New teammate Colin Aitken, from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., chased home in second while 16-year-old Christian Cameron, from Sonoma, Calif., finally profited from the misfortune of others to claim a well-deserved maiden podium finish for TJ Speed Motorsports.

USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire points leader Leonardo Escorpioni equaled his primary championship rival Jack Jeffers’ tally of four Continental Tire Pole Awards after comfortably outpacing the field in qualifying earlier today for Turn 3 Motorsport. Jeffers edged Argyros for second on the grid with new teammate Aitken lining up fourth.

As with the earlier USF2000 event – not to mention a host of other races at Portland International Raceway – there was drama at the tight first chicane. Argyros managed to squeeze through into the lead after also running a little wide through the initial right-hand turn, while the unfortunate Jeffers (Exclusive Autosport) was clattered from behind by New Zealander Sebastian Manson, who had lined up sixth for Turn 3 Motorsport.

As Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, retired to the pits with significant damage to his Exclusive Autosport Tatuus, Manson rejoined a lap down after his team replaced the car’s front wing.

Several other contenders also lost time at the first corner, yet the race continued under green-flag conditions. Argyros and Aitken looked to be firmly in control at the front of the field, especially with overtaking at a premium on the 1.964-mile road course, although Peru’s Andres Cardenas remained in their wheel tracks for JHDD powered by ECR. 

Frankie Mossman (VRD Racing), from Newport Beach, Calif., Cameron and Teddy Musella (VRD Racing), from Orlando, Fla., also were in contention until Musella’s car ground to a halt out on the track with an electrical glitch. Cue to the first full-course caution with half of the 30-lap race in the books.

Cruelly, VRD teammate Mossman also fell by the wayside due to a suspension breakage after 22 laps which occasioned another brief caution period.

The cautions seemed to play into the hands of Escorpioni, who had worked his way impressively from 12th to fifth. He swept past Cameron for fourth at the restart, with five laps remaining, only to collide with Cardenas in Turn Seven while making a pass for third. The incident allowed Cameron back through into third for a well deserved maiden podium result for the youngest driver in the field.

Escorpioni crossed the line in fourth, but was later assessed a 30-second penalty for avoidable contact which relegated him to eighth in the final results.

Teammate Tyke Durst, from Charlotte, N.C., was the primary beneficiary, elevated to a career-best fourth ahead of yet another Turn 3 Motorsport entry driven by Brady Golan, from Austin, Texas.

Durst also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award, while Augie Pabst secured his fourth PFC Award as the winning team owner. 

Race Two will see a green flag tomorrow, Saturday, at 2:30 p.m. PDT.

Provisional championship points after 12 of 18 rounds:

1. Leonardo Escorpioni, 243

2. Jack Jeffers, 233

3. G3 Argyros, 208

4. Andres Cardenas, 185

5. Frankie Mossman, 176

6. Michael Costello, 166

7. Thomas Schrage, 161

8. Teddy Musella, 141

9. Brady Golan, 133

10. Christian Cameron, 131.

G3 Argyros (#18 Positive Beverage/Elephant Cooperation-Pabst Racing Tatuus IP-22): “I ran good in quali and I knew that we've had the car all week. I just had the confidence and in [Turn] One it was exactly as we drew it out at Pabst. We knew he was going to outbrake himself and I just gave him a ton of pressure and he cracked. I'd like to thank the entire Pabst racing crew first and foremost but secondly my brand new teammate Colin Aitken for putting on a show. At the end of the day we're such a family organization that to have a new kid come on and do so well his first race is a testament to how good our cars are and how amazing of a program we have.”

Colin Aitken (#19 Morgan Stanley/Hennessy Performance-Pabst Racing Tatuus IP-22): “It was a really good start. I slotted in P2 right behind G3. The team said just slot laps and I slotted laps and it worked out for me. I ended up where I needed to be on the podium. I didn't have the pace for G3 but it was a good race. The aero wash was hard. It was so very hard to pass around here with the high speed corners, but it was overall a good finish.”

Christian Cameron (#27 Bitumen Group/Desert Flight The Movie-TJ Speed Motorsports Tatuus IP-22): “The team deserves this. We've been working so hard for this and to really come home with the podium means a lot for my family, the team and everybody. It was a pretty close race, some restarts and starts, and it's tough in the aero wash.”