The 2026 USF Pro 2000 Championship presented by Continental Tire was the 28th season of the junior series two levels below the IndyCar series. It was the fourth season under the USF Pro 2000 moniker after the championship's most recent rebrand in 2023. The championship serves as the upper rung of the IndyCar Series's USF Pro Championships ladder system. The season was held over 18 races across eight race weekends. It started on March 13 around the Streets of Arlington and ended on September 26 at Road America.
Exclusive Autosport driver Jack Jeffers won the Drivers' Championship in the penultimate race of the season at Road America. Turn 3 Motorsport, the team which fielded runner-up Leonardo Escorpioni, won their first Teams' Championship title.
Series news
The scholarship for the champion was increased by around $50,000 to $594,500.
Drivers and teams All drivers competed using Tatuus IP-22 racecars with Elite Mazda 2.0-014A engines and Continental tires. TeamNo.Driver(s)StatusRound(s) Comet/NCMP Racing21 Logan Adams1–2, 8–10, 15Exclusive Autosport40 Jack William Miller3–490 Evan Cooley1–2, 1591 Joey BrienzaAll92 Jack JeffersAll93 Anthony Martella1–2, 15–18 95 Mac Clark1–5FatBoy Racing!83 Charles Finelli3–5 JHDD powered by ECR5 Tanner DeFabis1–2, 5, 15 Clemente Huerta16–186 Andrés CárdenasAll7 JT HoskinsAllPabst Racing18 G3 ArgyrosAll19 Jacob Douglas1–5 Colin Aitken11–1820 Mayer Deonarine3–4, 6–7 TJ Speed Motorsports26 Thomas SchrageAll 27 Christian Cameron1–14 Jeshua Alianell 15–18286–7 Leandro Juncos1–2 Tymek Kucharczyk5 Aidan Schuh16–18Turn 3 Motorsport2 Michael Costello1–103 Tyke DurstAll4 Leonardo Escorpioni1–12, 15–1822 Sebastian MansonAll44 Brady Golan1–5, 8–18VRD Racing11 Colin Aitken1–1025 Teddy MusellaAll77 Frankie MossmanAllIconStatusRookie
Team changes DEForce Racing, a series mainstay since the 2018 season, announced no drivers ahead of the start of the season and did not enter any of the rounds, while the one-car FatBoy Racing! outfit also did not confirm its presence on the grid ahead of the season opener.
IndyCar team Ed Carpenter Racing announced a partnership with Jay Howard Driver Development, with JHDD's cars in the USF Pro Championships entering under the Jay Howard Driver Development powered by ECR guise.
Mid-season FatBoy Racing! entered the two Indianapolis weekends, while Comet/NCMP Racing entered the events at St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio and the Milwaukee Mile.
Driver changes Reigning teams' champions Pabst Racing downsized from three to two entries after reigning driver's champion Max Garcia graduated to Indy NXT with Abel Motorsports and Michael Costello moved over to Turn 3 Motorsport. The team promoted G3 Argyros from their USF2000 outfit after he came fourth in 2025.
Turn 3 Motorsport saw both Alessandro de Tullio and Nicholas Monteiro leave the team and the series to join A. J. Foyt Racing on their graduation to Indy NXT, while neither Cooper Becklin nor any of the teams' single-round entrants returned. The team signed Michael Costello and Sebastian Manson from Pabst Racing and TJ Speed Motorsports after they came seventh and twelfth in 2025, respectively, while Brady Golan rejoined the team for a full-season program after contesting ten races in 2025. Turn 3 Motorsport also fielded a fifth car for reigning USF Juniors champion Leonardo Escorpioni, who would compete in every event bar the Grand Prix of Markham, which he missed due to visa issues.
TJ Speed Motorsports initially only confirmed its all-new lineup for the opening race weekend. GB4 graduate Leandro Juncos replaced Turn 3-bound Manson for the opening event, Jace Denmark and 2025 runner-up Ariel Elkin were replaced by USF2000 graduates Thomas Schrage and Christian Cameron, who came third and eleventh in 2025 both driving for VRD Racing. Schrage joined the team for the full season, while Cameron left after the first fourteen rounds.
Exclusive Autosport saw Carson Etter move up to Indy NXT, joining Chip Ganassi Racing. To replace him, the team promoted reigning USF2000 champion Jack Jeffers from their outfit in that championship. USF2000 drivers Evan Cooley and Anthony Martella also joined the team for the opening round at Arlington.
VRD Racing replaced Max Taylor, who joined Andretti Global in Indy NXT after having already undertaken a part-time campaign alongside his 2025 USF Pro 2000 season, with their 2025 USF2000 runner-up Teddy Musella. The team also entered a third car at the opening five weekends for their USF2000 driver Colin Aitken.
The newly formed JHDD/ECR partnership initially only confirmed one full-season entry for JT Hoskins, who jumped up from their USF Juniors outfit, with whom he finished 11th in 2025. The team entered two additional cars, with Tanner DeFabis returning to the team for Arlington, the IRP and the Milwaukee Mile after a six-race spell in 2025 and Andrés Cárdenas, who joined the team after moving over from Eurocup-3, where he came seventh in 2025 driving for MP Motorsport.
None DEForce Racing's drivers returned to USF Pro 2000 in 2026.
Mid-season Logan Adams and his team departed the series ahead of the round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Exclusive Autosport saw Jack William Miller return to the series he competed in from 2021 to 2023 for a one-off appearance, while Charles Finelli and his FatBoy Racing! outfit also returned and Pabst Racing entered Mayer Deonarine on his USF Pro 2000 debut.
