KERSHAW, S.C. – Exclusive Autosport’s USF Juniors squad faced a demanding tripleheader for Rounds 4, 5 and 6 this past weekend at the 2.279-mile, 14-turn Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina. The team fielded cars for four drivers on the first rung of the USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire, and it was rookie Cole Mederios who carried the EA flag to the podium in all three races. The Canadian won the opening 15-lap race and then finished second in Race 2 before a penalty ultimately dropped him to ninth. Cole fought back on Sunday with a third-place run to move him up to fifth in the championship standings. Three additional top-10 finishes were gained by Bex Cranston, Brenden Cooley and Connor Aspley, and there were more for the taking if it were not for contact and damage that were not ultimately their responsibility.

“Overall, it was a weekend that really tested everyone on the team, but I’m proud of how the group responded,” said Josh Cooley, Co-Owner and President. “We showed we have the speed to run at the front, and Cole proved that with a fantastic win on Saturday and backing it up with another podium on Sunday. That’s a big step forward for him and a great reward for all the hard work being put in behind the scenes. At the same time, we faced our share of challenges across the board, but the fight, effort and resilience from every driver and crew member never wavered. We’ll take what we’ve learned, keep building on the positives, and come back even stronger at the next round.”

After a challenging test day on Thursday and two additional sessions on Friday morning, the crew was able to grind forward, highlighted by Medeiros just missing the pole in qualifying, securing the off-pole before a penalty shuffled him back to the third spot to cap off Friday. Cranston, Cooley and Aspley did not fare so well, but they did move up the order from testing and practice, as the momentum shifted with all the work being done in the engineering office.

Saturday’s action at Carolina Motorsports Park delivered a pair of hard-fought races for the EA squad, highlighted by a breakthrough performance in Race 1 and determined drives across the board in Race 2. In the opening race of the day, Medeiros led the charge in style, putting together a composed and confident drive to secure his first USF Juniors victory, while Cranston and Aspley showed their improving pace with strong runs inside the top 10 in P6 and P8, respectively, while Cooley also fought through to P11. Race 2 brought another intense battle, with Medeiros once again at the front, crossing the line in P2 before a post-race penalty ultimately moved him back to ninth in the final results. Behind him, Cooley turned in a standout drive to advance to P7, while Cranston and Aspley continued to push forward in a tightly contested race, finishing P12 and P13.

Sunday morning brought in strong winds, dust, and Race 3 to cap off the weekend, with Medeiros continuing his form to secure a third-place finish and his second podium of the season. Behind him, the race proved to be a battle of attrition, as Cooley fought hard throughout to bring home a P12 result. Meanwhile, both Cranston and Aspley showed grit in the face of adversity after sustaining damage that forced them to pit lane for repairs, ultimately leaving them a lap down by the checkered flag. Despite the challenges, the EA squad never backed down, capping off the weekend with perseverance and valuable lessons moving forward.

The USF Juniors will now regroup as they head to Mid-Ohio on April 27-28 for their series test before traveling north of the border to Canada for Rounds 7, 8, and 9 at the iconic 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course of Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Qualifying: 13th – 1:33.320

Race 1: Start – 13th / Finish – 6th

Race 2: Start – 14th / Finish – 12th  

Race 3: Start – 13th / Finish – 19th (Contact)

Driver Quote: “It wasn’t the weekend we were hoping for at CMP in terms of results, but it was still a really valuable one with a lot learned both on and off the track. Weekends like this test you mentally, and how you respond is what really matters, so the focus now is on taking those lessons forward and coming back stronger for Round 3 in a few weeks. Huge thank you to everyone at Exclusive Autosport for all the effort and support throughout the weekend, especially Zach for giving me a great car, Oliver and Elliott for their coaching and guidance, Aiden for working hard on the car all weekend, and Josh Cooley for everything along the way. We’ll keep our heads up and be ready to bounce back next time.”

Qualifying: 18th – 1:33.604

Race 1: Start – 18th / Finish – 8th  

Race 2: Start – 16th / Finish – 13th

Race 3: Start – 18th / Finish – 20th (Contact)

Driver Quote: “Overall, it was not the weekend the team hoped for, struggling with execution in practice, qualifying, and the races. From qualifying 18th and avoiding multiple incidents to end up eighth in Race 1 was exciting. Congratulations to my teammate Cole “Little Wheelman” for a rapid qualifying lap, setting the tone for the team and bringing home a win and another podium. A huge thank you to the entire team for the support and for keeping the energy high despite not having the greatest weekend!”

Qualifying: 12th – 1:33.246

Race 1: Start – 12th  / Finish – 11th

Race 2: Start – 13th / Finish - 7th

Race 3: Start – 12th / Finish – 12th

Driver Quote: “Not the weekend we were looking for a CMP, starting the weekend on the back foot made things difficult, but the whole EA crew never gave up and kept working We still were able to take away many positives, which will come in crucial heading into the third round at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park next month.”

Qualifying: 3rd – 1:32.779

Race 1: Start – 3rd / Finish – 1st

Race 2: Start – 3rd / Finish – 9th (Post-Race Penalty)

Race 3: Start – 3rd / Finish – 3rd

Driver Quote: “This weekend was an incredible week for me. I got my first win in Race 1, a third in Race 3, and a second, but after a post-race penalty in Race 2, I was moved back to P9. It was a good week for points, and I learned lots running up front. I would like to thank everyone at Exclusive Autosport, my parents, my coach Oliver Askew, my mechanic John Stephens, and my engineer Zach Leedy for making these results possible. I’m looking forward to my home race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.”

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