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    trans am series    Sports Car Club of America   International GT (IGT)Parella Motorsports

speedtour  sportscar vintage racing association  FR Americas and F4 U.S Prototype Sprint Series Association

trans am series

 

www.gotransam.com

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli is the longest-running professional road race series in the United States. The Trans Am Series was founded by racing factory pony cars in the late 1960s. More than 50 years after their launch, Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers continue to be sold today, with Trans Am racing credited as playing a major role in their success and longevity. The SpeedTour will host the professional race series at 19 events nationwide in 2023. 

 

 

FR Americas and F4 U.S

   

www.framericas.com

Formula Regional Americas Championship & Formula 4 United States Championship, Powered by Honda:  The FIA-certified Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) & Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) are designed as entry-level open-wheel racing series offering young talent the opportunity to demonstrate their skills on an international platform while keeping affordability and safety as key elements. The Championships align with the global FIA development ladder philosophy of using common components to provide a cost-efficient, reliable and powerful racing structure as drivers ascend through the levels on their way to U.S. or global racing success. The F4 U.S. Champion is awarded a scholarship to compete the following season in FR Americas, while the FR Americas Champion is awarded a Super Formula Scholarship from Honda Performance Development and Honda Racing Corporation.

Nicolas Ambiado Takes Top Step of the Podium in Race 3 at NOLA

 

AVONDALE, La. (March 30, 2025) – Nicolas Ambiado earned his first win of the season in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas), taking the victory in Race 3 at NOLA Motorsports Park. Joining Kiwi Motorsport this season, Ambiado (No. 55 Velox USA Ligier JS F3) finished second in the first two races this weekend before finally breaking through for a win. 

Notes of Interest: 

  • Today’s victory marked the second of Nicolas Ambiado’s FR Americas career. The second-year driver last won at New Jersey Motorsports Park in July 2024. 

  • Jett Bowling finished on the podium for the first time in 2025. His runner-up result matched his career-best FR Americas finish, which he recorded three times last season. 

  • Bruno Ribeiro finished third, marking his second podium of the weekend. He also finished third in Race 1. 

  • Earning his first win of the season and two second-place results at the NOLA SpeedTour, Nicolas Ambiado was awarded the Omologato Perfectly-Timed Move of the Race and recognized by the stewards for an outstanding performance this weekend. The award includes a bespoke Omologato timepiece. 

  • Kiwi Motorsport recorded the first podium sweep of the season, with their drivers claiming all three podium positions. In total, the Dallas-based organization fielded six FR Americas entries in the NOLA SpeedTour.

  • Three nations were represented on this morning’s podium, with Ambiado hailing from Santiago, Chile, Bowling from Dallas, Texas, USA, and Ribeiro from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

After setting the fastest lap in Race 2, Jett Bowling (No. 22 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) led the field down the starting grid with Ambiado to his outside. When the lights went out, Bowling took control of the race, while Bruno Ribeiro (No. 01 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) overtook Ambiado to move into second. With everyone looking to improve their position on the start, tight racing led to Alex Benavitz (No. 5 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) getting stuck in the wet grass and requiring a tow. The safety car was deployed while crews worked to free Benavitz’s machine. 

Minutes later, the field came back down the frontstretch with their eyes on the waving green flag to restart the event. Bowling immediately took control of the race, while Ribeiro, Ambiado and Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) raced three wide toward Turn 1. With the preferred line, Ribero claimed second, while Ambiado and Sherlock continued wheel to wheel through Turns 2, 3 and 4. As they exited Turn 4, Ambiado finally pulled ahead, leaving Sherlock to settle for fourth. 

Bowling was initially opening up a gap as they raced their way toward the halfway point, and even held a one-second advantage at one point. However, as they raced closer to the finish line, his competition continued to chip away at the difference. 

With seven minutes left on the clock, Ambiado had reached the gearbox of Riberio. Keeping his patience, he waited for the right opportunity to overtake his teammate. Working Turns 5 and 6, Ambiado found his opportunity, completing the pass and moving into second. Now with six minutes left on the clock, he turned his focus to Bowling. 

Racing toward the white flag, Ambiado finally had Bowling within reach. As they raced through the esses, Bowling struggled with his pedal box, unable to apply the pressure necessary to hold off Ambiado’s charge. As they exited Turn 14, Ambiado completed the pass to secure the lead. With just one lap remaining, Ambiado kept his focus and made it to the checkered flag without incident. 

Crossing the line, it was Ambiado, followed by Bowling and Ribeiro.  

     READ MORE:  Race 3 Official Results

“Wow, that was really difficult,” said Ambiado as he climbed from his car. “Bruno [Ribeiro] was so fast, but I had a little more downforce and was able to pass him. The move in the last part of the race to get around Jett [Bowling] worked nicely—I had to use a little more brake. I have to thank my team and all my teammates at Kiwi Motorsport. We had a good race with Bruno and Jett; it’s just incredible. I also have to thank my family and my friends for their support.”

