F4 US – Syndication Server

Stati, Musella take JS F4, US F4 wins at Mid-Ohio, Shehan wins FR Americas

Stati wins F4 U.S. Race 1 Nicolas Stati (No. 15 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) became the first repeat winner in Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) this season, earning his second-career win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on …

Stati wins F4 U.S. Race 1

Nicolas Stati (No. 15 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) became the first repeat winner in Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) this season, earning his second-career win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday afternoon.

Notes of Interest:

Nicolas Stati earned his second win in just four F4 U.S. starts with today’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Daniel Quimby brought home his third podium of the year. The Australian previously earned a first- and second-place result at Road America last month.
Alex Crosbie earned his first-career podium with his third-place result in Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour.

In just its second weekend of competition, the Ligier JS F422 chassis and Ligier Storm engine once again proved to be powerhouses, with drivers racing nose to tail and engaging in intense battles throughout the course of the event. Stati led the field from flag to flag, but his run was not without challenge. Taking the green flag with second-place starter Daniel Quimby (No. 24 Cruise America / MIR Raceline / FIJI Airways / GalvanizeIns Ligier JS F422) to his outside,

Quimby initially jumped to the point position as they entered Turn 1. However, Stati had the preferred position as they entered the Keyhole, and was able to retake the race lead as they exited the corner, while Pablo Benites Jr. (No. 44 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F422) was tight on his bumper to challenge for second. As the field spread out, Stati took control of the race, and Benites Jr. trailed in second. However, it wasn’t long before Quimby pulled back to the gearbox of Benites Jr., looking for the right opportunity to make the pass. Nearly 10 minutes into the race, Quimby finally got his opportunity, pulling side by side with Benites Jr. as they raced down the frontstretch and completing the pass as they rushed through Turn 1.

With Quimby sailing by for second, Benites Jr. was under fire from Alex Crosbie (No. 41 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422), battling for the third position. Engaged in side-by-side racing, it wasn’t long before Connor Roberts (No. 46 ApexSpeed.com / Entropy Cellars Ligier JS F422) pulled up to join the fight. The race was near its halfway point when Roberts pulled three wide, racing toward the Keyhole to overtake fourth. Still wheel to wheel as they entered Turn 4, Roberts was to the outside of Benites Jr. when the two made contact, sending Roberts rolling into the gravel trap.

After a cleanup, the race resumed for a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Lincoln Day (No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) dropped two wheels off the racing surface coming to the green flag, sending him into a spin, as did Barrett Wolfe (No. 13 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422), who had to react quickly behind him. Out front, the battle continued, with Quimby tight on Stati’s gearbox and looking for a chance to get around. With Quimby unable to complete the pass, it was Stati who led the field across the finish line. Quimby finished second, and Crosbie took third.

“It was a tough race,” said Stati. “The guys caught up to me in the second phase of the race, and then the safety car brought everyone back together. We had a one-lap dash to the checkered flag, but we were able to hold them off. I’d like to thank AGI and Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport—thanks for the awesome car.”

Race 1 Official Results

F4 U.S. will run a doubleheader tomorrow, with Race 2 scheduled for 8 a.m., followed by Race 3 at 2 p.m. ET. This weekend’s feature races from the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour will be live streamed at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV. Live timing and scoring can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Third win of JSF4 Series for Musella

Teddy Musella (No. 25 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F4) sailed away with the victory in the Ligier JS F4 Series’ first race of the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour on Saturday afternoon. Overtaking the polesitter Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N.E.Where Transportation / New’T Racing Ligier JS F4) on the second lap, Musella kept his focus forward, opening a gap behind him and driving away toward the checkered flag.

Notes of Interest:

Teddy Musella earned his third win of the season by taking the victory in Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour.
Kekai Hauanio’s runner-up result marked his third-consecutive podium after winning Round 5 and finishing second in Round 6 at Road America last month. In total, Hauanio has recorded four podiums this season.
Bacon Zelenka’s third-place finish marks his fifth podium of 2024. He is tied with Musella for the most podium finishes this season.

When the lights went out, the field jumped out to a clean start. Polesitter Hauanio initially led the way, but Musella stayed tight on his rear wing, looking for the right opportunity to get around. By the time they reached Turn 9 on the second lap, Musella found his opportunity, diving to the inside of Hauanio and claiming the point position as they exited the corner. The two stayed nose to stern for the opening 10 minutes of the race, with less than a second separating them on the leaderboard. Behind them, battles were on, with Bacon Zelenka (No. 45 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) facing pressure from Maite Cáceres (No. 6 Abitab / Supermatch Ligier JS F4), Brad Majman (No. 95 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) and Drew Szuch (No. 28 Szuch Racing Ligier JS F4).

As things got sorted, the contests appeared to be Zelenka vs. Majman for third, and Cáceres vs. Szuch for fifth. Szuch slowed on the track, allowing Cáceres to easily claim the fifth position, while Zelenka and Majman continued to race wheel to wheel in front of her. With the clock ticking down, Majman pulled to Zelenka’s gearbox as they raced down the backstretch, before darting outside in Turn 4 to give himself the preferred position to race through Turn 5. Claiming the third spot, less than a half second separated the two, but that all changed two laps later when Majman lost control and spun on the exit of Turn 9 to give Zelenka back the position.

With the field spread out, Musella, Hauanio, Zelenka and Cáceres all raced toward the checkered flag. Their pace, however, was slowed with just three minutes left on the clock when a competitor spun in Turn 11, getting stuck in the gravel trap and bringing out the full course caution.

As they crossed the finish line, Musella led, with Hauanio and Zelenka in his wake.

