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
|