ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Liam McNeilly ensured an almost perfect start to his USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire season by claiming his second win for Jay Howard Driver Development on Saturday.

McNeilly, 18, from London, England, also secured two of the three available bonus points after qualifying on pole position and leading all 20 laps in the second leg of The Foundation Building Materials Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to capture a total of 64 points out of a maximum possible 66 from the opening weekend of his rookie campaign.

Jack Jeffers, from San Antonio, Texas, once again followed McNeilly to the checkered flag. On this occasion he also claimed the one remaining bonus point for setting fastest lap of the race in his Exclusive Autosport Tatuus USF-18. Caleb Gafrarar, from Charlotte, N.C., rebounded from an accident in the opening race to finish a strong third for Pabst Racing.

Yesterdays winner McNeilly earned the Continental Tire Pole Award for todays second race by virtue of posting the fastest of each drivers second-fastest lap during the lone qualifying session on Friday. He was flanked on the front row by Gafrarar, who had taken the pole for Race One and was looking to make amends for a mistake which ended his day early in the opening 20-lap race.

Weather conditions Saturday once again were warm and dry, and the 19-strong field with an average age of just 17 obliged with a thrilling and clean race from the green flag to the checkered flag.

McNeilly took full advantage of his pole position to lead into the first corner, while an opportunist start from Jeffers saw him leapfrog both Colombian Sebastian Garzon (DEForce Racing) and Gafrarar to vault from fourth to second.

McNeilly inched away during the middle of the race, extending his lead to almost two seconds, and even though the young Texan fought back in the closing stages, McNeilly once again dug deep to take the checkered flag 2.7672 seconds ahead of his rival.

Gafrarar was relatively content to finish third after edging clear of Garzon, last years Lucas Oil Formula Car Series champion, in the final laps.

Australian Brad Majman also bounced back from an early disappointment on Friday taken out by another drivers over-exuberance at the first corner. He finished a strong fifth today for Jay Howard Driver Development.

Evan Cooley, from Mokena, Ill., backed up his fourth position on Friday by finishing sixth for Exclusive Autosport, narrowly ahead of VRD Racings Thomas Schrage, from Bethel, Ohio. Schrage, one of the preseason favorites, blotted his copybook by collecting a concrete wall early in qualifying yesterday which consigned him to the back of the grid for both races.

Undaunted, he made up five positions on the opening lap today, then continued his march toward the front. His final victim was VRD teammate and USF2000 debutant Teddy Musella, from Orlando, Fla., whom he passed for seventh place on Lap 13. Schrage then whittled a deficit of more than four seconds to Cooley to just a quarter of a second at the finish line. Schrages performance comfortably netted him the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

Jay Howard claimed his second PFC Award of the weekend as the winning team owner. Jay Howard Driver Development has taken an early lead in the chase for the coveted Team Championship with a six-point edge over Exclusive Autosport.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Alessandro De Tullio has found his stride.

After making his USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire debut toward the end of last season following an 18-month hiatus from car racing due to a lack of funding, the 18-year-old university student from Miami, Fla., joined forces with the defending series champion team Turn 3 Motorsport over the winter. He came out of the blocks strongly by setting the pace in last weeks Spring Training test at NOLA Motorsports Park and translated that form into an emphatic victory in todays first leg of the Andersen Interior Contracting Grand Prix of St. Petersburg doubleheader.

Remarkably, De Tullio became the fourth driver in as many years to win the opening race of the season for Turn 3 Motorsport.

Last years USF2000 Presented by Continental Tire champion Max Garcia, from Coconut Grove, Fla., stepped up a level to claim second in his debut USF Pro 2000 race for Pabst Racing, while teammate Michael Costello, from Naples, Fla., ensured a home state sweep of the podium following a post-race penalty for Canadian Mac Clark, who had to settle for fourth for Exclusive Autosport.

