The USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire racing season roared to life on the sun-drenched Florida streets of St. Petersburg. Londoner Liam McNeilly, racing for Jay Howard Driver Developments, secured the checkered flag in the first of two 20-lap races, part of The Foundation Building Materials Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, thus establishing an early lead in the points tally.
McNeilly’s closest rival was Texan Jack Jeffers, who managed to navigate the notoriously difficult 1.8-mile temporary circuit that winds between city streets and the adjacent Albert Whitted Airport runway, to finish in a commendable second place. Fellow Texan, Jeshua Alianell, representing DEForce Racing, completed the podium, adding to the thrill of the opening race.
The first Continental Tire Pole Award of the new season had been snatched earlier in the day by Pabst Racing rookie, Caleb Gafrarar. The ex-karting prodigy from Charlotte, N.C., ended the 20-minute session with a razor-thin lead of 0.0566s over McNeilly. To increase the tension, Alianell and Jeffers were just 0.1s behind the new pace-setter. With the top eight spots on the grid covered by a mere 0.2331s and every single driver a rookie, the race promised to be a nail-biter.
The race did not fall short of expectations. After a few incidents and full-course cautions marred the first half, the race’s closing stages turned into a fierce battle for the lead. The crowd, bathed in the warm Florida sun, cheered on in appreciation of the gripping contest.
Gafrarar clung onto the lead after the rolling start, but an incident at Turn 1 soon brought the race under caution. This turn of events saw Bradley Majman from Melbourne, Australia, forced to retire with a damaged right-rear suspension.
The post-caution restart saw McNeilly seize the lead from Gafrarar. On the wide main straightaway, McNeilly outbraked his rival on the preferred outside line heading into Turn One and claimed a lead he never surrendered.
Despite being under constant pressure from Jeffers, McNeilly managed to keep his cool through several restarts, maintaining his lead. Both McNeilly and Jeffers were proven front-runners in the USF Juniors before moving up to the USF2000 this season.
Reflecting on the race, McNeilly said, “The race was pretty hectic. We had three full-course yellows that really shook things up a little bit. I managed to get a good restart and passed Caleb into Turn 1. I just had to control the race and hold on, and I did just that. It’s a great start to the championship.”
McNeilly’s previous racing experience was in Toronto last fall, where he finished second. He used that knowledge to fend off Jeffers’ impressive challenge. Jeffers had his previous outing at this level a year ago in St. Petersburg.
Alianell’s third-place finish was particularly commendable considering this was his debut USF2000 race and his first experience on a street course.
Other notable performances were Evan Cooley from Mokena, Ill., who finished fourth, and Newport Beach, Calif.’s G3 Argyros who came in fifth. Canadian Anthony Martella, Brazilian Lucas Fecury, and 14-year-old Christian Cameron from Sonoma, Calif., were hot on their heels.
Martella earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award for racing his way from 13th on the grid to sixth, while Jay Howard received the PFC Award as the winning team owner.
Race enthusiasts can look forward to the second race of the weekend, which is set to commence at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday.








