Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

DEForce Racing’s Sebastian Garzon doubled up in the second USF2000 race on the streets of St. Petersburg.

He missed out on pole, as Pabst Racing’s Eddie Beswick second-best laptime from qualifying earned him top spot by 0.0758 seconds over team-mate and race one fastest lap-setter Brad Majman.

Garzon’s best race one laptime put him third on race two’s grid, ahead of Joao Vergara (Velocity Racing Development), Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella Racing), Ryan Giannetta (VRD), Lucas Nanji (Pabst) and Anthony Martella (Exclusive Autosport).

Beswick held the lead into the race’s opening corner, and Escorpioni made one overtake before pulling off another at turn four on Majman who had already lost out to Garzon. Racing was then neutralised due to a turn one crash involving Jay Howard Driver Development by Ed Carpenter Racing’s Cal Peter driving over the rear of Exclusive’s Evan Cooley. Later in the lap, Martella ended his race at turn eight.

The restart was not until lap six, and it did not last long as Exclusive’s Connor Aspley had stopped on track after turn 10 and his car needed recovering. JHDD’s Liam Loiaconi pitted during the next caution period, so was at the back for the lap nine restart.

Garzon was instantly alongside Beswick and swept past on the outside before entering turn one, with Escorpioni following through at turn four. A wide moment at turn five for Escorpioni two laps later allowed Beswick back through, and Garzon began pulling away but could not get more than 1.2s ahead.

The top three held their positions through the race’s second half, and Majman was a lonely fourth. DEForce’s Brady Golan overtook Vergara on the lap nine restart for fifth, with Giannetta chasing them through the rest of the race.

VRD’s Teddy Musella climbed two spots from 13th on lap one, and another two on lap nine. On lap 11 he overtook Exclusive’s Ayrton Cahan for eighth.

Race results (20 laps)

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Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

DEForce Racing’s Sebastian Garzon had a stellar opening day of the USF2000 season in St. Petersburg, taking pole and converting it into victory.

Pole position was only narrowly claimed by Garzon, who pipped Exclusive Autosport’s Anthony Martella by 0.0425 seconds. Pabst Racing’s Eddie Beswick and Brad Majman were 0.1212s and 0.2673s behind in third and fourth, with everyone else more than half a second off the pace. However a second still covered the top 12.

Exclusive’s Evan Cooley, who came sixth in USF2000 last year, was sixth fastest and 2025 championship runner-up Teddy Musella was only 10th on the grid in a new car run by Velocity Racing Development.

Liam Loiacono, USF Juniors runner-up in 2025, set no laptimes in qualifying due to a fuel pump failure so the Jay Howard Driver Development by Ed Carpenter Racing driver lined up 23rd and last on the grid.

Martella and Beswick got ahead of Garzon either side of him on the run down to the race’s opening corner, but Martella spun when he reached it and team-mate Cooley then drove over the top of him.

Others went deep but avoided Martella’s car, while Garzon was alone up front until a caution period was called for as Beswick fell to 12th.

At that point, Garzon led Joao Vergara (VRD) and Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella Racing), up from fifth and seventh, with Majman holding fourth ahead of team-mate Lucas Nanji who had started 11th. After pitting for repairs, Beswick was 20th.

Racing resumed on lap four and Garzon was unvrivalled. He grew his lead on all but three of the laps, and ended the 20-lap encounter 2.5s clear of Vergara.

The top four gradually distanced themselves from Nanji, and further back was a six-car group led by VRD’s Colin Aitken in sixth. Musella was initially in that group, but after some kerb-riding on lap seven he fell to 15th behind Beswick and in a train of cars led by Enve Motorsports’ Wesley Gundler in 12th.

Gundler’s group was approaching the rear of Aitken’s by lap 15, as he faced attacks from behind. DEForce’s Brady Golan looked to get by but contact meant he had to pit, and other squabbles at the final corner led to Exclusive’s Gabriel Cahan and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development’s Wian Boshoff passing Aitken.