“That was a good race,” said Musella. “My car was better at the beginning with Kekai [Hauanio], but I tried to maintain the pace throughout the race. At the end, I saw Kekai gaining. I pushed, but he had a better pace. I just want to thank everyone—my team, Scuderia Buell, my dad, and all the sponsors for helping me get to this point.”

Race 1 Official Results

JS F4 will contest a doubleheader tomorrow, with Race 2 scheduled at 9:40 a.m., followed by Race 3 at 3:10 p.m. ET. Feature races from this weekend’s Mid-Ohio SpeedTour will be streamed on YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring from all sessions on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Shehan takes third win of the year in FR Americas

Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) scored his third win of 2024 on Saturday afternoon, winning Formula Regional Americas Championship’s (FR Americas) Race 1 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Beating his teammate Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) by just 0.461 seconds, the two continue to be in a heated battle for the championship.

Notes of Interest:
• Ryan Shehan earned his third FR Americas win of the season, and first at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

• With his runner-up finish, Patrick Woods-Toth recorded his seventh podium in 10 races.

• After earning his first-career podium at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week, Jett Bowling has now finished on the podium in each of the last three races.

• Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport swept today’s podium, with Shehan finishing first, Woods-Toth in second, and Bowling in third.

Patrick Woods-Toth led the field down the grid after setting a new track record during this morning’s qualifying session. With Shehan to his outside, a slow jump by Woods-Toth off the starting block gave Shehan a clear lead as the field raced toward Turn 1. Third-place starter Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 TLink / Allegro Ligier JS F3) also snuck around Woods-Toth to temporarily claim second; however, Woods-Toth got a run down the backstretch and pulled to the inside as they raced through Turn 4 to retake the runner-up spot.

With Shehan nearly two seconds ahead, Woods-Toth was in chase mode, focused on hitting his marks and chipping away at the gap. The top four strung out nose to stern, as Nicole Havrda (No. 6 Valley Kitchens Ltd / Colonial Countertops Ltd Ligier JS F3) and Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 IGY6 Motorsports / Save22 Ligier JS F3) engaged in a spirited multi-lap battle for fifth. Bowlsbey ultimately emerged with the position, overtaking Havrda as they raced through the Turn 4-5-6 complex. Justin Garat (No. 17 Speed Factory Ligier JS F3) snuck up on the two as they raced side by side during the earlier laps, and was able to stay tight on Bowlsbey’s rear wing to also pick up a position.

Meanwhile, Woods-Toth and Ambiado continued to gain on Shehan, with the gap down to just over half a second as the race neared its halfway point. A few minutes later, Ambiado began to slow on the course. The Chilean driver was able to limp around to pit lane, allowing the race to continue under green-flag conditions as the checkered flag neared. Jett Bowling (No. 02 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) had been quietly racing in the fourth position all afternoon, but was able to sneak into the third and final podium position as Ambiado came down pit lane.

“I had a really good start,” said Shehan. “I just tried to stay consistent and not make any mistakes. Thankfully, I was able to bring it home. I’d like to thank the whole Crosslink Kiwi team, my engineer, my mechanic, all my sponsors, my parents—big thanks to everyone.”

Race 1 Official Results

FR Americas returns to the track tomorrow at 11:05 a.m. ET for their final race of the weekend. The race will be live streamed at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring accessible on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates from the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour will be posted on FR Americas’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

FR Americas and F4 US champions Hedge and Woods-Toth win COTA finales

Confirmed as 2023 Driver Champion of Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda (FR Americas), Callum Hedge capped off his championship season in Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda by winning the third and final race at Circuit of The Americas. The 19-year-old from Auckland, New Zealand earned his 13th win of the season when he led the field to the checkered flag with nearly a 10-second margin. With the victory, he is ranked third on the all-time wins list in FR Americas behind Kyle Kirkwood and Linus Lundqvist, who are both tied with 15.

Hedge (No. 17 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) led the field down the grid for the final race of 2023. After edging Hedge to the finish in Race 2, Oliver Westling (No. 1 JENSEN Ligier JS F3) lined up next to the New Zealander for Race 3. Westling got a jump off the block, but Hedge pulled ahead to take control of the race. Several puffs of smoke could be seen throughout the opening lap as drivers tried to bring their Hankook tires up to temperature, and the caution ultimately waved later in the same lap.

The race restarted with nearly 20 minutes left on the clock. Hedge led the field down the front stretch and toward Turn 1 with Westling in tow. Behind them, Manuel Roza (No. 12 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) was facing pressure from Cole Kleck (No. 11 Speed Factory Ligier JS F3) and Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) as the field raced three wide through Turns 1 and 2. Roza pulled ahead to claim the third position while Kleck and Shehan raced side by side. It wasn’t long until Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 Save22 Ligier JS F3) joined the Kleck and Shehan fray. Hard racing between the trio led to Bowlsbey losing control in Turn 13, spinning and making contact with Shehan’s front wing. Both cars were able to clear the incident and the race continued green.

Meanwhile, newcomer Jake Bonilla (No. 20 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) climbed through the field. Starting in 11th, he worked his way up to seventh with about 10 minutes left on the clock, and then engaged in a battle with Everett Stack (No. 2 JENSEN Ligier JS F3) to take the sixth position. Bonilla raced ahead as they entered the esses, and overtook Shehan just minutes later when Shehan was forced down pit road to replace his damaged front wing. Shehan returned to the track, but was out of contention for the win.

Hedge led the field across the finish line with a 9.250-second margin of victory over Westling. Roza finished third taking the second podium of his career, followed by Kleck in fourth and Bonilla in fifth.

