Lexington, OH (Tuesday, July 8, 2025) – Caleb Gafrarar celebrated a major milestone this weekend by earning his first career victory in the USF2000 Championship at the historic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Known as a “driver’s track,” the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course rewards technical skill and consistency—traits the young driver showcased in all three races.
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Dialing It In: Practice and Preparation
Gafrarar arrived in Lexington for the seventh of nine USF Pro Championship weekends, still hungry for his first win after a near-miss at Road America. The week began with a team track walk on Wednesday, reinforcing his understanding of the technical circuit. Thursday brought two afternoon test sessions, during which Gafrarar demonstrated a strong pace and laid the foundation for a promising weekend.
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Race 1: First Victory on the Fourth of July
Friday began with early morning practice, and Gafrarar carried his speed into qualifying, battling in the top three throughout the 20-minute session. He ultimately secured a third-place starting position for all three races.
When the green flag waved for Race 1, Gafrarar held position through Turn 1. An aggressive move by the second-place driver on the race leader opened the door for Gafrarar to slip into second. Shortly afterward, a full-course caution came out. During the caution period, the race leader was assessed a three-position penalty, promoting Gafrarar to the lead before the restart.
Once racing resumed, Gafrarar steadily pulled away, building a two-second lead by the final lap. He crossed the line to capture his maiden USF2000 victory, leading the most laps and delivering a win on July 4th.
“The Pabst Racing Team gave me the car, and I worked on my driving, and boom, we brought it home!” said Gafrarar. “What a day to get my first USF2000 win, on the Fourth of July, no less. Huge thanks to my car chief, Miles, for keeping me on track.”
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Race 2: Podium Repeat
In Saturday’s Race 2, Gafrarar again started from the inside of Row 2. However, an early full-course caution cost him several positions, dropping him to sixth. After the restart, he quickly rebounded, working his way up to third within a few laps. When the race leader pitted with a mechanical issue, Gafrarar advanced to second.
From there, he and the new leader pulled away from the field. Gafrarar stayed close through the final lap but opted not to force a risky move in Turn 13, finishing second for his second podium of the weekend.
“What a weekend!” Gafrarar said. “The Pabst Racing Team works so hard, and I’m glad I could get on the podium in both races so far.”
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Race 3: Holding On for a Top-Five Finish
After an autograph session and some fan interaction on Saturday, Gafrarar returned to the track on Sunday for the final race of the weekend. Once again starting third, he attempted an outside pass into Turn 1 at the start and briefly ran side-by-side with the leader through Turn 2 but had to slot back into third.
Early in the race, Gafrarar reported understeer in the car and focused on maintaining position. He slipped to fourth, fended off multiple challenges from the fifth-place car, but eventually fell to fifth on lap 7. A late caution tightened the field, and although he pressured the leaders on the restart, he crossed the line in a respectable fifth place.
“It was a great weekend for the Pabst Racing #24 team,” Gafrarar reflected. “A win, a second, and a fifth definitely helped in the championship standings. I came in seventh and left in fifth. There’s still a lot of racing left—anything is possible.”
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Gratitude and Support
Caleb extended heartfelt thanks to his family, friends, and fans who supported his “Name on the Car” campaign at Mid-Ohio, including: Hop & Vine Davidson, Chris G’s Coaching, 1 Shot Fotos, Matt Davis, Molly Mattioli, AJ Abate, Kitasaki Farms, Holland Photography, Ryden Schleppi, Suzanne Maginn, Brian Zawaski, Michael & Tracy Johnson, Erin Nosker, Bob Carpenter, Elaine Sinclair, Gram Clarann Gafrarar, Gramps Charlie Gafrarar, Clarissa Gafrarar, David Mackey, Maw Maw Jackie Boger, and a special tribute to Paw Paw Bill Boger, who rode with him in spirit.
He also expressed gratitude to his partners and supporters: CG Investment Fund LLC, Circle K, Bell Helmets, OMP, Racing Electronics, and Molecule.