Loiacono was now ninth, and Beswick was 12th but had damage and fell to the rear of the field again. VRD’s Ryan Giannetta overtook Loiacono and Aitken next time by, then on the last lap Boshoff and Giannetta cleared Cahan.

Gundler also made an end-of-race move, taking 10th from Loiacono after he had been gapped by Aitken ahead. Musella was right behind him at the finish, and after several laps holding off Exclusive’s Ayrton Cahan, and Golan was a lapped 19th.

Race results (20 laps)

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Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

DEForce Racing’s Sebastian Garzon was quickest in the first practice session of the USF2000 season on the streets of St. Petersburg.

He pipped Pabst Racing’s Eddie Beswick by a tiny 0.0592 seconds, with a second covering the top 14 in the 24-car field.

Exclusive Autosport’s Evan Cooley was 0.1349s behind in third, and there was a 0.3018s gap to Jay Howard Driver Development’s Liam Loiacono in fourth. Just 0.0447s thenh split Loiacono, Joao Vergara (Velocity Racing Development) and Anthony Martella (Exclusive).

There was a surprise addition to DEForce’s line-up, as Brady Golan was at the wheel. The 18-year-old came fifth in Formula Regional Americas last year, and was 18th in his half-season in USF2000.

He has signed with Turn 3 Motorsport to step up to USF Pro 2000 for 2026, which will rule him out of making further USF2000 appearances due to the two series racing on the same dates on IndyCar’s support bill.

JHDD which has partnered with IndyCar team Ed Carpenter Racing, has a four-car line-up in USF2000 and three of its drivers were announced in the last week.

Swedish racer Erik Holm starts his single-seater career with JHDD, having spent last year in shifter karting. The 20-year-old came 13th in the WSK Super Master Series’ KZ2 kart class, and was 37th in the WSK Final Cup the year before. He has also tested a FRegional-based Eurocup-3 car.

Liacono graduates to USF2000 after being USF Juniors runner-up with JHDD. He won five races and claimed two other podiums, and that followed the YACademy Winter Series where he was ninth in the standings. The 18-year-old Australian spent three years in his home country’s Formula Ford scene prior to 2025.

The team’s line-up is completed by Naim Saleh, who takes two steps up the road to Indy after coming third in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series last year. That uses Formula 4 cars, which he also got experience of on home soil in Brazilian F4’s Formula 1-supporting non-championship round at Interlagos.

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Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

DEForce Racing’s Sebastian Garzon set the pace in USF2000 pre-season testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The lastest additions to the 2026 grid, announced before testing, are Eddie Beswick at Pabst Racing and Wian Boshoff at Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development.

Beswick, 20, hails from Australia and won the title in his home country’s national Formula Ford championship in 2024. He also made his USF2000 debut that year, joining Exclusive Autosport for the street races in Toronto, then joined the grid full-time in 2025 as Synergy Motorsport’s sole driver.

While Beswick was usually in the top 10, facing new tracks each round and being part of a small outfit made for a hard rookie campaign but he still came 10th in the standings. The importance of experience showed in Toronto, the only circuit he did know, as he finished second in race one there.

Boshoff is embarking on a second season with SFHRD, having come 17th in his rookie campaign. He missed the final round, and four 10th places were his best results. The South African also raced in Indian Formula 4, where he was ninth in the points table.

There were five test sessions at Homestead across Monday and Tuesday (although six were scheduled), and Jay Howard Driver Development by Ed Carpenter Racing’s Naim Saleh topped the first. They set a 1m19.6016s to lead Velocity Racing Development’s Joao Vergara by a tiny 0.018 seconds, with Garzon 0.0889s behind and just 0.0001s ahead of Saleh’s team-mate Liam Loiacono.

Gabriel Cahan (Exclusive Autosport) was 0.354s back in fourth, and a slim 0.0574s split him and Colin Aitken (VRD) in ninth.

