CARMEL, Ind. – Last weekend saw the annual trip north of the border to Toronto, Ontario for the latest rounds of the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires. With drivers in both the USF2000 and USF Pro 2000 championship points chase, Jay Howard Driver Development (JHDD) left the weekend with one pole position and two podium results as they shift their focus to the next event at the end of August.
Evagoras Papasavvas led the way into Toronto with the #6 JHDD USF2000 entry. Fresh off a win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and three top-five results, Papasavvas carried that momentum into Canada scoring the pole position for race one and the front row starting spot for race two. Lochie Hughes, one of the JHDD championship combatants, slotted in fifth for race one and ninth for race two while Al Morey earned the eighth quickest lap for the first wheel-to-wheel action on the weekend and improved his starting spot in race two by qualifying sixth. Rookie Logan Adams was set for his second career USF2000 weekend and first in Toronto, earning a pair of top-15 starting spots.
With rain in the area throughout the weekend, drivers were forced to switch back and forth from slick to wet weather Cooper tires. Courtesy of his pole position starting spot, Papasavvas led the field to the green flag on Saturday afternoon. Forced to pit and change tires due to the drying track, Evagoras emerged deep in the field but rebounded to lead JHDD on the result sheet to finish sixth. Rookie Logan Adams was on the other end of the spectrum and though starting in P13 was able to stay out of trouble. Making smart decisions, Adams drove into the top five and eventually finished on the podium in third, his first career USF2000 podium result. Al Morey battled inside the top 10 before eventually finishing 12th after a cut tire relegated him down the running order while Lochie Hughes was forced to retire after contact with the wall.
Returning to the track Sunday, it was Hughes who found his way back to the podium advancing forward from his top-five starting spot to earn the second JHDD podium of the weekend and keeping his championship hopes alive. Papasavvas, who had an "off" in the opening corner, fell to the tail of the field but rebounded once again to drive from 16th to seventh when the checkered flag flew while Al Morey put three team drivers in the top 10 with a ninth-place result. With a podium finish on Saturday, Adams struggled to make any headway Sunday and finished in the 11th position.
On the USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires side of the program, Ricardo Escotto battled inside the top 15 in his first trip to the Streets of Toronto. Turning the second fastest lap in the one and only practice session, Escotto qualified 14th and 15th for his two wheel-to-wheel races. Despite being one of the fastest cars on track in both races, Ricardo was unfortunately caught up in other drivers’ incidents and the lone JHDD entry in Pro 2000 earned 13th and 15th place results.
“Ricardo is doing a fine job this year, he keeps gaining confidence and it shows,” explained Jay Howard. “Every track we go to is new for him. It's no surprise that he is getting faster and faster with every lap he completes. I am very happy with his progress."
Next up for the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires for JHDD will be a trip to the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas at the end of August.