Today’s races for FR Americas, Formula 4 United States Championship and Ligier Junior Formula Championship were broadcast live on SPEED SPORT 1. An encore presentation of the day’s races will air on SPEED SPORT 1 tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

FR Americas returns to the track at Road America, May 15-18. The event, like all 2025 races, will be streamed live on SpeedTour.TV, with live timing and scoring available on the Race Monitor App. Additional news and updates leading up to the race weekend will be shared on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Prospective drivers looking to learn more about FR Americas are encouraged to visit the championship’s website at FRAmericas.com.

Alex Popow Secures Second Win of the NOLA SpeedTour Weekend

Gavin Baker

 

AVONDALE, La. (March 30, 2025) – Alex Popow won his second Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) race of the season, taking the checkered flag in Race 3 on Sunday morning at NOLA Motorsports Park. Despite them crossing the finish line in nearly the same order that they took the green flag, the race was filled with fierce battles, especially during a mid-race restart where Popow (No. 55 Dr. Michael Thompson MS DDS PPLS Ligier JS F422) had to endure the challenges of Cooper Shipman (No. 14 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) en route to his second victory of the season. 

Notes of Interest: 

  • Alex Popow and MLT Motorsports earned their second win of the season in Race 3 at NOLA Motorsports Park. Popow leaves Round 1 as the points leader in F4 U.S. Championship.

  • Cooper Shipman continued his podium streak, earning a third second-place result in three races.

  • Clemente Huerta Raab earned his first-career podium and a career-best finish with his third-place result in Race 3. 

  • With three podiums in three races during his debut weekend, Cooper Shipman was awarded the Omologato Perfectly-Timed Move of the Race and recognized by the stewards for an outstanding performance this weekend. The award includes a bespoke Omologato timepiece.

Popow and Shipman led the field down the frontstretch to take the green flag and kick off the final F4 U.S. race of the NOLA SpeedTour weekend. Popow pulled ahead as they raced through Turn 1, but Shipman stayed tight on his gearbox, hoping for his chance at victory. Behind them, drivers raced two by two, knowing that every position matters in the points battle. Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Velox USA Ligier JS F422) ran into some trouble early while running third, as he spun through the esses on lap two. Keeping his car on the racing surface, he quickly recovered, getting back up to speed and rejoining the field in fifth. 

As the race progressed, Shipman stayed close to Popow’s rear wing while the rest of the field spread out. A full-course caution just before the halfway point gave competitors an opportunity to quickly improve their position as the field was regrouped for a single-file dash to the finish. 

Shipman looked to the outside as they raced toward Turn 1, hoping for a chance to take the lead, but those hopes were dashed as he hit a bump, locked up his tires and went wide, allowing Popow to confidently take the lead. Huerta Raab had a great restart and was able to climb all the way from fifth to second as he slid past Shipman in Turn 2. Hauanio also pulled ahead to challenge Shipman, but the Kiwi Motorsport driver was able to hold off Hauanio’s advancements and maintain third. 

The next lap, Shipman pulled to the inside of Huerta Raab, determined to regain the runner-up position. Successfully overtaking second in Turn 1, Shipman kept his focus forward and begin to gap Huerta Raab. Hauanio spent more than a lap looking for a way around Huerta Raab, and with about five minutes left on the clock, he finally got it done by diving to the inside of Huerta Raab in Turn 3. Caleb Campbell (No. 68 LC Racing Academy Ligier JS F422) also followed him through slipping into fourth. Racing toward the white flag, Campbell got around Hauanio in Turn 13, but they weren’t done yet. Still running nose to stern past the waving white flag, Hauanio pulled to the inside of Campbell in Turn 1. Not willing to give up his hopes of a podium, Huerta Raab joined the fight, braking late and plowing three wide into Turn 3 and completing the pass as they exited Turn 4. 

As they made their way back to the finish line, Popow held a 0.687-second advantage over Shipman, while Huerta Raab claimed the third and final podium position. 

     READ MORE:  Race 3 Official Results

“It was a good race,” said Popow after climbing from the car. “We got a good start and were able to just take the lead from the get-go. From there, it was just trying to manage the gap and stay out front. That late safety car was a little bit hard on the restart, but we got it done. I'm super happy with how the weekend went after a rough week. This is a good way to end it all.”

Today’s races for F4 U.S., Ligier Junior Formula Championship and Formula Regional Americas Championship were broadcast live on SPEED SPORT 1. An encore presentation of the day’s races will air on SPEED SPORT 1 tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

F4 U.S. returns to the track at Road America, May 15-18. The event, like all 2025 races, will be streamed live on SpeedTour.TV, with live timing and scoring available on the Race Monitor App. Additional news and updates leading up to the race weekend will be shared on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Prospective drivers looking to learn more about F4 U.S. should visit the championship’s website, F4USChampionship.com. 

