Sikes extends USF2000 lead with dominant Mid-Ohio win

Photo: Gavin Baker Photography

Simon Sikes made up for losing the second USF2000 race at Mid-Ohio by taking a dominant win in the third.

The Pabst Racing driver had dominated the day’s earlier race before a crash following a late safety car period, and he had a chance at redemption by starting from pole for the weekend’s final race.

The first two laps of the race ran behind the pace car as Jacob Douglas and title contender Lochie Hughes struck mechanical trouble that meant their cars had to be retrieved, and when racing truly began on lap three there was a big crash that involved six cars. Amazingly most made it to the end of the lap before retiring.

As there was lots of debris the pace car was required again, with the next restart on lap seven of 2020. Sikes sprinted away from the chasing pack, while Ethan Ho fell out of the top 10.

The action was far calmer thereon, with Sikes gradually growing his lead while Mac Clark in second was pressured by Nikita Johnson and Evagoras Papasavvas.

On lap 13 there was several corners of side-by-side action but Clark held on to this position, while Sam Corry and Chase Gardner joined the battle from behind.

Johnson tried again on the last lap around the outside of turn two and he got the move done, finishing 10s behind Sikes in second place. Clark held on to third to the chequered flag, as Papasavvas pipped Corry to fourth just on his tail. Gardner and Max Garcia were right behind them too, with 2.1311s covering second to seventh.

Team USA scholar Thomas Schrage’s remarkable debut weekend continued, as he charged from 19th to ninth.

Race result (20 laps)