Mokarem and Zanella Racing dominate opening USF Juniors race

Max Mokarem drove a picture-perfect race Tuesday afternoon for Zanella Racing to win the opening round of a new USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire season at the Homestead-Miami Speedway 2.25-mile oval/road course.

Mokarem became the third youngest race winner at the beginning of the series’ fifth season as he led throughout the 20-lap opening of the USF Juniors Grand Prix of Homestead Presented by YACademy tripleheader. He finished comfortably clear of Olivia Racing’s Karol Pasiewicz.

Finland’s Vilho Aatola finished fifth on the road for DEForce Racing, but inherited the final podium position after JHDD powered by ECR teammates Casper Nissen and Max Cuthbert were both penalized five seconds for blocking.

Mokarem laid down a marker this morning in qualifying by securing the first Continental Tire Pole Award of the new campaign. The 14-year-old who races under the Lebanese flag narrowly headed Bex Cranston (Exclusive Autosport) and Pasiewicz at the front of a tightly packed field which, remarkably, counted nine different nationalities in the top nine positions on the starting grid.

There was plenty of shuffling for positions among the 21-car field as they completed the opening lap, but as they crossed the line it was still Mokarem who held the lead, albeit by mere inches from Pasiewicz and outside front row qualifier Cranston.

Moments later, a variety of incidents in Turns 1 and 2 ensured the first of two brief full-course cautions. Miraculously, there was only one retirement, but that turned out to be especially unfortunate for Alex Berg, whose small family-run team had effected a monumental rebuild following a major accident during testing on Monday, only for his race to be ended through no fault of his own.

Mokarem and Pasiewicz soon distanced themselves from the field after the restart. Mokarem was able to maintain his lead, but only by the narrowest of margins, holding tightly onto the low line through the banking in NASCAR Turns 3 and 4 and onto the front straightaway as the Pole tried in vain to gain a slipstream after taking a significantly higher line through the 180-degree corner.

Cranston lost his opportunity to stay with the two leaders following an incident on lap 6 with Ivan Machado Perez (VRD Racing by Pole Position), but was able to rejoin a distant last and remain on the lead lap. Just. That fact played into his favor following a second safety car interlude, which ended with five laps remaining.

Mokarem pulled clear and retained his advantage until the checkered flag.

Pasiewicz instead had his work cut out to manage the pair of JHDD powered by ECR cars of Nissen and Cuthbert. They eventually took the checkered flag in this order, only to be penalized afterward by the race stewards, dropping them to eighth and 10th position.

Aatola not only inherited third place, he also was the winner of the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

Zanella Racing’s Olivier Mrak was credited with fifth, just ahead of Cranston, who masterfully picked his way through the field, rising from 18th following the final restart. Cranston also laid down a marker by posting comfortably the fastest race lap.

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

A second qualifying session at 9:00am Wednesday will determine the starting positions for the final two races which will see the green flag at 11:15am and 2.30pm.