All In for Portland: Douglas hunts down second place in USF Pro 2000 Championship

Just two races remain in the 2025 USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Continental, and there’s plenty to play for for Kiwi 20-year-old Jacob Douglas, who sits just 25 points off second place.

While the title has already been claimed by Douglas’s teammate Max Garcia last round in Toronto, four drivers remain in the fight for the vice-champion position.

Ariel Elkin, Mac Clark, Alessandro de Tullio, and Douglas remain In the hunt, with sixth-placed Max Taylor now 51 points behind the quartet.

Thirty points are up for grabs for the winner of each race, in addition to the potential for bonus points for qualifying on pole, leading the most laps, and setting the fastest lap, making for a maximum of 66 points up for grabs in this weekend’s double-header at Portland International Raceway.

Douglas is no stranger to the 1.964-mile (3.161km), 12-turn road course, taking his maiden victory in the USF 2000 Championship there in 2023. He then won Race 2 and was the runner-up in Race 3.

With momentum on his side, having finished on the podium the last three times out, anything is possible come race time.

“I have very fond memories of Portland,” said Douglas. “My first win was there, as was my second the very next day.

“It’s been a strong season so far, but on occasion, things haven’t gone our way. If we hadn’t had that mechanical while leading Race 1 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, we’d be second in the standings. If we hadn’t been taken out in Race 3, perhaps we’d still be in the hunt for the title.

“It’s a tale of ‘what ifs’, but that’s racing. Regardless, we’re pleased with where we are, and we’ve shown we’ve got the ability and pace to mix it at the front of the field each time out. There’s some extremely tough competition out there, which is highlighted by how close it is in the fight for second in the championship.

“Max has been the man to catch this season, and congratulations to him on clinching the title with a weekend to spare. For us, though, there’s plenty to play for, and we’re going to leave nothing on the table.”

Two podiums last time out on the Streets of Toronto have made for a total of seven top-three finishes for Douglas this season, including one win. He has finished in fourth place a further three times, and outside the top ten only on three occasions.

This weekend’s USF Pro 2000 Series action begins with test sessions at 9.00 am and midday NZST on Friday. Saturday sees an official practice session at 5.30 am, followed by qualifying at 11.10 am.

Race 1 goes green at 5.20 am NZST on Sunday, before the season wraps up at 9.50 am NZST on Monday.

Qualifying and both races can be watched live on the USF Pro Championships’ YouTube channel.