The Series
  • JHDD 2
     12.19.24| 
    • Team News
  • JHDD
     12.16.24| 
    • Team News
  • Welcome to Zanella Racing (4) (002)
     12.13.24| 
    • Team News
  • Vilho Pic (1)2
     12.2.24| 
    • Team News
  • Leo Announcement
     11.27.24| 
    • Team News

USF Juniors_Logo_Main_For Light

 

 

 

2025 USF JUNIORS PRESENTED BY CONTINENTAL TIRE

USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire is the first official step on the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire driver development system, which provides an unparalleled scholarship-funded path to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis 500. The series is an entry level program for young drivers needing more experience and track time before moving onto the highly competitive USF2000 platform, and brings a level of professionalism and organization to a driver's first serious championship choice.

Max Taylor, 16, from Greenwich, Connecticut, driving for VRD Racing won the 2024 championship title and a scholarship valued at $263,700.

HISTORY

Since its debut in 2022, USF Juniors has blossomed into a springboard to USF2000 competition. Graduates include series' champions Mac Clark and Nicolas Giaffone as well as Sam Corry and Nikita Johnson.

SCHOLARSHIP PACKAGE/PRIZE MONEY

A prize package exceeding $328,000* will be on offer in 2025, including a scholarship valued at $249,675* to advance to USF2000. Additional prize money and awards include the Continental Tire Pole Award for each race as well as season-ending awards for Rookie of the Year, Championship Team, Engineer of the Year, Mechanic of the Year, Hard Charger, Move of the Year and Spirit Award.

In total, the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire will distribute over $1.48M* in prize money and awards.

*Minimum as of September 2024. Full 2025 prize money and award packages to be finalized.

2025 SCHEDULE - SIX EVENTS/16 RACES

The 2025 schedule features six events and 16 races in total, held in conjunction with INDYCAR, IMSA and GRIDLIFE events. All races are run to a lap count with extended time windows to ensure competitors a set number of green-flag racing laps.

Rounds Date
Venue
Supporting
 1/2/3          
April 10-13*         
NOLA Motorsports Park
Standalone Event
 4/5/6 May 1-3*
Barber Motorsports Park
INDYCAR
 7/8 June 6-8*
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
IMSA
 9/10 July 3-6*
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
INDYCAR
 11/12/13 July 24-26*
Road America
GRIDLIFE
 14/15/16 August 7-10*      
Portland International Raceway    
INDYCAR

*Includes pre-event test day

Spring Training will return to NOLA Motorsports Park on February 22-23. Additional series’ in-season tests for all three series will be held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on May 13-14 and Road America on June 11-12. The season-ending Championship Celebration will take place on August 11 in Portland. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will once again host the traditional USF Pro Fall Combine on October 25-26.

SERIES PARTNERS

Continental Tire, AMR INDYCAR Safety Team, Bell Helmets, Carl Haas Auto, Cosworth, Dallara Research Center, Dynamic Suspensions, Elite Engines, Hyperco, INDYCAR Ministry,  Makita Corporation, PFC Brakes, RACER, Racing Communications, Sabelt, Skip Barber Racing School, Tatuus, Tilton, Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand, VP Racing Fuels

COVERAGE

Coverage of USF Juniors will feature worldwide live streaming on the USF Pro Championships App, YouTube channel and website. All races will be available on the series YouTube channel after each event.

CAR | ENGINE

Tatuus Racing, S.p.A is the manufacturer of the race car packages for all three levels of the USF Pro Championships and is world-renowned as a premier builder of formula cars. The USF Pro Championships concept is unique in that the same monocoque and many of the main suspension and bodywork components are common to all three series.

The USF Juniors JR-23 utilizes the same base chassis as USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 allowing drivers and teams to continue to advance up the world's most complete driver development system with a forward-thinking three-step concept.

The chassis is a full carbon composite and aluminum honeycomb monocoque meeting current FIA safety standards including side impact panels, front and rear impact structures, HANS-compliant INDYCAR head restraint, front and rear wheel tethers and upgraded front bulkhead structure for USA-specific oval racing circuits and a Halo-type device.

The equipment package for all series will remain in competition for at least three more seasons through 2027.

All series are based on the MZR 2.0-liter powerplant built by Elite Engines. USF2000 and USF Juniors are upgraded factory engines and are the same except for restrictor plates and mapping. USF Pro 2000 uses the same block and head casting but is race built with performance pistons, rods, camshafts and billet crankshaft. All engines utilize a fly-by-wire throttle system.

Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Inc. is the exclusive racecar/parts supplier for the series.

VP is the Official Fuel of the USF Juniors series.

TIRES

Slick/rain tires co-branded CONTINENTAL/USFJUNIORS as manufactured by Continental Tire.

POINT SYSTEM

1st............................... 30              8th...............................13             15th............................ 6
2nd.............................. 25             9th................................12             16th............................ 5
3rd............................... 22             10th..............................11             17th............................ 4
4th............................... 19             11th..............................10             18th............................ 3
5th............................... 17             12th.............................. 9              19th............................ 2
6th............................... 15             13th.............................. 8              20th+.......................... 1

7th............................... 14             14th.............................. 7

One additional point is awarded for pole position, most laps led and fastest race lap

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1st............................... 22              6th................................ 8
2nd..............................18              7th................................. 6
3rd.............................. 15              8th................................. 4
4th.............................. 12              9th................................. 2
5th.............................. 10              10th+............................. 1

 

Single car teams will receive three bonus points as an equivalency to multi-car teams. Only the two best results will count in the team championship for teams fielding more than two entries.

TRACK RECORDS

NOLA Motorsports Park
Qualifying: Liam McNeilly
1:38.1853 = 100.463 mph
April 6, 2024
  Race: Sebastian Wheldon
1:39.1192 - 99.517 mph
April 7, 2024
Barber Motorsports Park
Qualifying: Ariel Elkin
1:25.5502 = 96.785 mph
April 25, 2024
Race: Nicolas Giaffone 1:26.070 = 96.201 mph April 28, 2023
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Qualifying: Nicolas Giaffone     
1:25.275 = 95.325 mph
July 7, 2023
Race: Sebastian Wheldon
1:26.1589 = 94.347 mph            
July 6, 2024
Road America
Qualifying: Max Taylor
2:14.723 = 107.260 mph
August 10, 2024
Race: Max Taylor
2:14.570 = 106.831 mph
August 11, 2024
Portland International Raceway     
Qualifying: Max Taylor
1:28.5576 = 79.840 mph
August 23, 2024
  Race: Ariel Elkin
1:15.0871 = 94.163 mph
August 24, 2024

 

2024 SEASON LEADERS

Most Wins
Liam McNeilly
5
Most Poles
Liam McNeilly
5
Most Podiums
Max Taylor, Sebastian Wheldon     
9
Most Top-5s
Max Taylor
12
Most Fastest Race Laps      
Sebastian Wheldon
5
Most Races Led
Ariel Elkin
9
Most Laps Led
Ariel Elkin
65
Most Laps Completed
Joao Vergara
232 of 234

 

MILESTONES

Most Wins   
Nicolas Giaffone     
6
Most Poles
Mac Clark
10
Most Podiums   
Jack Jeffers
15
Most Top-Fives      
Jack Jeffers
19
Most Top-10s
Max Taylor     
24

 

CHAMPIONS

2024   
Max Taylor
VRD Racing
2023
Nicolas Giaffone    
DEForce Racing
2022
Mac Clark
DEForce Racing