New Zealand Grand Prix winner Liam Sceats recovered from a Race 1 DNF that came as no fault of his own in Toronto to take his fifth USF Pro 2000 podium of 2024 over the weekend.
The TJ Speed Motorsports driver finished the second race as runner-up, behind only Australian rookie Lochie Hughes.
“Due to the recent run of bad luck we’ve faced from crashes happening out of my control, this result feels extra good,” the Auckland-based teenager said. “Especially at an event like Toronto in front of IndyCar, and with it being my fifth podium of the season now.
“I’m over the moon to reward such a deserving team in TJ Speed Motorsports with this result.”
Sceats qualified sixth for both races on the Streets of Toronto, his second-ever street-course race meet.
His 1:11.0556 in Qualifying 1 was 0.4203s off pole-sitter Danny Dyszelski, and his Qualifying 2 effort of 1:09.6834 was 0.5497s in arrears of Race 2’s pole qualifier Hughes.
“I was slightly disappointed with this as I thought I gave my best performance and maximised the car’s limits,” he said. “We just missed the ball slightly with the setup.
“We were also hit with an unlucky timing of a red flag that came five seconds before I crossed the line. If that lap had counted, it would’ve moved me up to fourth on the grid.
“This came back to haunt us in race one.
“The first turn at Toronto is notorious for creating chaos because of how narrow the corner suddenly gets, not to mention the concrete walls surrounding you and 20 cars charging into there simultaneously.
“I was struck from behind at the start, which backed me into the wall. Our race was over before I even got through the first turn.
“This was the second race in a row where I’ve been unable to score championship points due to accidents out of my control. Not to mention the hefty damage to the car. It was a very frustrating day.”
The DNF was Sceats’s second in a row after he was taken out in the finale at Mid-Ohio.
However, his fortunes would change in Sunday’s 25-lap outing.
“The second race was my final opportunity to turn the weekend around,” he said. “Starting sixth again, I managed to get through the first corner this time without getting forced into chaos and made two quick overtakes as a bonus.
“The Tony Quinn Foundation-supported car that the team gave me was fast. I was putting a lot of pressure on the driver ahead, kept smart when I needed to be, and didn’t make any mistakes, which led to me crossing the line second in Toronto.”
The runner-up result elevates the Kiwi to fourth in the standings as the second-best rookie. He sits 50 points outside the top three and 113 behind championship leader Hughes.
Just two races remain in the 2024 USF Pro 2000 season, both coming at Portland International Raceway on August 22-25.
“I can’t wait for the championship finale in Portland in just over a month,” Sceats adds.
“I look forward to returning home for a few weeks to catch up with family, friends, and my partners. I will continue to work hard to end this great season on a high note.”
