With most of last year’s frontrunners no longer in the series, the 2025 USF Pro 2000 season promises to be an exciting display of new up-and-coming talent. Feeder Series tells you all you need to know about the third-tier IndyCar support series in this season preview. 

By Jeroen Demmendaal

With only three drivers from last year’s top 10 returning to the championship, the 2025 USF Pro 2000 season offers a new group of chargers the opportunity to shine. Four full-time drivers from last year have graduated to Indy NXT, and at least two frontrunners’ open-wheel careers have succumbed to budgetary challenges. As a result, this year’s class is heavy on rookies.

The field for 2025 has settled at slightly over 20 drivers for the season opener in St Petersburg, and some of those are drivers on a part-time schedule. That figure is a bit on the low side compared with the car count that series leadership would like to see, but there may be some last-minute arrivals. At the end of the line still lies a scholarship worth $546,500 for graduation to Indy NXT.

The calendar

Apart from a few date changes, the 2025 schedule is completely unchanged from 2024. Eighteen races, including two triple-headers, will decide who wins the title.

• Races 1–2: Streets of St Petersburg, Florida (28 February–2 March, street circuit)
• Races 3–5: NOLA Motorsports Park, Louisiana (10–13 April, road course)
• Races 6–8: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Indiana (8–10 May, road course)
• Race 9: Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indiana (22–23 May, oval)
• Races 10–12: Road America, Wisconsin (19–22 June, road course)
• Races 13–14: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Ohio (3–6 July, road course)
• Races 15–16: Streets of Toronto, Canada (18–20 July, street circuit)
• Races 17–18: Portland International Raceway, Oregon (7–10 August, road course)

The format

The road course and street circuit rounds usually comprise two practice sessions and a qualifying session. At rounds with two races, the grid for the second race is usually set based on the fastest race lap in race one or the second-fastest lap in qualifying, whichever is quicker. At three-race rounds, the fastest race laps from race two are used to determine the grid for race three.

The schedule for the oval race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, the only one on the calendar, consists of one practice session and an individual qualifying run for each driver. Their two-lap averages determine the starting order.

Race points are handed out to the top 20 finishers, with a race win generating 45 points and a clear premium on finishing in the top five. The polesitter gets an additional point, as does the driver leading the most laps and the driver who sets the fastest race lap.

Where to watch

To watch the USF Pro 2000 sessions and races this year, check the USF Pro Championships YouTube channel. It will broadcast all sessions free of charge. For live timing and extra content, download the USF Pro Championships app.

Teams and drivers

Turn 3 Motorsport

Turn 3 Motorsport won their first championship with Lochie Hughes in 2024, a massive milestone and a vindication of their full focus on USF Pro 2000 since 2023. Turn 3 now appear to be aiming for a status similar to HMD Motorsport’s expansive presence in Indy NXT. In 2024, Peter and Mandy Dempsey’s team already fielded five cars, and this year they will once again have the biggest line-up in St Petersburg.

Of those five cars, three are piloted by full-time drivers. Arguably the most exciting of that group is Alessandro de Tullio (#44). The 18-year-old finished fourth overall in USF Juniors in 2022, then spent 2023 back in karting because of budget constraints. Last year he suddenly showed up in Mid-Ohio in a BN Racing car and immediately demonstrated solid pace. Assuming his budget for 2025 is secured, keep an eye on this fast Floridian.

The second full-time seat is for Cooper Becklin (#2). The 20-year-old from Oregon was third overall in Formula Regional Americas in 2023, then joined TJ Speed halfway through 2024 for nine races in USF Pro 2000. A handful of top-10 finishes showed he has some promise, but it’s probably too much to expect a title run from Becklin.

Last among the full-time runners in 2024, Tyke Durst (#33) will stay with Turn 3 for a second year. Last year, the 21-year-old from North Carolina finished 17th overall after coming 18th in F4 US in 2023. To progress further on the ladder, Durst will need improved results, and he will be aiming for more regular top-10 finishes after taking only one in Toronto last year.

Looking at the part-time contingent, both Elliot Cox (#22) and Titus Sherlock (#3) are only confirmed for St Petersburg. Cox, 17, steps up after two years in USF2000 that saw him take three podiums, while 20-year-old Sherlock comes from Formula Regional Americas, in which he finished fourth. Who will be in their cars after St Petersburg is anyone’s guess, but money will likely play a role.

