Zanella Racing dominates final day of USF Juniors action

Zanella Racing teammates Leonardo Escorpioni and Ty Fisher claimed a victory apiece in Saturday’s pair of chaotic races that concluded the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland and the USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire season. Escorpioni’s triumph in the opening race was enough to clinch the championship, while Zanella also tied up the Teams Championship by a comfortable margin.

Australian Liam Loiacono (Jay Howard Driver Development), from Australia, and Mexico’s Rodrigo Gonzalez (DEForce Racing) finished second and third in the first race of the day, while Escorpioni backed up his teammate Fisher by taking second in the concluding event ahead of Gonzalez’s younger brother Patricio.

The grid for this afternoon’s first race (and second of the weekend) was determined by each driver’s second-fastest lap during the lone qualifying session on Friday, and once again saw Escorpioni at the sharp end of the field to earn the 15-year-old Florida-domiciled Brazilian his fifth Continental Tire Pole Award of the season.

Escorpioni made another exemplary start from pole position, and was already well clear of his pursuers by the exit of the first couple of corners. Behind, it was a different story with much jockeying of position. Mexico City’s Rodrigo Gonzalez jumped from third to second on the opening lap, while Loiacono also was on the move, up to third from sixth on the grid.

Escorpioni continued to blaze a trail at the front, pulling out more than 2.5 seconds before his advantage was trimmed to nothing after five laps due to an incident further down the field which necessitated a full-course caution.

It was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Escorpioni once again jumped clear at the restart, and even though his closest title rival, Loiacono, was able to find a way past Gonzalez, there was no catching the Zanella Racing entry which continued to extend its lead.

Another full-course caution once again closed up the field and ensured that the race would finish under caution. Escorpioni was therefore assured of his sixth win of the season – and a well deserved scholarship valued at just under $250,000 to graduate to USF2000 next season.

Rodrigo Gonzalez prevailed for the final podium position, followed by Oliver Wheldon (VRD Racing), who finally put a sequence of misfortune behind him, Patricio Gonzalez, Joao Vergara (VRD Racing) and Fisher, who had been instructed by race control to cede one position for blocking.

Zanella Racing’s Diego Guiot pocketed the Tilton Hard Charger Award after rising to eighth from 13th on the starting grid.

The second race later in the evening was equally dramatic and began with a couple of early full-course cautions due to a variety of incidents at the notoriously demanding first turn.

Escorpioni, after winning another Continental Tire Pole Award, took control from the outset, although at the first restart, which came on lap 3, there was drama immediately in his mirrors as Loiacono was hit from behind and clattered into an unsuspecting and unfortunate Wheldon, who had been hoping to finish his season on a high. The incident sidelined Loiacono with a broken front wing, while Wheldon picked up a slow puncture that only really became apparent once the race had been restarted again. He duly lost a lap while a wheel was replaced in the pits.

Fisher, too, had some difficulties, running through the escape road after having been running directly behind Loiacono, which subsequently earned him a five-second penalty.

As soon as Wheldon found his car hobbled by the puncture at the restart, Fisher deftly moved through into second place ahead of P. Gonzalez.

A couple of laps later, Escorpioni slowed into Turn 7, which allowed his teammate to move into the lead. Thereafter, Fisher was able to pull out enough of an advantage to overcome his penalty.

Once that had been achieved, Escorpioni displayed his true pace by setting the fastest lap of the race as he pulled clear of Gonzalez in third. On the last lap, Vergara attempted to sneak past Gonzalez at the final corner, but instead indulged in a quick spin which dropped him to sixth at the finish behind the elder Gonzalez and Guiot, who picked up another Tilton Hard Charger Award after having started 13th.

Jose and Jessica Zanella capped their day by picking up another pair of PFC Award as the winning car owners.

Provisional final championship points:

1. Leonardo Escorpioni, 403

2. Liam Loiacono, 332

3. Joao Vergara, 292

4. Ty Fisher, 285

5. Oliver Wheldon, 250

6. Rodrigo Gonzalez, 235

7. Vilho Aatola, 234

8. Patricio Gonzalez, 208

9. Diego Guiot, 198

10. Brenden Cooley, 166