Ty Fisher rounds off USF Juniors season with third win despite penalty

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Zanella Racing’s Ty Fisher concluded the USF Juniors season at Portland with his third victory of 2025, despite being penalised.

Drivers’ second-best laptimes from qualifying were once again used to set the grid, putting Zanella’s champion Leonardo Escorpioni on pole ahead of Rodrigo Gonzalez (DEForce Racing), Oliver Wheldon (Velocity Racing Development), Fisher, Joao Vergara (VRD), Liam Loiacono (JHDD) and Patricio Gonzalez (DEForce).

Wheldon took second place on lap one, and further down the order there was drama at turn two as International Motorsport’s Michael Suco was spun around and a caution period was called.

The lap three restart was messy, and led to another caution period. Loiacono lost his front wing and picked up further damage on the pit straight before ploughing into the advertising boards in the runoff, and Pole Position Motorsports’ Connor Aspley came in too fast into turn one and spun around International Motorsport’s Hudson Potter. Aspley was penalised 30 seconds and Potter was without damage but was beached as the rear of his car sat on the turn one kerbs.

Racing resumed again on lap six, and Wheldon fell to fourth behind Fisher and Patricio Gonzalez. Fisher overtook Escorpioni on lap seven, then rapidly built a five-second lead. He needed to do that due to a five-second penalty for corner cutting, and once it was applied he was victorious by 2.9782s.

Wheldon continued losing places and eventually pitted on lap nine, leading to him finishing a lapped 17th.

Patricio Gonzalez then had Vergara and Rodrigo Gonzalez on his tail, with the two behind swapping places on lap 10. Vergara got back ahead on lap 12, but on the final lap Gonzalez and Zanella’s Diego Guiot went past him.

Exclusive Autosport’s Justin Di Lucia climbed from 14th to seventh in his third USF Juniors race, and VRD’s Matan Achituv recovered to 12th after spinning at turn two mid-race.

Race results (15 laps)