USF Juniors champion Leonardo Escorpioni to lead team expansion armed with scholarship
ORLANDO, FL – Zanella Racing is thrilled to announce an expansion of their program in the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire. The team won both the USF Juniors Driver and Team Championship this season and will build off this success by adding three USF2000 cars to their arsenal for 2026. After debuting in USF Juniors in 2024, Zanella Racing won the series championship this past season with sophomore driver Leonardo Escorpioni and the coveted Team Championship title thanks to the combined effort of their drivers, which included Escorpioni, Ty Fisher, Diego Guiot, Maddie Colleran, and Rahim Alibhai. Escorpioni will lead the soon-to-be-confirmed USF2000 driver line-up armed with the scholarship he earned from winning the USF Juniors title in 2025.
“We are very proud to expand our program with the addition of three USF2000 cars for the 2026 season,” offered Naka Zanella, Team Owner. “Having Leonardo Escorpioni, the 2025 USF Juniors Champion, continue his journey with us in USF2000 is a tremendous honor. Leonardo will be moving up to USF2000 by taking advantage of his USF Pro Championships scholarship, which is a testament to his hard work and success. His growth with the team has been remarkable, and we are excited to support him as he takes the next step in his career. This expansion is proof that our driver development program continues to work, and our ultimate goal is to take our drivers all the way to IndyCar.”"
In addition to the three USF2000 cars that will debut in Zanella Racing colors in 2026, the team will also continue their championship-winning USF Juniors program with an expected four-car line-up for next year. Highly-respected race engineer Ernie Gonella will remain with the Zanella family team as well, and the veteran in relishing the opportunity to help grow the program and continue their winning ways.
The team has already begun off-season testing to prepare for the 2026 season. Over the course of the next four months, the team has eight tests on the schedule at tracks including Atlanta Motorsports Park, Road America, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Mid-Ohio, Barber Motorsports Park, Sebring, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (see below). For those drivers interested in joining the USF Pro Championships with Zanella Racing in 2026, or to make the move from karting into cars, get started now by contacting Naka via email at info@zanellaracing.com.
ZANELLA RACING 2025 TESTING SCHEDULE
September 4-7: Atlanta Motorsports Park - Team Test
September 18-19: Road America - YACademy Test
September 24-25: Homestead-Miami Speedway - YACademy Test
October 21-22: Mid-Ohio Sports Car - YACademy Test
October 25-26: Indianapolis Motor Speedway - USF Pro Championship Fall Combine
November 24-25: Barber Motorsports Park - YACademy Test
December 11-12: Homestead-Miami Speedway – YACademy Test
December 15-16: Sebring - YACademy Test