 

Gastón Irazú Leads from Lights to Checkers to Win Race 3 at NOLA

 

Gavin Baker

 

AVONDALE, La. (March 30, 2025) – Gastón Irazú led from lights to checkers in Ligier Formula Junior Championship (Ligier JFC) to win an all-green Race 3 at NOLA Motorsports Park on Sunday morning. After a penalty on Friday, Irazú showed great resilience, winning two of the weekend’s three races and finishing second in the other. With the results, the Uruguayan leaves the NOLA SpeedTour as the Ligier JFC points leader. 

Notes of Interest: 

  • Gastón Irazú tallied his second-career Ligier JFC victory with Sunday’s Race 3 win. As the series leaves its first round, Irazú has yet to finish outside of the top two positions. 

  • Daniel Cará earned his second-career Ligier JFC podium with a runner-up result. Earlier in the weekend, Cará finished third in Race 1 and also earned his first-career pole by setting the fastest lap during Friday’s qualifying.

  • Max Mokarem earned his career-best Ligier JFC result with a third-place finish in Sunday’s race. 

  • Max Mokarem was awarded the Omologato Perfectly-Timed Move of the Race and presented a bespoke Omologato timepiece in recognition of a strong performance during his debut weekend. After suffering mechanical issues in Race 1, Mokarem showed steady improvement while finishing sixth in Race 2 and earning his first podium today.

  • Three nations were represented on today’s podium, with Irazú hailing from Uruguay, Cará from Brazil and Mokarem representing Lebanon.

After setting the fast lap in Race 2, Irazú led the field down the starting grid with Harbir Dass (No. 23 Northcoast Medical Group / Dass Psych LLC/Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) to his outside. When the lights went out, the field flanked three wide, with Max Mokarem (No. 46 Momentum Motorsports Ligier JS F4) getting the best jump from his fourth-place starting position and taking the lead as they raced toward Turn 1. With a slight lock up for Mokarem in Turn 4, Irazú was able to pull wheel to wheel with the youngster and regain the lead. 

Irazú focused his attention forward, pulling away from the field, while those behind him jockeyed for position. The opening laps were filled with fierce battles and side-by-side racing. The fight for second was especially heated, as Mokarem was challenged by Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Wines/WorkHub Ligier JS F4), Dass and Drew Szuch (No. 28 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4). 

Cará finally established his holding on the position after a side-by-side battle with Dass, where the two made contact after getting loose in Turn 6. With Cará emerging as the frontrunner, Dass was left to duke it out with teammate Szuch and Mokarem. Cleared from traffic, Cará, like Irazú, was able to start gapping the competition while a train of Ligier JS F416s followed in his wake, looking for the right opportunity to pick up a position. 

As the race neared its halfway point, Irazú held a more than seven-second lead over Cará. Six seconds behind Cará, Mokarem had settled into third. With the race staying green for the entire 30 minutes, all three drivers were able to slowly build a gap of their own as they sailed toward the finish line. 

Taking the checkered flag, Irazú held a 7.381-second margin, with Cará in second and Mokarem in third. 

     READ MORE:  Race 3 Official Results

“It was really nice race,” said Irazú after climbing from the car. “I was able to pull ahead a good distance in the first two laps and go on to win. I’m very happy. I have to thank my father for giving me the chance to compete here and my team for all their work to give me a good car.”

Today’s races for Ligier JFC, Formula 4 United States Championship and Formula Regional Americas Championship were broadcast live on SPEED SPORT 1. An encore presentation of the day’s races will air on SPEED SPORT 1 tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Ligier JFC is back on track for the Road America SpeedTour, May 15-18. The event, like all 2025 races, will be streamed live on SpeedTour.TV, with live timing and scoring available on the Race Monitor App. Additional news and updates leading up to the event will be shared on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Prospective drivers looking to learn more about Ligier JFC should visit the series’ website, LigierJFC.com. 

 

 

Titus Sherlock and Brady Golan Win on First Day of NOLA SpeedTour

  

AVONDALE, La. (March 29, 2025) – Titus Sherlock took his fifth-career victory on Saturday morning at NOLA Motorsports Park, winning in the Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) season opener. After finishing fourth in the championship standings last season, Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) looks to contend for the title with his Crosslink Motorsports team in 2025. 


