Opening Round of USF Juniors to Feature 17 Rookie Drivers
Before the commencement of the upper four series on the Indycar ladder comes the opening round of USF Juniors, set to take place on February 16th-18th at Homestead-Miami Speedway’s 2.25 mile infield road circuit. The 11 turn course was home to offseason testing, as well as the YACademy Winter Series, a brief championship that serves as a preseason warmup for much of the USF Juniors field.
21 cars were announced to be on the entry list for the opening round of the USF Juniors season, including 17 rookie drivers to the series. Seven teams are set to participate, including many familiar names on the RTI ladder. With so many new faces partaking in the USF Juniors season, the learning curve will be steep for many and the pressure will be high for the four veterans to thrive early on.
Zanella Racing
On the heels of a hugely successful 2025 season that brought Zanella Racing its first USF Juniors championship with Leonardo Escorpioni, the team is back with an astounding seven cars, a third of the overall field. The lone returning driver for the team is Maddie Colleran. The Ohio native is back behind the wheel of the #29 car, after a rookie season where she showed great care and intelligence, avoiding issues in a series where so many often do not.
Fresh out of the Skip Barber Racing School Formula Car Series, Grant Mitchell is one of six rookies for the Zanella squad this season. The fast-learning Jared Oselka will also be a part of the team, after participating in the YACademy Winter Series.
Straight from karting into USF Juniors machinery, Canadien Olivier Mrak will pilot Zanella’s #23 racing car. Virginia’s Max Mokarem will pilot the #46 entry. Mokarem most recently competed in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship, where he scored two podiums and finished eighth overall.
Leonardo Serravalle also joins Zanella Racing, testing with them on several occasions including the USF Fall Combine at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Team owner Naka Zanella compared Serravalle’s quick growth to Ty Fisher’s in 2025, and praised his knowledge before ever climbing into the car. A respected karting racer in Canada, Serravalle brings with him high expectations from day one. Finishing out the large Zanella Racing lineup is Floridian Victor Couto, in the #88 machine. A strong performer in preseason testing, Couto joins his six teammates to form the largest team in the series.
Exclusive Autosport
Perhaps the most impressive force at the USF Fall Combine across the three series in the USF Pro Championships, Exclusive Autosport is bringing a lineup of four drivers to the opening weekend of the season, including two of the four returning drivers. Missourian Connor Aspley is set to make a second bid at the USF Juniors title, in the #91 car. Brenden Cooley saw serious improvement in the back half of the 2025 season, scoring a podium and two further top five finishes. Now, the Illinois resident is in prime position to contend for a championship in his second season, as the second-highest returning driver from the 2025 championship standings.
Bex Cranston makes his debut in the series at Homestead next week, coming off a fifth place result in the YACademy Winter Series. The new driver of the #90 car debuts alongside Canada’s Cole Medeiros. The young karting standout is set to start his first campaign in an open-wheel car, and is doing so with one of the most organized and reputable teams in the USF garage.
Jay Howard Driver Development powered by ECR
Following JHDD’s new partnership with Cape Motorsports, they announced an all new set of drivers for this year’s USF Juniors campaign. Denmark’s Casper Nissen, a podium finisher on two occasions in Nordic F4, is behind the wheel of the #6 car. The entry was runner up last year with Liam Loiacono behind the wheel. The other European on the team is England’s Max Cuthbert. Cuthbert was third in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2025, with six podiums and one victory.
Aryan Narola has been announced as the driver of the #7 car. The Virginian was another frequent participant in offseason testing with JHDD, and has earned the chance at a full season campaign in the series. The final driver for the Jay Howard outfit is Oklahoma’s John Main, set to drive the #9 car.
DEForce Racing
DEForce Racing was the team that won both of the first two USF Juniors championships in 2022-23, with Mac Clark and Nicolas Giaffone. After two years of being unable to replicate that success, the team is back in prime position to get a third driver to a championship in five years. The highest returning driver from 2025’s championship, Vilho Aatola, is back behind the wheel of the #14 car. With two podiums and seven total top five finishes, the Finland native is perhaps the championship favorite going in.
Along with Aatola, two rookies have signed with the team. Mexico’s Elias Vignola made his open-wheel racing debut last year in F4 Nacam, where he was a winner on one occasion. He now joins the USF Juniors grid along with Colombia’s Pipe Chaparro. Chaparro was another to contest in the USF Fall Combine, and will drive the #20 entry in 2026.
Berg Racing
Making their debut in the USF Pro Championships, Berg Racing will field a singular entry in the 2026 USF Juniors series. Alex Berg is set to race the #68 Allen Berg Racing Schools sponsored machine in a season more about building a notebook than anything. Though the team has a second chassis and intended to field a second driver, there has been no additional entry for the opening round of the season. Later in the season, Berg Racing may enter that second car with a driver to be determined.
Olivia Racing
Though originally it was announced that Ivan Machado Perez would be behind the wheel of the Olivia Racing car in 2026, it is now Poland’s Karol Pasiewicz entered in the #25 car for the team. A longtime karting driver, 19 year old Pasiewicz is set to make his USF Juniors debut, kicking off a campaign that many have high expectations for.
Velocity Racing Development
After not officially signing with Olivia Racing, Machado Perez has been entered behind the wheel of the #10 VRD car; the team is currently set to field only the singular entry. Though Machado Perez is older than the average age range of around 14-17 in USF Juniors, he has been among the quickest throughout offseason tests. Going into his rookie season backed by a team like VRD, who won the 2024 championship and placed two cars in the top five last season, Machado Perez is in prime position to seriously contend for the championship from the very first round.
Weekend schedule
The Miami weekend begins with testing on Monday, February 16th. Tuesday brings practice, and the first qualifying and race of the season. On Wednesday, the other two qualifications and races are held to close out the opening weekend. All races can be viewed free of charge on the USF Pro Championships YouTube channel.
written by Owen White // Media Credit: USF Juniors (www.usfjuniors.com/multimedia/photos/2025-season/)
