// Swede displays encouraging pace on streets of St. Petersburg // Rookie fights back after qualifying no-show
Joel Granfors fired a warning shot at his new rivals in USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires by setting the fastest lap of the weekend on his American motorsport debut on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Granfors, on his first-ever visit to a street track, showed no signs of being intimidated by the barrier-lined venue in The Sunshine State, proving immediately up to speed.
After going eighth fastest in practice, just half a second shy of his more experienced rivals, Granfors set his sights at further upping his pace in qualifying.
In a slightly bizarre incident, however, Granfors would be forced to sit out the entire grid-deciding session after making contact with a rival driver who stalled on pitlane as the lights turned green. Inflicting damage to his #92 Corpay Exclusive Autosport car, Granfors was demoted to the sidelines while the rest of the 20-car field battled it out for pole position.
“It was a really unusual situation,” Joel Granfors explains. “Another car stalled right in front of me as the session started, and I just couldn’t avoid him. Missing qualifying was the worst that could happen, especially here where it’s difficult to overtake, and it probably cost us a shot at the podium this weekend.”
Granfors, however, would not give up that easily. He first battled back from last to ninth in Saturday’s season-opening race, before netting himself a P8 finish in Sunday’s concluding Race 2.
Rounding out his debut weekend on a high, Race 2 saw Granfors impressively set the outright fastest lap of the meeting – a 1m09.800s.
“It’s been mixed emotions this weekend,” Joel Granfors concludes. “Missing qualifying clearly hurt, especially for me as a rookie over here. I need all the laps I can get. For the same reason, though, I was really pleased to see the time we set in Race 2. It proves the pace we have, even here on a street track with a session missed, and it makes me confident for the coming races.”
Joel Granfors leaves the season-opener sitting sixth overall in the standings, leading the way among Exclusive Autosport’s four-car roster. The USF Pro 2000 campaign continues at Sebring International Raceway on March 25-26.
RESULTS
USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires Rd. 1 – Streets of St. Petersburg (USA)
USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires After 1/9 rounds
1: Myles Rowe (USA), 53 p. 2: Kiko Porto (BRA), 50 p. 3: Christian Brooks (USA), 47 p. 4: Francesco Pizzi (ITA), 38 p. 5: Jace Denmark (USA), 37 p. 6: Joel Granfors (SWE), 26 p.
// Swede lines up in deep USF Pro 2000 field // Season gets underway this weekend at St. Petersburg INDYCAR opener
Joel Granfors is entering a new exciting phase of his career this weekend as the Swedish single-seater ace prepares for his debut in American motorsport on the streets of St. Petersburg.
Granfors joins the USF Pro 2000 field this season, racing two steps below the top-tier NTT INDYCAR SERIES in what marks a significant shift from his previous all-European experience.
Apart from a new series, a new car, new team and a new continent, 17-year-old Granfors also finds himself thrown in at the deep end this weekend as the season springs to life on a street course on the fashionable shores of St. Petersburg, Florida.
With zero previous street track experience, Granfors will have his work cut out to adapt to the challenge, well aware that the slightest mistake can mean instant retirement between the unforgiving barriers.
“This is going to be a very special weekend in many ways,” says Joel Granfors. “Everything is all new for me this season, and it’s particularly exciting to kick it off on a street track. I know it’s going to be a challenge, especially with just 30 minutes of practice before qualifying. It will be key to maximize that short window, stay away from trouble, and make the most of every single lap.”
The USF Pro 2000 field, which features approximately 20 drivers in 2023, arrives in St. Petersburg straight from the series’ official pre-season test at the nearby Sebring International Raceway.
Across two days of running on Monday and Tuesday, Granfors made good progress aboard his 275-bhp Exclusive Autosport IP-22 Tatuus.
“We had a solid test and learned quite a bit,” Joel Granfors explains. “At this stage, it’s mainly about getting to know the team’s way of working, and understanding what this car needs from me as a driver. It’s a process that will continue in St. Petersburg this weekend.”
Granfors descends on the U.S. racing community following a strong tenure in Europe, winning Sweden’s Formula Nordic and Aquila Synergy Cup titles in 2020 and finishing second overall in Britain’s GB3 Championship last year.
Moving stateside, he will go up against not only the best and brightest of American junior racing, but also a number of drivers sharing a similar background in Europe.
“I race to win, but at the same time, you have to be realistic,” Joel Granfors concludes. “This weekend in particular will throw so many firsts at me. I have to remember I’m a complete rookie over here, while most of the others have raced at these tracks for several years.
“We’ll take it one step at a time and see where we end up, but of course I’d love to go away from this weekend with a strong result in the bag.”
