American advances into USF Pro Championships with title-winning team
ORLANDO, FL – Zanella Racing will have a full house of USF Juniors under their tent this year as they head into the 2026 USF Pro Championships by Continental Tire. Having won both the USF Juniors Driver Championship and Team Championship in 2025, the operation is pleased to announce their third driver for next year’s USF Juniors program. Fairfax, Virginia’s Max Mokarem will continue his rapid advancement up the development ladder with Zanella Racing, coming off a season in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship and Formula FARA programs. The 14-year-old has been incredibly impressive in testing and the expectations and targets are high for 2026.
"We’re all extremely excited to work with Max this year as he takes his first steps with us in the USF Pro Championships,” commented Naka Zanella, Team Owner. “He’s only been racing for three years, but he’s so dedicated and so focused on the craft and getting the necessary seat time. He has a great deal of natural talent and we’re happy that we’ll be able hone and develop it moving forward.”
Mokarem began karting in 2023, racing in club, regional and national competitions on the East Coast, running in programs like the Rotax Max Challenge Winter Trophy, the Stars Championship Series, and the Race Rotax US Trophy Final, where he finished third in the Mini Max category. Max made the transition to car racing in 2024, competing in the Formula FARA program in South Florida, finishing 10th overall as the youngest driver in the series at just 12 years-of-age. This past season, Max returned to the Formula FARA series for five races, scoring a win and four podiums. His primary focus was the Ligier Junior Formula Championship, where he finished eighth overall with two podium finishes and 12 top-10 results.
“I’m really excited to join Zanella Racing for the 2026 USF Juniors season,” offered Mokarem. “The team had a strong season last year, and I’m grateful for the trust they’ve shown in me. I’m looking forward to building on that momentum and getting to work to deliver strong results together.”
Mokarem will join previously announced USF Juniors drivers Maddie Colleran and Victor Couto when the team gets back on-track to continue pre-season testing. The team is planning to run as many as six cars in USF Juniors in 2026 to pair with their debut in the USF2000 program with reigning USF Juniors champion Leonardo Escorpioni. Look for additional driver announcements over the next two weeks. The first official race weekend of the 2026 USF Juniors season will be part of the annual USF Pro Championships ‘Spring Training’ event at Homestead-Miami on February 16-18.