YACademy USF2000 Winter Trophy Presented by PSA Check Added to YACademy Winter Series
USF2000 drivers will vie for $17,500 in prize money during the February 11-12 event of the YACademy Winter Series
December 21, 2020 – Continuing to build and evolve their program, the YACademy Winter Series announces an addition to the YACademy F4 Winter Series presented by Hankook. Opening their events to drivers from the popular Road to Indy program, the growing Winter Series is pleased to add the YACademy USF2000 Winter Trophy Presented by PSA Check. While the series will be the home of a two-day, two race event at the famed Homestead-Miami Speedway, the plan is to expand the series in 2022 as teams and drivers prepare for their national campaign.
We are really excited to be able to offer a USF2000 class as the participation at our most recent test was great and there is a demand for a winter program,” added Gustavo Yacaman. “Homestead-Miami Speedway is the perfect facility for the weekday event as it will help prepare drivers for their annual Spring Training, but also provides a fast, yet safe layout for drivers of all calibers. It has always been YACademy’s ultimate goal to prepare drivers as best as possible for when the flag drops in their first championship race; they know what is going on and nothing is new. Pre-grids, race starts, safety car procedures, race craft, media and much more. This is what I lacked the most in my personal career, and I want to make sure kids have an opportunity that I didn’t in order for them to have a better chance of achieving their goals.”
The YACademy USF2000 Winter Trophy Presented by PSA Check will be contested over the two days of February 11th and 12th, 2021. The event will consist of three forty-five (45) minute practice sessions on the first day to ensure drivers are up to speed and comfortable in their equipment. Day two, on the 19th, the Winter Trophy will start with a twenty-five (25) minute qualifying session followed by two thirty-five (35) minute races in which at least one of them will have a competition yellow to simulate a safety car procedure.
Team Penske at Sebring International Raceway
Turn 3 at Homestead Miami Speedway
VRD at Circuit of The Americas
Yacaman added, “While the event is used to help competitors prepare for the upcoming season of competition, we are offering some great prizes. Courtesy of PSA Check, the winner of the Winter Trophy event will take home $10,000 while second place earns $5,000 and third $2,500. Additionally, the Pole Position award will be presented by RTD Media & Management and the winner will earn a three-release media package used any time before the end of 2021.”
“PSA Check is pleased to partner with YACademy and the Winter Series to promote early testing for prostate cancer, which is the second leading cause of death in men,” according to PSA Check and FAN Racing CEO Obie Johnson. “Our public service announcements reached 90 million homes via our Formula America Network in 2020. Now, we are expanding to the Winter Series. Together we can win the race against prostate cancer.”
Teams taking part of the YACademy USF2000 Winter Trophy must adhere to all the rules and regulations enforced by the Road to Indy and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.
Qualifying for the YACademy USF2000 Winter Trophy is a single qualifying session with the fastest lap earning the opportunity to start on the inside of the front row for race one. The remainder of the grid will be determined by lap time from the fastest to the slowest with four bonus points awarded for pole position winner. Prior to qualifying teams, can register a maximum of two sets of tires that are the only ones they will be allowed to be used once qualifying begins. Practice tires are not limited.
The distance of both races is established prior to each event, however, should thirty-five (35) minutes elapse in the races before the designated number of laps, the lead driver will be shown the checkered flag and be deemed the winner. Additionally, there are no mandatory pitstops and refueling is not permitted at any time in the pit lane or on the grid.
Points:
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Four points are awarded for pole position.
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The top-ten drivers will score points in Race one.o (25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1) with two points being awarded to the driver who claims the fastest lap of the race.
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In Race two, the top-ten finishers score points. o (15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1) with two points being awarded to the driver who claims the fastest lap of the race.
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The points for fastest lap in both race one and race two will only be awarded to a driver who finishes in the top-ten, and who has started the race from their original grid position.
Race Two Grid Explained:
The first eight finishers in race one will start race two in an inverted order. Drivers finishing in ninth position and onwards will start in their finishing position.
Example:
Race One / Race Two
Finishing Position / Starting Position
1st / 8th
2nd / 7th
3rd / 6th
4th / 5th
5th / 4th
6th / 3rd
7th / 2nd
8th / 1st
9th/ 9th
10th / 10th
The YACademy F4 Winter Series Presented by Hankook remains unchanged. Please note that the February 11-12 round was moved back to the original date of February 17 and 18 due to the NASCAR schedule change. With race one set for Sebring International raceway on February 15-16 and the second round at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 17-18, the YACademy Winter Series will start and finish in one week. The format will be exactly the same as it was last year with two free practice sessions, one qualifying session and three wheel-to-wheel races, with race number two being the same format as described above and race number three’s starting grid a result of points attained from qualifying, round one and two. The third and final race of the series will receive the same number of points as race one, while race two will invert the top-eight finishers from race one and award slightly less points. Same tire rules as mentioned above will apply. Practice tires are not limited in any way and only a maximum of two sets of tires are allowed to be used once qualifying starts.
The champion of the YACademy F4 Winter Series presented by Hankook will be awarded four sets of Hankook Tires and $5,000 cash if there are less than fourteen (14) cars entered. In the case that there are fifteen (15) or more cars entered, the winner will take home $7,500, while second and third place championship finishers will earn $2,500 and $1,000 cash respectively. Hankook will also award the winner of each pole position one set of Hankook tires.
Stay tuned for more information from the YACademy program in the very near future.
For more information on the YACademy F4 Winter Series, please contact Gustavo YACaman via email to gusty@gustavoyacaman.com.