Nikita Johnson thrust himself again into the USF Professional 2000 Offered by Continental Tire championship chase by scoring an emphatic double victory in Saturday’s Tatuus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. The 16-year-old from Gulfport, Fla., led all through the morning’s 30-lap race however needed to come from behind to finish the clear sweep later this afternoon for VRD Racing.
Jace Denmark, from Brownsburg, Ind., additionally loved a robust day for Pabst Racing with a pair of runner-up finishes as teammate Christian Brooks, from Santa Clarita, Calif., and Flip 3 Motorsport’s Danny Dyszelski, from Belmont, N.C., shared the third-place honors.
After a difficult weekend final day out at Highway America, early season factors chief Johnson laid down a marker by breaking his tie with factors chief Lochie Hughes (Flip 3 Motorsport), from Gold Coast, Australia, and snagging his fourth Continental Tire Pole Award of the season through the lone qualifying session on Friday.
Johnson continued his bounce again to prominence by main all through the morning’s 30-lap race. Denmark remained scorching on his heels within the early levels, with teammate Brooks additionally in shut rivalry.
After beginning sixth, Hughes gained a place in the beginning on Unique Autosport’s Braden Eves, from Gahanna, Ohio, but in addition misplaced one to fast-starting Canadian Mac Clark (DEForce Racing), who muscled his manner by in a daring three-wide maneuver at Flip 4. Hughes, although, was rapidly into his stride, overtaking each Clark and Pabst Racing’s Simon Sikes, from Augusta, Ga., on lap 4 to maneuver into fourth place.
The 5 leaders – Johnson, Denmark, Brooks, Hughes and Sikes – remained in the identical positions all through the 30-lap race, however there was loads of intrigue as the right racing circumstances, with a transparent blue sky and diminished humidity, allowed them to flow into sooner than in qualifying and successfully set the beginning grid for race two later within the day, which might be decided in keeping with both every driver’s second-fastest lap in qualifying or their quickest lap in race one.
In the end, it was Sikes who claimed that honor, narrowly forward of Denmark, Hughes, Brooks and race winner Johnson. All 5 had been bracketed by just a little greater than a tenth of a second, setting the stage for an additional intriguing contest later within the day.
“The race went very properly,” Johnson stated. “We began on pole, managed the lead, stored the hole and prolonged it. The automotive was on rails at this time. I can’t thank the VRD boys sufficient, all of my sponsors, my dad for taking me right here and my mom and brother watching again residence – everybody in North Carolina and Florida watching. It means lots and it’s nice to be again on the highest step of the rostrum. We haven’t had this since Indy. It’s good to get again our factors and simply win once more.”
For the second time in as many races, Canada’s Nico Christodoulou earned the Tilton Arduous Charger Award, working his manner from 18th on the grid following a serious mechanical failure in qualifying to complete in tenth.
Sikes took benefit of his second Continental Tire Pole Award of the season by main away from the beginning in race two, however was unable to shake off Denmark, who remained seemingly glued to his rear wing as the 2 leaders edged away from Brooks and Johnson in third and fourth.
The latter pair exchanged locations on lap 4, shortly earlier than the day’s first full-course warning as a result of a conflict between New Zealander Liam Sceats (TJ Velocity Motorsports) and Frankie Mossman (Jay Howard Driver Growth), from Newport Seashore, Calif.
The complexion of the race completely modified quickly after the restart when Sikes selected to barter the ultra-quick Flip 1 in fifth gear, reasonably than shifting right down to fourth, and was stunned when the automotive slowed down on the exit. Denmark and Johnson instantly drove round him, but it surely was Johnson who had the higher momentum which carried him from third to the lead by the point the pair braked for Flip 2.
Worse was to come back for Sikes on the finish of the again straightaway when he tangled with Hughes as they sped towards the apex. The collision despatched Sikes spearing onto the grass and left Hughes spinning into the trail of Brooks, whose day ended on the spot. The opposite two continued, with Hughes managing to salvage beneficial factors in seventh place and Sikes only one place behind after one other tangle with Mexico’s Ricardo Escotto (BN Racing).
The varied incidents elevated the privately run Comet/NCMP Racing entry of Logan Adams, from Greenfield, Ind., into a 3rd place, which he maintained impressively till being handed by Dyszelski with eight laps remaining.
Adams held on for a nice, career-best fourth, properly away from Escotto, who had began 18th and staunchly resisted myriad makes an attempt from quite a lot of rivals to discover a well past. Fifth place was his reward, together with the Tilton Arduous Charger Award.
“We began P5 however the automotive was wonderful. It was on rails,’ Johnson stated. “We acquired previous Lochie within the very starting and Brooks, which took just a few laps. I did a crossover within the braking zone and acquired him. After the warning, I benefitted from Simon and Jace combating in Flip 1. I backed up on the nook and simply acquired an excellent exit and handed them each. We had just a few extra cautions after that however I simply stored it within the lead and made positive to maintain Jace within the aerowash. I can’t thank VRD sufficient.”
Johnson’s banner day bumped him again to second place within the level standings, simply 26 markers shy of Hughes. Solely 4 races stay within the chase for a scholarship valued at $681,500 to progress onto the subsequent step of the ladder, Indy NXT, in 2025. Johnson additionally snagged two extra PFC Awards for VRD Racing workforce principal Dan Mitchell.
Subsequent up for the USF Professional contingent are a pair of races on the streets of Toronto, Ont., Canada in two weeks’ time, adopted by the West Coast season finale at Portland Worldwide Raceway in Portland, Ore., on August 23-25.
