The USF Professional Championships Fall Mix wrapped up Sunday afternoon after two full days of testing on the two.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway highway course. A complete of 53 drivers turned laps as preparations started for 2025 campaigns in USF Professional 2000, USF2000 and USF Juniors.
Topping the timesheets on the higher step of the ladder, USF Professional 2000, was reigning USF2000 champion Max Garcia, of Miami, Fla., with Pabst Racing. Garcia turned heads this season by turning into the youngest USF2000 champion within the modern-day ladder system at simply 15 years of age.
“The automobile was on level straight away,” stated Garcia. “It felt good studying the automobile at this clearly heavy braking observe. That’s one of many massive issues. Final yr, you needed to hit the pedal at 1,100 brake psi and this yr it’s 1,700, so a giant soar and it’s fairly cool to study it right here. We had been fast each session apart from one. It exhibits we’ve got the tempo right here however it isn’t all the pieces. We nonetheless have to work and we’ll hold working over the winter.”
USF Juniors vice champion Liam McNeilly, 18, of London, England set the tempo in USF2000 with Jay Howard Driver Improvement. Narrowly lacking the 2024 champion’s crown by a mere 5 factors, McNeilly made a quick foray into USF2000 earlier this yr on the streets of Toronto securing a second-place end after ranging from pole.
No. 6 Liam McNeilly, Jay Howard Driver Improvement, Gavin Baker Pictures
“It was a superb couple of days,” stated McNeilly. “Persevering with to work with the Jay Howard crew goes rather well with 4 periods topped and prime three in all of them so I can’t complain. The automobile undoubtedly took a bit of bit to get used to. Clearly I had the outing in Toronto with all of the bumps and all the pieces, and it was good to get out and drive on a correct observe as a substitute of a avenue circuit. I acquired used to the facility fairly shortly and the braking – these are the 2 primary variations. It’s good to kick begin the 2025 season this manner and hopefully we are able to hold constructing.”
Joao Vergara, 17, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, impressed in USF Juniors pacing 4 of the six check periods with VRD Racing. Vergara, a Lucas Oil Method Automotive Sequence Scholarship Shootout winner in 2023, completed eighth in his rookie season of USF Juniors this yr.
No. 45 Joao Vergara, VRD Racing, Gavin Baker Pictures
“It has been an important two days right here at Indianapolis,” stated Vergara. “It’s my first time right here and I used to be engaged on studying the observe. I picked it up fairly shortly. The VRD guys simply did a tremendous job with the automobile and I’m tremendous proud of the way it went. I realized a lot all through my first yr in USF Juniors and I’m so grateful for all the pieces I’ve realized that I can now apply it to subsequent yr and combat for the championship.”
Of the true newcomers to the sequence, Joseph Loake led the leads to USF Professional 2000 with Flip 3 Motorsport. The 19-year-old from Macclesfield, England, contested FIA Method 3 this yr and is a former Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Younger Driver of the 12 months.
“Clearly coming over to the U.S. is a brand new expertise for me,” stated Loake. “It’s one thing that I’m fairly having fun with in the intervening time. The tempo has been actually good all through the entire check. The 2 days have gone good and easy and it’s good to see what it’s all about. I had a message from Flip 3 asking if I wish to come out and do a little bit of testing and see if the U.S. was a superb route for me. They’ve been actually supportive. They’re a really welcoming crew and it’s a good surroundings to be in. Being with the reigning champions is just not a foul factor.”
Mayer Deonarine, 15, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was fifth total in his USF2000 debut with VRD Racing. Deonarine graduated to vehicles this yr contesting each Radical Cup North America and the GB4 Championship.
“Coming to Indianapolis to start with is superb,” stated Deonarine. “The beginning of the weekend was fairly good with VRD, a fairly achieved crew. I used to be proud of the outcomes. Sadly, the entire first 5 periods I used to be fourth however in that final session I used to be P1. It form of felt like I received a race as a result of the crew labored so exhausting all through the weekend to place me to the entrance and we ended up within the entrance. I’m blissful.”
Additionally driving for VRD Racing, Ryan Giannetta, 14, of Redondo Seaside, Calif., led the brand new arrivals in USF Juniors. Karting because the age of six, Giannetta completed fourth within the Skip Barber Racing Sequence this yr.
“This was superb,” stated Giannetta. “I’ve no complaints. It was a lot enjoyable. VRD put within the work for me and the automobile was actually on rails. I had targets to be prime three each session and I feel I did rather well on that. We had been quick.”
The following official outing for USF Professional Championships is its annual Spring Coaching at NOLA Motorsports Park on February 22/23, one week previous to the season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., in help of IndyCar.