“Everyone likes winning. If I don’t win, then I’m not happy, so I need to work as hard as I can. I was pretty disappointed yesterday; I left the door open at the last corner. So, I made sure I didn’t make that mistake again today. I got a pretty rubbish start, to be fair, but then the car was really fast. So big thanks to the team, and Paul for engineering it.

I’d like to thank Honda and HPD for the awesome scholarship and prizes they have offered to the series, so big credit to them. I can’t wait to see what next year holds for me. Big thanks to the people that made this happen for me—Steve Horn, Mike Pilcher, Tasman Motorsport Group, Giltrap Group and Tony Quinn Foundation.”

RESULTS

FINAL STANDINGS

Sweeping the top three spots in the drivers’ championship, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport also took the teams’ title. The organization recorded 16 wins this season, along with 44 podiums.

Patrick Woods-Toth wins F4 US season finale at COTA

Patrick Woods-Toth finished off his F4 US championship season in similar fashion — in victory lane at COTA. In a whirlwind year, the 20-year-old Canadian went from driving karts, to attending an F4 “karts to cars” scholarship school at Radford Racing School last December, to winning a championship in his first year racing single seaters. The victory marked Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) fourth time atop the podium in 2023. He held off a hard-charging Jesse Lacey (No. 16 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) during the closing laps, crossing the line side by side with his teammate to take the win with a 0.017s margin. It was his fourth win of the season.

Titus Sherlock was awarded the Omologato Perfectly Timed Move of the Race after winning Race 1 of the weekend, and overcoming a mechanical issue in the Race 3 that caused him to give up the pole position and start the race from the back of the field. Despite the circumstances, he raced through the field to finish eighth.

The field faced an aborted start, which allowed Sherlock’s team a couple extra minutes to work on his car while the field came back around for a two-by-two rolling start. Daniel Cara (No. 10 Tenuta Foppo & Ambrosi Ligier JS F4) led the field down the front stretch with Woods-Toth next to him accelerating toward the green flag. Cara had a clean start and pulled away from the field, while a couple competitors spun behind him.

Before the completion of the first lap, double yellows waved. Augie Soto Schirripa (No. 24 International Motorsport Ligier JS F4) was on a tear from the drop of the green flag. The Race 2 winner experienced a transponder failure in that event, which left him without an official lap time to set the grid for Race 3. Instead, he lined up 22nd and climbed all the way to eighth before the safety period.

The race resumed with Cará leading the field to the restart, while Daniel Quimby (No. 42 Doran Motorsports Group Ligier JS F4), Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N.E. Where Transport Ligier JS F4), Woods-Toth and Lacey battled hard behind him. It didn’t take long until Woods-Toth starting picking off his competition with Lacey doing the same behind him. Woods-Toth overtook Cara for the lead with just over 11 minutes left on the clock. Just a few turns later, Lacey moved in to second overtaking Quimby racing through Turn 1. From there, it was all focus forward.

On the final lap, Lacey ran side by side with Woods-Toth through Turn 11. The two drag raced down the backstretch before making contact in Turn 12, and Lacey finally pulled ahead as they reached Turn 13. Now nose to tail, Lacey led Woods-Toth and Soto-Schirripa through the final turns all the way to Turn 19. Woods-Toth pulled next to Lacey and raced him through Turn 20 and to the finish line. As they crossed, Woods-Toth edged Lacey by just a 0.017s margin, with Soto-Schirripa just behind them.

“We wrapped up the championship yesterday after such a strong year, and today, we were just going for gold,” said Woods-Toth. “It’s nice to end on a high note. Finishing first on track and we came away with a championship — that’s the most important part. I’m just so happy and thankful for the team, my sponsors, everyone. It’s been such an amazing year.”

RESULTS

FINAL STANDINGS

FR Americas and F4 U.S. will kick off the 2024 season on April 11-14 at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, La.

Woods-Toth claims F4 US title; Sherlock, Soto-Schirripa win Friday races at COTA

Titus Sherlock won in race one at Circuit of The Americas on Friday morning, but it wasn’t enough to hold off championship rival Patrick Woods-Toth, who claimed the drivers’ championship in Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.). Entering the weekend with a 66.5 point deficit, Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) did everything he could, claiming the pole in qualifying and going on to lead every lap enroute to the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) moved forward from his fourth-place starting position to claim his 12th podium of the season and the championship title.

“This time last year, I really wasn’t even going to be racing [in 2023],” said Woods-Toth. “When I got an opportunity [to attend the Radford Racing School’s F4 U.S. Scholarship Award School] from the karting series that I’ve raced in, it was a great opportunity to drive a racecar for my first time, but I never thought it would lead to this. The opportunity is all thanks to Ron Fellows and Orlando—they’re my two biggest supporters. They’re the ones who got me here. It’s just incredible that we were able to do something like this. I don’t think anyone expected us to be so successful in our first season, but we worked really hard. I’ve got good people behind me, so I’m happy for them, and for myself, as well.”

When the lights went out, Sherlock jumped ahead of the field to control the race, but a caution during the opening lap gave his competition another chance to make a run at the lead. Second-place starter Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Ligier JS F4) put up a hard fight to try to take the lead on the restart, but Sherlock once again pulled ahead.

During the first lap of the race, Woods-Toth was able to overtake Augie Soto-Schirripa (No. 24 International Motorsport Ligier JS F4) for the third position, and one lap after the restart, he passed Cará to claim second in Turn 12. Falling back to fourth, Soto-Schirripa was also looking to move forward as the race progressed — with just over 10 minutes left on the clock he moved into third, and then past Woods-Toth to claim second a couple laps later. All the while, Sherlock continued to lead the field.