Ryan Giannetta (VRD) lowered the pace to 1m19.4150s in session two, edging Aitken by 0.0936s. Vergara and Loiacono were less than 0.18s behind, and Garzon was fifth.

Garzon moved to the front in session three, posting a 1m19.0521s. He took top spot by 0.2304s over Aitken, and Gabriel Cahan (Exclusive Autosport) moved into third overall with a 1m19.4137s lap. Pabst Racing’s Brad Majman was 0.4092s behind in fourth, as only 11 of the drivers recorded laptimes.

Session four the next day was the fastest, and Garzon set a 1m18.3373s that would not be beaten. Six drivers lapped sub-1m19s, with Loiacono and Vergara 0.108s and 0.1396s off the pace-setter with two very late efforts. Giannetta was only 0.1797s off the top in fourth, and Garzon had a 0.298s gap to Aitken in fifth. Saleh was sixth, and a second covered the top 11.

Garzon broke the 1m19s barrier again in session five, which he topped. His 1m18.8116s put him 0.5271s clear of Vergara, and Lucas Nanji (Pabst) trailed by 0.6016s in third. Cal Peter (JHDD by ECR) was the only improver.

Test results

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Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Exclusive Autosport has announced a fleet of drivers which will be racing for it in USF2000 and USF Juniors this year.

In USF2000 it has added Evan Cooley and brothers Ayrton and Gabriel Cahan to its line-up. Cooley, 19, will be embarking on his third year with the team in a relationship that began with the 2024 USF Juniors season.

He came 13th in the standings with two fourth places his best finishes, and in two USF2000 appearances he claimed two poles, a podium and a fourth place. His full season there last year featured two podiums, and he was sixth in the standings.

Ayrton Cahan is the reigning champion in the wingless and nationwide F1600 Championship Series. His title-winning 2025 campaign last year featured four victories and 12 other podiums, and followed up a 2024 season in which he was eighth in the points table.

He does already have experience of winged single-seaters, which was with Exclusive, having contested two Atlantics rounds last year in its sub-class for USF Juniors cars. Gabriel did three rounds, winning the class once, and was F1600 runner-up.

Once dropped points was taken into account, the 20-year-old Gabriel missed out on the title by one point to his 18-year-old brother. He won seven races but his total podium count was four fewer than Ayrton’s.

In 2024, the older Cahan raced one step higher in the F2000 Championship Series. Grid sizes varies, with only three full-times, and four victories delivered Cahan the title.

Joining Exclusive in the actual USF Juniors championship, which supports IndyCar once in 2026, are Connor Aspley, Brenden Cooley and Cole Medeiros. All three are preparing by racing their cars in the YACademy Winter Series this week.

Aspley, 20, raced in the YACademy WS, came 13th in USF Juniors driving for Pole Position Motorsports and also cameoed in Atlantics’ USF Juniors class last year.

Cooley is the 16-year-old brother of Evan. They have previously raced against each other, and will remain as team-mates in 2026 but with Evan racing in USF2000. The younger brother made his USF Juniors debut in 2024, and last year came 10th with one podium. He was also 10th in the YACademy WS and did one USF2000 race.

Canadian youngster Medeiros graduated from karting earlier this week in the opening YACademy WS round.

The post Exclusive Autosport adds to USF2000 and USF Juniors line-ups appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Velocity Racing Development has entered a partnership with rival Road to Indy team Pole Position Motorsports.

The two compete against each other in USF Juniors, where VRD ran four cars last year while PPM fielded one. Joao Vergara delivered two wins to VRD and came third in the standings, following up the team’s double title in 2024.

“It is great to have support from PPM,” said Dan Mitchell, VRD’s team principal. “While VRD brings its experience and expertise trackside, it is important to have a reliable source to help drive our VRD Academy and USF Juniors team. Yannick [Rolland] and his team are the perfect candidates, providing us with that support and a much-needed presence in South Florida.”

