The opening race of the USF Pro 2000 triple-header at Indianapolis Motor Speedway delivered a dramatic blend of breakout performances, strategic overtakes, and heartbreak for would-be winners.
Under chilly skies, rookie Ariel Elkin made a powerful statement by converting his maiden pole position into a hard-fought victory—his first since graduating directly from USF Juniors over the winter.
The front two rows of the grid were locked out by rookies, setting the stage for an unpredictable 25-lap battle. Elkin led the way in qualifying, joined on the front row by Max Taylor, while Pabst Racing teammates, Kiwi rookie Jacob Douglas and Max Garcia filled out row two.
Fellow Kiwi rookie Sebastian Manson also impressed with a strong P10 qualifying performance.
Douglas wasted no time launching an aggressive charge from third at the green flag, utilising the long draft into Turn One to snatch the lead briefly. But a touch too much speed into the corner saw him run wide, allowing Elkin to regain control.
Despite the bobble, Douglas slotted into second ahead of Taylor, while Manson quickly worked his way up to eighth.
Garcia wasn’t as fortunate, falling to ninth amid the early chaos.
The action intensified before the first lap could be completed. A collision between George Garciarce and Logan Adams brought out the first safety car of the day, bunching up the 18-car field.
When racing resumed, Douglas delivered a stunning pass for the lead into Turn One. This inch-perfect move showed his growing confidence.
However, the Kiwis’ lead would prove short-lived. After stretching out a 1.2-second gap and surviving another safety car, disaster struck. Douglas’s car faltered exiting Turn 14 on Lap 14, cutting power just as he looked to consolidate his advantage.
Despite briefly rejoining the race, the issue recurred, ultimately sending him to the pits and dashing hopes of a breakthrough win.
“Unfortunately, I had a shifting issue and got stuck in gear for most of the lap during the final 10 laps.” said Douglas
With Douglas sidelined, Elkin reclaimed the lead and faced mounting pressure from Taylor. At the restart with five laps to go, Taylor attempted a move around the outside in Turn One but ran wide, opening the door for a well-timed pass by Simon Clark, who swept around the outside in Turn Two.
Clark stayed glued to Elkin’s rear wing over the final laps, but the Israeli rookie kept his composure to take a narrow but decisive victory by 0.719 seconds.
“It was an amazing race,” said Elkin.
“I’m very grateful to the TJ Speed crew for giving me an amazing car. To take pole and win the first race here is a dream come true. I’m super happy to be here and make the most of this opportunity.”
Taylor, last year’s USF Juniors champion, secured third for VRD Racing, while Garcia muscled his way to fourth in a gritty recovery drive, narrowly edging out teammate Michael Costello.
Manson delivered a solid race to finish eighth and collect 13 points for TJ Speed, moving him to 13th in the championship with 51 points.
Douglas, who had looked poised to score his first win of 2025, had to settle for 14th, picking up just seven points. He now sits sixth in the championship standings with 88 points—a disappointing end to what had been a near-perfect performance.
The USF Pro 2000 Grand Prix of Indianapolis weekend continues with two more races on Sunday. Race 2 will go green at 1:30 AM NZT, with the finale scheduled for 6:20 AM NZT ahead of the INDYCAR main event.
Header Image: USF Pro 2000
