Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
United States Formula 4 champion and USF2000 race-winner Lochie Hughes is stepping up to USF Pro 2000 with Turn 3 Motorsport for 2024.
He is the team’s fifth signing, alongside fellow rookies Tyke Durst, Danny Dyszelski, Adam Fitzgerald and Ethan Ho.
“I’m very excited to be joining Turn 3 Motorsport for the 2024 USFP2000 season,” said Hughes. “We’ve been testing this month to prepare for the season which has gone really well so far. Turn 3 has a very strong programme in place and has won a lot of races in the past, so I’m looking forward to getting the season underway in St. Petersburg soon.”
The 21-year-old Australian started his single-seater career back in 2018, racing in his home country’s national Formula 4 championship. He came fifth in the standings with one win in his rookie campaign, then the next year took three wins and two poles en route to the championship runner-up spot.
Having planned to take his career abroad following that, the COVID-19 pandemic instead led to Hughes spending 2020 and ’21 on the sidelines before returning to competition with Jay Howard Driver Development in US F4 two years ago.
A tally of six wins and two poles meant Hughes comfortably claimed the title, and he remained with JHDD as he switched to USF2000. Hughes began the 2023 season on a high, winning from pole in St. Petersburg. He took another win two races later at Sebring, then a third in the next round.
But in the second half of the season a win and a third place were his only podiums, and he drifted from the points lead to a distant third in the standings. He was however still the top rookie in the championship.