PPM’s driver Connor Aspley came 13th in the 2025 USF Juniors standings with a best finish of fifth place.

“Partnering with VRD allows us to combine their proven technical excellence and track record with our operational strength, creating a strong foundation for success in the USF Juniors championship,” said PPM’s team principal Yannick Rolland. “Our combined operations will help develop junior drivers into the VRD Academy through our strong Florida-based testing programme.”

VRD competes in third-tier single-seaters, with a GB3 squad in Britain and USF Pro 2000 squad in the USA, and at the two rungs below in USF2000 and USF Juniors. Its USF Juniors cars also run in the YACademy Winter Series, and it fields Formula 4 cars in Formula Fara.

Teddy Musella was USF2000 runner-up with VRD last year, and will now step up to USFP2000 with the team. The 16-year-old took two wins, seven other podiums and two poles in 2025, and in F4 was Ligier Junior Formula champion in 2024.

Ryan Giannetta was one of Musella’s team-mates in USF2000, and after coming 18th in his incomplete rookie campaign with a best finish of eighth the 15-year-old will embark on a sophomore campaign that will include his oval racing debut. He also raced in the YACademy WS for VRD at the start of 2025, and the year before fourth in the F4-spec Skip Barber Formula Race Series.

Brazilian racer Vergara is graduating into VRD’s USF2000 line-up. The 18-year-old was runner-up in Lucas Oil School of Racing’s Formula Car Race Series in 2023, fifth in the YACademy WS and eight in USF Juniors in 2024, and fourth in the YACademy WS in 2025.

Making the same move is Colin Aitken, who contested the last two rounds of the 2025 USF Juniors season with VRD. He finished seventh on debut, and came 21st in the standings. His single-seater career began with the 2023 SBFRS season.

Jack Mohrhardt brings VRD’s USF2000 line-up to four cars, which is the size it has operated at for the last two years.

The 18-year-old was ninth in the 2024 SBFRS points table, then gained further experience of F4 cars last year by joining VRD’s Formula Fara squad.

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Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Series sophomore Sebastian Garzon leads the latest group of drivers who have joined the 2026 USF2000 grid.

The 16-year-old Colombian came eighth in USF2000 last year as a single-seater rookie, ending the season with his maiden podium finish. He drove for DEForce Racing, and remains with the team for his second campaign.

“2025 was the year I learned; every challenge made me stronger. Now, in 2026, I’m ready to give everything I have to fight for the championship,” he said.

Pabst Racing has signed Brad Majman and Lucas Nanji, with the former switching allegiances from Jay Howard Driver Development. After coming third in Formula 4 Western and fifth in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship, the 16-year-old Australian did just under three quarters of the 2025 USF2000 season and picked up a podium and four other top-five finishes. However due to missing rounds, he was only 12th in the standings.

“It’s a massive privilege to be able to drive for a team that’s won a championship in the last three years between USF2000 and USF Pro 2000,” Majman said of joining Pabst.

His 17-year-old team-mate hails from Canada and has previously raced for Prema in F4. He contested the 2025 E4 finale with the team, which marked his single-seater racing debut.

“Although the goal is always to win, I’m realistic about the challenge of stepping straight into USF2000 and skipping Juniors,” said Nanji.

“It’s a big jump, and I know that. Still, it’s a challenge I’m ready for. My focus is simple: work as hard as I can to deliver the best performance possible, both in and out of the car. I don’t take this opportunity lightly, and I’ll give my absolute best every single day.”

JHDD has announced karting graduate Cal Peter will be in its USF2000 line-up for 2026. He tested with the team through last year.

“I am beyond excited to compete in the 2026 USF2000 season,” the 17-year-old said. “This has been my dream and my goal for as long as I can remember. I could not be more grateful to my parents, Jay and the entire JHDD team, and Ed Carpenter Racing for believing in me.”

