Max Garcia leaves Mid-Ohio with another USF Pro 2000 victory

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Max Garcia took his sixth USF Pro 2000 victory of 2025 and second of the weekend with a faultless drive at Mid-Ohio.

The Pabst Racing driver did not put a wheel wrong on his way to victory, finishing 9.6659 seconds clear at the front and growing his championship lead to almost 100 points.

It was a relatively quiet race, and Garcia gradually pulled away in the first few laps after starting on pole, his gap growth more gradual than in his race one win.

Jay Howard Driver Development’s championship newcomer Nick Gilkes came to a stop at the side of the track on lap eight, prompting a caution period. By this point, Garcia’s gap to team-mate Jacob Douglas in second was 3.0207s.

When racing resumed on lap 12, there was little Douglas could do to contend with Garcia, who stretched his legs again.

Exclusive Autosport’s title outsider Mac Clark overtook JHDD’s Frankie Mossman for third early in the race but could not match either Garcia or Douglas’s pace and instead had to focus on keeping Mossman behind.

He also moved closer to TJ Speed’s Ariel Elkin, who is Garcia’s closest title rival and finished fifth.

Most of the field spread out through the second half of the 30-lap race, with the closest battle being between Turn 3 Motorsport’s Alessandro de Tullio and Cooper Becklin over eighth place. De Tullio prevailed, holding off his team-mate.

Early on, TJ Speed’s Sebastian Manson and Turn 3’s Nicholas Monteiro ran into trouble after making contact. Both made it to the pits, where Manson retired while Monteiro finished a lap down.  Exclusive’s Joey Brienzia suffered front wing damage in a separate incident that also cost him a lap.

Race results (30 laps)