 

Notes of Interest: 

  • Titus Sherlock earned the fifth win of his career, and first win of the season with today’s Race 1 win at NOLA Motorsports Park. 
  • Sherlock is one of three Crosslink Motorsports competitors in the FR Americas field. His teammate, Barrett Wolfe, finished third. 
  • Nicolas Ambiado earned the seventh podium of his career and first of the season in today’s season-opening race. Ambiado switches from his family-owned Velox USA team to race under the Kiwi Motorsport banner this season.
  • Barrett Wolfe secured his first-career podium in his FR Americas debut. The 21 year old spent the off season racing in New Zealand as part of the Formula Regional Oceania Championship.
  • Ambiado set a new track record for FR Americas during yesterday’s qualifying session to start from the pole in today’s event. 


 

Track conditions were especially challenging on Saturday morning after rain passed through the area overnight, leaving areas of puddling around the 2.75-mile circuit. Race director Scott Goodyear declared the event a wet race, but gave the seasoned FR Americas field the choice of starting on racing slicks or rain tires. The field was split on the decision, with the first five starters electing slicks, and sixth-place starter Sherlock as the first to select rain tires. 

After two formation laps, the field filed down the starting line with Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 Velox USA Ligier JS F3) in the point position. To his outside was Bruno Ribeiro (No. 01 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3), who had been quick all weekend, but got narrowly edged out by Ambiado during the closing minutes of qualifying. As the lights went out, Ambiado jumped to the lead, while Riberio stalled on the starting block, forcing the drivers behind him to take evasive action. 

Brady Golan (No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) had a great jump from his fifth-place starting position, darting ahead to take the race lead as the field barreled toward Turn 1. Ambiado filed into second, while Sherlock used the treaded tires to his advantage, climbing to third during the opening turns. Racing hard deep in the pack, Ribeiro and Connor Roberts (No. 46 Apexspeed.com / Entropy Cellars Ligier JS F3) had contact, spinning Ribeiro across the track and bringing out the full-course caution. 

Golan led the field to the green flag as the race resumed a few minutes later, but Sherlock wasted no time, making a move to take the lead in Turn 1 on the restart. Sherlock’s teammate, Barrett Wolfe (No. 13 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3), also took advantage of his rain tires to move through the field on the restart, passing both Golan and Ambiado to move into second. Meanwhile, Ambiado made his way around Golan as the drivers once again settled into a rhythm while trying to navigate the damp track. 

The caution flag waved one more time when Anthony Autiello (No. 07 Hope For The Warriors / Momentum Motorsports Ligier JS F3) got stuck in Turn 2 after dropping two wheels off the racing surface. Safety crews got him back on track with just enough time for competitors to make a one-lap dash to the checkered flag. As the green and white flags waved, Sherlock once again pulled ahead of the field, while Wolfe followed in his wake. Ambiado charged to the outside of Wolfe as they raced through Turn 3, setting himself up to dive to the inside and complete the pass as they worked through Turn 4. 

As they crossed the finish line, it was Sherlock, followed by Ambiado and Wolfe. Alex Benavitz (No. 5 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) finished fourth, while Lincoln Day (No. 95 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) took fifth. 


 

     SEE MORE:  Race 1 Official Results


 

“It felt great to win today,” said Sherlock after climbing from the car. “It’s been such a tough weekend so far, with hardly any practice for us. We took the gamble in the end—most of our competition was on slicks, but it turned out to work. I couldn’t be more thankful to the whole Crosslink crew. We really persevered through it, and I’m grateful to get the first win in the first race.”  


 
 

Brady Golan Spins and Wins at NOLA 

AVONDALE, La. (March 29, 2025) – Brady Golan went from spinning to winning in Formula Regional Americas Championship’s (FR Americas) Race 2 at NOLA Motorsports Park on Saturday afternoon. The victory marked the first-career win for both Golan (No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) and his Toney Driver Development team, who made their series debut during the 2024 season finale at Circuit of The Americas. 


 

Notes of Interest: 

  • Brady Golan earned his first-career FR Americas victory in Race 2 at NOLA Motorsports Park on Saturday afternoon. It was also the first win for his Toney Driver Development team. 
  • For the second time today, Chilean Nicolas Ambiado finished in the runner-up position. 
  • Bruno Ribeiro earned his second-career podium and the first podium of his 2025 season. 


 

Race 2 was wild from the start, with polesitter Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 Velox USA Ligier JS F3) pulling off in Turn 1 during the formation laps. With some assistance to get moving again, the Chilean made his way down pit lane to start the race from there, while the rest of the field drove down the starting grid. Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) was out front, albeit starting from the second position, with Barrett Wolfe (No. 13 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3), Alex Benavitz (No. 5 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3), Lincoln Day (No. 95 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) and Brady Golan (No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) lining up behind him. 

As the 17-car field rolled off the starting grid, Ambiado brought up the rear from pit lane. Meanwhile, Sherlock settled in out front and almost immediately began opening a gap over second-place Wolfe. Behind them, Benavitz and Golan were fighting for third when a mistake by Golan between Turns 5 and 6 spun him around. Continuing in the right direction and losing just a few positions in the incident, Golan was seventh as he reached full speed. 