De Tullio began the race weekend as he left off from Spring Training, posting the fastest lap in qualifying yesterday to snag his first Continental Tire Pole Award. However, with no fewer than 19 of the 22 cars blanketed by less than a second, he knew to expect plenty of challenges during the first of two 25-lap races that would kick off the 18-race season.

Three relatively brief full-course cautions due to some midfield incidents served to break up the first half of the 25-lap race around the unforgiving 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course. But De Tullio held his nerve and his lead, despite the best efforts of Garcia, who on each restart attempted to brake deeper on the outside line at Turn One, at the end of the longest straightaway.

De Tullio hit his marks perfectly on every restart, leaving Garcia no opportunity to make a move for the lead. De Tullio even cemented his authority on the proceedings by setting what was to stand as the fastest lap of the race worth an additional championship point with three laps remaining.

Clark made up two positions on the opening lap to run in fourth behind De Tullios Turn 3 teammate Elliot Cox, from Indianapolis, Ind., then pulled off a nice pass immediately following a restart on Lap 10 to move into third.

Clark couldnt match the leading pace and had to work increasingly hard to hold off not only Cox but also Costello, who had risen from ninth on the grid, and VRD Racings Max Taylor, from Hoboken, N.J., who had been only 13th fastest in qualifying.

The foursome circulated almost as one for the final stages of the race. Clark appeared to have done enough to maintain his third place, although unfortunately for him, race officials deemed he had overstepped the limits of defense making a move to defend his position in reaction to a pursuer on the final lap. Clark therefore had to relinquish the final podium position to Costello, who had also profited when Cox made one slight error and clipped the wall at Turn Nine with just two laps to go.

Taylor, last years champion in USF Juniors Presented by Continental Tire, took the checkered flag in fifth ahead of Turn 3 Motorsports Cooper Becklin, from Portland, Ore., and Brazilian Nicolas Monteiro, who made up two positions at the final restart to net a seventh-place finish for DEForce Racing.

Monteiro also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award after having started 19th.

The PFC Award as the winning car owner went to Peter Dempsey of Turn 3 Motorsport.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske created an interesting mathematical equation by winning the Verizon P1 Award Saturday at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

It was McLaughlins 11th IndyCar Pole. It was also the 699th pole for Team Penske in all forms of racing.

Counting McLaughlins stunning Supercars career in Australia, it was McLaughlins 70th career pole for Team Penske. That is the most in the storied history of racings most successful team.

However, Will Power has the IndyCar record for most poles with 70, but six of those poles were with Team Australia in Champ Car, leaving him with 64 poles for Team Penske.

Break it all down and McLaughlin has won a staggering 10 percent of all poles in Team Penske history.

Its actually crazy to think about it for sure, but David Hovis, our media guy, told me about that, McLaughlin told SPEED SPORT after Saturdays formal interview session concluded. Its a pretty proud stat obviously, but Im trying to elevate the win stat a little bit more.

Of McLaughlins 70 Team Penske poles, 59 came in Supercars in Australia.

We had a good run, McLaughlin said. We did have a good run with Penske. I had amazing days down in Supercars and Im just so thankful Im able to show my ability over here and do what Im doing here with Penske.

Although Power remains the king of IndyCar poles with 70, McLaughlin quipped, Hes been around a lot longer so if hes going as well as he is Ill try and get to his level.

McLaughlin won the pole with the fastest lap in the Firestone Fast Six at 59.4624 seconds around the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street course in St. Petersburg for a speed of 108.976 miles per hour in the No. 3 Chevrolet.

Firestone brought a Firestone Red Tire that degrades quicker than in the past, created a big difference between the Firestone Black primary tire and the Reds.

That should create a three-stop race instead of teams gambling for fuel milage and attempt to complete the 100-lap race in only two stops.

That makes starting on the pole a strategic advantage, according to McLaughlin.

Oh, its huge, he said. Ultimately, its going to be just go, go, go the whole race, I believe. So clear air is going to be king tomorrow and hopefully we can keep control from the front.

