Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
Leonardo Escorpioni and Ty Fisher won the second and third USF Juniors races at NOLA Motorsports Park on Sunday.
Jay Howard Driver Development’s Liam Loiacono started on pole for race two, but by turn one he was in second as Velocity Racing Development’s Oliver Wheldon went past. Also making progress was Zanella Racing’s Diego Guiot, who made up several spots from 10th on the grid.
DEForce Racing’s Vilho Aatola got himself into fourth, and Zanella’s Escorpioni also overtook Loiacono. The pair of them then moved ahead of Wheldon lap two, and Escorpioni quickly distanced himself up front.
His team-mate Fisher passed Aatola at turn 10 on lap three, and Wheldon went down the inside of Loiacono at turn one on lap four but the latter got back through at turn 10. They were battling ahain on lap eight, and were tight as they entered turn one on the next lap.
Wheldon tried a move at turn three, Loiacono stayed defensive through turn four and Fisher was now involved. At turn 10 he took to the inside kerbs to get alongside Wheldon, who hit the exit kerbs and lost third place. The podium fight was not settled though, and on the last lap Wheldon got back past.
VRD’s Joao Vergara took seventh from Exclusive Autosport’s Brenden Cooley on lap five, lunged past Guiot at turn three on lap eight, went around Aatola on lap 10 then got alongside Fisher at the finish.
Fisher had pole for race three, and went three-wide into the opening corner with Wheldon and Escorpioni. Wheldon briefly got ahead, then Fisher had the advantage until Escorpioni dived down his inside at turn three. Loiacono then pressured Wheldon, before being passed by Aatolo and Vergara.
The race was flipped on its head on lap two, as Escorpioni suddenly slowed exiting turn two and was lucky not to be hit before he stopped. Two other drivers crashed out, and a caution period was called.
Just before coming across Escorpioni, DEForce’s Rodrigo Gonzalez passed Guiot for what was seventh place.
Racing resumed on lap six. Aatolo got alongside Wheldon at turn one, and Gonzalez dived past Loiacono at turn three. Vergara then overtook Aatola, and Loiacono fell to eighth after a messy fight with DEForce’s drivers.
Fisher set fastest lap after fastest lap to pull away, but the 14-year-old’s winning margin ended up being one second over new points leader Wheldon as the race ended behind the pace car due to Emma Scarborough crashing out.
Loiacono recovered to sixth, passing team-mate Karel Staut late on lap nine then Guiot on lap 10. Staut also overtook Guiot, but then went off and fell to 14th.
Results round-up
Race 2 (12 laps)
1 Leonardo Escorpioni Zanella Racing 19m53.827s
2 Liam Loiacono JHDD +3.893s
3 Oliver Wheldon Velocity Racing Development +5.085s
4 Ty Fisher Zanella Racing +5.582s
5 Joao Vergara Velocity Racing Development +5.680s
6 Vilho Aatola DEForce Racing +5.893s
7 Diego Guiot Zanella Racing +6.381s
8 Brenden Cooley Exclusive Autosport +7.521s
9 Rodrigo Gonzalez DEForce Racing +8.298s
10 Karel Staut JHDD +19.645s
Fastest lap: Fisher, 1m38.569s
Race 3 (12 laps)
1 Fisher 27m19.913s
2 Wheldon +1.056s
3 Vergara +2.096s
4 Aatola +2.467s
5 R Gonzalez +3.473s
6 Loiacono +4.402s
7 Guiot +4.674s
8 JT Hoskins JHDD +4.675s
9 Patricio Gonzalez DEForce Racing +5.762s
10 Hudson Potter International Motorsport +6.159s
FL: Fisher, 1m39.533s
Championship standings
1 Wheldon 74 2 Fisher 72 3 Vergara 70 4 Loiacono 56 5 Escorpioni 54 6 R Gonzalez 46 7 Guiot 42 8 Aatola 40 9 Cooley 33 10 Staut 31