A commanding drive from the front, combined with a perfectly executed strategy from Pabst Racing in drying conditions, delivered Kiwi 20-year-old Jacob Douglas his first victory of the 2026 USF Pro 2000 Championship on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
The win, Douglas’s second career victory, with his maiden triumph coming at the same venue one season ago, combined with a top-ten finish in Race 2, lifts the Kiwi #19 to sixth in the championship standings after four of 18 rounds.
He now sits just six points shy of third and remains firmly within striking distance of the championship leaders.
“Winning at IMS once was unforgettable, but doing it again is an incredible feeling. It’s a place every driver wants to succeed at,” said Douglas.
“It feels great to get the first win of the season on the board. The team nailed the strategy in tricky conditions, and the car was strong from start to finish.
“It was great to score the win with FCC Business Solutions, a division of Fleet Cost & Care, coming on board with the car’s new look this weekend. I’m incredibly grateful for their support and proud to deliver such a strong result for everyone involved.
“We knew we had the pace all weekend, so to convert that into a victory is really rewarding.
“A huge thank you to the team for making such a bold call in those conditions and giving me the advantage on a drying circuit. Once we got into clean air, I was able to put the hammer down, manage a couple of late restarts, and bring home a well-deserved win for everyone involved.”
Having qualified fifth for the opener, Douglas immediately placed himself in contention as the field tackled tricky wet-to-dry conditions on the iconic road course.
An early Safety Car period proved pivotal, with Pabst Racing making the bold call to bring the Kiwi into the pit lane for slick tyres while much of the field elected to stay out on wets.
The strategy briefly dropped Douglas down the order, but as the circuit dried rapidly, the advantage soon became clear. Charging back through the field with superior pace, he inherited the lead when the remaining frontrunners finally stopped for slicks under a second caution period.
From there, the Kiwi controlled the race, surviving multiple late restarts before driving away to secure a memorable victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
Returning later in the day for Race 2 and starting on the front row, Douglas cemented more championship points in a stop-start race in the dry, influenced by multiple cautions, and was classified ninth.
“It’s great to be in the championship mix as we head to the first oval of the season,” Douglas added.
“Race 2 was challenging with all the restarts, and we got caught up in an intense midfield shuffle, but there are still positives to take away as we were able to regain some ground.
“There’s still plenty left on the table from Race 2, but we’re on the board now and looking forward to a big few months ahead.”
The USF Pro 2000 Championship returns with a test at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on May 19, before Round 5 on May 21–22 on the 0.686-mile oval located just a short 10-minute drive away from where the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be held that weekend.
Header Image: Gavin Baker Photography
