Photo: Gavin Baker Photography / Road to Indy
DEForce Racing’s Kiko Porto sealed the USF2000 title with one race to spare at Mid-Ohio as Pabst Racing’s Yuven Sundaramoorthy won for the first time since May.
There was drama as the 20-lap race got underway as Cape Motorsports with Ignite Autosports’ Evan Starmer launched into the air after tagging Turn 3 Motorsport’s Dylan Christie, who was able to continue.
In addition, Jay Howard Driver Development’s Jackson Lee and Joe Dooling Autosports’ Trey Burke came to grief before the caution flags were waved.
Just before this, Sundaramoorthy worked his way past poleman and title contender Michael d’Orlando, as Porto worked his way up into fifth ahead of Turn 3’s Josh Green.
It was a short intermission before the racing resumed, with cars going three or four-wide down into The Keyhole and into turn four – the main passing spots. From there, Sundaramoorthy dominated the race up until lap 13 when the caution flags were shown once more.
DEForce’s Prescott Campbell was under attack from Pabst’s Jace Denmark while battling over the final podium spot when the pair tried running two-wide on the twisty circuit.
The pair came to grief, handing Porto another two spots to further strengthen his points lead, even though he was in a position to clinch the title regardless.
On the restart with five laps to go, Sundaramoorthy repeated his charge and took his fourth win of the season, but his first since the Indianapolis round back in May.
Porto came in with a 48-point advantage and needed a 33-point lead to clinch the title. By finishing just behind d’Orlando, he achieved this comfortably.
Green came home fourth ahead of Force Indy’s Myles Rowe – who took his second-best result of the season following his win at New Jersey.
DEForce’s Nolan Siegel took sixth ahead of Cape’s Thomas Nepveu. Exclusive Autosport’s Billy Frazer started 19th and finished eighth, gaining 11 spots across the start and first restart, before engaging in a fine battle with Rowe and later with Nepveu.
Turn 3’s Christian Weir was ninth, ahead of Stamer’s team-mate Spike Kohlbecker.
Race results (20 laps)
| Pos | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuven Sundaramoorthy | Pabst Racing | 32m28.1073s |
| 2 | Michael d’Orlando | Cape Motorsports | +0.7094s |
| 3 | Kiko Porto | DEForce Racing | +2.0474s |
| 4 | Josh Green | Turn 3 Motorsport | +2.8783s |
| 5 | Myles Rowe | Force Indy | +3.5594s |
| 6 | Nolan Siegel | DEForce Racing | +3.7770s |
| 7 | Thomas Nepveu | Cape Motorsports | +4.3198s |
| 8 | Billy Frazer | Exclusive Autosport | +5.7089s |
| 9 | Christian Weir | Turn 3 Motorsport | +6.1159s |
| 10 | Spike Kohlbecker | Cape w/ Ignite Autosports | +6.4284s |
| 11 | Josh Pierson | Pabst Racing | +6.7511s |
| 12 | Dylan Christie | Turn 3 Motorsport | +7.1662s |
| 13 | Ely Navarro | DEForce Racing | +8.0360s |
| 14 | Andre Castro | Legacy Autosport | +8.7661s |
| 15 | Bijoy Garg | JHDD | +10.7364s |
| 16 | Kent Vaccaro | Miller Vinatieri Motorsports | +11.1641s |
| 17 | Trey Burke | Joe Dooling Autosports | +11.4250s |
| 18 | Jackson Lee | JHDD | +12.9421s |
| 19 | Michael Myers | Michael Myers Racing | +13.4291s |
| 20 | Jace Denmark | Pabst Racing | +1 lap |
| Ret | Prescott Campbell | DEForce Racing | |
| Ret | Evan Stamer | Cape w/ Ignite Autosports | +2 laps |
| Fastest lap: Sundaramoorthy, 1m21.9052s
Championship standings |
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