Jacob Douglas has once again stood on the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire podium, this time at the PFC Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio held over the weekend. The Kiwi finished fifth in the first race (Round 13) and improved to finished P2 in the Round 14 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
“We managed to improve our grid position in Race One today, which was great,” commented Douglas. “So, I started P2 and just stayed in P2 the whole time. I had some pressure from Mac (Clark) but managed to pull away at the end. It’s great to get on the podium here at Mid-Ohio after a tricky qualifying yesterday, and get some good points for the championship.”
Fellow Kiwi, Sebastian Manson, collected the Tilton Hard Charger Award for TJ Speed Motorsports having risen from 16th on the grid to ninth at the checkered flag (Race 1), later retiring from Race 2.
Max Garcia was in a class of his own and dominated both 30-lap races for Pabst Racing in blisteringly hot conditions, scooping a maximum 66-points and extending his already commanding championship lead.
TJ Speed Motorsports’ Ariel Elkin, from Haifa, Israel, and Garcia’s teammate Jacob Douglas, from Christchurch, New Zealand, shared the second-place finishes, well in arrears of Garcia, as Max Taylor (VRD Racing), from Hoboken, N.J., and Mac Clark (Exclusive Autosport), from Milton, Ont., Canada, completed the podium placings.
Only four races remain, starting with another doubleheader event in two weeks’ time, July 18-20, on the Streets of Toronto, Ont., Canada, where last year’s USF2000 champion will have an opportunity to clinch another title – and a scholarship valued at $594,500 – to facilitate his progression to the next step of the ladder, INDY NXT, in 2026.
Provisional championship points after 14 of 18 rounds:
1/ Max Garcia, 384
2/ Ariel Elkin, 287
3/ Mac Clark, 279
4/ Alessandro de Tullio, 267
5/ Jacob Douglas, 243
6/ Max Taylor, 237
7/ Michael Costello, 169
8/ Nicholas Monteiro, 162
9/ Cooper Becklin, 156
10/ Joey Brienza, 141
Comments