With Soto-Schirripa closing in on his gearbox in the final minutes, Sherlock was able to hold off the charging competition. Coming to the white flag, Sherlock went wide through Turn 15, which allowed Soto-Schirripa to briefly pull side by side before returning to the point position. The two raced wheel to wheel again down the backstretch heading to the checkered flag. Soto-Schirripa briefly nosed ahead, but Sherlock made a race-winning move, braking late and diving into Turn 12 to take the lead.

As they crossed the line, it was Sherlock, followed by Soto-Schirripa and Woods-Toth. Making his very first F4 U.S. start, Ariel Elkin (No. 18 International Motorsport Ligier JS F4) finished fourth, followed by Cará in fifth.

“It was a super long and tough race today, but I just did exactly what I needed to do and stayed out front after starting on the pole” said Sherlock after the race. “I can’t thank my team enough; it’s been a great weekend so far. This morning was just good racing — the whole race I had maybe a couple of car lengths gap, but the last two laps, [Soto-Schirripa] was right on me. It was very intense. Coming into the weekend, we knew the championship was pretty much out of my hands, but second was still possible, and that’s what I need to focus on.”

Soto-Schirripa makes a late-race pass to win race two at COTA

Augie Soto-Schirripa won his fourth Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda race on Friday afternoon at the Mission Foods Austin SpeedTour weekend at Circuit of The Americas. The 23-year-old ran second to his teammate, series newcomer Ariel Elkin (No. 18 International Motorsport Ligier JS F4), for much of the race. The two put on a dynamic show, running wheel to wheel and swapping positions before Soto-Schirripa (No. 24 International Motorsport Ligier JS F4) finally sealed the deal, passing his teammate racing through Turn 15 on the penultimate lap.

While the rest of the field settled their running order, Soto-Schirripa and Elkin had opened up to nearly a four second advantage over the field. Nearly 14 minutes were left on the clock as Soto-Schirripa pulled wheel to wheel with his teammate through Turns 13-14. The move set off a five-minute battle of two-wide racing that was only slowed by a full course caution.

The race resumed with just three minutes left on the clock, the two International Motorsport teammates immediately resumed their battle for the lead. As they raced toward the white flag, Soto-Schirripa was able to complete the pass racing through Turn 15.

When they crossed the line, Soto-Schirripa led the way, with Elkin and Woods-Toth in tow behind him.

“This feels great,” said Soto-Schirripa. “A year ago, I wouldn’t have thought that I’d be here. So just being here is an honor. Look at this guy [teammate, Ariel Elkin]. I’m really proud of my teammate. One-two for the International Motorsport team—first-time ever that we bring two cars and we made it work. I’m over the moon right now. It was a fun race—probably the most fun race I’ve had all year. I think everyone enjoyed that, so hopefully we can put on a show tomorrow, too.”

The lights will go out for the final race of the 2023 season Saturday afternoon at 1:45pm ET. A free live stream of race three will kick off with coverage of the pre-race ceremonies at 1:30pm ET. Watch the broadcast on SpeedTourTV’s YouTube page, or access live timing and scoring on the Race Monitor app.

RACE ONE RESULTS

RACE TWO RESULTS

Hedge, Sherlock on pole for opening races of COTA FR Americas, F4 US finales

Callum Hedge will lead the field to the starting grid after securing the pole for Race 1 of the Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda final weekend at Circuit of The Americas. Hedge (No. 17 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) set a fast lap of 2m03.575s to better teammate and championship rival Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) by just 0.776s. Oliver Westling (No. 1 JENSEN Ligier JS F3), who is fighting to finish in the top three in the point standings, rounded out the top three in qualifying.

FR AMERICAS RESULTS

The lights go out 9:15am CT, and a live stream broadcast of the race will be available on the SpeedTourTV YouTube page

#31 Titus Sherlock, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport,

Titus Sherlock is racing for the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) title this weekend at COTA, and Friday, he’ll start that championship battle from the front of the grid. Recording a 2m15.593s, Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) had just a 0.006s advantage over Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Ligier JS F4) to secure the pole position for Race 1. After winning two of the three rounds at VIRginia International Raceway last month, Augie Soto-Schirripa (No. 24 International Motorsport Ligier JS F4) qualified third for tomorrow’s race with a lap time of 2:15.760.

Sherlock is currently tied with Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) for second in the point standings, and both drivers are 66.5 points behind leader Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4). Costello will line up 13th, while Woods-Toth will start from fourth on the grid.

F4 U.S. RESULTS

F4 U.S. hits the track tomorrow for Race 1 at 12pm CT on Friday, and a live stream broadcast of the race will be available on the SpeedTourTV YouTube page.

FR Americas and F4 US titles up for grabs at COTA

Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda (FR Americas) and Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) pull into Circuit of The Americas (COTA) for their final three races of 2023. Each competing in Rounds 16-18 at the Mission Foods Austin SpeedTour, the championships will join Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), the Trans Am Series, Prototype Sprint Series Association and International GT, as all six series crown their champions in the final SpeedTour event of the season. With over 700 cars being showcased throughout the weekend between the on-track competition, Hagerty Cars and Caffeine Car Show, and Corvette Invasion, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Schedule:

FR Americas Championship Powered by Honda

Practice 1: Thursday, November 2 at 9:15 a.m. ET

Practice 2: Thursday, November 2 at 1:10 p.m. ET

Qualifying: Thursday, November 2 at 4:00 p.m. ET

Feature Race 1: Friday, November 3 at 9:15 a.m. ET

Feature Race 2: Friday, November 3 at 2:45 p.m. ET

Feature Race 3: Saturday, November 4 at 9:20 a.m. ET

F4 U.S. Championship Powered by Honda

Practice 1: Thursday, November 2 at 10:40 a.m. ET

Practice 2: Thursday, November 2 at 2:40 p.m. ET

Qualifying: Thursday, November 2 at 5:35 p.m. ET

Feature Race 1: Friday, November 3 at 12:00 p.m. ET

Feature Race 2: Friday, November 3 at 5:50 p.m. ET

Fan Walk: Saturday, November 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET

Feature Race 3: Saturday, November 4 at 12:45 p.m. ET

Fans will have an opportunity to meet the drivers from FR Americas and F4 U.S. during a special pre-race fan walk on Saturday afternoon. Join us on pit lane at 12 p.m. CT to get an up-close look at the F4 cars moments before they head out on track for their third and final race of the weekend. Meet drivers from both series, get free swag—including a complimentary FR Americas/F4 U.S. series poster—and collect autographs. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event!

You can watch the FR Americas and F4 U.S. races this weekend for free on social media with streaming available on the SpeedTourTV YouTube page (YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV). Live coverage on Friday and Saturday means that all three races will be streamed for each championship.

With 11 wins this season, including two in the series’ last outing at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), Callum Hedge (No. 17 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) continues to lead the championship standings. However, the battle isn’t as cut and dry as it once appeared—in fact, Hedge failed to score any points in the series’ most recent race after being forced to retire early from Round 15. With three runner-up finishes at VIR, Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) kept his championship hopes alive, leaving Hedge with only a 51-point advantage going into COTA.

Cooper Becklin (No. 19 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) was eliminated from championship contention at VIR, but the Oregonian still had a weekend to remember as he secured his first-career win in Round 15. The victory, paired with two third-place results, kept Becklin just 42 points behind Shehan. Oliver Westling (No. 1 JENSEN Ligier JS F3) remains the fourth and final driver with a chance of finishing inside the top three in the point standings. The New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) Round 10 winner ranks fourth, just 57 points behind Becklin.

Jake Bonilla (No. 20 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) will join powerhouse Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport to make his FR Americas debut this weekend at COTA. Bonilla has been testing the Ligier JS F3 car with Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport this year, and earned two podiums—including a win—in the car during a Formula Pro USA Western Championship event at Sonoma Raceway in September. Previously, the San Antonian competed in F4 U.S. during the 2020 and 2021 race seasons.

Manuel Roza (No. 12 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) and Cole Kleck (No. 11 Speed Factory Ligier JS F3) will both return to the FR Americas paddock just in time for the 2023 season finale. With neither driver having competed since Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June, Roza will return to his traditional No. 12 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport entry, while Kleck joins Speed Factory for the final event of the year.

Austinite Ryan Shehan will join three fellow Texans racing at Circuit of The Americas this weekend. Cole Kleck and Jake Bonilla can carpool from their San Antonio homes, while Max Hewitt (No. 39 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) will have the longest trip to make of the “local” drivers, with a 150-mile journey from Houston.

Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 Save22 Ligier JS F3) earned his first-career podium in the series’ most recent outing at VIR. A major accident during the closing laps at NJMP required Bowlsbey to rebuild his car during the 10-week break between events. With the help of his friends and family, both the driver and car were ready to race when the lights went out at VIR. Bowlsbey first entered F4 U.S. competition in 2019, and moved up to FR Americas with his family-owned IGY6 Motorsports in 2022. With 17 previous top 10s, Bowlsbey’s third-place result in Round 15 marked his first-career FR Americas podium—and the first podium finish for IGY6 Motorsports.

With 11 victories this season, Callum Hedge is currently tied with last year’s FR Americas champion, Raoul Hyman, for third on the all-time wins list. Another victory this weekend would break that tie and solidify Hedge’s standing as the third-winningest driver in FR Americas history. Kyle Kirkwood and Linus Lundqvist, both current competitors in INDYCAR, are tied for the most wins in FR Americas with 15 victories apiece.

FR Americas Scholarship on the line
The battle for the 2023 F4 U.S. drivers’ championship title is down to just three drivers. Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) currently leads the championship charge, while Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) and Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) are tied for second, 66.5 points behind Woods-Toth. Alex Berg, who is currently ranked fourth in points, will miss this weekend’s event as he competes in England’s Formula Ford Festival with Team Canada. His absence leaves Jesse Lacey (No. 16 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4), hot off his first F4 U.S. win at VIR, to contend with Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Ligier JS F4) and Augie Soto-Schirripa (No. 24 International Motorsport Ligier JS F4), who earned two wins during the VIR race weekend. All four drivers remain mathematically eligible to contend for a top-three finish in the final point standings.

At the conclusion of the season, the 2023 F4 U.S. champion will be given the opportunity to move to FR Americas in 2024 with support from Ligier Automotive, Hankook Tires and Parella Motorsports Holdings. In addition, the champion will also receive $25,000 from Honda Performance Development, along with several other prizes.

Five drivers will be making their F4 U.S. debut this weekend at Circuit of The Americas. Ariel Elkin (No. 18 International Motorsport Ligier JS F4) joins the field from the F4 Italian Championship where the Israeli driver competed earlier this year. American Barrett Wolfe (No. 13 Doran Motorsports Group Ligier JS F4) and Australian Daniel Quimby (No. 42 Doran Motorsports Group Ligier JS F4) both move to F4 U.S. after competing in the Formula Pro USA Championships earlier this year. Meanwhile, Zhanbin Jia (No. 6 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) will move to F4 U.S. after making his debut in the SpeedTour Formula Development Series just last month at VIR. Pablo Josè Benites (No. 8 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F4) also used SpeedTour Formula Development to gain experience in his Ligier JS F4 this season and will move up to F4 U.S. competition at COTA.