The USF Pro 2000 season begins on Friday with practice and qualifying. That is followed by two races later in the weekend; one on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Live streaming is available for all races via usfpro2000.com, YouTube and the USF Pro Championships App. For further information throughout the weekend, please visit joelgranfors.com.
TIME TABLE (U.S. Eastern)
USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires Rd. 1 – Streets of St. Petersburg (USA)
Friday 3 March Practice: 09:35-10:10 am Qualifying: 01:00-01:30 pm
Joel will get a dress rehearsal for his imminent USA debut as the USF Pro 2000 field gathers at Sebring International Raceway on Monday and Tuesday for its only official pre-season test, just a few days ahead of the opening championship round in St. Petersburg.
The test will mark the first time the full 19-car field takes to the track simultaneously, providing an intriguing glimpse at the respective performance levels of the teams and drivers.
A total of four one-hour sessions are scheduled in, two on Monday and two on Tuesday. Live timing will be available at www.usfpro2000.com and via the USF Pro Championships app. Along with on-track sessions, the test will also feature a number of media commitments and sporting meetings.
TIME TABLE
Local time – U.S. Eastern
Official test – USF Pro 2000 Sebring International Raceway
2023 is a year of new horizons for Joel Granfors, as he bursts onto the INDYCAR support arena in an exciting move across the Atlantic. The American debut will take place in USF Pro 2000, one of the most influential feeder series in U.S. single-seater racing. This is your guide to the championship.
USF Pro 2000 (officially USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires) is positioned two levels below the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, America’s top-tier single-seater category. In between the two, there is INDY NXT – formerly known as Indy Lights. Below USF Pro 2000 sit two lower categories, USF2000 and USF Juniors.
The majority of USF Pro 2000 races are run in conjunction with INDYCAR.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDY NXT USF Pro 2000 USF2000 USF Juniors
// History
USF Pro 2000 can trace its roots back to 1991, when the series first saw the light of day as the Star Mazda Championship. Star Mazda later morphed into Pro Mazda, before rebranding as Indy Pro 2000 in 2019. The 2023 campaign will be the first under its new name, USF Pro 2000.
Several INDYCAR drivers have raced in the series on the road to stardom, including Pato O’Ward, Graham Rahal, Rinus Veekay and Kyle Kirkwood. No Swedish driver has ever won the championship (although Rasmus Lindh finished second in 2019).
// What’s at stake?
The 2023 USF Pro 2000 champion will receive a scholarship valued at $664,500 to advance to INDY NXT in 2024.
// The car
The USF Pro 2000 car boasts similar performance to GB3, where Joel raced last year in Britain. A spec formula with technically identical cars, the IP-22 chassis is built by Tatuus, while the 275-bhp 2.0-litre engine comes from Mazda. Power is transmitted through a Sadev six-speed gearbox. Cooper Tires is the official tyre supplier. Weight (without driver and fuel): 530 kg. Top speed: 270 km/h.
// The grid
Roughly 20 drivers are set to join the championship in 2023. Joel races the #92 Corpay car for Exclusive Autosport, the same team that took Britain’s Louis Foster to the 2022 title. Exclusive Autosport field four drivers this season: Joel, Lindsay Brewer (USA), Yuven Sundaramoorthy (USA) and Salvador de Alba (Mexico).
Competition is stiff. The top three finishers in last year’s USF2000 standings are all moving up to USF Pro 2000, led by champion Michael d’Orlando (USA). There are also several drivers with experience from FIA F3 and FIA F2, such as Francesco Pizzi (Italy), Reece Ushijima (USA) and Lirim Zendeli (Germany).
// Calendar
The season features nine championship rounds, split between two street tracks, six road courses, and one oval. At the majority of the meetings, two races are held. The exceptions are the oval event at Lucas Oil Raceway, which features only a single race, and a triple-header finale in Portland. All in all, 18 races are set to be played out in 2023.
Races are 30 minutes long, with rolling starts and no pit stops.
March 4-5 / Streets of St. Petersburg Street Course | Florida
March 25-26 / Sebring Road Course | Florida
May 12-13 / Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course | Indiana
May 27 / Lucas Oil Raceway Oval | Indiana
June 17-18 / Road America Road Course | Wisconsin
July 1-2 / Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Road Course | Ohio
July 15-16 / Toronto Street Course | Ontario
August 26-27 / Circuit of the Americas Road Course | Texas
September 2-3 / Portland Road Course | Oregon
// Points allocation
Points are awarded in every race, with separate scales used for street/road courses and ovals. The driver collecting the highest number of points across the full season is crowned champion.
