Garcia doubles up in USF2000’s second St. Petersburg race

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Max Garcia leaves St. Petersburg as USF2000 points leader after winning the first two races of the season.

The fastest laps from race one and second-best laptimes from qualifying were used to set the grid for race two, with race one winner Garcia and Pabst Racing team-mate Sam Corry filling the front row thanks to their qualifying times.

Nicolas Giaffone and Evagoras Papasavvas made it onto row two with their best laps from race one, then Elliot Cox and Nico Christodoulou filled row three.

There was a messy start to the race and Papasavvas went around the outside of the top three to take the lead through the opening corner. Chritodoulou got into third ahead of Corry, with Cox an Michael Costello completing the top six at the end of lap one.

Costello was passed by Jack Jeffers and Max Taylor over the next two laps, and Corry took third from Christodoulou on lap three. Nicolas Giaffone spun at the hairpin at the end of that lap and was hit by Cole Kleck, who was able to continue. A caution period was required however while Giaffone’s car was recovered, and racing resumed on lap eight of 20.

Papasavvas was unable to break away and finished that lap just 0.068 seconds ahead of Garcia, who had the inside line for turn one. He took back the lead and Corry followed him past Papasavvas, and behind them Cox passed Christodoulou for fourth after going side-by-side through turn four.

On lap 12 the race was neutralised again as Costello had a big crash at turn eight. The recovery took so long that the race was red flagged two laps later and was then restarted on lap 15 with a lap behind the pace car.

Green flags waved on lap 16 and the top five held their positions through the first corners, but Jeffers was attacking Christodoulou hard. His pressure ended at turn one next time by as Taylor hit him into a spin, then a lap later the race was neutralised once more following an unusual incident. Lucas Fecury had tried passing Ayrton Houk around the outside of turn five but lost his rear-left wheel as he did so, and Houk then came to a stop a corner later.

There was no time for a restart, so Garcia led home Corry and Papasavvas behind the pace car.

Race result (20 laps)