After debuting in the 2025 season finale, Enve Motorsports will be on the grid full-time this year. It is based at The Thermal Club circuit, and owned by the bicycle manufacturer Enve which is best known for its racing wheels.

Wesley Gundler is its first confirmed driver, after testing for the team at its home track, and the American steps up into slicks-and-wings after coming third in the 2025 F1600 Championship Series.

The team was co-founded by Matteo Nannini, who was an F4 champion and made it up to Formula 2 and Indy Nxt. His seven-race campaign in the latter three years ago marked the end of his racing career, despite taking a lights-to-flag victory on his third start. Nannini is still only 22 years old, and aims to get his team up to IndyCar.

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Photo: Haas F1

Kaylee Countryman will race on Formula 1 and IndyCar’s support bills this year, and with the backing of an American F1 team.

Her primary racing programme will be in the Formula 4-spec and all-female F1 Academy championship, which supports F1 at seven grands prix this year. She will race for French outfit ART Grand Prix, and her car will run with the Haas F1 team’s livery.

The American, who turns 16 today, has some limited F4 experience having tested in Europe with Prema and done two rounds of the United Arab Emirates-based Formula Trophy as a Pinnacle Motorsport driver without scoring points.

“I’m so thrilled that I’ve been given this opportunity to represent Haas F1 Team and ART Grand Prix in F1 Academy for 2026,” said Countryman.

“I look forward to taking another step in my career and learning to work in such a professional environment. I’m particularly excited about the various circuits we’ll be visiting around the world and being part of all that F1 Academy represents.”

Ayao Komatsu, who is Haas’s F1 team principal, added that Countryman’s “personality and passion for this sport are contagious, and we want to ensure she has everything she needs to flourish in F1 Academy, whether that be access to our resources and personnel, or simply advice and guidance”.

While there will be support at a driver development level from Haas, Countryman will not become one of its junior drivers.

Last year Countryman mostly competed on home soil in entry-level USF Juniors cars, racing in the YACademy Winter Series and then coming 16th in the USF Juniors championship with a best finish of eighth.

She also did two rounds in USF2000, the IndyCar-supporting next rung of the road to Indy, and in both championships she raced for Exclusive Autosport. In 2026 she will do four USF2000 rounds with the team.

“I can’t wait to get started on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for my USF2000 campaign,” Countrymans said.

“The team was amazing last year, and I’ve learned so much about racecraft and how to be myself as a driver. I’m so excited to be participating in most of the USF events to get more seat time and learn new tracks.”

The post Kaylee Countryman to race in F1 Academy and USF2000 appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Zanella Racing has announced it will expand into USF2000 next year, which will be its third in single-seater racing, and retain Leonardo Escorpioni in its line-up.

The American team is best known for its exploits in karting, and at the start of last year it ventured into cars with a multi-car entry into the YACademy Winter Series.

It ran Escorpioni to fourth in the standings, with one victory and one other podium, and he was also in its three-car USF Juniors line-up. In that championship he made the podium once.

This year started on an immediate high, as its drivers Ty Fisher and Escorpioni started the YACWS season finishing one-two. Escorpioni went on to take the title and Fisher was third in the standings, with the team claiming three victories and four other podiums from six races.

Their form continued into the USF Juniors season, and the team won both titles. Escorpioni was victorious six times en route to becoming champion, and there was only one race which Zanella failed to make the podium. Fisher won three times and came fourth in the points table.

Escorpioni’s prize for taking the USF Juniors title was a $249,675 (£189,882) scholarship to spend on stepping up to USF2000 and the 15-year-old Brazilian will use it at Zanella.

“We are very proud to expand our programme with the addition of three USF2000 cars for the 2026 season,” said the team-owning Naka Zanella, who added “having Leonardo continue his journey with us in USF2000 is a tremendous honour”.