TJ Speed Motorsport entered reigning Euroformula Open champion and Indy NXT driver Tymek Kucharczyk at the Carb Night Classic.
Mac Clark left the series ahead of the round at Road America, as did Finelli and Jacob Douglas. Brady Golan also missed the round as he prioritized his clashing FR Americas campaign. Deonarine meanwhile returned to Pabst Racing for two more races, and TJ Speed Motorsport fielded series debutant Jeshua Alianell in the car previously piloted by Juncos and Kucharczyk.
Adams and Golan returned to the series ahead of the Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. Adams only stayed for one weekend, while Golan remained until round fifteen.
Aitken left VRD Racing ahead of the Grand Prix of Portland and joined Pabst Racing, while Costello left the series.
The Grand Prix of Milwaukee saw three drivers return for one-race outings: Logan Adams at Comet/NCMP Racing, Evan Cooley at Exclusive Autosport and Tanner DeFabis at JHDD/ECR. Anthony Martella meanwhile joined Exclusive Autosport, albeit for the remaining two events of the season, as did Jeshua Alianell at TJ Speed Motorsports.
At the season finale at Road America, two drivers made their series debut: Clemente Huerta joined JHDD/ECR in the car previously driven by DeFabis, and TJ Speed Motorsports enlisted Aidan Schuh in their third car.
Schedule The 2026 schedule was revealed on October 25, 2025. The championship visited two street circuits, four road courses and two ovals. It followed its parent series in moving its Canadian rounds from Exhibition Place to the Streets of Markham, while it replaced the round at NOLA Motorsports Park it held in 2024 and 2025 with a second round at Road America. USF Pro 2000 also added a second oval round, making its debut at the Milwaukee Mile, and replaced the Streets of St. Petersburg with the Streets of Arlington as its season-opening venue. All rounds except the weekends at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and the second weekend at Road America were run in support of the IndyCar Series.
Icon Legend Oval/Speedway Road course Street circuit
Rd.DateRace nameTrackLocation1March 13–15Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of Arlington Streets of ArlingtonArlington, Texas23May 7–9Tatuus USF Pro Championships Indy Grand Prix Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road CourseSpeedway, Indiana45May 21–22Carb Night Classic presented by Marelli Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway ParkBrownsburg, Indiana6June 18–21The Andersen Companies Grand Prix of Road America presented by Elite Engines Road AmericaElkhart Lake, Wisconsin78July 2–5USF Pro Patriot 250 Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio Mid-Ohio Sports Car CourseLexington, Ohio91011August 6–9Continental Tire Grand Prix of Portland Portland International RacewayPortland, Oregon1213August 14–16Continental Tire Grand Prix of Markham Streets of MarkhamMarkham, Ontario1415August 29–30VP Racing Grand Prix of Milwaukee Milwaukee MileWest Allis, Wisconsin16September 24–26USF Pro Championships Grand Prix of Road America Road AmericaElkhart Lake, Wisconsin1718
Race results Rd.TrackPole positionFastest lapMost laps ledRace winnerDriverTeam 1 Streets of Arlington Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Leonardo Escorpioni Turn 3 Motorsport 2 Jack Jeffers Leonardo Escorpioni Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Exclusive Autosport 3 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Andrés Cárdenas Thomas Schrage Jacob Douglas Jacob Douglas Pabst Racing 4 Jack Jeffers Frankie Mossman Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Exclusive Autosport 5 Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Leonardo Escorpioni Michael Costello Michael Costello Michael Costello Turn 3 Motorsport 6 Road America Andrés Cárdenas Jack Jeffers Andrés Cárdenas G3 Argyros Pabst Racing 7 G3 Argyros G3 Argyros G3 Argyros G3 Argyros Pabst Racing 8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Turn 3 Motorsport 9 Leonardo Escorpioni Jack Jeffers Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Turn 3 Motorsport 10 Jack Jeffers Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Turn 3 Motorsport 11 Portland International Raceway Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni G3 Argyros G3 Argyros Pabst Racing 12 Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Leonardo Escorpioni Turn 3 Motorsport 13 Streets of Markham Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Exclusive Autosport 14 Jack Jeffers Andrés Cárdenas Andrés Cárdenas Andrés Cárdenas JHDD powered by ECR 15 Milwaukee Mile Thomas Schrage Leonardo Escorpioni Thomas Schrage Thomas Schrage TJ Speed Motorsports 16 Road America Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Exclusive Autosport 17 Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Exclusive Autosport 18 Jack Jeffers G3 Argyros Jack Jeffers Jack Jeffers Exclusive Autosport
Season report
First half The 2026 USF Pro 2000 Championship began with a new track for the series as Exclusive Autosport's Jack Jeffers took pole position ahead of Turn 3 Motorsport's Leonardo Escorpioni around the Streets of Arlington. Jeffers initially lost out to Escorpioni, but retook first and led the majority of the race as VRD Racing's Frankie Mossman slotted into third. With two laps to go, Jeffers then spun, hit the wall and retired. That handed the victory to Escorpioni and promoted Turn 3's Michael Costello onto the podium. Setting the fastest lap in race one meant Jeffers was back on pole position for race two, and this time, he remained faultless throughout multiple incidents and safety car periods. JHDD/ECR's Andrés Cárdenas finished second on the road, but multiple penalties meant Pabst's G3 Argyros inherited second, with Mossmann in third taking the championship lead.