The 2025 USF Pro 2000 Championship presented by ContinentalTire was the 27th season of the junior series two levels below the IndyCar series. It was the third season under the USF Pro 2000 moniker after the championship's most recent rebrand in 2023.
Pabst Racing's Max Garcia claimed the Drivers' Championship with three races to spare, while his team defended their Teams' Championship title for the third year in a row.
All drivers competed using Tatuus IP-22 racecars with Elite Mazda 2.0-014A engines and Continental tires.
BN Racing, which only returned to competition in the series in 2024, did not confirm its presence in the 2025 championship or any driver signings ahead of the season and did not enter any rounds.
Reigning Teams' Champions Pabst Racing took on three new drivers as Jace Denmark moved to TJ Speed Motorsports and Simon Sikes and Christian Brooks left the championship. [17] Reigning USF2000 Champion Max Garcia remained with the team for his move up to USF Pro 2000, while Jacob Douglas returned to Pabst, with whom he came sixth in USF2000 in 2023. [14] [15] Michael Costello, the only newcomer to the Pabst Racing fold, stepped up to USFP2000 after coming ninth in USF2000 with JHDD to complete the team's lineup. [16]
Only one of Turn 3 Motorsport's five drivers remained in the series as Drivers' Champion Lochie Hughes graduate to Indy NXT with Andretti Global, Danny Dyszelski left the team and Adam Fitzgerald and Ethan Ho had already departed mid-way through the 2024 season. [30] Alessandro de Tullio, who entered six races with BN Racing in 2024, replaced Hughes in the No. 44 car, while Cooper Becklin, who entered nine races with TJ Speed Motorsports in 2024, piloted the No. 2 car. [26] [21] Two more drivers joined the team for the first race weekend in Titus Sherlock, who moved over from FR Americas after coming fourth in 2024 driving for Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports, and Elliot Cox, who stepped up from USF2000 after finishing sixth driving for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development. [22]
Velocity Racing Development's Nikita Johnson moved to GB3, where he joined Hitech Grand Prix, while also taking on a part-time Indy NXT campaign with HMD Motorsports. [31] To replace him, VRD promoted Max Taylor after he won the USF Juniors title and came third in USF2000 in 2024 with the team. [29] Eurocup-3 race winner Owen Tangavelou also joined the team for the opening two rounds of the season. [27]
TJ Speed Motorsports took on three new drivers for their three cars. The No. 27 car previously occupied by Hunter Yeany before his mid-season departure was piloted by Formula Regional Japanese runner-up Sebastian Manson on his USFP2000 debut. [19] Turn 3-bound Cooper Becklin, who spent the second half of the 2024 season in the team's No. 28 car, was replaced by Ariel Elkin, who jumped up from USF Juniors after finishing the 2024 season in fourth driving for International Motorsport. [20] Liam Sceats joined HMD Motorsports for a part-time Indy NXT campaign, and USF2000 driver Evagoras Papasavvas was initially announced to replace him in the No. 28 car. [32] Ahead of the season opener, Jace Denmark was instead announced to be the third driver in TJ Speed's lineup, returning to USFP2000 where he finished third in 2024 with Papst Racing after being unable to secure a drive in Indy NXT. [17]
With BN Racing not entering the 2025 season, three of their four drivers left the championship in Nicolás Baptiste, Ricardo Escotto - who joined Andretti Cape in Indy NXT - and Arturo Flores, while Alessandro de Tullio moved to Turn 3 Motorsport. [33] [26]
Jay Howard Driver Development saw Frankie Mossman return for a second season. [12] Tanner DeFabis, who raced for the team at the 2024 season finale, remained with the team for a part-time campaign, entering the events at St. Petersburg, Indianapolis and IRP. [10]
DEForce Racing saw Mac Clark leave the team to join Exclusive Autosport. [7]
Exclusive Autosport, who did not have a full-time driver in 2024 after Braden Eves had to end his campaign early due to budget issues, had three new drivers in 2025. The team promoted two USF2000 drivers to its lineup in Joey Brienza, who came fifth in 2024, also with Exclusive Autosport, and Carson Etter, who came 16th with DC Autosport. [8] [9] Mac Clark completed the team's lineup, embarking on his second year in the series after finishing his 2024 campaign with DEForce Racing in eleventh despite missing the final two races. [7]
Turn 3 Motorsport only ran three cars at NOLA Motorsports Park, with Titus Sherlock and Elliot Cox both leaving the team. [34] For the third round at Indianapolis, they were replaced by Brady Golan, who stepped up from the USF2000 Championship, and DEForce Racing driver Nicholas Monteiro respectively. [23] Velocity Racing Development also welcomed a new driver in Frankie Mossman, who departed Jay Howard Driver Development to replace Owen Tangavelou for the remainder of the season. [28] Tangavelou in turn moved to DEForce Racing for the Indianapolis event. [4]
