WINDERMERE, Fla. — Leonardo Escorpioni heads to Road America this weekend as one of the most compelling stories in the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tire. The 16-year-old Brazilian driver for Turn 3 Motorsport enters Rounds 6 and 7 at the 4.014-mile Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin circuit third in the championship standings with 97 points, carrying momentum from a season that has already produced a race win, a pole position and a podium in his very first oval race.
Escorpioni arrived in USF Pro 2000 as the reigning 2025 USF Juniors champion and has not missed a beat at the series' highest developmental tier. At the season-opening Grand Prix of Arlington in March, he wasted no time making his mark, winning in the new street circuit event and announcing himself as a genuine title threat from the first race of the year.
The momentum continued into the Carb Night Classic Freedom 90 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, where Escorpioni delivered one of the most eye-catching performances of the 2026 season. With no prior oval racing experience, he claimed his first USF Pro 2000 pole position and went wheel-to-wheel with eventual race winner and Turn 3 teammate Michael Costello in the closing laps before crossing the line in second.
The Road America test held June 10-11 offered an early look at what this weekend may hold as Escorpioni was consistently one of the quickest drivers on track and will look to transition that speed into success this weekend.
Beyond his on-track exploits, Escorpioni has recently taken a significant step off it. Earlier this month, HMD Motorsports — one of the most successful programs in INDY NXT by Firestone — officially announced Escorpioni as a member of their Junior Driver program. The partnership, which saw Escorpioni join the HMD team at the most recent INDY NXT event at World Wide Technology Raceway, will continue this weekend at Road America as HMD's INDY NXT entries take to the same circuit. The arrangement gives the young Brazilian direct access to data, mentorship and the infrastructure of a team that has produced multiple INDYCAR graduates.
"Road America is one of those tracks I've been looking forward to all year," said Escorpioni. "We showed at the test that our pace is strong, and I feel confident in myself and the Turn 3 team. The championship is tight, but 13 points is nothing — that can swing in a single race. My goal is to win both races this weekend. Being with HMD here at Road America adds extra motivation, too. I want to show them what I can do on a big stage."
Through five rounds, Escorpioni trails the series leader by just 13 points — a deficit that could evaporate over the course of a strong Road America weekend.
Rounds 6 and 7 of the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tire take place June 18-21 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.