Douglas Heads To The Oval After Breakthrough Victory
It has been a busy and rewarding month for Kiwi teenager Jacob Douglas in the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tires – and the action isn't over yet.
This week, Douglas and his Pabst Racing team head to Indianapolis Raceway Park for the season's only oval round, following a breakthrough maiden victory at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course less than two weeks ago.
The 0.686-mile (1.104 km) oval presents a unique challenge for the field, with two test sessions scheduled for Thursday, followed by qualifying that evening. A single practice session on Friday will lead into the round's only race.
Douglas enters the event sitting fifth in the championship standings, buoyed by his race win in Indianapolis and confident in the team's pace.
'I'm really looking forward to getting back out there,' said Douglas. 'I haven't driven on an oval since 2022, so it's been a while, but I really enjoyed it last time. It's incredibly intense – the walls at IRP come up quickly, and you run right up alongside them. It takes maximum concentration, but we're ready for it.
'We've had strong pace all year, and getting that win at IMS proved it. I'm excited to carry that momentum into this weekend.'
Douglas's victory came in Race 2 of the IMS triple-header and served as redemption after cruel misfortune in the opening race when, while leading, an electrical issue forced him to retire. Furthermore, contact from another competitor in a congested Turn 1 while battling for the lead in Race 3 denied him another potential podium.
Since then, Pabst Racing has remained busy, heading to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for a two-day test. Douglas collectively completed 81 laps across four of the six sessions, finishing in the top seven in each of them.
'Conditions in Ohio were a bit mixed,' Douglas added, 'but we focused on setups and long-run pace in preparation for our round there later this season.'
Douglas's performances throughout May have also impressed team owner Augie Pabst.
'Jacob's Indy pace was phenomenal all weekend,' he said. 'The team was thrilled to see him on the top step at such an amazing place.
'We made great progress at the Mid-Ohio test, albeit with challenging weather conditions. We're looking forward to capitalising on the gains made while testing when we head back in early July'
On-track action at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park begins with testing at 4:00 am and 7:00 am NZST (12:00 pm and 3:00 pm EDT) on Friday, followed by qualifying at 9:30 am NZST (5:30 pm EDT).
The round's sole race gets underway at 1:30 pm NZST (9:30 pm EDT) and will be streamed live on the USF Pro Championships YouTube channel.
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