Escorpioni Wins Inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington; Costello Secures Third to Complete Double Podium

Turn 3 Motorsport extends season-opening win streak to five consecutive years

Leonardo Escorpioni wins inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington in the #4 Turn 3 Motorsport USF Pro 2000 car

Arlington, Texas (March 18, 2026) – Turn 3 Motorsport continued its remarkable season-opening form in the USF Pro 2000 Championship presented by Continental Tire, claiming victory in the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington with Leonardo Escorpioni and securing a double podium finish with Michael Costello in Race 1.

The win marks the fifth consecutive year that Turn 3 Motorsport has won the USF Pro 2000 season opener, following victories at St. Petersburg from 2022 through 2025, and now Arlington in 2026.

Escorpioni delivered a standout performance aboard the #4 Turn 3 Motorsport entry, converting a front-row start into victory on the streets of Arlington. He made a decisive move on lap two, taking the lead from Jack Jeffers’ #92 entry at Turn 10 just moments before a multi-car incident brought out a caution.

On the lap-five restart, Jeffers reclaimed the lead, but Escorpioni remained within striking distance, applying consistent pressure over the closing stages of the race. With less than two laps remaining, Jeffers made a mistake, opening the door for Escorpioni to retake the lead and secure the win.

Costello followed with a strong drive in the #2 machine, earning a third-place finish and securing a double podium result for Turn 3 Motorsport at the series’ debut event.

Texas native Brady Golan impressed in front of a home-state crowd, charging from 15th on the grid to finish sixth in the #44 entry. Tyke Durst gained positions to finish 12th in the #3, while Sebastian Manson showed early pace in the #22, advancing five positions on the opening lap before a four-wide shootout into Turn 10 put him into the tires and brought his race to an early end.

Race 2 brought a chaotic start, with multiple incidents reshuffling the field early. Escorpioni and Costello both faced adversity but fought back impressively. After sustaining front wing damage to the #4 car, the Turn 3 crew executed a rapid nose change to return Escorpioni to the track on the lead lap.

Golan led the team’s efforts in Race 2 to deliver another strong performance in the #44, finishing sixth and completing a consistent weekend with two sixth-place finishes.

Costello recovered to seventh in the #2, while Escorpioni fought back to eighth and set the fastest lap of the race, earning an additional championship point.

Durst showed promising pace, climbing through the field in the #3 before ultimately finishing 15th, while Manson returned to the track in the #22 following early damage to finish 16th, one lap down.

With two podium finishes and strong points scored across the lineup, Turn 3 Motorsport leaves Arlington sitting P2, P4, and P6 in the championship standings with Escorpioni, Costello, and Golan, putting Turn 3 Motorsport at the top of the team championship heading into the next round.

Turn 3 Motorsport celebrates double podium with Leonardo Escorpioni and Michael Costello

#4 – LEONARDO ESCORPIONI

Data Pioneer Solutions / Corix / Peer 1 / Mensalize

“It was an amazing debut weekend in USF Pro 200 with Turn 3 Motorsport,” said Escorpioni. “To come away with a race win and gain so much valuable experience across the weekend is really special. The team gave me an incredible car, and I can’t thank them enough for giving me this opportunity. I’m looking forward to building on this momentum heading into the next round.”

#2 – MICHAEL COSTELLO

Proguard Automotive / EDA / Hope for AL

“We had a strong weekend to start the USF Pro 2000 season in Arlington,” said Costello. “The team worked incredibly hard to give me a great car, and it was great to come away with a podium in Race 1. We also showed good pace in Race 2 with a solid recovery drive from a runoff up to P7. I’m looking forward to making an even bigger step forward at IMS in May.”

#3 – TYKE DURST

FHI

“It was a tough, fun, and really fast weekend,” said Durst. “The track was more technical than I expected, and with limited practice, I felt like I only really started to find my rhythm in Race 2. We made strong progress through the field in both races, and despite the late race penalty in Race 2, there’s a lot of momentum to keep building on from here. Eyes forward to Indy and continuing to climb the championship ladder.”

#22 – SEBASTIAN MANSON

Mansons TCLM / Maramarua Beef / Ted Manson Foundation / Express Plumbing

“It was a tough weekend, but I was able to learn a fair bit throughout it,” said Manson. “Arlington was such an amazing event. A big thank you to the whole Turn 3 Motorsport team for all their hard work. We’ll take what we learned and come back stronger at IMS!”

#44 – BRADY GOLAN

Marina

“It was great to finally kick off the 2026 season,” said Golan. “After a tough qualifying, we focused on racing smart and staying out of trouble, and that paid off with two sixth-place finishes. The team did an amazing job all weekend, and it’s great to be leading the team championship heading into the next round. I’m excited to keep building from here.”

PETER DEMPSEY – TEAM OWNER

“It was great to start the season off with a win and double podium in Arlington with Leo (Escorpioni) and Michael (Costello),” said Dempsey. “Everyone on the team worked extremely hard in the pre-season to allow us to deliver these results and continue our winning streak at the season opener. Arlington was a new challenge for all the teams, and our pre-event preparation was the best we could have done which I think allowed the drivers to perform at their highest level.”

“I’m very proud of the team for their work across the entire weekend,” continued Dempsey. “Although the results didn’t fall our way in Race 2, we never gave up and capitalized on any opportunities that presented themselves. I’m also super proud of Brady (Golan) for having two clean races and getting some of his best finishes for the team so far. This gives us a great platform to build on for our next test and Round 2 at IMS. A huge thanks to all of our team members for putting an amazing effort into the last few weeks. I’m glad we could reward all of them with some great results!”

Up next for Turn 3 Motorsport is the official Series Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway April 15-16, followed by the next round of the championship at IMS May 7-9.

To stay up to date on Turn 3 Motorsport, follow the team on social media using the handle @turn3motorsport.

For more information or images, please contact Mandy Dempsey at turn3motorsport@gmail.com.

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