Home News Liam McNeilly wins USF2000 season opener in St. Petersburg

Liam McNeilly wins USF2000 season opener in St. Petersburg

by Peter Allen

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Liam McNeilly won the first race of the USF2000 season at St. Petersburg, passing polesitter Caleb Gafrarar who then crashed trying to respond.

Gafrarar was a clear leader on the run to Turn 1, although McNeilly did then take a look around the outside. Behind, McNeilly’s Jay Howards Driver Development team-mate Brad Majman – who started fifth – was spun around by contact from Teddy Musella, triggering an early safety car.

At the restart, McNeilly went side-by-side with Gafrarar and took the lead on the brakes into the first corner, with Jack Jeffers also in contention.

After three laps of racing, Gafrarar was still within just over half a second of McNeilly until he locked up under braking for Turn 4 and crashed into the barriers.

The subsequent restart would last just a few corners before a similar looking incident took Wian Boshoff out of the race.

When the race resumed once more, former USF Juniors rivals McNeilly and Jeffers pulled away from third-placed Jeshua Alianell. Jeffers got right onto the gearbox of McNeilly at one stage, but the Briton ultimately held on to win by just under half a second.

Alianell rounded out an all-rookie podium for DEForce Racing. Evan Cooley and G3 Argyros climbed up from eighth and ninth to finish fourth and fifth, with the latter just holding off a charging Anthony Martella, who had started 13th. Starting last after crashing early in qualifying, Thomas Schrage finished 12th.

Race results (20 laps)
Pos Driver Team Gap
1 Liam McNeilly Jay Howard Driver Development 32m50.3500s
2 Jack Jeffers Exclusive Autosport +0.4935s
3 Jeshua Alianell DEForce Racing +3.0506s
4 Evan Cooley Exclusive Autosport +4.0293s
5 G3 Argyros Pabst Racing +6.5944s
6 Anthony Martella Jay Howard Driver Development +7.1679s
7 Lucas Fecury Exclusive Autosport +13.5335s
8 Christian Cameron VRD Racing +13.7420s
9 Ayrton Houk Benchmark Autosport +16.9526s
10 Eddie Beswick Synergy Motorsport +17.4146s
11 Sebastian Garzon DEForce Racing +17.6143s
12 Thomas Schrage VRD Racing +18.2178s
13 Brady Golan DEForce Racing +18.6135s
14 Teddy Musella VRD Racing +18.9942s
15 Ryan Giannetta VRD Racing +54.2042s
16 Timothy Carel Jay Howard Driver Development +1m09.0254s
Ret Caleb Gafrarar Pabst Racing
Ret Wian Boshoff Sarah Fisher Hartman Development
Ret Brad Majman Jay Howard Driver Development