Australian Lochie Hughes, currently leading the F4 United States Championship, will compete full-time in the USF2000 Championship next year.

Hughes already has one USF2000 event under his belt, scoring a best result of third in a trio of races at Mid-Ohio, but will begin his time in the category in earnest with the Chris Griffis Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 22-23.

He will continue to compete with Jay Howard’s Driver Development (JHDD), which has fielded him to four wins in US F4 so far this year.

“I am focused on this weekend [racing at Virginia] and of course winning the F4 championship, but I also can’t help to look forward to 2023,” said Hughes.

“I think I have been able to prove myself here in North America and look forward to closing this year strong and starting next year with a bang.”

Team Owner Jay Howard added, “Lochie is the real deal and will have a long and successful career in motorsports.

“I am happy to retain him as part of the JHDD programme in 2023 and look forward to helping him continue the progression in his career.”

USF2000 is the first rung on the Road To Indy ladder which eventually reached IndyCar itself.