“His growth with the team has been remarkable, and we are excited to support him as he takes the next step in his career. This expansion is proof that our driver development programme continues to work, and our ultimate goal is to take our drivers all the way to IndyCar.”

Also confirmed to be racing in USF2000 next year are Anthony Martella and Thomas Nordquist at Exclusive Autosport and DEForce Racing respectively.

The touring car racing-experienced Martella got his first experience of single-seaters last year in YACWS then competed part-time in USF2000 and USF Juniors.

After being runner-up in Sports Car Championship Canada’s TCR touring car class, the 17-year-old Canadian focused fully on single-seaters for 2025 and came seventh in USF2000 with Jay Howard Driver Development. He had two top-five finishes, one of them being a controlling victory on his oval racing debut in the Freedom 75.

Nordquist drove in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series in 2024, and raced for DEForce this year in IndyCar’s support series. The 21-year-old came 17th in USF Juniors with a best finish of ninth, and made a USF2000 cameo at Road America.

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Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

The 2026 calendars for IndyCar support series USF Pro 2000, USF2000 and USF Juniors have been released.

Third-tier series USFP2000 will start off on the undercard of the Arlington Grand Prix, a new street race in Texas taking place on March 13-15. Fourth-tier USF2000 action will kick off two weeks prior on the streets of St. Petersburg.

The two series head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course two months later, then have their first oval race (and first race away from IndyCar’s support bill) of 2026 at Lucas Oil Raceway before reuniting again at Road America in June.

The round at Mid-Ohio (July 3-5) is the first time all three Andersen Promotions-run series race together, then August is a packed month. USFP2000 and USF2000 race at Portland, followed by the streets of Markham as it replaces fellow Canadian city Toronto on IndyCar’s calendar, and two weeks after that USFP2000 visits the Milwaukee Mile.

It will mark the first time since 2022 that USFP2000 has had two oval races, and ends a lengthy absence from Milwaukee having previously raced there in 2006, ’09, 2011, ’13 and ’14.

Next year’s racing schedule for the three series concludes at Road America on September 25/26, which will be a standalone event for which USFP2000 will have top billing.

USF Juniors will spend the most time away from IndyCar’s support paddock, as rounds at Homestead-Miami Speedway (February 17/18) and Carolina Motorsports Park (April 17-19) get its season underway. Both circuits are new to the series.

It then heads to Mosport on May 15-17 for a first ever trip to Canada, before joining all of the series above it in the Road to Indy at Mid-Ohio.

Round five is at Lime Rock, another new addition which will be in support of the NASCAR Truck Series, and the season ends at Road America.

Dropping off all three series’ schedules is NOLA Motorsports Park, with USFP2000’s Arlington trip coming at the expense of St. Pete and USF Juniors’ new venues joining as Barber Motorsports Park and Portland are dropped.

There will be a pre-event test day for the events at Homestead, Carolina, Indianapolis, Mosport, Lucas Oil Raceway, Road America, Mid-Ohio and Portland.

The three series will also test together in-season at Mid-Ohio (May 11/12) and Road America (June 10/11) then post-season on Indianapolis’s road course (October 17/18), while USFP2000 and USF2000 will test at Homestead on the same days USF Juniors races there.

USFP2000 and USF2000 will do further in-season testing at Indianapolis (April 15/16) and Lucas Oil Raceway (May 19), there will be a USFP2000-only test at Milwaukee (June 22) and a USF Juniors-only test at Lime Rock (July 7).

Andersen Promotions has also confirmed the prize money allocation for 2026, with the USFP2000 champion earning a $594,500 (£450,862) scholarship to spend on graduating to Indy Nxt. The USF2000 champion wins $405,050 (£307,185), and USF Juniors’ champion takes away $249,675 (£189,351).

Tyre supplier Continental Tire will pay out $53,000 (£40,186) to pole position-winning drivers over the year.

2025 USF Pro championships calendar

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