Max Taylor gets second successive USF2000 win in Mid-Ohio race one

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Velocity Racing Development’s Max Taylor won the opening USF2000 race of the weekend at Mid-Ohio on Friday.

The day began with practice, and Jay Howard Driver Development’s Evagoras Papasavvas set a 1m23.3024s to go fastest by 0.239 seconds. The DEForce Racing trio of Nicolas Giaffone, Lucas Fecury and Quinn Armstrong were his closest rivals, with team-mate Michael Costello 0.4158s back in fifth.

Papasavvas was fastest again in qualifying, although for a while it looked like Costello would take pole. He set a 1m23.6672s with several minutes to go that went unbeaten until after the chequered flag had waved. With a few seconds to go Papasavvas had moved up to second, and then on his final lap improved again to snatch pole by 0.1271s.

Armstrong was also able to beat Costello, and Giaffone qualified fourth ahead of Velocity Racing Development’s Thomas Schrage.

A lot of rain fell before race one, so drivers were given two warm-up laps. However many still got caught out by the wet conditions when they approached them at racing speed for the first time, and Papasavvas spun into the side of Armstrong while going down the Esses. Armstrong then crashed out after turn eight, Papasavvas rejoined in 10th place and Thomas Schrage also spun and required assistance to restart so a full course yellow period was called.

Taylor, who had started seventh, moved into the lead ahead of Giaffone, Costello and Ayrton Houk. Racing resumed on lap five, and moment before that Taylor almost spun at the final corner as he put the throttle down. The race was neutralised again soon after as Houk and Costello went off at turn one, then the next restart was on lap nine.

This time Carson Etter did what Taylor had threatened to by spinning exiting the final corner, so another FCY period immediately began.

There was finally some real racing on lap 12, with Sam Corry attacking Giaffone into turn one at the restart while points leader Max Garcia rose from eighth to fourth. On the next lap he passed Corry around the outside of turn two, and did the same on Giaffone the lap after that before another FCY due to Jace Bacon beaching his car in the gravel.

The race was shortened by two laps, and on the 18th and final lap the drivers were freed once more. Taylor held off Garcia to win, Giaffone resisted Corry for third, and Elliot Cox passed Brady Golan for sixth.

Race result (18 laps)