Pabst Racing

Following their dominant championship-winning year with Myles Rowe in 2023, Pabst Racing had a relatively slow year in 2024. Simon Sikes, Jace Denmark and Christian Brooks all had good races from time to time, but only Denmark could mount a real title challenge. For 2025, they reset with a completely new driver line-up.

Max Garcia (#18) stays with the team for a third year after winning the USF2000 title in 2024 and now sets his sights on a new championship. Whether that is possible the first time out is the big question, but the 15-year-old Floridian took USF2000 by storm and seems to be another one in the long run of wonderkids that have raced for Augie Pabst through the years. If the team keep their form of recent years, Garcia should be a frontrunner.

His teammate Jacob Douglas (#19) returns after a year mostly spent on the sidelines. The 19-year-old New Zealander was a solid competitor in USF2000 in 2022 and 2023 – even winning two races in a Pabst car – but went off the radar during 2024 barring two GB3 rounds. Now he hopes to rekindle his American open-wheel career, and there are few better places to do so than Pabst.

The third car goes to 18-year-old Pennsylvanian Michael Costello (#20), who comes over from a USF2000 campaign with Jay Howard Driver Development. A race winner in both F4 US and USF2000 with JHDD, Costello no doubt faces a learning curve, but look for him to spring a surprise from time to time.

TJ Speed Motorsports

After a disappointing 2023, TJ Speed didn’t fare much better last season. Both David Morales and Hunter Yeany left prematurely as dollars ran out, leaving Liam Sceats as the sole full-timer of the season. The Kiwi finished fifth overall and now heads off to Indy NXT, meaning the team of veteran Australian engineer Tim Neff has an entirely new line-up for 2025. Crucially, though, TJ Speed has struck a partnership with HMD Motorsports and moved into HMD’s shop in Brownsville, Indiana, which should give the three-car team a newfound impetus.

A clear title favourite on paper, Jace Denmark (#26) will hope that the third time’s the charm after finishing third overall in 2024 and missing the title by 50 points – albeit without winning a single race all season. The 20-year-old from Phoenix wanted to move up to Indy NXT this winter, as he already hoped to do last year, and even did some testing with Andretti Cape, but he couldn’t seal the deal. Signing with the TJ Speed–HMD tandem is probably his best bet to make a NXT move happen eventually, but securing the 2025 title in his third season is a must.

The title may not be on the mind of Ariel Elkin (#28), but the Israeli driver is clearly ambitious. The 17-year-old skips USF2000 and moves up straight from USF Juniors, in which he finished fourth overall as a rookie in 2024. Elkin is an unusual addition to the paddock, not least because of his overt nationalism and political activism. Still, his raw speed as a driver is clear, as his sweep of the Barber weekend last year demonstrated, and he could become a regular frontrunner if he can control his raw talent a bit better.

The third TJ Speed car goes to Sebastian Manson (#27), completing an intriguing trio. Still only 17 years old, the New Zealander finished second in Formula Regional Japan in 2024, after which he switched to Formula Regional Oceania and won two reverse-grid races. Clearly the ability and potential is there, but he will be the team’s only true rookie and will first have to familiarise himself with the US scene.

What this also means is that Evagoras Papasavvas will not race with TJ Speed despite an announcement to that end in November. Papasavvas has decided to spend his money on a partial Indy NXT campaign instead and will also become an official HMD reserve driver in 2025.

DEForce Racing

Based on their past form, the DEForce Racing contingent for 2025 is not terribly impressive. DEForce were in a title fight with Kiko Porto two years ago and finished third in the teams’ championship in 2022 and 2023, but 2024 was a bit of a letdown. Now the team have lost Mac Clark for 2025, and they are left with two relative veterans, neither of whom has set the series alight just yet.

Jorge Garciarce (#10) will enter his third year with the team and his second in USF Pro 2000. The Mexican spent two quiet years in USF2000 before finishing 10th as a rookie in USF Pro 2000 with a single top-five finish to his name. The 20-year-old has never fought for a single-seater title, and it would be a surprise if that changes in 2025.

Nicholas Monteiro (#9) joined DEForce last year after spending his rookie year in 2023 propping up the field in what was essentially a privateer entry. Still, the 19-year-old Brazilian finished only 13th overall in his sophomore year with five top-10 finishes. Even with a winter spent in FR Oceania, a third year in the series is unlikely to bring a massive improvement.

Exclusive Autosport

Exclusive Autosport expand their USF Pro 2000 line-up again for 2025 after spending most of 2024 as a one-car operation for Braden Eves. A new co-owner in the form of Joshua Cooley has helped give the Canadian team a financial boost, and they return to USF Pro 2000 with three cars this year.