McLaughlin finished third in last years NTT IndyCar Series championship, battling back from a disqualification of a third-place finish because of the Team Penske Push-to-Pass scandal that also resulted in race-winner Josef Newgardens disqualification.

Pato OWard of Arrow McLaren finished second on the track, but was awarded the victory six weeks later after McLaughlins disqualification was announced by IndyCars then President Jay Frye.

Newgarden advanced into the round of 12 in qualifications, but did not make the Firestone Fast Six. The two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner starts 10^th at 107.744 mph in the No. 2 Chevrolet for Team Penske.

Weve had a fast car since weve got here, Newgarden said. Team Chevy has done an incredible job.

Hopefully, one of our teammates here will take the ball and get a Chevy on pole.

McLaughlin checked off that wish by winning the pole.

We are going to focus on tomorrow now, Newgarden continued. You know, 10th isnt bad; its not great.

Even though we dont have a good starting spot, I know our car is good. I just want to have a clean race. Of course, I want to be up front, and I want to win the thing. Thats my ultimate dream for tomorrow, but we need to get points on the board.

We need to have a good, clean day. I think we can do that.

Power celebrated his 44^th birthday on Saturday, but he didnt have anything to celebrate on the track. He had hybrid failure in Saturday mornings practice session. His Team Penske crew replaced the hybrid unit in time for qualifications, but Power did not advance into the Fast 12 and will start 13^th with a best lap of 108.225 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet for Team Penske.

It was pretty good, I just carried too much speed into the first corner of that lap and understood why I had to lift, Power explained. It was enough to get me through.  Just frustrating because I know we have a good car.

If you push you dont destroy the front tires. You just dont have time for another lap.  I just pushed wide. I got on the throttle, but I had to back out.  Thats more of what happened.

Last years winner, OWard, starts way back in 23rd starting position in the 27-car field after he failed to advance out of the First Round at 107.343 mph.

I just couldnt get the Firestone alternates switched on, OWard explained. We had two opportunities, and I dont have an explanation really. It was just a really tough lap to get together, and it is obviously not ideal for tomorrow.

I think we can make our way forward and score some solid points tomorrow.

Colton Herta of Andretti Global will start second in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda with a lap at 108.653 miles per hour. He was followed by the Meyer Shank Racing duo of Felix Rosenqvist at 108.545 mph in the No. 60 Honda and Marcus Armstrongs 108.311 mph in the No. 66 Honda.

Arrow McLarens Christian Lundgaard was fifth at 108.241 mph in the No. 7 Chevrolet and Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing rounded out the Fast Six at 108.141 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

As for the pole winner, he was able to reward his crew for an extra night of work after he crashed the car in Turn 3 in Fridays practice.

Yeah, its crazy, pizzas were being delivered late last night, McLaughlin said of his crews late Friday night of extra work. Kyles sick, because he kind of likes that. He likes fixing cars, so hes a handyman.

McLaughlin was referring to Team Penske IndyCar Team Manager Kyle Moyer, who guides the No. 3 team.

It was an improvement on yesterday, for sure,

but we still had to keep working at it, McLaughlin concluded. I thought the best the cars been this weekend, so obviously in qualifying, that was the main thing.

I was really happy with it.

The hit that I had yesterday wasnt as bad as it looked. The theatrics looked pretty crazy, but ultimately, you hate giving the team extra work and go over the garage hours and whatnot. Anything you can do to repay them. They always say, Just go out and get Pole.

Yeah, their long hours suck, but thats kind of a passion for them and its just nice to repay them in some way.

AUSTIN Its hard to put Connor Zilisch off his game, as the 18-year-old road course prodigy proved once again in winning Saturdays Focused Health 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Circuit of the Americas.

