Rowe races into USF Pro 2000 lead with St. Petersburg win

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Myles Rowe ended the Firestone Grand Prix weekend in St. Petersburg with victory in USF Pro 2000’s second race of 2023.

The Pabst Racing driver started fifth, and made up one place on lap one then another on lap two before a full course yellow period began after Yuven Sundaramoorthy came to a stop at Turn 3.

The next two drivers to pass were Kiko Porto and Francesco Pizzi, with the latter having started on pole and the former having passed him around the outside of Turn 1 for the lead on the opening lap.

Rowe cleared Pizzi on the restart lap, and the race was neutralised moments later after Reece Ushijima lost his rear wing.

A futher three laps was spent under yellow flag conditions behind the pace car before racing could resume again, and Rowe’s progress continued as he quickly passed Porto for the lead.

Pizzi was demoted to fifth behind Jace Denmark and Lirim Zendeli on the restart lap, and from there the field started to spread out.

A lead of three second was built up by Rowe in the second half of the race, with Denmark chasing Porto for second and escaping the battle between TJ Speed duo Zendeli and Pizzi for fourth.

Race one winner Christian Brooks finished not far behind them in sixth, losing the points lead to Rowe in the process, and Jordan Missig was seventh. He had been battling with Salvador De Alba before a brush with one of the walls put him out of the race with a few laps to go, and it meant fastest lap holder Joel Granfors inherited eighth.

Race result (25 laps)