INDIANAPOLIS — The final two rounds of the Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Indianapolis Supporting IndyCar Ministry saw Reece Gold of Juncos Hollinger Racing pick up his second win of the season and Louis Foster of Exclusive Autosport claim his first triumph in Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires competition.
Four different drivers shared the remaining podium honors with Colin Kaminsky logging his second of the weekend in race two for Pabst Racing followed by points leader Nolan Siegel of DEForce Racing, and Braden Eves of Jay Howard Driver Development and Jack William Miller of Miller Vinatieri Motorsports finishing second and third in race three.
The intensity from the opening round yesterday continued with first-time Cooper Tires Pole Award winner Miller – who is showing the rewards of a technical partnership with Exclusive Autosport – and front row starter Louis Foster of Exclusive Autosport making contact in turn seven on lap one in addition to separate incidents involving Jordan Missig (Pabst Racing), Enaam Ahmed (Juncos Hollinger Racing) and Braden Eves (Jay Howard Driver Development). Foster was later served with a drive-through penalty.
The action vaulted Gold, who qualified fourth, into a lead he would never relinquish, finishing 1.4833 seconds clear of yesterday’s third-place finisher Colin Kaminsky (Pabst Racing), with Siegel and Kiko Porto (DEForce Racing). Miller rebounded from the opening lap incident to charge through the field and round out the top five.
Yesterday’s race winner Salvador De Alba earned his second consecutive Tilton Hard Charger Award after advancing from 14th to sixth.Â
The line-up for the third and final leg of the tripleheader mirrored that of race two throughout the field. Miller resumed pole position with Foster again lining up alongside on the front row. Miller made a good start but Foster held tight. The British driver made his move for the lead on lap three and then disappeared, eventually enjoying an 8.6-second cushion.
That breathing room came to a halt on lap 18 as Gold, who was running in fourth began to experience mechanical issues, eventually coming to a halt to bring out a full-course caution.Â
The four-lap shootout to the checkered saw positions jockeying throughout the field. In the end, Foster held on for the win, coming home with a 2.5-second margin, followed by Eves and Miller. Wyatt Brichacek (Jay Howard Driver Development) had a sensational run to fourth – a career best – from 12th on the grid to not only claim the Tilton Hard Charger Award but the bonus point for fastest race lap.
Enaam Ahmed (Juncos Hollinger Racing) rounded out the top five with his fifth top-five finish of the season.
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