Elkin edges Taylor at Indianapolis to USF Pro 2000 race one pole

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Ariel Elkin narrowly beat Max Taylor to pole for the first USF Pro 2000 race of the weekend on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course.

Qualifying took place in warm conditions, with 20 minutes of green flag action that drivers could make use of.

Elkin was already quickest five minutes in, the TJ Speed driver setting a 1m21.4288s to lead Pabst Racing’s Max Garcia by 0.3845 seconds.

Exclusive Autosport’s Mac Clark was just behind Garcia in third, and Velocity Racing Development’s new signing Frankie Mossman sat fourth before being shuffled down to seventh a few minutes later.

Elkin improved to 1m20.9846s to stay on top, and VRD’s Max Taylor set a 1m21.3321s to move into second by 0.0506s over Garcia. Turn 3 Motorsport’s Alessandro de Tullio climbed into fourth, then posted a 1m21.2627s to gain another spot as Pabst’s Michael Costello moved into the position he previously held with a lap just 0.0093s slower than his. At the same time, Garcia beat Elkin by 0.0243s.

Clark set a 1m21.2588s eight minutes in to return to third, and the order then stabilised.

A 1m21.2221s put Taylor ahead of Clark with just under six minutes to go of qualifying, and on his next lap he improved to 1m20.9095s to provisionally claim pole. His rivals had four minutes to respond, and the next new personals to be set came from Costello and Pabst’s Jacob Douglas in fourth and fifth. But Taylor had found even more pace, lowering the benchmark laptime to 1m20.712s.

Elkin moved back ahead with 2m40s left on the clock, and his 1m20.6432s effort secured him pole. Mossman set a 1m21.1584s to move up to fourth, but with just over two minutes to go he was demoted by a 1m20.8004s lap from Douglas that earned him third.

After the chequered flag waved, de Tullio set a 1m20.938s to also beat Mossman, while Garcia consolidated his fourth place by improving to 1m20.8622s.

Qualifying results