AVONDALE, La. The battle for this years USF Pro 2000 Presented by Continental Tire title continues.

The top two protagonists, Turn 3 Motorsports Alessandro de Tullio and Pabst Racing charge Max Garcia once again split the spoils today with a race win apiece.

But it is Garcia who continues to hold an edge in the battle for a scholarship to move up next year to Indy NXT, by virtue of de Tullio having made a mistake in the second race at St. Petersburg in March. They are separated by just 16 points with five of 18 races now in the books.

Each finished second to the other in todays exciting pair of 18-lap races that concluded the Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana. Israels Ariel Elkin (TJ Speed Motorsports) and last years USF Juniors champion, Max Taylor (VRD Racing), from Hoboken, N.J., claimed one third-place finish apiece.

Fresh off winning the 350th race in USF Pro 2000 history dating back to the first National Championship Star Mazda race in 1990 on Saturday afternoon, de Tullio today continued his strong momentum for the Turn 3 Motorsport team founded by Peter Dempsey, who coincidentally, had won the 100th race at VIRginia International Raceway in 2009. De Tullio claimed his third Continental Tire Pole Award by virtue of setting a new record during qualifying on Saturday.

And there was no stopping the young Floridian come race time. De Tullio gamely fought off the attentions of early season title rival Garcia at the first corner and settled into a nice early rhythm.

Points leader Garcia continued to fill de Tullios mirrors, but rather than being able to concentrate on finding a way through into the lead, Garcia instead had his hands full in fending off Elkin, who charged impressively from sixth on the grid to third on the opening lap.

On Lap 11, the gap from first to second ballooned immediately from 1.3 seconds to over two seconds as Garcia cost both challengers a chunk of time by being forced to defend his position from Elkin under braking for Turn Nine.

Thereafter, de Tullio had a relatively easy cruise to the finish line to earn his third win of the season. Garcia just about hung onto second from Elkin, with New Zealander Jacob Douglas (Pabst Racing) and a gradually closing Taylor following in their wheel tracks.

Michael Costello, from Naples, Fla., began to struggle in the late stages aboard a third Pabst Racing Tatuus IP-22, although he just held off the advances of Jace Denmark (TJ Speed Motorsports), from Brownsburg, Ind.

Denmark was later relegated to 11th place with the addition of a 10-second penalty for incident responsibility following an earlier clash. The adjustment promoted Vietnamese rookie Owen Tangavelou to an excellent ninth for VRD Racing, allowing him to claim the Tilton Hard Charger Award after battling his way from 19th and last on the grid.

This afternoons final race saw Garcia once again starting up front after securing his second Continental Tire Pole Award. The grid had been set according to each drivers second-fastest lap from the second qualifying session yesterday.

The youngest driver in the field at just recently turned 16, Garcia took off confidently at the start. De Tullio made a lightning getaway to vault from fourth to second, but Garcia maintained a narrow edge throughout the 18-lap race. There was one brief caution after a spin by Turn 3 Motorsports Tyke Durst, from Charlotte, N.C., but that was of little concern to Garcia, who again displayed remarkable composure for one so young.

Taylor chased gamely in third to secure his best result of the season, with Douglas setting the fastest race lap despite or perhaps because of intense pressure from Elkin, who remained hot on his tail.

Costello also was firmly in touch with the leaders, crossing the finish line just over four seconds adrift of Garcia, while Denmark once again was best of the rest in seventh.

For the second time in just a few hours, Tangavelou earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award after another strong drive to ninth after starting 18th.