Four drivers competing in this weekend’s event hail from the state of Texas. Daniel Cará will have the shortest drive to COTA, traveling 150 miles from his home in The Woodlands, Texas. Meanwhile, a trio of drivers will travel from their homes around the greater Dallas area to compete in this weekend’s event—Dallas-based Jett Bowling (No. 02 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4), Terrell, Texas’ Christopher Parrish (No. 83 Save22 Ligier JS F4), and Titus Sherlock from Prosper, Texas.

Several F4 U.S. competitors notched important career accomplishments during the series’ last round at VIR. Augie Soto-Schirripa earned the most points throughout the weekend with his two wins, while Jesse Lacey earned his first-career F4 U.S. victory. Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N.E. Where Transport Ligier JS F4) impressed with a weekend where he continued to better his record for career-best finish—first earning a fifth, then a third, and finally a second-place result. Hannah Greenemeier (No. 74 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) also recorded a career-best finish with her sixth-place result in Round 14. Luciano Martinez (No. 91 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F4) earned his first-career pole to lead the field off the starting grid in Race 2 of the weekend.

Soto-Schirripa, Woods-Toth win in F4 U.S. at Mid-Ohio

Augie Soto-Schirripa earned his first career win in Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) competition. Marking the first F4 U.S. win for International Motorsports, Soto-Schirripa overtook the lead exiting the first turn on …

Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) started the race from the pole position after opening the weekend with a win in yesterday’s Race 1. Just behind him was Soto-Schirripa (No. 24 International Motorsports Ligier JS F4), who started the race from the second position. When the lights went out, Soto-Schirripa got a clean start to overtake the lead as they exited the first corner. Alex Berg (No. 08 MySim.ca / Rohde & Liesenfeld / Easy Drift / Penn Elcom Online / Dae Systems Ligier JS F4) gridded in the third position, but by Turn 4, he looked inside Costello to overtake the second spot.

While the top three broke away, a pack of five cars started battling it out for the fourth position. Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Ligier JS F4), Tanner DeFabis (No. 5 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4), Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4), Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) and Lewis Hodgson (No. 30 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) raced nose to tail and side by side. Woods-Toth emerged the leader of the group, while Cará and Sherlock continued to duke it out for the fifth position until lap 6, when Sherlock finally completed the pass on Cará to round out the top five.

On Lap 9, Costello pulled to the inside of Berg as they entered Turn 4 to reclaim the second position. With Berg facing wear of his Hankook tires, the driver found himself facing more pressure from behind as the laps progressed.

As the race marched toward its halfway point, Soto-Schirripa pulled out to a 1.5s lead. Costello continued his focus forward, slowly chipping away at Soto-Schirripa’s lead and moving as close as 0.448-seconds when the checkered flag waved. Meanwhile, Woods-Toth and Sherlock continued to battle for the third position. Sherlock overtook Woods-Toth to hold onto third for two laps, but Woods-Toth once again moved past Sherlock to claim the third position by lap 16, and remained there for the rest of the event.
When they crossed the finish line, it was Soto-Schirripa leading the way, followed by Costello and Woods-Toth. Meanwhile, Sherlock and Berg rounded out the top five.

Race 2 Official Results

“This win was a long time coming,” said Soto-Schirripa from the podium. “This was our second F4 U.S. race for us as a team, so it exceeded our expectations and we are really happy. After we had that contact in Race 1, we figured that we’d put in a quali lap so we could start Race 2 well, and it worked! Like I said, we’re really, really happy, and I think this sealed the deal for us to go to New Jersey [Motorsports Park].”

Notes of interest:
The victory marked the first-career F4 U.S. victory for driver Augie Soto-Schirripa and the International Motorsports team.
Soto-Schirripa is competing in just his second F4 U.S. race weekend after joining the championship at Road America last month.
Costello earned his second podium of the weekend after winning yesterday’s Race 1.
After entering the weekend as the points leader, Woods-Toth missed the podium in Race 1, but rallied in Race 2 to earn his first podium finish of the weekend.
Three teams were represented on the podium, with Soto-Schirripa competing for International Motorsports, Costello for Jay Howard Driver Development and Woods-Toth for Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport.
WATCH THE STREAM REPLAY: F4 U.S. Race 2 at Mid-Ohio

Patrick Woods-Toth comes back to win Race 3 at Mid-Ohio

Patrick Woods-Toth rallied to win Race 3 in Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. After missing the podium in Race 1 and finishing third in Race 2, the Canadian came from a fifth-place starting position to earn his third-career F4 U.S. win.

Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) started from the pole—his first—after setting fast lap in Race 2. Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) started next to him in second, but it was Augie Soto-Schirripa (No. 24 International Motorsports Ligier JS F4) who jumped forward to overtake second after gridding in the third position. Frankie Mossman (No. 6 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) was the next to overtake Costello, moving the No. 19 into the fourth position while Mossman overtook third.

As the clock ticked down, Sherlock’s mirrors were filled with a freight train of Soto-Schirripa, Mossman and Lewis Hodgson (No. 30 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) all running nose to gearbox. With just 20 minutes remaining, Hodgson pulled inside Mossman in the Keyhole to move into third. Meanwhile, tight racing among the front four allowed Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) to join the train, making it a five-car battle. By the time they reached Turn 4, it was Soto-Schirripa looking to make a move, overtaking the point position from Sherlock. Riding the momentum with Soto-Schirripa and Hodgson while picking up positions was Woods-Toth, who moved into fourth by lap 6 and third by lap 8.

