Douglas and Jeffers earn Indianapolis USF Pro 2000 wins

A busy day of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course saw Pabst Racing’s Jacob Douglas and Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers each claim an accomplished USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire victory in entirely different conditions.

The first 25-lap race that comprised the Tatuus Grand Prix of Indianapolis was held in tricky wet/dry conditions during which a perfectly timed pit stop was rewarded by an impressive victory for New Zealander Douglas. Mac Clark, from Milton, Ont., Canada, finished a strong second for Exclusive Autosport, while fellow Canadian Mayer Deonarine secured the final podium finish after an impressive debut for Pabst Racing.

Later in the day, under an almost cloudless sky and a warm sun, last year’s USF2000 champion Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, held off a determined challenge from points leader Frankie Mossman (VRD Racing), from Newport Beach, Calif., to earn his second win of the season for Exclusive Autosport. Teammate Teddy Musella, from Orlando, Fla., earned his first podium finish in third.

Fastest of all during the Fall Combine test last October, Peruvian Andres Cardenas continued his impressive Indianapolis form with JHDD powered by ECR, posting the fastest time during qualifying on Friday to claim his first Continental Tire Pole Award and the inside of the front row for this morning’s race. He was joined on the front row by Jeffers, who had started up front in both of the two season-opening races on the Streets of Arlington, Texas, in March.

The 2.439-mile GP course was still quite damp after overnight rain, and in the cool morning air, even the earlier USF2000 race failed to dry the surface too much, which led to race officials declaring a wet race and ensured everyone would start on wet-weather tires.

However, with the sun rising a little higher in time for the 8:55 a.m. start, a dry line already was beginning to emerge. After one extra lap behind the Safety Car due to the abrupt change in conditions from Friday, the race began with at least four cars running side-by-side as they headed toward Turn One.

Mossman contrived to emerge in the lead, despite having started fourth, although the race was soon neutralized by the Safety Car after third-place starter Michael Costello, from Naples, Fla., and Turn 3 Motorsport teammate Sebastian Manson, from Auckland, New Zealand, both spun and were unable to restart. The early caution was regarded as a golden opportunity by almost half the field, who ducked immediately to the pits for a change onto slick, dry-weather tires.

Pabst Racing proved their prowess by servicing all three of their cars in double-quick time, which resulted in Douglas, G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., and debutant Deonarine lining up for the restart in 11th, 12th and 13th behind those drivers who had elected not to pit.

Jeffers overtook Mossman for the lead immediately after the restart, both still on wets, but within just a couple of laps, those who had switched to slicks were already displaying the wisdom of their early call.

Mossman regained the lead on the ninth lap and remained in front until the caution flags waved again due to another spinner farther down the field. By then it was patently obvious that slicks were the tires of choice, so when Mossman took advantage of the caution to make his own pit stop, it was Douglas who inherited a lead he never looked like losing.

The Kiwi pulled clear at the restart to secure his second USF Pro 2000 victory after also claiming his maiden success at the same venue last year.

A fine battle for second saw the youngest driver in the field, 16-year-old Christian Cameron, from Sonoma, Calif., first underneath the checkered flag, although a five-second penalty for having jumped too early at the initial start cost him two positions in the final results.

Cameron’s misfortune allowed Clark to claim second after a fine drive from 11th on the grid which also netted him the Tilton Hard Charger Award. A delighted Deonarine finished third ahead of Thomas Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio, who also set the fastest lap for TJ Speed Motorsports before later being relegated to eighth after being found guilty of weaving during the race.

RACE 1 RESULTS

Race Two later in the day saw Jeffers once again starting at the front after claiming his second Continental Tire Pole Award by virtue of posting the best of each drivers’ second-fastest laps during the lone qualifying session.

Jeffers held onto his lead at the start, although the race was quickly brought into check following an incident at the back of the field in Turn One.

Another pair of full-course cautions also broke up the 25-lap contest, including one in which last year’s USF Juniors champion Leonardo Escorpioni, from Windermere, Fla., was launched into a vicious series of rolls following contact with Cameron at Turn 10. He was fortunate to escape uninjured, although the same could not be said for his Turn 3 Motorsport Tatuus.

Mossman briefly gained the lead for a couple of laps just before half-distance, but Jeffers fought back immediately after one of the restarts and held onto a slender advantage for the remainder of the distance.

Schrage worked his way impressively from ninth to third before half distance, after which wheel-to-wheel contact with Manson resulted in some damage and saw him slip back to seventh.

Instead, after losing a couple of places on the opening lap, eighth-place starter Musella made some fine passes and took advantage of his pace to slip into third place on Lap 16, which he held until the end.

Manson secured his best result in fourth ahead of Costello.

Veteran Charles Finelli, from Locust Valley, N.Y., claimed the Tilton Hard Charger Award for FatBoy! Racing and climbing from 20th on the grid to 11th at the finish.

The PFC Awards were claimed by Augie Pabst and Exclusive Autosport co-owners Josh Cooley and Michael Duncalfe as the winning car owners.

The top two finishers in this afternoon’s race now share the points lead as USF Pro 2000 returns to action in two weeks’ time on Friday, May 22, for the traditional Carb Night Classic at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

RACE 2 RESULTS

Provisional championship points after four of 18 rounds:

1. Jack Jeffers, 87

2. Frankie Mossman, 87

3. Leonardo Escorpioni, 58

4. Michael Costello, 56

5. Brady Golan, 54

6. Jacob Douglas, 52

7. G3 Argyros, 52

8. Andres Cardenas, 50

9. Christian Cameron, 45

10. Mac Clark, 44