USF 2000 Championship Leader to Miss IMS weekend: What We Know

At age 19, Liam McNeilly hasn’t been waiting around to make waves in the Indycar community.  On the middle step of the USF Pro Championships ladder, the British driver has done nothing but win.  In all 5 races so far this season, it has been McNeilly’s #6 Jay Howard Driver Development machine taking the checkered flag first.  However, under unspecified circumstances, McNeilly will not take part in this weekend’s event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Multiple sources within the USF Championships paddock have stated that McNeilly’s absence is not budget related, leaving the door open for a swift return to the series the teen has dominated since the opening laps of the season in March.  Sources have confirmed to multiple outlets that McNeilly’s absence this weekend is related to “travel issues,” however neither McNeilly nor JHDD have commented on the situation at this time.

McNeilly carries a 51 point lead in the championship standings over Exclusive Autosport’s Jack Jeffers heading into the IMS Road Course weekend.  Though that lead will shrink and may even be lost entirely in the coming days, McNeilly will have 11 remaining races to regain what has been lost if he is able to return from the 8th round of the season at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and continue onwards for the duration of the season.

This is a developing story, first reported by USOpenWheelNation’s Eddie Fuhrer.

written by Owen White / Media Credit: Gavin Baker Photography