INDIANAPOLIS — A dramatic first of three races that will make up the VP Racing Grand Prix of Indianapolis saw Israeli polesitter Ariel Elkin score his maiden USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire victory for TJ Speed Motorsports on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course.
Elkin took the lead after New Zealander Jacob Douglas experienced a cruel electrical gremlin on his Pabst Racing entry, then held off Canadian Mac Clark (Exclusive Autosport) in a fight to the finish.
Max Taylor finished a close third for VRD Racing.
Qualifying this morning unearthed a new polesitter as rookie Elkin capitalized on his improving recent form by posting the fastest time in chilly conditions. It was Elkin’s first Continental Tire Pole Award since stepping up directly from USF Juniors over the winter.
Douglas, from third on the grid, took advantage of a huge slipstream effect on the long run to the first corner, only to carry a little too much speed into the apex of the right-handed Turn One. Elkin slipped back past as Douglas ran just a touch wide, albeit able to maintain second place ahead of Taylor, who had started on the outside of the front row.
The first-lap shenanigans continued as Pabst Racing’s points leader Max Garcia was elbowed down to ninth after having started fourth. But worse was to befall midfield starters Logan Adams (Comet/NCMP Racing) and George Garciarce (DEForce Racing), who tangled later on the lap to ensure the first of three Safety Car appearances during the 25-lap race.
Immediately after the restart with four laps in the books, Douglas executed a textbook pass for the lead in Turn One, leaving his braking to the last possible moment and slipping through cleanly on Elkin’s inside.
Douglas soon inched out to a small but appreciable advantage, which he held through an ensuing Safety Car interruption following another midfield skirmish, only for his car to abruptly cut out as he exited Turn 14 onto the start/finish straight after 14 laps had been completed.
The Kiwi continued, only for the problem to recur, forcing him into the pits and curtailing any hopes of a top finish.
Elkin gratefully regained the lead and, following another brief interruption, had his work cut out to fend off the attentions of a determined Taylor at the restart with five laps remaining.
Taylor found himself out wide at the exit off Turn One, whereupon Clark seized upon the opportunity by driving around the outside of Taylor as they negotiated Turn Two.
Thereafter, Clark kept the pressure on Elkin through the waning stages, but the rookie was up to the task and eventually took the checkered flag just 0.719 of a second to the good.
Taylor, last year’s USF Juniors champion, had to be content with third, while Garcia literally forced his way to a strong fourth ahead of teammate Michael Costello following a series of tussles with, firstly, title rival Alessandro de Tullio (Turn 3 Motorsport), who came off second best when they made contact at Turn One, and, later, Jace Denmark (TJ Speed.
The incident with Denmark also allowed American-Brazilian Nicholas Monteiro to slip through into a career-best sixth in his first drive with Turn 3 Motorsport. Monteiro took home the Tilton Hard Charger Award after having lined up 16th on the grid.