With the front two spread out, the best racing was that for the third position. Benavitz had both Bruno Ribeiro (No. 01 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) and Daniel Quimby (No. 42 Atlantic Racing Team Ligier JS F3) hot on his tracks. Both drivers eventually made their way around Benavitz, while Golan continued his climb behind them. As the race neared its halfway point, Ribeiro was in attack mode looking to overtake second-place Wolfe. The two crossed the start/finish line wheel to wheel and began racing two wide. The battle allowed both Quimby and Golan to pull to their gearboxes, and it soon became a four-way battle for second. Sherlock was more than 6.5 seconds ahead before he entered pit lane with smoke coming from his car. With the Race 1 winner safely pulling to a stop and exiting the vehicle, the on-track action continued as Golan snuck around Wolfe to overtake the lead just before the safety car deployed with crews working to retrieve Sherlock’s car. 

The race resumed with just under five minutes left on the clock, giving drivers another chance at improving their positions. Ambiado stayed tight on Golan’s gearbox but was unable to complete the pass as Golan defended his lead. The two were side by side on the white flag lap, but a full-course yellow froze the running order, leaving the field to take both the yellow and checkered flags. 

As that happened, Golan crossed the line first, followed by Ambiado and Ribeiro. 


 

     READ MORE:  Race 2 Official Results


 

“That was amazing,” said Golan after climbing from the car. “We had a spin on—what was it? Lap two or three? To come back and win it is incredible. I have to thank all the guys at Toney Driver Development and Attire for making this dream come true.”

FR Americas will contest their final race of the NOLA SpeedTour tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT. The race will air live on SPEED SPORT 1, and also be available to stream live on SpeedTour.TV. With SPEED SPORT 1 available on Amazon Prime Video, Roku, Pluto TV, Sling, STIRR and more, details for how to tune in are available, here. Additional news and updates throughout the off-season will be shared on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.


 
 

Nicolas Ambiado Secures First-Career Pole in NOLA Opener

AVONDALE, La. (March 28, 2025) – Nicolas Ambiado secured the pole for the 2025 Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) season opener at NOLA Motorsports Park. The second-year FR Americas driver set four fastest laps last season, but the NOLA pole will be the first of his FR Americas career. Laying down a 1:32.658 lap, Ambiado (No. 55 Velox USA Ligier JS F3) bettered second-place Bruno Ribeiro (No. 01 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) by just 0.147 seconds. The 2025 field is shaping up to be a competitive one, with the top-six drivers separated by less than a second. Nicolas Stati (No. 15 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3), last year’s F4 U.S. Championship Vice Champion, qualified third. 

 

   SEE MORE:  Official Grid


 

Fifth-place qualifier Brady Golan (No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) topped the board for the opening practice session, while fourth-place qualifier Jett Bowling (No. 22 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) paced Practice 2. 

In Practice 1, Golan was followed by pole-sitter Ambiado in second and Daniel Quimby (No. 42 Atlantic Racing Team Ligier JS F3) in third. 

Ribeiro followed Bowling in Practice 2, with Stati in third. Ambiado was fourth in that session. 

 

     SEE MORE: Practice 1 Results

     SEE MORE: Practice 2 Results


 

The lights go out for FR Americas Race 1 at NOLA Motorsport Park tomorrow at 8 a.m. CT. A live stream of the event will be available at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring accessed on the Race Monitor app. On Sunday, SPEED SPORT 1 will carry live coverage of the series for their final race of the weekend. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 
 

Cooper Shipman Takes Pole at NOLA Season Opener

AVONDALE, La. (March 28, 2025) – Cooper Shipman secured his first-career pole in his Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) debut at NOLA Motorsports Park on Friday afternoon. Recording a 1:39.178 lap time, it was Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422) who topped the time sheets with a 0.039-second advantage over Shipman (No. 14 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422). However, a tire rule violation during the second practice session dropped Hauanio five positions on the official grid, leaving the Crosslink Motorsports driver to roll off sixth. Now, rookie driver Shipman will lead the field down the starting grid, with two-time F4 U.S. winner Alex Popow (No. 55 Dr. Michael Thompson MS DDS PPLS Ligier JS F422) to his outside. 

 

    SEE MORE:  Official Grid

 

Shipman topped the time sheets during the morning practice, leading Hauanio by 0.506 seconds. Popow was third in that session, just 0.820 seconds off the pace. During the afternoon practice, Hauanio took the top spot, bettering Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Velox USA Ligier JS F422) by 1.118 seconds. Popow was once again third on the speed charts. 

