Liam McNeilly sweeps USF2000, while other drivers secure strong top-10 finishes
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The 2025 USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire kicked off the season on the iconic Streets of St. Petersburg, where Jay Howard Driver Development (JHDD) had an impressive showing. The team not only dominated in the USF2000 program with a weekend sweep but also secured additional top-10 finishes in both USF2000 and USF Pro 2000.
In USF2000, Liam McNeilly led the charge for the team, winning both races and sweeping the weekend. Anthony Martella and Brad Majman also contributed strong performances, with Martella finishing sixth in race one and Majman securing a fifth-place result in race two. Timothy Carel added to the team's success by finishing just outside the top 10 in race two, securing an 11th-place result.
"Winning both USF2000 races is an amazing way to kick off the season," said Team Owner Jay Howard. "Liam was incredibly fast all weekend, and these two wins give him an excellent foundation as he competes for the championship. I’m also really proud of our other drivers — Anthony, Brad, and Timothy — who all had solid runs to start the season with additional top-10 results. Excited to see where the season takes us."
In the USF Pro 2000 category, Jay Howard Driver Development recorded three top-10 finishes across two races. Frankie Mossman had an unfortunate early retirement in race one after being involved in an incident, but he made a strong recovery in race two, moving up from 19th to finish 10th. Tanner DeFabis showed impressive racecraft, finishing 10th after starting 20th in race one and improving to seventh in race two after starting 14th.
"Our USF Pro 2000 drivers did a great job this weekend," Howard noted. "Tanner fought hard in both races to grab two solid top-10 finishes. Frankie’s race one didn’t go as planned, but he recovered well in race two to secure a top-10 result. It was an overall strong weekend for our programs."
Looking ahead, Jay Howard Driver Development will head to Louisiana from April 10-13 for the next rounds of the USF Pro Championships. All three USF Pro Championship programs will race at NOLA Motorsports Park, with USF Juniors beginning their season while USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 continue their 2025 campaigns.