ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Sebastian Garzon raced to a second successive USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire victory in today’s Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Whereas on Friday he won convincingly from the pole, today, following the NTT INDYCAR SERIES headline event, the 16-year–old from Neiva, Colombia, had to come from behind to sweep the weekend and ensure an almost perfect start to the season for his DEForce Racing team.
Garzon’s triumph came in the 250th race since Andersen Promotions reinstated USF2000 in 2010 – at the same venue – following a three-year hiatus.
Eddie Beswick, from Sydney, Australia, finished second for Pabst Racing after starting from the pole, while last year’s USF Juniors champion Leonardo Escorpioni finished a fine third for the second race in a row for Zanella Racing. Brazilian Escorpioni, from Windermere, Fla., also claimed an additional championship point after securing the fastest lap of the race on the 20th and final lap.
The grid for today’s second leg of the doubleheader event was determined either by each driver’s second fastest lap during the lone qualifying session on Friday morning or their best lap from Race One. Beswick claimed his maiden Continental Tire Pole Award by virtue of his qualifying effort, while the next seven on the grid owed their positions to the opening race with Beswick’s fellow Aussie teammate Brad Majman on the outside of the front row and Garzon sharing row two with fellow Florida-based Brazilian Joao Vergara.
Unlike on Friday, the initial start today was clean, at least at the front of the field with Beswick maintaining his advantage into Turn One while Garzon swept past Majman into second. There was contact further down the order, however, which ensured an early full-course caution. Cruelly, Exclusive Autosport teammates Anthony Martella, from Woodbridge, Ont., Canada, and Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., both once again failed to complete the first lap – Martella due to a mechanical problem, while Cooley was eliminated following contact with Callahan Peter (JHDD powered by ECR), from Fishers, Ind., who was later penalized for his role in the incident. Peter also will serve a three-place grid penalty in the next race.
Yet another Exclusive Autosport driver, Connor Aspley, from O’Fallon, Mo., stopped before the green flag waved again to ensure another brief interruption, but the final 12 laps were clean.
Garzon swept past Beswick at the restart, then completed an impressive move under braking on the outside line to take a lead he was never to relinquish.
Beswick’s slight loss of momentum allowed Escorpioni to pounce at Turn Three, but Beswick, to his credit, lost little time in fighting back. Two laps later, the Australian maneuvered his way to the inside of Escorpioni at the same corner to retake second place under braking.
Escorpioni kept the pressure on his more experienced rival but had to settle for third, while Majman ensured a strong start to his campaign with another fourth-place finish.
Brady Golan, from Austin. Texas, capped a fine weekend for DEForce Racing by taking fifth ahead of Vergara and VRD Racing teammates Ryan Giannetta, from Redondo Beach, Calif., and Teddy Musella, from Orlando, Fla., who exchanged places on the final lap.
Canada’s Lucas Nanji (Pabst Racing) and Ayrton Cahan (Exclusive Autosport), from Santa Fe, N.M., rounded out the top 10.
The Tilton Hard Charger Award was claimed by JHDD powered by ECR’s Erik Holm, from Orebro, Sweden, who rebounded well after failing to start Friday’s race following a heavy crash in practice. Holm climbed from 24th on the grid to 16th in his very first car race.
David and Ernesto Martinez of DEForce Racing pocketed another PFC Award as the winning car owners.
The USF2000 championship will now take a short hiatus, which includes a couple of official series tests, before reconvening for a tripleheader event once again in support of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course on May 7-9.
Provisional championship points after two of 18 races:
1. Sebastian Garzon, 63
2. Leonardo Escorpioni, 45
3. Joao Vergara, 40
4. Brad Majman, 39
5. Lucas Nanji, 29
6. Ryan Giannetta, 28
7. Eddie Beswick, 27
8. Wian Boshoff, 22
9. Teddy Musella, 22
10. Gabriel Cahan, 21
Sebastian Garzon (#12 Orsolon Racing/Café de Colombia-DEForce Racing Tatuus USF-22): “I started third and at the start I got second. Then there were two restarts and in the second restart I managed how to be close to P1. In Turn One I passed around the outside and then I was just trying to manage my place and learn the track because it was super greasy after INDYCAR. I am super happy to get a second win and super happy to be leading the championship.”
Eddie Beswick (#23 Next Level Racing-Pabst Racing Tatuus USF-22): “The race was good. Probably not as nice in the car balance as what I would have liked to have, but still obviously it’s good to come away with a trophy. I was slightly disappointed not to convert the pole position to a win, but still really happy to get my first podium with Pabst Racing.”
Leonardo Escorpioni (#55 USF Pro Championships/Qwilt/Peer 1-Zanella Racing Tatuus USF-22): “I had a good race. I made some moves at the start. We were able to get to P3 on the first lap and then after that I was just trying to get to the lead. I got to second and then I went for a pass in Turn Four, and it just didn't work out. I came back down to third and that's where we stayed for the rest of the race. We were the quickest car on track, and I'm really happy with the result. Our first ever race here in USF2000 for myself and the team, so not a bad way to start.”