BROWNSBURG, Ind. – The traditional Carb Night Classic at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday produced a pair of impressive USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire victories for Israel’s Ariel Elkin, in USF Pro 2000, and Canada’s Anthony Martella, in USF2000.

Elkin’s commanding performance in the Freedom 90 represented the rookie’s third win from the last four races for TJ Speed Motorsports. It was enough to vault him into second place in the point standings ahead of Turn 3 Motorsport’s Alessandro de Tullio, from Miami, Fla., who passed Canadian polesitter Mac Clark (Exclusive Autosport) shortly after the 90-lap race’s only full-course caution.

Martella also controlled proceedings in the Freedom 75 race for USF2000. After enduring a difficult start to the season for Jay Howard Driver Development, the youngster from Woodbridge, Ont., Canada, swept into the lead after 12 laps and rocketed away to become the third first-time USF2000 winner from the last three races.

VRD Racing’s Thomas Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio, maintained his recent run of form by finishing second ahead of Martella’s JHDD teammate, Brad Majman, from Melbourne, Australia. Schrage’s sixth successive podium finish, which included a maiden victory two weeks ago on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, moved him into the championship lead for the first time.  

The traditional single-car qualifying session for USF Pro 2000 took place on Thursday evening, thankfully after some earlier showers had passed through. Pabst Racing’s points leader Max Garcia, from Coconut Grove, Fla., and relatively new Turn 3 Motorsport recruit Nicholas Monteiro, from Miami, Fla., posted the fastest times during the pair of 45-minute test sessions, but it was yet another team, Exclusive Autosport, which emerged on top in qualifying as Clark posted his first pole since making a spectacular series debut at Circuit of The Americas in 2023 to snare the Continental Tire Pole Award.

With the sun having already set and the ambient temperature having dropped dramatically, the first of 90 laps was completed under yellow when Mexican George Garciarce’s DEForce Racing Tatuus failed to leave the grid on cue. Elkin, however, made his intentions clear from the moment the green flag waved, braving it out around the outside line through Turns One and Two before sweeping into the lead through Turns Three and Four.

Clark chased gamely, but it soon became apparent that Elkin was in a class by himself. By Lap 28, Elkin had already lapped up to 10th place. The battling Pabst Racing pair, Michael Costello, from Naples, Fla., and New Zealander Jacob Douglas were next to fall victim to the flying Israeli, such that when the caution flags waved after 47 laps when Joey Brienza (Exclusive Autosport), from Golden, Colo., lost control and crashed in Turn Four, only eight cars remained on the lead lap.

A group of lapped cars provided a welcome cushion between Elkin and his chasers when the green flag waved again with 57 of the 90 laps completed. Frankly, he didn’t need any help.

“It was an amazing race – my first race here on an oval,” summarized Elkin. “It was a very big challenge but with the support of TJ Speed Motorsports and the Israeli and Jewish nations, I was able to capture the win. It was a very tough race but we rose to all the challenges.”

The slower cars proved much more of a problem for Clark at the restart. De Tullio took full advantage, nipping past the Canadian and then moving clear. He even came close to matching Elkin’s pace as he eventually crossed the finish line just 1.2236 seconds in arrears.

Clark finished a relatively lonely third, well clear of Garcia, who had to work extremely hard to stay ahead of an inspired Brady Golan, from Austin, Texas, who was making only his fourth USF Pro 2000 start from Turn 3 Motorsport.

Teammate Monteiro maintained his recent form by finishing sixth for the fourth race in a row. Costello was the final unlapped finisher in seventh.

After having started from the back of the field following a crash in qualifying, Tanner DeFabis, from nearby Avon, Ind., repaid his Jay Howard Driver Development team handsomely by finishing 10th. He also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

Tim Neff took home the PFC Award as the winning car owner.

Provisional championship points after nine of 18 rounds:

1. Max Garcia, 231

2. Ariel Elkin, 190

3. Alessandro de Tullio, 183

4. Mac Clark, 174

5. Jacob Douglas, 141

6. Max Taylor, 141

7. Michael Costello, 129

8. Jace Denmark, 118

9. Nicholas Monteiro, 113

10. Cooper Becklin, 102

The continued absence of former USF2000 points leader Liam McNeilly, from London, England, due to ongoing visa problems once again provided an opportunity for some other contenders to step into the breach. Unlike on the Indianapolis road course a couple of weeks ago, however, this time it was local driver Ayrton Houk, from McCordsville, Ind., and McNeilly’s regular Jay Howard Driver Development teammates Majman and Martella who stepped up their game.

Houk and Martella topped the timing sheets during the pair of test sessions on Thursday. After qualifying second fastest on the oval one year ago, Houk was determined to go one better this time around. He did not disappoint. Martella actually clocked a fractionally faster lap during the single-car, two-lap qualifying runs, but Houk’s overall average at a new record speed of 117.747 mph was enough to secure the first-ever Continental Tire Pole Award for both himself and his family-run Benchmark Autosport team.

Houk maintained his advantage at the start, although it wasn’t long before Martella came a-knocking. Houk held off his Canadian rival for as long as he could as his car’s balance soon began to fall away. On Lap 13, Martella’s pressure paid off as he darted to the inside in Turn One and took over a lead he never looked like relinquishing.

Schrage also took advantage of Houk’s misfortune by moving past into second place just four laps later. By then Martella had already begun to check out.

A lead of over six seconds was reduced slightly as the leader encountered some lapped traffic midway through the 75-lap race, but Martella’s win never looked in doubt.

Even a brief full-course caution with 13 laps to go failed to blunt his dominance. Martella once again raced clear in the final nine-lap run to the checkered flag, which he took with a 1.8009 second margin over Schrage.

“It was definitely a very hard race, and 75 laps didn't make it easy,” said Martella. “I knew we had the speed, and I knew no one really could challenge us for the win. I think our race pace really showed as being our strong point. The goal from the beginning was to take the lead right off the start, which I didn't end up doing. But after a few laps, I got into the groove. The tires came in, and I made the move on Ayrton. After that, we just pulled away. Nobody had the speed that we did. Joe, Spencer and Jay and everyone at Jay Howard Driver Development did an amazing job prepping the race car and building me as a driver. I am really happy with the results and can't wait for Road America.”

After a disappointing run in qualifying had left teammate Majman an unrepresentative 11th on the grid, he began to move his way forward almost immediately after the start. The young Australian nipped past Pabst Racing’s G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., on Lap 50, then quickly set off after Schrage.

The late caution appeared to play into Majman’s hands, but Schrage was up to the task and held onto his position relatively comfortably. In the absence of McNeilly and with Exclusive Autosport rival Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, finishing back in ninth, Schrage was able to move into the USF2000 points lead with seven of 18 races now completed.

Majman wisely settled for a fine third and also claimed the Tilton Hard Charger Award after an impressive performance.

Caleb Gafrarar, from Charlotte, N.C., overtook Pabst Racing teammate Argyros for fourth place in the closing stages.

Jay Howard pocketed the PFC Award as the winning car owner. His team’s hard work also was rewarded by reclaiming the lead of the Teams Championship.

Provisional championship points after eight of 18 races:

1. Thomas Schrage, 190

2. Jack Jeffers, 183

3. Liam McNeilly, 163

4. Teddy Musella, 135

5. G3 Argyros, 135

6. Caleb Gafrarar, 116

7. Evan Cooley, 114

8. Anthony Martella, 106

9. Brad Majman, 102

10. Sebastian Garzon, 102.

Next up for both USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire series will represent an entirely different challenge with a doubleheader event alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at the classic Road America road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on June 20-22.