Palmetto, Fla. – Early indicators are pointing to a banner year for USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire in 2025, with record fields expected across the three series as it prepares for its 16th year of competition. Adding to the excitement is an increase in horsepower on road and street courses for the top two rungs of the open-wheel driver development ladder system – USF Pro 2000 and USF2000.
“Our goal is to consistently provide the best platform to prepare our drivers to progress up the ladder,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “Increasing horsepower will not only improve the training drivers will receive from the series, but also make the cars more exciting to drive and more challenging.”
Trials of the increased horsepower were conducted during the recent USF Pro Fall Combine Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this month with VRD Racing’s Noah Ping taking the point in USF Pro 2000 and Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers in USF2000. Ping, 22, of Gainesville, Ga., most recently contested and won in GB3 competition while Jeffers, 18, of San Antonio, Texas, is a multi-time race winner in USF Juniors.
Elite Engines, the Official Engine Supplier of USF Pro Championships, notes that USF Pro 2000 will enjoy a substantial gain in engine performance with the rev limiter rising from 7850 soft to 8350 – a gain of 500 rpm – affecting the engine’s power output and drivability. Peak horsepower output will be boosted 10 hp at the top end while the bottom end will gain as much as 40 hp culminating in lower lap times, a substantial improvement in acceleration out of slower corners along with an increase in top speeds.
USF2000 will continue with its current rev limiter, but removal of the engine restrictor will result in a 20 hp increase at the top end, an increase in acceleration, with a small gain in top speed, and faster lap times.
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Noah Ping, VRD Racing: “It was a great change, making the car come to life in the best of ways. It is slightly more challenging to drive resulting in the need to be more precise and delicate with the right foot. It also makes driving the USF Pro 2000 car more of a total experience because not only is it more fun to drive but also it increases your heart rate and requires the driver's inputs to be more precise than before.
“It will be a new experience that will help driver development and reward the best drivers, especially in the wet. I truly cannot say enough great things about how this horsepower increase will shape the future of the USF Pro 2000 series. It was truly lovely working alongside the USF Pro Championship series and experiencing how much the whole group working on this project cares about helping drivers develop the skills required to move up through the ladder system. Again, a huge shout out and thank you to the series for choosing me to participate in the new development for the USF Pro 2000 racecar.”
Dan Mitchell, Team Owner, VRD Racing: “The upgrade certainly put a smile on the driver’s face. It’s something I feel we need to align ourselves with other series around the world. Not only will we find more lap time, but the car will be harder to drive, so the real talent should shine.”
Jack Jeffers, Exclusive Autosport: “The increased horsepower was definitely an eye-opener as to how much faster these cars can truly go. It didn’t really require me to change my driving style a whole lot though. My braking points were the same, turn-in and apex were the same. The big difference is apparent on the exit; you have so much more power so there is more wheelspin, and then climbing through 4th, 5th and 6th gear, it continues to pull very hard and that’s where I noticed the biggest difference to my competitors. The unrestricted car pulls through 4th and 5th gear much better. There were a couple of occasions where when I got a good draft, I would almost run out of gear in 6th.
“But overall, I really like the unrestricted car, and with the added wheelspin, tire management could be a potential factor in the mid-season with all the long hot races. I strongly believe that it will improve the racing and make the car harder to drive, creating a clear distinction from the front runners to the midfield. I want to offer a big ‘thank you’ to the USF Pro Championships series for trusting me with testing the car and the whole process.”
Micheal Duncalfe, Team Co-Owner, Exclusive Autosport: “A huge credit to Andersen Promotions and their technical staff for being forward thinking with regards to the continued development of the Tatuus USF2000 package and the USF Pro Championships as a whole. This is a positive change and step in the right direction from a driver development perspective. These types of changes also keep the series in a competitive position, and that helps continue to attract and retain talented drivers worldwide.”
Louis D’Agostino, Engineer, Exclusive Autosport: “The acceleration off the corners was much improved, which will aid in driver development ultimately teaching drivers about throttle control. This is a great opportunity to get closer to the European formulas and open the gap up between the Juniors and USF2000 Tatuus cars. This is a very positive step by the series in improving the performance of the USF2000 car.”