Photo credit: Luis Diaz Photo

In the midst of a chaotic finish, VRD Racing’s Joao Vergara put together a move in turn 1 with three laps to go take the lead and eventually the race win in the second race of the 2025 YACademy Winter Series.

The race was the second of three this weekend from Homestead-Miami Speedway. Vergara finished fifth in the first race from the pole but started further down in race two due to a partially inverted grid.

The win was not fully secured with Vergara having to fend off teammate Oliver Wheldon at the line by thirty-seven thousandths of a second at the line.

At the beginning of the race, Zanella Racing’s Leonardo Escorpioni built a large lead on the opening start as InterMS’s Emma Scarbrough made a move into second.

On lap 4, a long caution was brought out when VRD’s Ryan Giannetta collided with the inside wall in turn 7. 

On the lap 8 restart, Escorpioni was able to hold off Scarbrough to keep a hold onto the lead as InterMS’s Hudson Potter, Vergara, Exclusive Autosport’s Evan Cooley and VRD’s Oliver Wheldon all fought for the third spot. 

Potter made a move following the restart to get past Scarbrough for second position and by the time there were eight laps remaining, was pressuring Escorpioni for the lead.

However, lots of shuffling at the front of the field put Vergara in the hunt to make a lap 16 overtake to take the lead. Despite a charging Wheldon behind, especially drafting through oval turns 3 and 4, Vergara was able to stay in front. Escorpioni finished behind the two in third, with brothers Evan and Brenden Cooley finishing fourth and fifth for Exclusive Autosport.