A commitment line violation couldnt do it. Sent to the rear for pitting too when pit road closed suddenly for the races second caution, Zilisch restarted 32nd after the first stage break and drove though the field, taking the lead from Carson Kvapil on Lap 56 of 65 at the 2.4-mile, 17-turn circuit.

Hard contact with the Toyota of Corey Heim couldnt do it. Fighting for position in the final stage, Zilisch slammed into Heim, knocking him off course. The wheel-to-wheel contact damaged the right front fender of Zilischs No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and caused a serious tire rub under hard braking.

Hot pursuit from Carson Kvapil couldnt do it. After making what proved to be the winning pass, Zilisch had to fend off his teammate until Kvapils right front tire went flat on Lap 60. That gave Zilisch all the breathing room he needed as he nursed his car to the finish line.

Runner-up William Byron trimmed a four-second lead to 1.639 seconds at the finish but couldnt mount a challenge over the closing laps.

As a result, the pole winner had his second Xfinity Series victory, adding to his maiden win in his first start in the series last summer at Watkins Glen.

That was way harder than I wanted it to be, said Zilisch, who scored the much-needed victory after respective finishes of 27th and 34th in the first two races of the season at Daytona and Atlanta. I did not drive a clean race at all I was kind of mentally fogged halfway through that race.

I made way too many mistakes I was glad we were able to fight back.

Byron was driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that won last years Xfinity race at COTA with Kyle Larson behind the wheel.

My car was just kind of floppy in the short run, and I had to try to take care of it, said Byron, who will defend his win in the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday. I just tried to stay with it there in the long run I had fun. It was a good workout.

It was good to get back into the rhythm of things, pushing the car. I think itll help me for (Sunday).

Zilisch is looking forward to Sunday, too. Hell make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Its been a fun weekend, but weve got a big race tomorrow, so Im looking forward to that as well, said Zilisch, who will start 14th.

Sam Mayer ran third on Saturday, with Austin Hill, last weeks Atlanta winner coming home fourth. Hill charged from fourth to first after a Lap 46 restart when Zilisch and Kvapil ran wide into Turn 1.

But Hills lead was short-lived. When he over-drove Turn 6a on Lap 52, Kvapil shot past him into the lead, and Zilisch followed into second.

Four laps later, Zilisch had the lead for good, though Kvapil made it a contest until his tire deflated.

Christian Eckes finished fifth. Jesse Love, Taylor Gray, Ross Chastain, William Sawalich and Blaine Perkins completed the top 10.

Carson Kvapil may have cut his teeth on asphalt short tracks across the Southeast, but he made himself at home quickly in his first career road course start on Saturday at Texas Circuit of The Americas.

Wheeling JR Motorsports No. 1 Chevrolet, Kvapil forced leader Austin Hill into a mistake with under 20 laps to go, which allowed him to inherit the lead.

The only problem the Xfinity Series top road course racer, Connor Zilisch, snuck by Hill as well to snag second.

That set up a fierce battle between two of JRMs young stars on the 2.4-mile road course. Back and forth they went as puffs of smoke came from both drivers as they locked up their front brakes going through corners as they looked to find an edge.

However, Zilisch would pounce in turn one for the final time with nine laps to go. Four laps later, Kvapils incredible run came to an end as he flat-spotted his right front tire.

Hed pit on the same lap and ultimately finish 23rd.

We had such a good Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, Kvapil began. Its tough to get over that one. We flat-spotted the right front, just trying to see with the 88 (Zilisch) there. I felt like we were a little bit better in some places, but in others, he could really get away from us.

I knew if I just tried to keep my ground up, I would be able to catch him through the esses. But, ultimately, just used it up a little bit too much there.

With Kvapils lack of road course experience, he joked that his performance was a surprise.

I feel like we shouldnt of ran that good, maybe, Kvapil laughed. I guess it was a little bit expected, but at the same time, its a little bit of a surprise.

Now with a baseline to go off of for the rest of the season, the 22-year-old may be potent on road courses the rest of the season.