Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography

Max Garcia became the first driver in USF2000 to pull off an opening weekend sweep since Christian Rasmussen in 2020 when he took the checkered flag to take his second win of the weekend on Saturday afternoon on the Streets of St. Petersburg.

Garcia, 14, didn’t compete last year at St. Pete due to not reaching the minimum age required to race. He started the 20-lap race on pole alongside his Pabst Racing teammate Sam Corry. The two finished first and third yesterday afternoon in Race 1 and secured the first two spots on the grid by having the two fastest second-best lap times in qualifying.

The race started on a 20-minute delay due to repairs needed in the wall at turn 4. Garcia and Papasavvas went side-by-side heading into the opening corner as the Ohio-native got ahead by turn 4. Garcia remained within a couple tenths as the two built out a gap to the cars behind early on.

On lap 3, USF Juniors champion and DEForce Racing driver Nicolas Giaffone spun around in the final corner in the way of VRD Racing’s Cole Kleck to bring out a full-course caution. On the ensuing lap 7 restart, Garcia dove to the outside but Papsavvas was able to hold on. Garcia gave another attempt on lap 8. Papasavvas locked up and Garcia was able to take the lead. Corry worked his way past Papasavvas as well to send the two Pabst cars to first and second.

Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers, a title favorite in USF Juniors in 2024, had a strong showing as well at first when he worked his way from 8th on the grid up a spot early. He continued to make passes as he got by VRD Racing’s Max Taylor on lap 10 to get himself up into sixth. Just behind those two drivers, Jay Howard Driver Development’s Michael Costello collided with the wall in turn 8 to bring out a red flag.

After the red flag period, the race restarted with six laps remaining. Jeffers and Taylor ended up colliding on lap 16 in turn 1 which knocked both drivers outside of the top 10. The incident propeled Jeffers’ teammate, Thomas Schrage, to make his way into sixth place from a starting position of seventeenth. On the next lap, the race ended under caution after DC Autosport’s Ayrton Houk collided with DEForce Racing’s Lucas Fecury. Garcia was still in the lead in front of Corry and Papasavvas.

The full results are attached:

1. Max Garcia
2. Sam Corry
3. Evagoras Papasavvas
4. Elliot Cox
5. Nico Christodoulou
6. Thomas Schrage
7. Quinn Armstrong
8. Joey Brienza
9. Hudson Schwartz
10. Xavier Kokai
11. Maxwell Jamieson
12. Carson Etter
13. Brady Golan
14. Tanner DeFabis
15. Max Taylor
16. Ayrton Houk
17. Lucas Fecury
18. Jack Jeffers
19. Michael Costello
20. Cole Kleck
21. Nicolas Giaffone