The 2025 season was a year of firsts, challenges and some unforgettable highs. It was my second year in the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire USF2000 series and the first year for our brand-new team, Benchmark Autosport.

When your name is Ayrton, and you’re from Indiana, becoming a race car driver is almost a given. For 18-year-old Ayrton Houk, from McCordsville, Ind., it’s been the plan from a very early age. His father Kevin, a former shifter kart racer, put Houk on a dirt bike as a...