Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography

By the time the USF Pro 2000 drivers have their final race on Sunday morning, the Streets of St. Petersburg will practically be a different track than they started it on.

Thursday’s track walk provided a whole other world than the much slicker race track that can be expected after IndyCar, Indy NXT and USF2000 all lay down rubber throughout the St. Petersburg race weekend. USF Pro 2000 also had the chance to be the first to contribute to that process by breaking it in during the opening practice session of the weekend on Friday morning.

“I think every lap is going to be crucial,” Exclusive Autosport’s Mac Clark said. “When we walked the track yesterday, it was super dirty. Lots of leaves, dirt and even a few pop cans.”

Friday morning will consist of two sessions for USF Pro 2000, the aforementioned practice session at 11:35 a.m.’s qualifying session which takes place after USF2000 has their practice.

Clark said that in qualifying, drivers are gonna have to be on top of their game at the end of the session to get near the front of the grid.

“The fastest lap is gonna come in the last 3-4 minutes,” Clark said. “You gotta be out there, you gotta be circulating, and you gotta be ready for those last five minutes which are going to be crucial in this practice and qualifying.”

The early session times sat around the 1:12-1:13 mark as drivers adapted to the dirty surface. Once time progressed, the field began to drop into the 1:10-1:11 range in just minutes as the track began to wear on.

Max Garcia went fastest in the session for Pabst Racing with a 1:09.771. Elliot Cox and Jacob Douglas followed with a 1:09.896 and a 1:09.987.

The change’s in the track surface will continue well after qualifying, when IndyCar and Indy NXT also partake in their practice sessions.

“It just gets quicker in every lap and every corner,” VRD Racing’s Max Taylor said. “You really have to be on top of it and the IndyCar rubber being put down as well is a major part of it that changes the grip of the track.”