Comet/NCMP Racing's Logan Adams and VRD's Frankie Mossmann both skipped the oval event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. [35]
Adams and Mossmann returned for the Grand Prix of Road America, while Golan was absent and both DeFabis and Denmark had to end their seasons early due to budget issues. The latter two were not replaced by their teams, leading to JHDD fielding no cars for the weekend, while Golan's No. 3 Turn 3 Motorsport was piloted by ex-FIA F3 driver and series debutant Joseph Loake. [24]
JHDD returned to the championship at Mid-Ohio after announcing that Nick Gilkes would take over the team's No. 7 car for that and the following event. [11] Turn 3 Motorsport saw Loake depart as Golan returned to the team, while Charles Finelli ended his 2025 campaign ahead of the Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. [36]
Ahead of the Grand Prix of Toronto, JHDD announced that Liam McNeilly would make his series debut in Canada, returning the USF Pro ladder after winning the first five races of the 2025 USF2000 Championship before being forced out of competition due to visa issues. [13]
JHDD did not enter any cars at Portland as McNeilly and Gilkes were both absent, while both Logan Adams and Nicholas Monteiro also missed the season final, with the latter stepping up to Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports. [37] TJ Speed meanwhile saw the series debut of AFO competitor Miles Bromley in the No. 26 car previously piloted by Denmark. [18]
The 2025 schedule was revealed on September 17, 2024. The championship visited the same eight circuits as it did in 2024: two street circuits, five road courses and one oval. [38] All rounds except the weekends at NOLA and Indianapolis Raceway Park ran in support of the IndyCar Series. [1]
Rd. | Date | Race name | Track | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | February 28 – March 2 | Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | R Streets of St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg, Florida |
2 | ||||
3 | April 11–13 | Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana | R NOLA Motorsports Park | Avondale, Louisiana |
4 | ||||
5 | ||||
6 | May 8–10 | VP Racing Grand Prix of Indianapolis | R Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course | Speedway, Indiana |
7 | ||||
8 | ||||
9 | May 22–23 | Continental Tire Freedom 90 | O Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Brownsburg, Indiana |
10 | June 19–22 | Elite Engines Grand Prix of Road America | R Road America | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin |
11 | ||||
12 | ||||
13 | July 3–6 | PFC Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio | R Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, Ohio |
14 | ||||
15 | July 18–20 | Continental Tire Grand Prix of Toronto | R Exhibition Place | Toronto, Ontario |
16 | ||||
17 | August 7–10 | Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland | R Portland International Raceway | Portland, Oregon |
18 |
Rd. | Track | Pole position | Fastest lap | Most laps led | Race winner | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Driver | Team | |||||
1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Turn 3 Motorsport |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing | |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Turn 3 Motorsport |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Turn 3 Motorsport | |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing | |
6 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | TJ Speed Motorsports |
7 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing | |
8 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | TJ Speed Motorsports | |
9 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | TJ Speed Motorsports |
10 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing |
11 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing | |
12 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Velocity Racing Development | |
13 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing |
14 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing | |
15 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing |
16 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Turn 3 Motorsport | |
17 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing |
18 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Pabst Racing |
St. Petersburg hosted the season-opening double-header for the 2025 USF Pro 2000 Championship, and Turn 3 Motorsport’s Alessandro de Tullio claimed pole position for both races. [39] He spent the first race resisting attacks from Pabst Racing’s Max Garcia throughout three caution periods and subsequent restarts, with the pair colliding on Garcia’s final attack. Still, de Tullio was able to hold on and win the race, while Pabst’s Michael Costello was handed third after a penalty for Exclusive Autosport’s Mac Clark. [40] Race two saw de Tullio initially continue defending his lead, but this time, Garcia and Clark were able to both pass him on a restart. De Tullio then fell behind VRD’s Max Taylor before crashing into the Turn 4 barriers. Garcia secured victory and with it the lead in the standings, with Clark second and Pabst’s Jacob Douglas completing the podium after a penalty for Taylor. [41]