 

     SEE MORE: Practice 1 Results

     SEE MORE: Practice 2 Results

 

Race 1 goes green tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. CT. A live stream of the event will be available at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring accessed via Race Monitor. On Sunday, SPEED SPORT 1 will carry live coverage of the series for their final race of the weekend. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 

Daniel Cará Scores First-Career Pole at NOLA

AVONDALE, La. (March 28, 2025) – Daniel Cará topped the leaderboard in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) to earn his first-career pole on Friday afternoon. It was the first pole for both driver and team, as Cará took the No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Wines/WorkHub Ligier JS F4 to the top of the time sheets for his family-owned Cará Origin Motorsports. Recording a 1:42.082 lap, Cará paced the field with a 0.285-second advantage.

 

     SEE MORE: Official Grid


 

Cará placed 11th and 10th, respectively, on the leaderboard during the day’s two practice sessions. Instead, Drew Szuch (No. 28 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) paced both of those. During the morning session, he beat second-place Gastón Irazú (No. 42 Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) by 0.027 seconds, while Augusto Paschetta (No. 27 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F4) was third, just 0.131 seconds off the pace. In the afternoon, Szuch bettered his teammate Harbir Dass’ (No. 23 Northcoast Medical Group / Dass Psych LLC/Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) time by 0.295 seconds. 

 

     SEE MORE: Practice 1 Results

     SEE MORE: Practice 2 Results

 

The lights go out for JFC’s season-opening race at NOLA Motorsport Park tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT. A live stream of the event will be available at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring accessed on the Race Monitor app. On Sunday, SPEED SPORT 1 will carry live coverage of the series for their final race of the weekend. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 
 

Photos by Gavin Baker Photography. 

 

 

Ligier JUNIOR FORMULA CHAMPIONSHIP Series

 

 

Gastón Irazú Earns First-Career Win in Ligier JFC Debut at NOLA

Gavin Baker

 

AVONDALE, La. (March 29, 2025) – Gastón Irazú rebounded from a grid penalty to earn his first-career Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) victory in his series debut during the season-opening race at NOLA Motorsports Park. After setting the second-quickest time in qualifying, Irazú (No. 42 Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) rolled off seventh for the first race of the year after receiving a grid penalty for a tire infraction during official practice. Proving his strength in overcoming challenges, the PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship recipient powered through, easily claiming the victory in Race 1. 


 

Notes of Interest: 

  • Uruguay native Gastón Irazú drove to his first-career win during the 2025 season opener at NOLA Motorsports Park. 
  • Irazú’s victory also marked the first win for Champagne Racing, who first joined the Ligier JFC grid during the 2024 season finale at Circuit of The Americas.
  • Daniel Cará earned his first Ligier JFC podium; the Texan previously raced the Ligier JFC chassis during the 2023 season when it was still utilized in F4 U.S. competition. 
  • Harbir Dass earned his third-career podium in Ligier JFC competition. He finished eighth in the standings last year and returns this season to chase the F4 U.S. scholarship, which is awarded to the championship-winning driver. 
  • Irazú and Dass are both members of the PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship 2025 class. In total, there are five drivers on the Ligier JFC grid that are receiving assistance from the scholarship program.


 

The drama started before the lights went out, as pole sitter Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Wines/WorkHub Ligier JS F4) had a false start followed by a stall. The field scurried around him with third-place starter Harbir Dass (No. 23 Northcoast Medical Group / Dass Psych LLC/Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) jumping out to the early lead. His Berg Racing teammate, Drew Szuch (No. 28 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4), filed in behind him after both drivers overtook second-place starter Augusto Paschetta (No. 27 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F4). Szuch pulled up next to Dass entering Turn 1 and completed the pass to overtake the top spot just before a full-course caution slowed the field. 

A restart a few laps later once again gave Dass a shot at overtaking Szuch—something he was successful at as Szuch drove wide through a turn. Behind them, seventh-place starter Irazú was also climbing through the field. Pulling up to battle with Cará and Paschetta, Irazú used the restart lap to move all the way up to third before turning his focus to the Berg Racing teammates, Szuch and Dass. The race was just passing its halfway point as Szuch hit a bump, jarring his car and knocking the engine cover loose. In a perfect storm scenario, the cover hit the car’s master switch and shut off power to Szuch’s vehicle. With Szuch slowing on the circuit, Irazú easily pulled in to second. 

With Irazú closing in on Dass, the two raced side by side for a bit, before the Uruguayan ultimately completed the pass entering Turn 13 with just under 10 minutes left on the clock and never looked back. A few minutes later, polesitter Cará was also able to make his way around Dass as they raced through Turn 1, and from there, it was clear sailing to the finish line for each of the top three. 

Taking the checkered flag, Irazú led Cará and Dass. Paschetta finished fourth and Cash Felber (No. 11 Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) earned his first-career top-five finish. 


