Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
Liam Loiacono ensured the USF Juniors title fight goes to the final round by winning races two and three of the penultimate round at Road America.
The Jay Howard Driver Development driver had pole for both, and in race two spent most of his time looking at the pace car.
Exclusive Autosport’s Brenden Cooley started second, and had the slipstream on Loiacono for turn four on lap one but tucked back in. As he did, Zanella Racing’s Ty Fisher broke his front wing on the rear of his car. Fisher then had contact with Pole Position Motorsports’ Connor Aspley at turn six, went off and dropped down the order before a caution period was called for as Exclusive’s Kaylee Countryman and DEForce Racing’s Thomas Nordquist had crashed out.
Zanella’s Leonardo Escorpioni and DEForce’s fast-starting Rodrigo Gonzalez were third and fourth, until Gonzalez pitted for a nose change on lap three.
Racing resumed on lap five, and Cooley and Velocity Racing Development’s Joao Vergara immediately went to Loiacono’s outside. Cooley breaked first and tucked in behind, but his front-left wheel brushed Vergara and caused them to connect and go off. Several drivers also went off in avoidance, including two whose races ended near turn three and caused another caution period.
Aspley tried going around Escorpioni’s outside at turn five, but instead lost out to Patricio Gonzalez at turn six before racing was neutralised.
The next restart was on the penultimate lap, and Escorpioni went down Loiaconi’s inside at turn one for the lead. Gonzalez made it three-wide for the lead approaching turn five, then braked early while Escorpioni went deep and forced himself and Loiacono off. Gonzalez snuck past both before turn six, but Escorpioni reclaimed the lead on the inside of the last corner.
The slipstream effect meant 0.1128 seconds split the top three starting the final lap, and Escorpioni braked early at turn one. Loiacono swept around the outside to reclaim top spot, and team-mate JT Hoskins passed Aspley later on for fourth.
Loiaconi led throughout in race three, but did not have it easier. Aspley got into third on lap one, before a diving move by Fisher sent him off and behind DEForce’s Vilho Aatola.
Cooley attempted a turn five dive on Loiacono on lap two but lost to Fisher at turn six. and trailed Loiacono by two seconds once he returned to second. Vergara crashed on the pit straight, then International Motorsport’s Michael Suco flew off at the last corner, and a caution period was called on lap five as Fisher and Aatola squabbled over third.
The top five all ran off at turn one on the lap eight restart, and Fisher’s next turn five dive instead cost him third to VRD’s Oliver Wheldon. Fisher got back past at turn four a lap later then dived down Cooley’s inside again and this time made contact. Wheldon tried profiting once more, but was sent spinning at turn six.
Fisher and Escorpioni passed Cooley, and second went to Escorpioni as the last lap began. Aatola overtook Cooley through the Kettle Bottoms, but both were edged to the chequered flag by Patricio Gonzalez in a three-wide finish as Aspley took sixth by 0.0174s just 0.1872s behind them.
Results round-up
Race 2 (10 laps)
1 Liam Loiacono JHDD 31m15.7850s
2 Leonardo Escorpioni Zanella Racing +0.3956s
3 Patricio Gonzalez DEForce Racing +1.4563s
4 JT Hoskins JHDD +1.6315s
5 Connor Aspley Pole Position Motorsports +2.1721s
6 Vilho Aatola DEForce Racing +2.2464s
7 Oliver Wheldon Velocity Racing Development +2.4664s
8 Ty Fisher Zanella Racing +2.7669s
9 Diego Guiot Zanella Racing +5.4776s
10 Michael Suco International Motorsport +6.6546s
Pole: Loiacono, 2m16.4780s
Fastest lap: Loiacono, 2m17.2222s
Race 3 (10 laps)
1 Loiacono 26m14.3773s
2 Escorpioni +2.2250s
3 P Gonzalez +4.7119s
4 Aatola +4.7209s
5 Brenden Cooley Exclusive Autosport +4.7377s
6 Aspley +4.9249s
7 Guiot +4.9423s
8 Rahim Alibhai Zanella Racing +5.4568s
9 Fisher +7.7644s
10 Thomas Nordquist DEForce Racing +8.0098s
FL: Aatola, 2m17.4742s
Championship standings
1 Escorpioni 310 2 Loiacono 296 3 Joao Vergara 237 4 Wheldon 224 5 Fisher 221 6 Aatola 200 7 Rodrigo Gonzalez 179 8 P Gonzalez 162 9 Guiot 157 10 Cooley 129