PALMETTO, Fla. – Judging from lap times during the traditional pre-season Spring Training test last month at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the new season of USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire seems set to be a humdinger. All 16 drivers who were present turned times within 0.9 seconds of each other, while this weekend’s first doubleheader event of the year in Texas has attracted a total of 21 cars to the Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of Arlington.

The field boasts an intriguing mix of rookies and series veterans. They will start on an even footing, since this will be the highly anticipated inaugural event at the 2.73-mile, 14-turn temporary circuit centered upon two landmark sports facilities, AT&T Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, which plays host to Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers.

Jacob Douglas, from Christchurch, New Zealand, will be the top returning driver from 2025 and thus must be considered as one of the favorites for victory. Douglas, 20, finished a strong fifth in his rookie campaign, claiming one race win and seven additional podium finishes with Pabst Racing which also guided Florida teenager Max Garcia to the series title Douglas will be joined by teenager G3 Argyros, from Newport Beach, Calif., who graduates from USF2000.

The only other two returning drivers who finished among the top 10 in points last year are Michael Costello, from Naples, Fla., who joins a strong five-car lineup for Turn 3 Motorsport, and Frankie Mossman, from Newport Beach, Fla., who remains with VRD Racing.

Turn 3 Motorsport also will field cars for Texan Brady Golan, Tyke Durst, from Charlotte, N.C., New Zealander Sebastian Manson and last year’s USF Juniors champion Leonardo Escorpioni, from Brazil, who made an impressive USF2000 debut a couple of weeks ago by taking two podium finishes on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

Mossman, meanwhile, will be able to compare notes with VRD teammates Teddy Musella, from Orlando, Fla., who finished second in last year’s USF2000 title-chase, and debutant Colin Aitken, from Jacksonville Beach, Fla.,

Another Texan, Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, not only emerged as the 2025 USF2000 champion, he also pocketed a USF Pro Championships Scholarship valued at $405,050 to help make the graduation to USF Pro 2000 this year with his Exclusive Autosport team. Exclusive also will field cars for Joey Brienza, from Golden, Colo., as well as USF2000 regulars Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., and Anthony Martella, from Woodbridge, Ont., Canada, who are both tasting the waters in USF Pro 2000 this weekend.

Peruvian Andres Cardenas, who has raced in Europe for the past two years, impressed massively in both the Fall Combine test toward the end of last year at the Indianapolis Grand Prix road course and Spring Training, when he was consistently among the fastest contenders. He will be joined at JHDD powered by ECR by JT Hoskins, from Sarasota, Fla., and Tanner DeFabis, from Avon, Ind.

Fastest of all at Spring Training, though, was Christian Cameron, from Sonoma, Calif., who celebrated his 16th birthday on Sunday and is the youngest driver in the field. Cameron will be backed up at TJ Speed Motorsports by Thomas Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio, who finished third following a hotly contested 2025 USF2000 season, and Argentinian Leandro Juncos, son of NTT INDYCAR SERIES team owner Ricardo Juncos, who finished fifth in last year’s GB4 Championship in the UK.

The field will be completed by Comet/NCMP Motorsport’s single-car entry for returning driver Logan Adams, grandson of former INDYCAR driver Mark Dismore.

A busy schedule will kick off on Friday, March 13, with 35 minutes of practice starting at 11:30 a.m. CDT. A single qualifying session later in the afternoon at 5:15 p.m. will help determine the starting order for a pair of 40-minute races on Saturday at 12:25 p.m.  and 4:55 p.m.