Tag: F4 US

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 the first lap and never looked back in a race that stayed green from lights to checkers.

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

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.”

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

 

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 first-career podium finish in the series.

“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