De Tullio Dominates in First USF Pro 2000 Win at St. Petersburg
Alessandro De Tullio secured his first USF Pro 2000 victory at the Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, continuing Turn 3 Motorsport's tradition of winning season openers. The 18-year-old Miami native dominated from pole position, setting the fastest lap and maintaining control through multiple restarts.
Racing driver celebrates with American flag
Florida drivers swept the podium, with Max Garcia finishing second in his USF Pro 2000 debut for Pabst Racing, followed by teammate Michael Costello in third. Canadian Mac Clark initially finished third but was demoted to fourth after a penalty for defensive driving on the final lap.
De Tullio, who recently returned to racing after an 18-month hiatus, showcased impressive form throughout the weekend. He dominated qualifying with the fastest lap and maintained his lead through three full-course cautions on the challenging 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course.
Key Race Highlights:
- De Tullio set fastest lap with three laps remaining
- Brazilian Nicolas Monteiro earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award, advancing from 19th to 7th
- Turn 3 Motorsport's Peter Dempsey received the PFC Award for winning car owner
- 19 of 22 cars qualified within one second of each other
The second race of the doubleheader is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 a.m. ET, preceding the NTT IndyCar Series pre-race warmup.
Race results table from USF Pro 2000
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