ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — A banner day for Pabst Racing began with a perfect one-two result in the third race of The Andersen Companies Grand Prix of Road America Presented by Elite Engines.
Brad Majman, from Melbourne, Australia, claimed his very first USF2000 Presented by Continental Tires race win during a 12-lap contest that was interrupted by a series of incidents despite near perfect weather conditions.
Fellow countryman Eddie Beswick, who secured his first win yesterday, finished second with the fastest race lap ahead of polesitter Sebastian Garzon (DEForce Racing), from Neiva, Colombia, who now holds a 30-point lead in the championship over Majman following his seventh podium finish of the season.
The starting positions for today’s race were determined either by each driver’s second-fastest lap during the second qualifying session on Friday or their best laps from the second race on Saturday.
All six drivers took advantage of yesterday’s perfect weather conditions to improve upon their times, with points leader Garzon fastest of all to snag his second Continental Tire Pole Award of the season. VRD Racing’s Oliver Wheldon, from St. Petersburg, Fla., had continued his impressive form to ensure a position on the outside of the front row ahead of Majman and Florida-based Brazilian Joao Vergara, also from VRD Racing.
The start of the race was clean as Garzon maintained his advantage through the first corner, only for Majman to make an opportunistic pass for the lead under braking for Turn Two. Wheldon slipped back to fifth in the early skirmishes, behind Vergara and Beswick, but a little farther down the field there was contact between Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., and Ryan Giannetta (VRD Racing), from Redondo Beach, Calif., as they headed slightly downhill on the long not-quite-straightaway that leads toward Turn Five.
Cooley was fortunate to emerge unscathed after his Exclusive Autosport Tatuus went tumbling through the air having clipped Giannetta’s left-front wheel. Callahan Peter (JHDD powered by ECR), from Fishers, Ind., also was involved.
A lengthy cleanup was followed by another couple of incidents which left enough time for a four-lap dash to the checkered flag, although, unfortunately, the race also finished under yellow after Australian Liam Loiacono (JHDD powered by ECR) was collected by the Exclusive Autosport car of Connor Aspley, from O’Fallon, Mo., who had made a mistake in Turn 12.
Beswick had to settle for second, despite closing on his teammate, Majman, before the yellow flags flew for the final time. Garzon finished third ahead of Wheldon and Canadian Anthony Martella (Exclusive Autosport), who had started 10th after winning yesterday afternoon’s race. Vergara took sixth ahead of Ayrton Cahan (Exclusive Autosport), from Santa Fe, N.M., and Wesley Gundler, from Holly Springs, N.C., who ended a challenging weekend for ENVE Motorsports on an upswing.
