Max Taylor is on a roll. Moments after scoring an completed USF2000 Introduced by Continental Tire victory Friday afternoon in moist circumstances on the Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automobile Course, the VRD Racing driver hopped over to his awaiting USF Juniors Tatuus JR-23 and repeated the feat within the first of two races that may comprise the Tatuus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. Extremely, he managed to take the victory regardless of making two visits to pit lane.
Taylor’s second win of the USF Juniors Introduced by Continental Tire season vaulted him from third within the factors standings to the lead after former championship chief Sebastian Wheldon, from Coral Gables, Fla., was concerned in a collision whereas competing for a podium place. At stake is a scholarship valued at $263,700 to graduate onto the following step of the USF Professional Championships driver growth ladder, USF2000, in 2025.
An intense qualifying session earlier Friday noticed England’s Liam McNeilly safe his third Continental Tire Pole Award for the Jay Howard Driver Improvement group. InterMS teammates Ariel Elkin and Augusto Soto-Schirripa lined up second and third on the grid with factors chief Wheldon on the skin of the second row.
The observe was nonetheless damp following the sooner showers and USF2000 race when the 20-lap contest started, though it was drying shortly, and instantly obvious that the groups could be required to change from moist to dry-weather tires at some stage.
McNeilly led convincingly within the early phases, however when VRD Racing’s Christian Cameron, from Sonoma, Calif., was concerned in an incident whereas disputing sixth place with Canadian Ayden Ingratta (Jay Howard Driver Improvement) and the tempo automobile was known as out for the primary time, the vast majority of the sector opted to dive for the pit lane and alter tires. McNeilly and Elkin weren’t amongst them.
A few contenders already made their tire switches, together with JHDD’s G3 Argyros, from Newport Seaside, Calif., who took benefit of heat slick tires to know the lead shortly after the restart.
In a while the identical lap, Wheldon, in second, was sadly collected by Brazilian Bruno Ribeiro (DEForce Racing) at Flip 9, ending his day prematurely.
After one other brief warning, Argyros was overtaken firstly by Soto-Schirripa, then by a charging Jack Jeffers (Unique Autosport), from San Antonio, Texas, and eventually by the impressed Taylor, who had pitted for slick tires with the bulk after 5 laps however was obliged to return to the pit lane as a result of one of many security wheel-nut retaining pins had not been correctly fitted on the first try.
Taylor fell again to sixteenth however instantly started to cost ahead, passing Jeffers for the lead with 5 laps remaining and romping clear earlier than the race lastly ended beneath yellow because of one other incident farther down the sector.
Jeffers held on for a high-quality second, whereas McNeilly, regardless of pitting one lap after most of his rivals, flew again by means of the sector to complete third and preserve his title hopes effectively and really alive.
“What a stellar day right here on the Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automobile Course, and on the Fourth of July week. I’m joyful to be on the highest step on the rostrum twice in two totally different classes,” Taylor stated.” The VRD automobile was wonderful. Rain or shine I’m able to put it on the highest step of the rostrum. I positively needed to work more durable for this one with the tire technique. We needed to pit twice and I ended up almost useless final so I needed to work laborious for it. I simply saved my head down, saved it sensible and was in a position to get into the lead.”
Jeffers’ drive from fifteenth on the grid secured him the Tilton Exhausting Charger Award.
The PFC Award went to VRD Racing’s Dan Mitchell because the successful automobile proprietor.
After a busy day comprising official apply qualifying and the race, Saturday will likely be barely extra relaxed for the USF Juniors contingent with merely another race to finish the schedule. The inexperienced flag is slated for 12:10 p.m., and McNeilly as soon as once more will begin from the pole place by advantage of posting the very best second-fastest lap by every driver throughout Friday morning’s lone interval of qualifying.
