Elkin, Martella share USF Pro Carb Night honors at IRP

The traditional Carb Night Classic at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday produced a pair of impressive USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire victories for Israel’s Ariel Elkin, in USF Pro 2000, and Canada’s Anthony Martella, in USF2000.

USF Pro 2000: Elkin on a roll

The traditional single-car qualifying session for USF Pro 2000 took place on Thursday evening, thankfully after some earlier showers had passed through. Pabst Racing’s points leader Max Garcia and relatively new Turn 3 Motorsport recruit Nicholas Monteiro posted the fastest times during the pair of 45-minute test sessions, but it was yet another team, Exclusive Autosport, which emerged on top in qualifying as Clark posted his first pole since making a spectacular series debut at Circuit of The Americas in 2023 to snare the Continental Tire Pole Award.

With the sun having already set and the ambient temperature having dropped dramatically, the first of 90 laps was completed under yellow when Mexican George Garciarce’s DEForce Racing Tatuus failed to leave the grid on cue. Elkin, however, made his intentions clear from the moment the green flag waved, braving it out around the outside line through Turns 1 and 2 before sweeping into the lead through Turns 3 and 4.

Clark chased gamely, but it soon became apparent that Elkin was in a class by himself. By lap 28, Elkin had already lapped up to 10th place. The battling Pabst Racing pair, Michael Costello and Jacob Douglas were next to fall victim to the flying Israeli, such that when the caution flags waved after 47 laps when Joey Brienza lost control and crashed in Turn 4, only eight cars remained on the lead lap.

A group of lapped cars provided a welcome cushion between Elkin and his chasers when the green flag waved again with 57 of the 90 laps completed. Frankly, he didn’t need any help.

“It was an amazing race – my first race here on an oval,” said Elkin. “It was a very big challenge but with the support of TJ Speed Motorsports and the Israeli and Jewish nations, I was able to capture the win. It was a very tough race but we rose to all the challenges.”

The slower cars proved much more of a problem for Clark at the restart. De Tullio took full advantage, nipping past the Canadian and then moving clear. He even came close to matching Elkin’s pace as he eventually crossed the finish line just 1.2236s in arrears.

Clark finished a relatively lonely third, well clear of Garcia, who had to work extremely hard to stay ahead of an inspired Brady Golan, from Austin, Texas, who was making only his fourth USF Pro 2000 start from Turn 3 Motorsport.

Teammate Monteiro maintained his recent form by finishing sixth for the fourth race in a row. Costello was the final unlapped finisher in seventh.

After having started from the back of the field following a crash in qualifying, Tanner DeFabis, from nearby Avon, Ind., repaid his Jay Howard Driver Development team handsomely by finishing 10th. He also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

Tim Neff took home the PFC Award as the winning car owner.

RESULTS

Provisional championship points after nine of 18 rounds:

1. Max Garcia, 231

2. Ariel Elkin, 190

3. Alessandro de Tullio, 183

4. Mac Clark, 174

5. Jacob Douglas, 141

6. Max Taylor, 141

7. Michael Costello, 129

8. Jace Denmark, 118

9. Nicholas Monteiro, 113

10. Cooper Becklin, 102

Martella dominates in USF2000

The continued absence of former USF2000 points leader Liam McNeilly, from England, due to ongoing visa problems once again provided an opportunity for some other contenders to step into the breach. Unlike on the Indianapolis road course a couple of weeks ago, however, this time it was local driver Ayrton Houk and McNeilly’s regular Jay Howard Driver Development teammates Majman and Martella who stepped up their game.

Houk and Martella topped the timing sheets during the pair of test sessions on Thursday. After qualifying second fastest on the oval one year ago, Houk was determined to go one better this time around. He did not disappoint. Martella actually clocked a fractionally faster lap during the single-car, two-lap qualifying runs, but Houk’s overall average at a new record speed of 117.747mph was enough to secure the first-ever Continental Tire Pole Award for both himself and his family-run Benchmark Autosport team.

Houk maintained his advantage at the start, although it wasn’t long before Martella came knocking. Houk held off his Canadian rival for as long as he could as his car’s balance soon began to fall away. On lap 13, Martella’s pressure paid off as he darted to the inside in Turn 1 and took over a lead he never looked like relinquishing.

Schrage also took advantage of Houk’s misfortune by moving past into second place just four laps later. By then Martella had already begun to check out.

A lead of over six seconds was reduced slightly as the leader encountered some lapped traffic midway through the 75-lap race, but Martella’s win never looked in doubt.

Even a brief full-course caution with 13 laps to go failed to blunt his dominance. Martella once again raced clear in the final nine-lap run to the checkered flag, which he took with a 1.8009s margin over Schrage.

“It was definitely a very hard race, and 75 laps didn't make it easy,” said Martella. “I knew we had the speed, and I knew no one really could challenge us for the win. I think our race pace really showed as being our strong point. The goal from the beginning was to take the lead right off the start, which I didn't end up doing. But after a few laps, I got into the groove. The tires came in, and I made the move on Ayrton. After that, we just pulled away. Nobody had the speed that we did. Joe, Spencer and Jay and everyone at Jay Howard Driver Development did an amazing job prepping the race car and building me as a driver. I am really happy with the results and can't wait for Road America.”

After a disappointing run in qualifying had left teammate Majman an unrepresentative 11th on the grid, he began to move his way forward almost immediately after the start. The young Australian nipped past Pabst Racing’s G3 Argyros on lap 50, then quickly set off after Schrage.

The late caution appeared to play into Majman’s hands, but Schrage was up to the task and held onto his position relatively comfortably. In the absence of McNeilly and with Exclusive Autosport rival Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, finishing back in ninth, Schrage was able to move into the USF2000 points lead with seven of 18 races now completed.

Majman settled for third and also claimed the Tilton Hard Charger Award after an impressive performance. Caleb Gafrarar overtook Pabst Racing teammate Argyros for fourth place in the closing stages.

Jay Howard pocketed the PFC Award as the winning car owner. His team’s hard work also was rewarded by reclaiming the lead of the teams' championship.

RESULTS

Provisional championship points after eight of 18 races:

1. Thomas Schrage, 190

2. Jack Jeffers, 183

3. Liam McNeilly, 163

4. Teddy Musella, 135

5. G3 Argyros, 135

6. Caleb Gafrarar, 116

7. Evan Cooley, 114

8. Anthony Martella, 106

9. Brad Majman, 102

10. Sebastian Garzon, 102

Next up for both USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire series will represent an entirely different challenge with a doubleheader event alongside the NTT IndyCar Series at the Road America road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on June 20-22.