 

     READ MORE: Race 1 Official Results


 

“It was a very great race,” said Irazú after climbing from the car. “I’m very happy for the win today. We had a penalty yesterday, but we proved that we can win. I have to thank my father and my Champagne Racing team.”
 

Drew Szuch Joins Berg Racing, Wins in Season-Opening Weekend at NOLA

AVONDALE, La. (March 29, 2025) – Drew Szuch earned his first-career win in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) on Saturday afternoon at NOLA Motorsports Park. Rebounding from a freak accident in Race 1 where a loose engine cover hit the master switch and cut power to his car, Szuch (No. 28 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) drove from fifth to first in a drive of determination. 


 

Notes of Interest: 

  • After competing in Ligier JFC last season for his family-owned team, Drew Szuch teamed up with Berg Racing to make a run at the 2025 Ligier JFC Championship. 
  • Saturday’s victory marks the first of Szuch’s career, and the second time he’s finished on the podium. Prior to Race 2, Szuch’s best career finish was a second-place result at Circuit of The Americas. 
  • Gastón Irazú earned his second-career podium after winning Race 1 earlier in the day. 
  • Harbir Dass earned back-to-back third place finishes on Saturday at NOLA. 
  • Max Mokarem drove through the field from a last-place starting position to finish the race in sixth with his Momentum Motorsports team. 
  • With Szuch’s victory, Berg Racing earned their first win since July 2023, when the team visited New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Victory Lane while competing in F4 U.S. Championship. 


 

Race 2 at NOLA Motorsports Park saw many of the same frontrunners that contested for the victory in Race 1. Gastón Irazú (No. 42 Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) led the field down the starting grid with Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Wines/WorkHub Ligier JS F4) to his outside. Irazú pulled out to an early lead, while the Berg Racing teammates, Harbir Dass (No. 23 Northcoast Medical Group / Dass Psych LLC/Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) and Szuch, who started third and fifth, respectively, raced through the field. Dass reached Irazú’s gearbox by the time the field completed their third circuit on the 2.75-mile track. Making a pass for the lead the following lap, it wasn’t long before Dass fell back into Irazú’s grasp as the Uruguayan once again took control of the field. With Irazú out front, Szuch settled in to second. The minutes ticked down as the race neared its halfway point, which is when Szuch pulled around the outside of Irazú entering Turn 3 and dove to the inside of Turn 4 to complete the pass. 

While Irazú stayed on the rear wing of Szuch, he couldn’t find the right opportunity to overtake the lead before the safety car deployed to retrieve a car stuck deep in the grass. Without enough time to restart the event, the safety car led the field to the checkered flag, with Szuch winning, Irazú finishing second and Dass in third. Polesitter Cará finished fourth and PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship winner Augusto Paschetta (No. 27 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F4) was fifth. 


 

     READ MORE:  Race 2 Official Results


 

“This was a perfect way to get redemption [from Race 1],” said Szuch atop the podium. “We've been so hooked up all weekend. The Berg Racing car has been running great, the team's been working great and I'm so glad that we can finally represent what we're capable of. It was a good race; it was a lot of fun. The track was still pretty sketchy because there were a couple damp spots out there, so you really had to watch out. I just knew that you have to make every pass count in this series, because you never know when you'll get a safety car or what will happen. I have to thank the team, of course. It's my first weekend with Berg Racing, and I've been just so happy with how we've done. They've been really good to me.”

Ligier JFC will contest their final race of the NOLA SpeedTour tomorrow at 9 a.m. CT. The race will air live on SPEED SPORT 1, and also be available to stream live on SpeedTour.TV. With SPEED SPORT 1 available on Amazon Prime Video, Roku, Pluto TV, Sling, STIRR and more, details for how to tune in are available, here. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 


 
 

Photos by Gavin Baker Photography. 

 

 
 

Prototype Sprint Series Association

   

 Prototype Sprint Series Association presented by Hankook:  Sanctioned by Parella Motorsports Holdings, the Prototype Sprint Series Association presented by Hankook (PSSA) is designed to host owners of Radical, Ligier, Revolution and Wolf Prototype race cars in a sprint race format at some of the most iconic road courses in America. PSSA offers the opportunity to race for just one weekend or compete for the national championship. Points will be awarded for each race with a national champion crowned at the conclusion of the season. The champion will receive a $10,000 prize, along with several product awards. 

 

 
 

sportscar vintage racing association

   

www.svra.com

Sportscar Vintage Racing Association:  SVRA is the largest vintage racing organization in the world. A typical event has several hundred vintage race cars representing over 100 years of automotive history on the track. The drivers of these race cars are high net-worth, prominent professionals. In 2023, SVRA will host 20 events at some of the most iconic race tracks in North America, including Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sebring International Raceway, Watkins Glen International, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Sonoma Raceway and Circuit of The Americas, among others. This nationwide footprint has over 312,000,000 Americans living within 200 miles of our events.

