Johnson Earns Six-Race Championship Title, Prize Package Including Free Entry Into the USF Juniors Championship Season Opener
SEBRING, Florida (February 21, 2022) – The YACademy Winter Series, aimed at shortening the learning curve for drivers making the leap from karting to professional open-wheel racing, ran the closing three races of its six-race season last Tuesday and Wednesday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The YACademy Winter Series featured a series of 10 test days in December and January for up-and-coming drivers, many of who will compete in the same Honda-powered Ligier chassis during the USF Juniors championship in 2022, where that series champion earns a scholarship to the USF2000 Championship on the Road To Indy for 2023. Those test days were capped by a pair of tripleheader race events, with the first half at Sebring International Raceway a week ago.
Nikita Johnson overcame a mechanical failure during Round Five on Wednesday to claim the championship, which includes a prize package of a free entry to the season-opener of the USF Juniors Championship, a Bell 8860 Helmet, and a brand-new race suit from Torq Racewear, along with Red Line Oil for himself and his Velocity Racing Development team.
Round 4
Contact between Elliot Cox and Johnson on the opening lap shuffled the pair, along with Mac Clark, to the back of the field in Tuesday’s race, handing the lead to polesitter Sam Corry (who earned a Ettrone LAMP0 electric scooter for his qualifying effort) with Velocity Racing Development’s Noah Ping in second.
For nine laps they looked untouchable, but a full course caution brought about by contact between International Motorsport teammates Alan Isambard and Justin Garat brought out a red flag and a restart. With Ping applying pressure, Corry dropped a tire and spun, handing the lead and the win to Ping.
Johnson charged back through the field to finish second with the aid of the red flag, with Ellis Spezia earning his first podium of the championship in third. Both drivers involved in the red flag incident were checked and cleared by medical staff on site.
Round 5
The second race of each event features an inverted grid for the first 10 spots, and Sarah Fisher Hartman Driver Development’s Eliot Cox took advantage for his first race win of the YACAdemy Winter Series.
Cox dropped behind Nicholas D’Orlando in the opening corners, but powered past on the backstraight at Homestead-Miami Speedway and led the first lap, then pulled away from the field to lead every lap to the checkered flag.
A single full course caution period bunched the field, but Cox got away on the restart nicely and went back to building his gap over the grid. Meanwhile, problems plagued championship leader Nikita Johnson, as the VRD driver faded to 13th before eventually retiring with a mechanical.
Future Star Racing’s David Burketh, VRD’s Noah Ping, International Motorsport’s Alan Isambard, and Gonella Racing’s Artie Flores all dueled with D’Orlando for the final two podium spots. Burketh broke away late to safely finish second, while Isambard won out in the battle for third to complete the podium with Ping finishing fourth and D’Orlando beating Flores to the line.
Round 6
A clean race was the best race for Johnson and his eventual championship. Johnson made quick work of the field early to get to the lead and never looked back, pulling a healthy gap over his teammates in Corry, who finished second, and Ping, who rounded off the podium in third.
The win gave Johnson three out of six, and that 50 percent average was enough to secure the top spot of the championship.
Johnson’s final victory secured the championship by just 12 points over VRD teammate Noah Ping, 103-91, with Cox third (61 points). Corry (50 points) and Ellis Spezia (49 points) completed the top five.
About the YACAdemy Winter Series
Operated by YACAdemy Track Days founder Gustavo Yacaman, the YACAdemy Winter Series provides additional seat time for drivers making the jump into professional open-wheel racing. Yacaman is an accomplished racing driver with over 20 years of experience at all levels of racing and coaching who has participated in all levels of professional racing, including the world’s major endurances races. The YACAdemy Winter Series is partnered with Cooper Tires, Red Line Oil, Bell Helmets, Torq, Ettrone and Andersen Promotions for the 2021-2022 Winter Season. More information can be found at YacademyDrive.com.