The veteran of the squad is 20-year-old Mac Clark (#90), who joins from DEForce after a decent but unspectacular rookie year marred by budgetary constraints. Early in his career, Clark seemed set to be Canada’s next superstar, but his development curve has tapered somewhat. He followed a dominant USF Juniors title in 2022 with fifth place in a solid rookie year in USF2000, but his first year in USF Pro 2000 fell short of expectations. This year he will have to prove he is still the exciting talent many observers saw a few years ago.

The other two cars will be driven by two rookies. Joey Brienza (#91) was a solid competitor in USF Juniors and USF2000 for Exclusive, finishing fifth in both series over the last two years. Stepping up to USF Pro 2000 is a logical next step, and the 20-year-old from Colorado comes with solid backing.

Carson Etter (#92) is also ready for a new challenge after two years in USF2000, but 16th overall in 2024 suggests this will be a year to learn above all else for the Californian, who turns 21 this weekend.

Jay Howard Driver Development

JHDD were series champions with Christian Rasmussen in 2021, but since then USF Pro 2000 has been something of a struggle for Jay Howard and his team. For 2025, the squad has only one full-time driver signed up.

That driver is Frankie Mossman (#6), who was eighth overall in 2024. The 19-year-old California resident scored two podiums last season and will want to try and win some races in 2025. The competition is tough, however, and being in a single-car team is never easy.

At St Petersburg there will be a second car for Tanner DeFabis (#4), but that won’t help Mossman much. DeFabis ran two races at the season finale in Portland last year, but otherwise the 19-year-old from Indiana is green as grass – even if he did win the USF2000 race at Lucas Oil Raceway out of nowhere last year. Who will be in the car after St. Pete, or if it will appear at all, is anyone’s guess at this point.

VRD Racing

As they did last year, VRD run only one full-time car in 2025, but Max Taylor (#88) is high on all pre-season favourite lists. Nikita Johnson already showed last year that despite having to overcome some regulatory bumps, the VRD car is a winner. Meanwhile, Taylor almost managed to do the double in 2024, winning USF Juniors and coming third in USF2000. Still only 17 years old, the Connecticut youngster will also contest a part-time Indy NXT campaign with HMD and is clearly in a hurry. With plenty of talent and funding in his back pocket, Taylor appears destined to be in IndyCar within a few years.

VRD also announced a few weeks ago, rather surprisingly, that Eurocup-3 race winner Owen Tangavelou (#84) would run a partial season. At the moment of writing, it is still unclear exactly where the 19-year-old French-Vietnamese driver will show up, but after his appearance at the Spring Training pre-season test, he will likely be on the grid in St Petersburg.

BN Racing

As we wrote last year, formal press announcements don’t seem to be a thing at BN Racing. That hasn’t stopped Bryn Nuttall’s team from clocking up plenty of testing miles this winter, however. Ricardo Escotto and Nicolas Baptiste have both left, though the former did put in some testing duties during the Spring Training test at NOLA, and it looks like Brad Benavides (#24) is now lined up for a seat at the team.

Benavides, the reigning Euroformula Open champion and an F2 driver in 2023, sniffed at Indy NXT during the winter and tested a car for HMD. With all spots filled there, however, it seems more likely that the 23-year-old from Fort Lauderdale will try his hand at USF Pro 2000. All will be confirmed in Florida, of course, because formal press announcements are not a thing at BN Racing.

FatBoy Racing!

FatBoy Racing! are another team that don’t really do formal announcements. The racing equivalent to Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, 61-year-old New Yorker Charles Finelli (#83) and FatBoy Racing! have been floating in and out of USF Pro 2000 for years, even when the series was still known as Pro Mazda. Results don’t really count for crowd favourites Finelli and FatBoy; having fun does. In 2024 they started six races, in 2023 four, in 2022 eight – you get the gist. Earlier this month, Finelli and FatBoy popped up at Spring Training, and the series expects them to be in St Petersburg as well – assuming they feel like having some fun.

Comet/NCMP Racing

The final entry on the grid is the second year of the one-car effort of Logan Adams (#21), which also hasn’t been formally announced but did show up at Spring Training. Adams is the grandson of Mark Dismore, a former Indy 500 racer who owns karting supplier Comet Engines and the New Castle Motorsports Park go-kart track outside Indianapolis. For a single runner, Adams did pretty well in 2024 and even finished an excellent fourth in Mid-Ohio, but the 19-year-old is still expected to mostly make up the numbers.

Header photo credit: Gavin Baker