Douglas Primed For Major Month In USF Pro 2000 Championship
The most anticipated month in North American open-wheel racing has arrived, and rising Kiwi talent Jacob Douglas is set to take on the iconic Month of May in the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tire.
Four pivotal races across two weekends await Douglas and his Pabst Racing team, with a mid-season test at Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course splitting the two events. It's a defining stretch in the championship's calendar—and one the 19-year-old is eager to embrace.
'The Month of May is the biggest on the IndyCar calendar, and it's no different in the USF Pro 2000 Championship,' said Douglas.
'Two race weekends at my home away from home here in Indianapolis are an exciting prospect. It'll also be fantastic to catch the Indy 500 and catch up with the Kiwi contingent.'
Douglas's Month of May campaign begins with a triple-header on the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this weekend before the field heads to Ohio for testing.
The action then returns to the Hoosier State for the season's only oval race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, a high-speed 0.686-mile (1.104 km) oval located less than 10 miles from the Brickyard, just days ahead of the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
'I can't wait to get back behind the wheel this weekend,' added Douglas. 'We tested on the Indianapolis Road Course last October and had really strong pace, finishing in the top five in every session out of a 24-car field.
'There's so much happening over the next few weeks, but for me, it's about staying focused, building momentum, and continuing to push toward the front.'
Douglas currently sits fourth in the USF Pro 2000 Championship standings and is the third highest rookie, despite failing to finish the season opener in St. Petersburg. He rebounded with a maiden podium in Race 2, then backed it up with three fourth-place finishes at NOLA Motorsports Park—cementing his status as a championship front-runner.
His team, Pabst Racing, lead both the Drivers' and Teams' standings, with teammate Max Garcia atop the individual leaderboard heading into the month.
Track action begins on Thursday (local time) with two hour-long test sessions and an official 30-minute practice, followed by qualifying on Friday.
Race 1 takes place at 7:20 a.m. NZST on Saturday, with Race 2 at 1:30 a.m. and the finale at 6:20 a.m. on Sunday, leading directly into the NTT IndyCar Series race on the same circuit.
All races can be streamed live via the USF Pro Championships YouTube channel.
About Jacob Douglas
Jacob Douglas is a 19-year-old racecar driver from New Zealand. He is a multiple-time national champion in karting and was the 2023 USF YACademy Champion. He took 11 podiums, including seven wins, in USF 2000 machinery in the United States in 2023, before making two GB3 cameos in 2024.
He is a member of New Zealand's prestigious Elite Motorsport Academy, winning the renowned Bruce McLaren Trophy among the Class of 2024.
In 2025, he returns to North America to compete his rookie season in the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tires.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
12 hours ago
- 1News
Chiefs are top of the class as Blues save their best for last
Analysis: The Chiefs will be joined in the Super Rugby playoffs by fellow Kiwi sides the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Blues and all four hit form at the weekend, writes Patrick McKendry. There was an end-of-term feel to the final round of the Super Rugby Pacific season, with Moana Pasifika, the Waratahs and Fijian Drua failing fast, the Crusaders showing attention to detail in holding off the Brumbies in Canberra, and the Chiefs predictably coming top of the class. Credit should go to the Highlanders - their squad becoming thinner by the week - for showing starch in their final match of the season, but Clayton McMillan's men deserved to retain the top seed for the playoffs and their 41-24 victory, plus the Blues' 46-6 win over the Waratahs at Eden Park, puts the northern rivals into one of the three qualifying finals. The Chiefs will be heavy favourites to win the match at Waikato Stadium on Saturday night and they will be planning something special in the so-called battle of State Highway 1 after the Blues beat them in last year's grand final. The Blues, though, will feel they have at least built some momentum after having too much for an injury-hit Waratahs last night, with Rieko Ioane scoring a hat-trick of tries. ADVERTISEMENT Indeed, one of the aspects of the victory that may please head coach Vern Cotter the most near the end of a season in which his attack has struggled to fire is that the Blues' backs scored six of their team's seven tries. Unfortunately for the Waratahs, their attack never fired and neither – consistently, anyway - did Moana Pasifika's in Wellington last night. That was a win for the defensive capabilities of both the Blues and Hurricanes, the latter appearing almost irresistible in thrashing Moana Pasifika 64-12. Their reward is a qualifying final against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night. Moana Pasifika have been one of the feelgood stories of the competition this year, and their season should not be defined by this result or the collapse a week earlier against the Chiefs in Hamilton. Moana skipper Ardie Savea signs autographs for fans at the Cake Tin. (Source: Photosport) They have relied on their close connections to get this far – they won a franchise-record six games this season (the same as the Blues) and beat the Hurricanes, Crusaders (in Christchurch), Highlanders (in Dunedin) and Blues – so it was probably not surprising that their inspirational skipper Ardie Savea, Super Rugby's player of the year, was almost overcome with emotion in a Sky TV interview straight after their defeat at the Cake Tin. ADVERTISEMENT 'Everyone doubted us but God believed in us,' Savea said. 'These boys came together. We brought people together. I've come home – it's a special place for me with the Moana fans and the Hurricanes fans. It means so much to me and it's close to my heart. 'For these boys to come here and do something for New Zealand rugby and the Super Rugby competition is a blessing in itself. 'We're not satisfied. Our goal was to win the thing and make the top six. That wasn't meant to be. Also, you've got to give credit to Doops [Hurricanes' skipper Du'Plessis Kirifi] and his team. They are quality men and a quality team and I hope they go all the way and win the comp.' For his part, Kirifi, the loose forward who again performed impressively at the breakdown and won two penalty turnovers in a row at one point, continued his record of speaking extremely eloquently in post-match television interviews. Bleeding from his right ear, Kirifi said: 'I do want to acknowledge Moana Pasifika and the season that they've had and the inspiration and excitement they've brought to our competition. 'You can see now the amount of fans and people who are behind them and what that means to rugby in New Zealand. ADVERTISEMENT 'Whether people were here tonight to support us or Moana, it doesn't matter. It's good for New Zealand rugby [as is] the brand of rugby they play. The values they represent are things we all have in common.' Du'Plessis Kirifi on the charge for the Hurricanes against Moana Pasifika. (Source: Photosport) As for the Crusaders, a franchise that has come to be recognised as the competition's prime over-achiever that had a year to forget in 2024, a mixture of physicality, good decision-making and a last-ditch tackle by Scott Barrett on wing Corey Toole in the final minutes got them home in Canberra to finish second on the table. Their prize is a home qualifier against the Reds rather than a potentially far tougher match against the Hurricanes. The Reds sewn up fifth place after they thrashed the Fijian Drua 52-7 in Brisbane. Finishing as high up the table as possible has extra benefits this year because of the inaugural 'lucky loser' concept. The highest-ranked loser in the playoffs gets a second life and will progress to the semifinals (while losing a seeding place). Should the first weekend of finals go to form, the Chiefs and Crusaders will beat the Blues and Reds respectively. ADVERTISEMENT Should the Brumbies lose to the Hurricanes, who have already beaten them this year, they will still make a semifinal. In the above scenario, the Chiefs will host the Brumbies and the Crusaders will host the Hurricanes in the semifinals. Alternatively, should the Hurricanes lose, they will face the Chiefs in Hamilton and the Brumbies will play the Crusaders in Christchurch. Super Rugby Pacific playoffs draw Crusaders v Reds, Christchurch, Friday – kick-off 7.05pm. Chiefs v Blues, Hamilton, Saturday – kick-off 7.05pm. Brumbies v Hurricanes, Canberra, Saturday – kick-off 9.40pm.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Men's mental health: Festival of Rugby League returning to Rotorua for second year
A rugby league event created to raise awareness about men's mental health will return to Rotorua for its second year. The inaugural League Legends event took place in October, when 21 former NRL and Kiwi players played three matches in support of Māori and Pasifika men's mental health. This year,
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Formula 1: Liam Lawson disappointed with qualifying effort, to start 13th in Spanish Grand Prix
Liam Lawson will start 13th in Formula One's Spanish Grand Prix, after being eliminated in the second session of qualifying in Barcelona. The Kiwi was 0.152s away from reaching the third qualifying session (Q3), after a weekend that had seen him in the top 10 of all three practice sessions.
