Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
Jace Denmark left it late to secure his place on the 2025 USF Pro 2000 grid, as he was announced as joining TJ Speed six days before the season begins.
The 20-year-old joins the Australian-owned team after two seasons with Pabst Racing, and will likely be a title favourite for this campaign.
In 2023 he came seventh in the standings with three podiums and a pole, then last year he was third in the championship. Although he failed to win, he claimed another pole and was on the podium nine times.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Tim [Neff, team owner], TJ Speed, and all my partners who have helped make this programme possible,” Denmark explained.
“My ultimate goal in 2025 was to secure a seat in Indy Nxt, but after some testing, it became clear that my budget wouldn’t allow for a competitive ride. I reached out to some key people in motorsport, reconnected with Tim —whom I had spoken to in the past about racing with — and together we worked out a deal that gives me the chance to compete in 2025.”
While he has not been able to make it into Indy Nxt, Denmark has become a development driver for Indy Nxt team HMD Motorsports. He will work with them on non-clashing weekends against his USFP2000 commitments, and plans to race for HMD in 2026.
Also recently announced as part of TJ Speed’s line-up is Ariel Elkin. The 17-year-old Israeli came 17th in Italian Formula 4 two years ago with a best finish of seventh, and he made the podium in a United States F4 cameo.
Last year he raced two steps below USFP2000 in USF Juniors, and came fourth in the standings with three victories and four poles. He was also fourth in the Motorsport Games F4 event.
Turn 3 Motorsport now has five drivers signed for 2025, although its two latest additions are only confirmed for the St. Petersburg season opener.
Titus Sherlock, 20, was the 2021 Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series runner-up, came eighth in USF Juniors in 2022, was 2023 US F4 runner-up and came fourth in Formula Regional Americas last year. He won five races during the year, and was only a few points off being runner-up in yet another championship.
His one-off team-mate will be Elliot Cox, who is 17 and has spent the last two years in USF2000. In 2024 he came sixth in the standings and made the podium three times.