Street/road courses
P1 30 p
P6 15 p
P11 10 p
P16 5 p
P2 25 p
P7 14 p
P12 9 p
P17 4 p
P3 22 p
P8 13 p
P13 8 p
P18 3 p
P4 19 p
P9 12 p
P14 7 p
P19 2 p
P5 17 p
P10 11 p
P15 6 p
P20+ 1 p
Ovals
P1 45 p
P6 23 p
P11 15 p
P16 8 p
P2 38 p
P7 21 p
P12 14 p
P17 6 p
P3 33 p
P8 20 p
P13 12 p
P18 5 p
P4 29 p
P9 18 p
P14 11 p
P19 3 p
P5 26 p
P10 17 p
P15 9 p
P20+ 2 p
Adding to the above, the following bonus points are on offer in each race:
Pole position: 1 point Fastest race lap: 1 point Most laps led: 1 point
There are no reverse-grid races in USF Pro 2000. Grids are solely based on lap times. For Race 1 on double-header weekends, the grid is set based on outright qualifying lap times. For Race 2, the grid is based on second-fastest qualifying times or Race 1 lap times, whichever is quicker.
// How can I watch it?
There is live streaming available globally and free of charge on the USF Pro Championships app, at www.usfpro2000.com, and on YouTube. Also check www.joelgranfors.com for streaming links during race weekends.
// Previous champions
All champions in USF Pro 2000 and its predecessors.
// Swedish youngster heads to America in new chapter of burgeoning career // Joins title-winning squad in transatlantic move to INDY NXT and NTT INDYCAR SERIES support ladder
Joel Granfors will head to the USA to begin an exciting new chapter in his single-seater career in 2023, joining reigning champions Exclusive Autosport in the INDYCAR-supporting USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires championship.
The Swede – who finished runner-up in Britain’s GB3 Championship in 2022 – has signed a deal to drive the #92 Corpay Exclusive Autosport car in the 18-race season.
In joining Exclusive Autosport, Granfors slots in at the same team that carried Britain’s Louis Foster to the 2022 USF Pro 2000 title.
“This is a thrilling step in my career, and literally a new challenge in so many ways,” says Joel Granfors. “It’s a new continent, all new tracks, a new car and a new team, but I’ve massively enjoyed all I’ve seen of it so far. The team has really made me feel at home and I couldn’t be prouder to be in the #92 Exclusive Autosport Corpay-branded car. It’s all about picking your opportunities in this sport and, for me, I feel the package is right to make this move and try to chase the American dream.”
USF Pro 2000 is the final step on the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires development system ladder, which leads drivers onwards to INDY NXT (previously known as Indy Lights) and, ultimately, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES – the top tier of U.S. single-seater racing.
To aid progression for talented drivers, USF Pro 2000 offers up one of motorsport’s biggest scholarships – valued at $664,500 – for the champion to advance to INDY NXT in 2024.
17-year-old Granfors recently conducted his first test aboard the Tatuus IP-22 used in the series, proving instantly up to speed across two days of running at Sebring International Raceway.
“I am really happy to have Joel join the Exclusive Autosport program for the 2023 season,” says Michael Duncalfe, Team Principal. “Joel has a proven record on track and his skills and experience will lend itself very well to the USF Pro 2000 car. We had a very successful two days of testing at Sebring International Raceway this past week. He adapted very well to all the new variables that were thrown his way and his speed showed immediately out of the gate. With the testing program we have set out for Joel, I am confident he will be a title contender for the 2023 USF Pro 2000 championship.”
Granfors is the third driver signed by Exclusive Autosport for the 2023 USF Pro 2000 campaign, alongside Lindsay Brewer and Yuven Sundaramoorthy. Slotting into the team’s #92 Corpay entry, Granfors will don a raspberry Corpay suit and car livery in the championship this year.
“Absolutely thrilled to have Joel driving in the #92 Corpay Exclusive Autosport USF Pro 2000 car for the 2023 season,” says Frank Mannarino, VP, Head of Channels & Alliances, Corpay Cross-Border Solutions. “As a provider of global payments and a multi-year sponsor to Exclusive Autosport, team Corpay is looking forward to supporting this very talented young driver in his journey as he acclimates to new North American tracks and strong competition. Välkommen Joel!”
Granfors will undertake an extensive testing program in preparation for the opening round of the season in St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 3-5. The 2023 USF Pro 2000 championship consists of 18 races, including an oval event at Lucas Oil Raceway taking place on the same weekend as the Indianapolis 500. The season will wrap up in Portland, Oregon, on September 3.
Race events will be live-streamed and can be accessed by tuning in on the USF Pro Championships App and at usfpro2000.com.
Joel’s auction for Musikhjälpen 2022 has raised 13 000 SEK after gaining 53 bids in two weeks for the sake of charity.
