Hughes in box seat for Road to Indy title
This weekend sees young Aussie Lochie Hughes fighting for the USF Pro2000 title and IndyNXT scholarship in Portland, holding a 35 point lead heading into the championship finale.
The former US F4 title winner has arrived at this point following a brilliantly consistent season for Turn 3 Motorsport in the Tatuus machinery, and is two races away from claiming the mammoth $681,000 USD scholarship to advance to the final rung of the Road to Indy ladder.
With five wins and five podiums across 16 races – yielding 14 top-ten finishes – the Gold Coast youngster leads American’s Jace Denmark and Nikita Johnson for the scholarship honours.
Hughes has done plenty of flag waving in 2024 in his fight for the USF Pro2000 title
After he was in the frame to snatch the lower rung USF2000 title at Portland last season, he heads to Oregon on the IndyCar support bill in a much stronger position this time around.
“I am looking forward to getting to Portland and battling for a championship. It’s been a great year with the Turn 3 Motorsport crew, so I’m hoping to end the season on a high,” Hughes said.
“Portland International Raceway is an interesting track with predominantly right-hand corners, so it will be important to figure out the setup quickly and stay up front. I’m ready to fight for it!”
With the first two practice sessions already under his belt, both he and his #44 T3M machine are looking the goods.
The first Test Session saw Hughes finish in thirds just +0.0394 off the pace, whilst the final 40 minute outing before the half-hour Practice ahead of Qualifying saw him top the charts with a weekend high of 1:08.431.
Hughes’ session times are listed below in Oregon local time, whilst you can watch his races live via this link, or follow his progress via the USF Pro2000 website.
23/8
10:30 AM-11:00 AM Practice
12:55 PM-1:25 PM Qualifying
5:25 PM-6:05 PM Race 1
24/8
3:10 PM-4:00 PM Race 2
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