NOLA Motorsports Park hosted the next three races, and Garcia claimed pole position for race one despite suspension damage late in qualifying, while de Tullio topped the second session to secure race two pole as Garcia’s second-best lap put him on pole for race three. [42] [43] In the opening race, Garcia held the lead at the start but was passed by de Tullio on lap two, and although he closed back in during the second half of the race he was unable to attempt a move. De Tullio therefore took victory in the series’ 350th race, ahead of Garcia and Clark. [44] He then went on to control race two from pole, resisting pressure from Garcia. TJ Speed Motorsports’ Ariel Elkin, who had started in sixth, charged through the field to third, briefly challenging for second before settling for the final podium spot. The third race saw Garcia defend the lead from Douglas, Taylor and de Tullio at the start, with a brief caution triggered by Clark’s stoppage bunching up the field. Garcia held firm under late pressure from de Tullio to secure his second win of the year, while Taylor in third took his maiden podium. The Louisiana triple-header saw Garcia extend his championship lead to 141 points, 16 clear of de Tullio, with Douglas in third. [45]
At Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course, TJ Speed’s Ariel Elkin secured his maiden series pole for the opening race, with points leader Garcia in fourth. [46] Race one featured several caution periods: Douglas briefly led after an early restart before slowing with issues, handing first place back to Elkin, who held off Clark for his first USFP2000 win. [47] Garcia recovered to third to further extend his championship lead. In race two, Elkin again started from pole and initially led under multiple cautions, but a late clash between Taylor and Elkin allowed Douglas to take his first series victory ahead of Clark and Garcia. The chaotic finale saw Taylor, Douglas, and de Tullio all collide in turn one. Garcia was able to avoid the incident and challenge Elkin, but the Israeli repelled his attacks to claim a second win of the weekend. Turn 3 Motorsport’s Cooper Becklin rose from 11th to finish second, with Costello completing the podium as a drive-through penalty for VRD’s Frankie Mossman and further incidents reshuffled the order. Garcia salvaged fourth, narrowly behind Costello, to end the weekend with a further extended points advantage of 57 points over de Tullio, with Elkin a further two points behind. [48]
The campaign’s sole oval race at IRP closed off the first half of the season. Clark narrowly beat Elkin to pole position by 0.005 seconds. [49] In the 90-lap race, Elkin took the lead on lap two around the outside and gapped Clark, who then fell behind de Tullio at a mid-race restart. De Tullio also had no answer to Elkin’s pace and followed him home in second. Points leader Garcia came fourth, minimizing the damage to his points lead. Elkin’s victory saw him move past de Tullio to second in the standings, 41 points behind Garcia. [50]
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 30 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Points (O) | 45 | 38 | 33 | 29 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
|
|
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 22 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Pos | Team | STP | NOL | IMS | IRP | ROA | MOH | TOR | POR | Points | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pabst Racing | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 567 |
3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | |||
2 | Turn 3 Motorsport | 1 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 328 |
6 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 | |||
3 | TJ Speed Motorsports | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 281 |
15 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 5 | |||
4 | Exclusive Autosport | 4 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 270 |
13 | 11 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 10 | |||
5 | Velocity Racing Development | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 244 |
11 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 7 | DSQ | 5 | 4 | 11 | ||||
6 | Jay Howard Driver Development | 10 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 85 | |||||
16 | 10 | 11 | 14 | |||||||||||||||||
7 | DEForce Racing | 7 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 13 | DNS | 6 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 82 |
12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 14 | |||||||||||||
8 | Comet/NCMP Racing | 9 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 64 | |||
9 | FatBoy Racing! | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 48 | ||||||
Pos | Team | STP | NOL | IMS | IRP | ROA | MOH | TOR | POR | Points |