Schrage takes his turn for first USF2000 victory

For the second day in a row, a new driver made his way to the top step of the USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire podium as Thomas Schrage won this morning’s second leg of the VP Racing Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Schrage completed his steady path toward the top by besting VRD Racing teammate and polesitter Teddy Musella by less than a second after 15 laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix road course.

Yesterday’s winner, Jack Jeffers, finished third today for Exclusive Autosport and became the new championship leader in the absence of Liam McNeilly, who had been unable to gain access to the country from his native UK due to visa complications.

Rookie Musella once again started at the front, snaring his second consecutive Continental Tire Pole Award after posting the best of each driver’s second-fastest lap during qualifying on Friday morning. Jeffers started second on the grid with Schrage and Evan Cooley, in a second Exclusive Autosport car, on row two.

Schrage, on a mission after what he considered as a sub-par performance yesterday (when he finished second), immediately took advantage of the massive draft on the long start/finish straightaway to challenge for the lead as the field hit the brakes for the first time. Both VRD drivers left their braking as late as possible, but it was Musella who narrowly emerged still in the lead.

Next time around, Schrage timed his run to perfection, diving to the inside line under braking for Turn 1. Schrage emerged in a lead he never looked like losing.

A couple of brief full-course cautions interrupted the proceedings, but failed to deter Schrage, who kept his head down, hit his marks at every turn, and remained tantalizingly out of reach of Musella, who had to be content with second – his best career finish since winning last year’s Ligier JS F4 championship.

For Schrage, a former F1600 Championship Series champion, his maiden victory was richly deserved after a string of three straight second-place finishes and five podium runs in his last eight starts dating to Portland in 2024. Schrage set the fastest race lap for good measure.

“I knew from the start that, once again, I can race with these guys. So, starting third, I had my teammate Teddy in front of me,” he said. “He had a great start and I followed him through Turn 1. I tried to get to the lead as fast as I could. We had a fast car once I got out front, so I knew I just had to make the most of it and try to keep him out of range from attacking in Turn 1. So all in all, a good day.

“Yesterday was a good day, too, and I felt like we could have won. The team gave me a great car to win. I felt like I needed to make up for it today, so I did.”

Jeffers initially was involved in a mighty scrap for fourth place before moving his way to third and then placing Musella under increasing pressure in the closing stages.

G3 Argyros (Pabst Racing) capped a solid weekend with a fourth-place finish to augment his third from yesterday, with 2023 USF2000 champion Simon Sikes narrowly holding onto fifth for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing from Brad Majman (Jay Howard Driver Development).

Ayrton Houk finished seventh for Benchmark Autosport ahead of Eddie Beswick (Synergy Autosport), although spare a thought for Lucas Fecury, who drove perhaps the race of his life for Exclusive Autosport, rising from 18th on the grid to sixth before a mechanical issue brought his car to an abrupt halt on the final lap.

Instead, the Tilton Hard Charger Award went to Mexican debutant Patricio Gonzalez, who worked his DEForce Racing Tatuus from 19th on the grid to ninth.

The PFC Award was claimed by Dan Mitchell as the winning car owner.

After an official two-day test this coming week at Mid-Ohio, the USF2000 Championship will head to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on the evening of Friday, May 23 for its only oval race of the season.

RESULTS

Provisional championship points after seven of 18 races:

1. Jack Jeffers, 165

2. Liam McNeilly, 163

3. Thomas Schrage, 152

4. Teddy Musella, 112

5. G3 Argyros, 109

6. Evan Cooley, 97

7. Caleb Gafrarar, 87

8. Sebastian Garzon, 82

9. Ayrton Houk, 75

10. Jeshua Alianell, 69.