A full-course yellow brought another chance to mix up the running order when the race restarted with just under 10 minutes remaining. Soto-Schirripa led the field back to the green with Hodgson, Woods-Toth and Sherlock in tow. As they reached Turn 4, Woods-Toth pulled to the outside of Hodgson and stayed on the gas to complete the pass as they raced through Turn 5.

With less than five minutes on the clock, Woods-Toth had moved within a second of Soto-Schirripa. With three minutes remaining, Woods-Toth pulled next to Soto-Schirripa on the backstretch to once again run into Turn 4 on the outside, looking to pick up a position. Completing the pass by the exit of the turn, Woods-Toth took control of the race and never looked back.
As they crossed the line, Woods-Toth led Soto-Schirripa, followed by Hodgson.

Race 3 Provisional Results

“We struggled in the last race with front grip—we were just understeering everywhere,” explained Woods-Toth from the podium. “We made a change before this race, and I made sure to take care of the tires so we could be there at the end. We got really lucky getting a yellow and had an amazing restart. The pace at the end was just incredible. I saved my stuff for the end, and it paid off.”

Notes of interest:

Augie Soto-Schirripa was named the winner of the Omologato Perfectly Timed Move of the Race following a breakthrough performance in his second F4 U.S. race weekend.
Three countries were reflected on today’s podium, with Woods-Toth from Montreal, Canada, Soto-Schirripa from Miami, and Hodgson from Sydney, Australia.
With nine rounds complete, Woods-Toth maintains the points lead. The 19-year-old has accumulated three wins and seven podium finishes in nine races.
F4 U.S. is back on track next month at New Jersey Motorsports Park, July 28-30. Follow the championship on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or use Race Monitor to follow live timing and scoring. Tickets for the event are available at NJMP.com/SpeedTour.
WATCH THE STREAM REPLAY: F4 U.S. Race 3 at Mid-Ohio

Woods-Toth takes first career F4 US victory at Road America

Patrick Woods-Toth took his first-career victory on Saturday afternoon during the opening race of the weekend for Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) at Road America. When the season opened at NOLA Motorsports Park just two months ago, Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) recorded one second-place result and two third-place finishes, making today’s result his fourth-straight podium finish.

Woods-Toth started the race second on the grid just behind his teammate Jesse Lacey (No. 16 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4). Both drivers had a clean start, and Lacey initially pulled into the point position to lead the first lap. As they raced down the front stretch, Woods-Toth pulled side-by-side with Lacey before taking over the top spot.

Meanwhile, Frankie Mossman (No. 6 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) lined up fifth on the grid. Initially falling back a few positions with aggressive two- and three-wide racing during opening lap, Mossman rebounded to retake the fifth position just before a full-course caution was displayed. With the field regrouped and a chance to pick up track position when the race returned to green, Mossman took it three-wide coming down the front stretch. Successfully taking over the fourth position from Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4), Mossman pulled side-by-side with Alex Berg (No. 08 MySim.ca/Rhode & Liesenfeld/Easy Drift/Penn Elcom Online/Dae Systems Ligier JS F4) to battle for the third position as they neared Turn 3. Taking over the position as they came off Turn 5, Mossman never looked back.

As they finally crossed the line to take the checkered flag, Woods-Toth led Lacey, Mossman and the rest of the field.

“We’ve had a good start to the championship, and today was our day, it looks like,” said Woods-Toth as he stepped atop the podium. “I’m happy. I’d like to thank Orlando, MRFKC, Ron Fellows, all of my Crosslink Kiwi team, and Adam and Glen for all the hard work on the car. It was an awesome day today.”

F4 U.S. returns to action Sunday for the final two races of the weekend. The lights go out for race two at 9:10 a.m. CT.

RESULTS

F4 U.S. reveals new Ligier chassis for 2024

Ahead of this weekend’s second round of the Formula 4 United States Championship at Road America, Ligier Automotive North America and championship organizer Parella Motorsports Holdings introduced teams and drivers to their future car, the Ligier JS F422. The new-generation F4 will make its debut in the championship in 2024, replacing the Ligier JS F4 which has been the exclusive chassis of the F4 U.S. championship since its launch in 2016.

The constructor and organizer aim to provide teams and drivers with an even more competitive and safe race car to start and build their championship credentials before progressing to the the Formula Regional Americas Championship. The Ligier JS F422 comes with the latest FIA specifications in terms of safety, including the halo anti-impact system and reinforced protection at the front, rear and sides. In terms of performance, the new F4 will be powered by a new engine, the Ligier Storm V4.

“I am extremely proud of introducing this Ligier F422 to the F4 U.S. Championship team and drivers,” said Max Crawford of Ligier Automotive North America. “It embodies the best of design, technology and safety, together with this amazing, innovative engine package. I want to express my admiration and appreciation to our Ligier Automotive group and our partners for their passion and their ingenuity, which has culminated in the launch of the incredible car in the F4 U.S. Championship.”

“We’re thrilled to unveil the Liger JS F422,” said Tony Parella, CEO of Parella Motorsports Holdings, the exclusive rightsholder to F4 U.S. “This new chassis has been a long time in the making, and I know our friends at Ligier Automotive have put countless days, weeks and months into the development of it. It’s truly the latest and greatest, meeting all of the specifications from the FIA. We’re pleased that we’re able to share it with the paddock, and look forward to seeing it in competition next season. I couldn’t be more excited for the future of this series.”

