P3 past Josh Pierson for Pabst Racing. For the next three laps Nolan Siegel was right on the gearbox of Michael d’Orlando and at times was beside him. Twice, Nolan put wheels off the track in an attempt to pass him. Finally, he collected d’Orlando on lap 10 and took the lead. Josh Green followed him through, putting Michael into P3.

Once he had put on slicks on lap 2, Yuven was slicing through the field, reclaiming spots he had lost by pitting. By lap 15 Yuven was already well past his P12 starting position and going after P7. The strategy was working. He caught Spike Kohlbecker on lap 17 and took the spot. Jace Denmark - another of the slicks guys - followed him through and took P8. On lap 18 Yuven was in P6 past Prescott Campbell. On lap 19 he took P5 from Kiko Porto and P4 from Josh Pierson. On the final lap he was able to get P3 from d’Orlando and the podium was set practically in the shadow of the finish line tower.

A great race, with lots of drama!

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Notable:

• No one deserves a WIN more than Siegel, who spent his first year in the Road to Indy in 2019 as a 14-year-old, learning. But in 2020 and now 2021 it was clear he had learned a lot and all he needed was the right set of circumstances to take a WIN. He had them today and was not going to be denied. A great drive by the 16-year-old, popular with his fellow drivers.

• On the final lap Christian Weir and Jace Denmark also took Kiko Porto, relegating him to a P8 finish, which means the Championship battle goes to Mid-Ohio. It’s down to Kiko and Michael d’Orlando, now.

• Yuven Sundaramoorthy’s heroic climb to the podium will not earn him a Championship. He was mathmatically eliminated this weekend. But he still has a shot at the Vice-Championship, going to Mid-Ohio.

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Your happy podium - That’s Josh Green in P2 on the left, Nolan Siegel in P1 in the middle and Yuven Sundaramoorthy in P3 on the right:

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With these results, here are the TOP THREE in points, leaving New Jersey:

1 - Kiko Porto, 368
2 - Michael d’Orlando, 324
3 - Yuven Sundaramoorthy, 295

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The next outings for USF2000 will be at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the final event of the season - a double-header that will crown the champion. That’s another stand-alone event for the Road to Indy, October 1-3.

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Next up, the final race of the weekend, as Indy Pro 2000 does Race 3. The grid for this is in post # 14…

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M

[MarkyS]

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Sunday at Millville - Indy Pro 2000 closes out the weekend of racing…

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…witth Race 3, WON by pole-sitter Hunter McElrea for Pabst Racing. P2 went to Braden Eves for Exclusive Autosport from his P2 start and P3 went to his teammate, Artem Petrov, from his P3 start.

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Pabst Racing

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The only race of the day without rain tires factoring in saw Hunter get away cleanly at the start, but contact deep in the pack saw the points leader Christian Rasmussen for Jay Howard Driver Development damaged and heading to the pits for repairs. Jacob Abel for Abel Motorsports nipped Reece Gold for Juncos Hollinger Racing for the P4 spot. Braden Eves and Artem Petrov then went side-by-side into Turn 1 on lap 2. As they forced each other deep they and Abel checked up and were caught by the pair of Reece Gold and Jack William Miller for Miller Vinatieri, battling over P5. Gold took to the dirt on the outside in avoidance and spun on the damp grass, sending him into the barriers and out of the race with a broken rear wing. He was able to motor back to the pits and the race stayed green. Teammate Kyffin Simpson also spun avoiding Gold, but was able to keep it on the island and rejoin at the rear.

On lap 2 Miller spun in Turn 5, but collected it up, going from P6 to P8 in the process. James Roe for Turn 3 Motorsports went from P8 to P5 while Wyatt Brichacek for JHDD went from P7 to P6. For the next several laps things settled down as McElrea began to gap the field. On lap 6 Rasmussen came back on track, repaired and fast, but 6 laps down. He immediately set Fastest Lap for the 1 point available.

For the remainder of the race the only battle was for P5 between James Roe, Wyatt Brichacek and Kyffin Simpson. Towards the end of the race Artem Petrov made it interesting by closing up tight to Braden Eves, but he didn’t attempt a pass and Hunter crossed the line a healthy 12.53 seconds ahead of Braden, who was only 0.56 seconds ahead of Artem.

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Notable:

• Hunter now has 3 WINS on the season and has podiumed in the last five races. The Kiwi is on a roll, but it might not be soon enough to knock off Braden Eves and Christian Rasmussen for the title. McElrea is 45 points out from Rasmussen, with 66 points maximum still available.

• While Eves had a good weekend, with a P2 and P3 and a P7, Rasmussen was less fortunate, with a P3, and two P9s. That has tightened up what was a run-away season for Christian. Now, Braden is only 18 points away, with those 66 points maximum still available.

• Reece Gold is 55 points out and Artem Petrov is 63 points out. Rasmussen must pretty much die between now and October for them to have any chance at all, but they are mathmatically still in the chase for the title.

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Your happy podium - That’s Braden Eves in P2 on the left, Hunter McElrea in P1 in the middle and Artem Petrov in P3 on the right:

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

1 - Christian Rasmussen, 392
2 - Braden Eves, 374
3 - Hunter McElrea, 347
4 - Reece Gold, 337
5 - Artem Petrov, 329

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The next outings for Indy Pro 2000 will be at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the final event of the season - a double-header that will crown the champion. That’s another stand-alone event for the Road to Indy, October 1-3.

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In the mean time, Thanks Millville for some great racing, with TWO new WINNERS in the Road to Indy.

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