F1Weekly Podcast # 1027
Play Podcast: 01-15-24f1weekly1027mp3
NASIR RETURNS FROM HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY ATTENDING SKUSA TESTING WEEK, MEETING NEW UPCOMING YOUNG DRIVERS DREAMING OF FORMULA 1. WE HAVE SOME FRIENDS FROM GRANDPRIX247.COM WITH THEIR OPINIONS ON THE 2024 RACING SEASON AND, THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW USF PRO2000 DRIVER AND WINNER NIKITA JOHNSON!
Nikita Johnson of VRD Racing has taken the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires by storm on his debut race weekend at Circuit of The Americas. The 15-year-old from Gulfport, Fla., not only becomes the youngest winner in the category but also becomes the first driver to win on all three levels of the current USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires ladder.
Nikita Johnson, 2nd grader, wins first place in Rok Cup Florida Championship race – Admiral Farragut Academy
A graduate of USF Juniors — the first step on the driver development ladder – Johnson is a full-time competitor in USF2000 competition and currently lies third in the standings with one tripleheader race event remaining at Portland International Raceway next weekend.
Yesterday’s race winner Kiko Porto finished second with DEForce Racing teammate Mac Clark third in his second USF Pro 2000 start.
Porto started on pole – earning his second Cooper Tires Pole Award of the season — with teammate Clark alongside. Johnson and championship points leader Myles Rowe of Pabst Racing with Force Indy rounded out the second row.
Nikita Johnson gets his second win from five USF Pro 2000 starts – Photo: Formula Scout
While Porto had a good start, the battle was on immediately between Clark and Johnson. After a back-and-forth tussle, Johnson emerged the victor and the opening five laps saw a great battle at the front between Porto, Johnson and Clark with the trio building a three-second gap to the rest of the field.
Johnson was able to take the lead from Porto on lap 7 and as the margin continued to build from the top three to the rest of the grid – increasing to over 17 seconds at the checker — all eyes were on the battle from fourth through seventh between Ricardo Escotto (Jay Howard Driver Development), Salvador de Alba (Exclusive Autosport), Lirim Zendeli (TJ Speed Motorsports), Rowe, Michael d’Orlando (Turn 3 Motorsport), Jace Denmark (Pabst Racing) and Francesco Pizzi (TJ Speed Motorsports).