Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Benchmark Autosport’s Ayrton Houk stormed to pole for the Freedom 75 in USF2000 qualifying at Lucas Oil Raceway.

The 25-year-old track record could not be beaten, but there was still a very high level pace set in the sole oval qualifying session of the season.

Series returnee Elliot Cox laid down the first two-lap benchmark, a 42.3029s which could not be beaten by the next group of drivers who headed out one-by-one for their qualifying efforts.

Eventually Anthony Martella beat him, and was absolutely rapid on both laps. He set a 21.0449s on his first tour, then improved to 20.9338s on his second. Somehow, that superb pace did not earn him pole.

There were some changed to fourth and fifth place as the next drivers came out, then Houk was unable to match Martella yet won in the consistency stakes.

A 21.0051s opening lap looked encouraging, then lap two was a 20.9423s. Combined, that made him 0.0313s faster than Martella overall and with an average speed of 117.747mph.

Despite a big snap of oversteer and not lapping sub-21s, Caleb Gafrarar was able to go third fastest and then G3 Argyros held the position. His two laps were very similar to each other, but then he did a third and it has not been communicated if he will be punished for not returning to the pits when he was required to.

Teddy Musella was unable to challenge the top two, but fellow title contender Thomas Schrage was and he set a 21.1306s then a 21.0217s to qualify third.

The final driver was Jack Jeffers, and he struggled for pace down in ninth place.

Absent from the action was former points leader Liam McNeilly, who is still unable to return to the USA from the UK due to visa issues.

Earlier in the day before qualifying were two tsest sessions. Houk topped the first, setting a 21.0762s to narrowly beat Gafrarar and Brad Majman by less than 0.09 seconds, then Wian Boshoff was 0.1108s back in fourth as little over 0.4s split first and 16th place.

Martella, Majman, Garzon and Gafrarar lowered the pace in session two and were close at the top. A 20.8637s lap set mid-session earned Martella top spot by a tiny 0.0039s over Majman and 0.0843s over Garzon.

Qualifying results

The post Ayrton Houk lands Freedom 75 pole in tense USF2000 qualifying appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Ayrton Houk will remain on the USF2000 grid for a second season by joining a new team set up by his father Kevin.

The one-car Benchmark Autosport team has been established in partnership with Don Conner, whose own DC Autosport team ran the younger Houk in USF2000 this year and has been a title-winning operation in Formula 4.

The 21-year-old Houk came 11th in the USF2000 standings with a best finish of fourth as a slicks-and-wings rookie.

He previously drove wingless single-seaters, being runner-up in the United States’ F1600 Championship Series in two successive seasons. His 2022 campaign featured five wins, and last year he claimed three wins and two poles. Houk then won the Team USA Scholarship to race in the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy, both of which he finished 14th in.

Exclusive Autosport, Jay Howard Driver Development and Pabst Racing have also made USF2000 signings for 2025.

JHDD has announced the trio of Timothy Carel, Brad Majman and Anthony Martella. Carel, 18, is from France and came 11th in USF Juniors with the team this year.

Martella switches over from Exclusive, with whom the 16-year-old Canadian did three USF Juniors rounds (and took three 10th places) and one USF2000 round in 2024. He was also Sports Car Championship Canada runner-up in the TCR touring car class. Fernando Alonso’s A14 Management firm oversees Majman’s career, and the Australian relocated to the USA this year to race in the Ligier JS F4 Series where he came fifth with three wins.

Exclusive has signed 21-year-old Brazilian talent Lucas Fecury. He was 17th in USF Juniors and 18th in United States F4 in 2022, and last year was 15th in Formula Regional Oceania then signed with DEForce Racing to race in USF Juniors.

He took one podium and came ninth in the standings, and also did one USF2000 round with the team. That turned into a full season in 2024, but he was only able to come 14th in the points. His sophomore FRegional Oceania campaign also underwhelmed, as he was 17th there.

G3 Argyros and Caleb Gafrarar have been signed by Pabst. Argyros is already a USF2000 race-winner, having ended his part-time 2024 campaign with a victory at Portland that lifted him to 17th in the standings.

The 15-year-old single-seater rookie primarily raced at the step below on the Road to Indy, coming sixth in the YACademy Winter Series with one podium then seventh in USF Juniors with a haul of three trophies but no wins.

Gafrarar was a champion in America on X30 Junior karts in 2022, won two F4 races as he came fourth in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series last year then was 11th in Britain’s United FFord championship in 2024 with victory on debut at Lydden Hill.

“I hope to learn from the team, be consistent, finish every lap of every race and win the USF2000 Championship,” said the 16-year-old. “Everyone on the team is serious but we also have fun.”

The post Ayrton Houk continues in USF2000 with new team launched by his dad appeared first on Formula Scout.