Lockhart has perfect day in F4 U.S. at NOLA

Jimmie Lockhart stepped atop the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) podium for the first time in his career in Race 2 at NOLA Motorsports Park on Sunday morning. The Floridian started from the pole position in his No. 48 Velocity Racing Development Ligier JS F4 after setting the fastest lap in yesterday’s race, and led all the way from lights to checkered.

“It’s amazing,” said Lockhart after the victory. “I finally got the opportunity to get out here, and was able to keep it up front the whole race. I just ran quali laps the whole time, so that was how it went. I was disappointed with what happened on the start yesterday, but I was able to come in, drop to the back, and just run a good lap to be able to start today’s race up front. That was probably what helped us the most today.”

Jesse Lacey (No. 16 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) also had a solid race, starting in second and holding his position from the start of the race all the way to the checkered flag. The action really heated up for third through 10th place, with drivers often racing two and three wide while jockeying for position. Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) found himself in a few of those intense battles, racing side by side with Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4), Frankie Mossman (No. 6 JHDD / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4), and Lewis Hodgson (No. 30 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports Ligier JS F4) throughout the final minutes of the race.

Costello briefly got around Woods-Toth, actually holding the third position as the field took the white flag. However, as Costello tried to pull to the inside of Lacey in Turn 1 in an attempt to overtake the second position, Woods-Toth also found some momentum to make a charge at Costello. With Costello unable to complete the pass on Lacey, Woods-Toth pulled up to overtake Costello as they raced through Turn 3.

As they rolled across the line on Hankook tires, it was Lockhart, followed by Lacey and Woods-Toth.

Race 2 Official Results

Follow F4 U.S. on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or use Race Monitor to follow live timing and scoring. This weekend’s races are streaming free at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV.

STREAM RACE 2: F4 U.S. YouTube

Jimmie Lockhart secures second F4 U.S. win at NOLA SpeedTour

Jimmie Lockhart went two for two in Sunday’s Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) competition, securing the victory in Race 3 after winning Race 2 earlier in the day.

“Our first race this weekend was pretty unlucky, but to come back to get two wins today is pretty good,” said Lockhart from the podium. “In both races, we were able to just get out early and drive away with it. Great car; great race. It ran really well.”

Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) started the race from the pole and jumped ahead of the field. The rookie driver held the position, but was no match for Lockhart (No. 48 Velocity Racing Development Ligier JS F4), who quickly closed in after starting the race fourth. In fact, it only took until Turn 4 on the second lap for Lockhart to pull to the inside and complete the pass, overtaking the lead with over 22 minutes remaining in the race.

After a full-course caution slowed the field, the race resumed as it neared the halfway mark. With everyone regrouped, the competition heated up—especially among those who were racing for second on back. Costello and Lewis Hodgson (No. 30 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) jockeyed for the second position. While they worked to figure things out, Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) quietly hit his marks just behind the two competitors.

Lockhart opened a multi-second lead on his Hankook tires, while Costello finally pulled ahead of Hodgson as they raced side-by-side entering Turn 1 with just seven minutes left on the clock. Woods-Toth quickly followed, also completing a pass on Hodgson as they worked through Turn 3 on the same lap.

With just four minutes left on the clock, the caution flag waved once again. Oil was spotted on the track during clean up and the clock ran out before the race was able to restart, leading the field to take the checkered flag under yellow conditions.

Fifteen-year-old Lockhart led Costello and Woods-Toth across the line.

Race 3 Official Results

Lockhart was named the winner of the Omologato Perfectly Timed Move of the Race for his successful weekend, coming back from an early incident in Race 1 to set the fast lap and take the pole for Race 2, before winning back-to-back races in the final events of the weekend. For the award, Lockhart was presented with a bespoke Omologato timepiece engraved with F4 U.S. branding.

F4 U.S. returns to action for Rounds 4-6 at Road America, May 19-21. Tickets are available now to join us in Elkhart Lake, Wis., for the Road America SpeedTour. For updates before our next event, follow F4 U.S. on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

RACE 3 STREAM: SpeedTourTV YouTube

Bennett scores first career F4 U.S. win in NOLA season Opener

Carl Bennett secured his first Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) win in the season-opening race at NOLA Motorsports Park on Saturday afternoon. Kicking off his second season in F4 U.S., the result marked Bennett’s …

“This is my first win with formula cars, and that was just amazing,” said Bennett from the podium. “That was quite the battle that I had on the last lap. I’m still a little breathless right now. Just an amazing day.”

Michael Costello (No. 19 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) left the starting grid from the first position, but an incident on first lap relegated him to the seventh position by the time the field came back around to complete lap 1. Meanwhile, Daniel Cara (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & AmbrosiLigier JS F4) rolled off from the seventh position, but he quickly climbed his way up to second with a strong start off the line. By lap 3, Cara took over the lead and paced the field for three laps before contact and a spin in Turn 2 took him out of contention.

Through all of the chaos, Bennett drove a steady race in his No. 9 Gonella Racing Ligier JS F4. After starting third, the driver climbed to second by the third lap, before passing Frankie Mossman (No. 6 JHDD / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) on a restart to overtake the lead on lap 9. With pressure from both Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) in second and Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) in third, Bennett continued to hit his marks to lead the trio across the finish line.

READ MORE: Race 1 Official Results

F4 U.S. returns to the track tomorrow for Race 2 at 9:05 a.m. CT, followed by Race 3 at 1:50 p.m. CT. Follow the championship on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or use Race Monitor to follow live timing and scoring. This weekend’s races are streaming free at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV.

WATCH THE STREAM: F4 U.S. Race 1 at NOLA