 

 

 

  International GT (IGT)

 

www.internationalgt.net

International GT is a North American racing series composed of three national championships—the Stuttgart Cup, Maranello Cup and Mission Foods GT3 Cup Trophy. The Stuttgart Cup showcases Porsche Caymans, while the Maranello Cup includes Ferrari Challenge and GT3 cars. The Mission Foods GT3 Cup Trophy features GT3 and Porsche Cup cars. With iconic tracks on its schedule and close, exciting competition on the track, the series  continues to attract both professional and amateur drivers to enjoy the camaraderie of the IGT paddock.  Owned by Parella Motorsports Holdings, IGT is featured at many SpeedTour events across the country, with most race weekends featuring two sprint races and an hour-long enduro to give drivers ample track time. To learn more, visit InternationalGT.net. 

 

 

  Parella Motorsports

 

 

    trans am series       International GT (IGT)speedtour  sportscar vintage racing association 

FR Americas and F4 U.S Prototype Sprint Series Association

2024 ta2 club schedule

2024 Formula Regional Americas Championship Provisional Schedule: 

April 11-14, 2024:  NOLA Motorsports Park

May 16-19, 2024:  Road America

June 13-16, 2024:  Indianapolis Motor Speedway

June 20-23, 2024:  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

July 25-28, 2024:  New Jersey Motorsports Park

Aug. 29-Sep. 1, 2024:  Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2024:  Circuit of The Americas

2024 Formula 4 United States Championship Provisional Schedule: 

April 11-14, 2024:  NOLA Motorsports Park

May 16-19, 2024:  Road America

June 20-23, 2024:  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

July 25-28, 2024:  New Jersey Motorsports Park

Aug. 29-Sep. 1, 2024:  Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2024:  Circuit of The Americas

2024 Ligier JS F4 Series Provisional Schedule: 

April 11-14, 2024:  NOLA Motorsports Park

May 16-19, 2024:  Road America

June 20-23, 2024:  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

July 25-28, 2024:  New Jersey Motorsports Park

Oct. 3-6 2024:  VIRginia International Raceway

2024 SPORTSCAR VINTAGE RACING ASSOCIATION PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE

2024 SpeedTour Schedule: 

Feb. 22-25:  Sebring International Raceway

Mar. 1-3:  Thunderhill Raceway Park

Mar. 8-10:  Eagles Canyon Raceway

Mar. 21-24:  Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

Apr. 11-14:  NOLA Motorsports Park

Apr. 18-21:  Sonoma Raceway

Apr. 26-28:  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

May 2-5:  WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

May 10-11:  World Wide Technology Raceway

May 16-19:  Road America

May 24-27:  Lime Rock Park

June 7-9:  Pittsburgh International Race Complex

June 13-16:  Indianapolis Motor Speedway

June 20-23:  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

June 28-30: Road America

July 19-20:  Lime Rock Park

July 25-28:  New Jersey Motorsports Park

July 26-28:  Portland International Raceway

Aug. 16-18:  Summit Point Motorsports Park

Aug. 21-25:  Watkins Glen International

Aug. 29-Sep. 1:  Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Oct. 3-6:  VIRginia International Raceway

Oct. 18-20:  Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch

Oct. 31-Nov. 3:  Circuit of The Americas

 

2024 Trans Am Series Western Championship Schedule

 

2024 Prototype Sprint Series Association Schedule:

 

2024 International GT Schedule: 

Feb. 22-25:  Sebring International Raceway

Mar. 21-24:  Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

Apr. 18-21:  Sonoma Raceway

May 2-5:  WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

May 24-27:  Lime Rock Park

June 13-16:  Indianapolis Motor Speedway

June 27-30:  Road America

Aug. 21-25:  Watkins Glen International

Oct. 3-6:  VIRginia International Raceway

Oct. 25-27:  Daytona International Speedway (tentative)

Oct. 31-Nov. 3:  Circuit of The Americas

 

Time Trials National Tour 2022 Schedule

March 26-27: Carolina Motorsports Park; Kershaw, SC
- April 23-24: Eagles Canyon Raceway; Decatur, TX
- May 12-15: Time Trials Nationals @ NCM Motorsports Park; Bowling Green, KY
- July 1-2: Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park; Thompson, CT
- July 16-17: GingerMan Raceway; South Haven, MI
- August 6-7: New Jersey Motorsports Park; Millville, NJ
- August 27-28: Pittsburgh International Race Complex; Wampum, PA
- October 29-30: Buttonwillow Raceway Park; Buttonwillow, CA
- November 5-6: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta; Braselton, GA

 

 
       

 

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