Joel auctioned off the opportunity for one lucky winner (and a friend) to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime ride around Joel’s home track of GTR Motorpark in Eskilstuna at full speed aboard a proper sports car. The idea proved an attractive proposition, with bidding not decided until the final minutes.
“I’m thrilled to see the commitment from all the bidders and for the auction to raise 13 000 SEK has exceeded my expectations,”Joel comments. “Big thanks to all of those taking part, and congratulations to the winner! I’m already looking forward to taking them for some hot laps next year!”
All in all, the nationwide Musikhjälpen initiative raised a mammoth 54 MSEK, with the annual fundraiser this year focussing on the cruel situation facing children fleeing in times of war.
Joel Granfors has launched an auction for the benefit of Swedish charitable cause Musikhjälpen.
Launched in 2008, the initiative brings various humanitarian disasters to attention, with this year’s edition focussing on the cruel situation facing children fleeing in times of war.
Broadcast live on national TV and radio for a full week each December, Musikhjälpen raises money through donations and other ingenious ideas.
Joel has acted this year by setting up his own auction, offering one lucky winner (and a friend) the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be driven around Joel’s home track of GTR Motorpark in Eskilstuna at full speed aboard a proper sports car.
Joel’s rookie campaign in the GB3 Championship proved highly successful, ultimately netting him second place in the final standings. In many areas, however, he was the standout performer in 2022 – as this statistical rundown confirms.
With 24 drivers featuring in the GB3 Championship this season, grid numbers were at their strongest in many years. Once the dust had settled after eight rounds and 24 races, Joel came out on top of the following statistics, underpinning a versatile campaign of consistency, outright pace and race craft:
Best qualifying average position (2,63)
Most points scored at single event (89, Silverstone II)
Most places gained in reverse-grid races (59)
Most places gained in a single race (15, Silverstone*)
Top non-Brit in the championship
* Tied with Luke Browning and Callum Voisin
For more on Joel’s season in Britain’s leading single-seater series, please click here.
Swede scores silver to wrap up impressive rookie campaign
Fortec racer on the podium in nearly 50 % of races
Joel Granfors has finished as runner-up in the 2022 GB3 Championship, as the only non-British driver inside the top four of the final standings.
17-year-old Granfors entered the final round of the season at Donington Park holding second in the standings, just behind leading Briton Luke Browning (20) in a straight fight for the title.
The duo, who have controlled the championship this year, duly proved equally matched on pace once again, lapping within fractions of each other in qualifying for all three of the weekend’s races.
Granfors climbed from eighth on the grid to fifth in the opening race of the meeting on Saturday, while Browning took second. That result extended the Briton’s championship lead to 26.5 points going into Sunday’s all-decisive final pair of races; but with Granfors intriguingly starting ahead of Browning in both.
The drama seemed to thicken further as Granfors stormed off the line in Race 2 to snatch an early lead. However, on a drying track the Swede gradually slipped back on heavily worn wet-weather tyres, eventually finishing 13th – enough for Browning to clinch the title.
Granfors then wrapped up the weekend in style by rising from 13th on the fully-reversed Race 3 grid to finish fifth in the final contest of the season, setting the second-fastest lap of the race.
“Of course I’m a bit disappointed not to win the championship, but we came into the weekend second in the standings and with nothing to lose,”says Joel Granfors. “It feels alright. I always race to win, but Luke has been a strong competitor all year. Congratulations to him on winning the title.
“We did our best, and I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved as a rookie in this championship this season. I also want to say a big thank you to all the guys at Fortec. The team has done a great job this year.”
The 2022 campaign has marked another successful year in Granfors’ fledgling motor racing career. After finishing fourth in British Formula 4 in 2021, the Swede has continued his rise with a yet firmer performance in the higher-tier GB3 category, Britain’s leading domestic single-seater series.
Throughout the course of the season, Granfors has won twice – both times at British GP venue Silverstone – and racked up 11 podiums from 24 races. He has also qualified on pole position on three occasions.
Granfors ends up as the sole non-Briton in the championship top four, and also becomes the highest-placed Fortec Motorsports driver in the standings since 2019.
“Joel has done an incredible job this season,” says Fortec team manager Richard Dutton. “He’s gone up against a more experienced rival and has done everything you can ask for in a rookie year. It’s been a pleasure for us to follow his progress and be a part of his journey here in the UK these last two years. He is now at a very high level and he’s definitely on for great things in the future.”
More information about Joel Granfors’ 2023 racing programme will be communicated in due course.
1: Luke Browning (GBR), 507 p. 2: Joel Granfors (SWE), 460.5 p. 3: Tom Lebbon (GBR), 363.5 p. 4: Callum Voisin (GBR), 359 p. 5: Roberto Faria (BRA), 316.5 p.
