Kaylee Countryman scores double top-10 end in USF2000 Portland return

Kaylee Countryman loved her strongest USF2000 weekend of the season at Portland International Raceway, overcoming a difficult qualifying place to provide two decided restoration drives and safe a pair of top-10 finishes within the Portland Grand Prix weekend.

Kaylee Countryman loved her strongest USF2000 weekend of the season at Portland International Raceway, overcoming a difficult qualifying place to provide two decided restoration drives and safe a pair of top-10 finishes within the Portland Grand Prix weekend.

The F1 Academy driver returned to USF2000 motion because the championship supported the IndyCar weekend in Portland, persevering with a busy 2026 marketing campaign that has seen her compete on either side of the Atlantic. Countryman is contesting her rookie F1 Academy season with help from the Haas F1 Team, having begun the yr in UAE Formula 4 as preparation for her first full worldwide single-seater marketing campaign.

Her progress in F1 Academy has included a breakthrough weekend in Montreal, the place she scored her first championship factors with seventh place in Race 1 earlier than producing an excellent drive within the reverse-grid Race 2 to complete second and declare her maiden podium in each F1 Academy and single-seaters.

Countryman has additionally continued to achieve expertise in USF2000, the place she had already recorded a season-best ninth place at Indianapolis earlier than including a Thirteenth-place end on the identical occasion and three additional top-20 outcomes at Road America. After lacking the Mid-Ohio spherical because of a calendar conflict, she returned to the collection at Portland, a circuit she already knew from earlier USF Juniors and USF2000 appearances.

The weekend started with Countryman setting the Twentieth-fastest time within the sole apply session, recording a 1:12.6828 across the technical Portland circuit. She then made regular progress throughout qualifying, initially matching her apply tempo earlier than decreasing her benchmark to 1:12.3 and subsequently discovering one other tenth with a 1:12.2093.

A purple flag with two minutes remaining interrupted the session, and though qualifying resumed, one other stoppage instantly adopted. Countryman due to this fact had just one remaining alternative to enhance, however was unable to seek out one other tenth and in the end certified Twentieth, though her second-best lap of 1:12.3316 demonstrated a constant tempo throughout her qualifying runs.

Race 1 instantly introduced a serious problem, with the extraordinarily tight opening chicane producing chaos as the sphere arrived for the primary time. Several vehicles turned concerned involved, with 4 drivers compelled out of the race.

Countryman negotiated the incident intelligently, utilizing the escape street to keep away from the multi-car crash and rising unscathed. The subsequent neutralization promoted her to 14th earlier than racing resumed on the finish of lap 5.

The JHDD driver remained within the midfield battles after the restart, initially preventing with Mohrardt whereas additionally holding Pasiewicz behind. She defended her place properly by way of the opening laps earlier than settling into her rhythm and steadily constructing a small benefit over Mohrardt.

As the race developed, additional incidents started to work in Countryman’s favour. Evan Cooley was compelled into the pits with front-wing harm, shifting her again into 14th, earlier than Saleh suffered contact and went off on the remaining nook. Countryman inherited one other place to run Thirteenth.

The drama continued when championship chief Eddie Beswick stopped with suspension harm, triggering one other full-course yellow and shifting Countryman into twelfth with 4 laps remaining.

Once racing resumed, she once more averted bother by way of the opening corners and located herself preventing simply outdoors the highest ten. An additional incident involving Sebastian Garzon promoted her to eleventh, whereas Countryman continued to maintain Mohrardt behind and started closing in on the top-ten battle.

She crossed the road in eleventh, simply outdoors the highest ten, however a post-race penalty for Cahan subsequently promoted Countryman to tenth place, giving her a second top-ten end of the USF2000 season.

Starting Race 2 from nineteenth, Countryman as soon as once more confronted a major restoration job. The opening chicane was significantly cleaner than in Race 1 and she or he instantly gained a place, shifting to 18th. She remained intently concerned within the midfield, initially operating behind teammate Naim Saleh whereas keeping track of Mohrardt and Cahan behind.

As the race progressed, Countryman as soon as once more demonstrated her capability to capitalize on errors forward: Cuthbert was compelled into the pits with harm, whereas Saleh went off on the remaining nook, shifting Countryman into sixteenth.

Further drama allowed her to climb even greater. Beswick actually made a mistake on the remaining nook whereas operating close to the entrance, and Countryman moved into 14th by lap seven.

She subsequently turned concerned in an in depth struggle with Mohrardt, with the 2 drivers repeatedly exchanging positions. Although the battle price them some floor to the vehicles forward, Countryman continued to push, setting a 1:12.7 and shutting again onto Mohrardt.

A full-course yellow for Martella’s incident interrupted the race with Countryman operating fifteenth. When racing resumed with 9 laps remaining, she continued preventing with Nanji, Beswick and Mohrardt earlier than finally reclaiming fifteenth.

The closing levels as soon as once more demanded sharp reactions: Cahan spun instantly forward of Countryman, forcing her to take evasive motion, however she averted the incident and gained one other place. She then capitalized on one other mistake from Nanji on the remaining nook to maneuver into 14th.

A late Full Course Yellow following Nordqvist’s crash at Turn 1 arrange a one-lap sprint to the end. Countryman survived one other hectic restart and crossed the road in twelfth place, finishing one other sturdy restoration drive from deep within the subject. Post-race penalties as soon as once more promoted Countryman to tenth place and giving her a outstanding double top-10 outcome.

The Portland weekend due to this fact represents by far Countryman’s most efficient USF2000 outing of 2026. Starting Twentieth and nineteenth, she persistently averted bother, capitalized on alternatives and fought her approach by way of the sphere in each races, demonstrating good racecraft.

Countryman’s USF2000 programme continues virtually instantly, with the motive force heading to the Streets of Markham in Ontario for the following spherical earlier than returning her focus to F1 Academy’s subsequent spherical at Zandvoort on August 22-23.