2024 Formula Regional Americas Championship
The 2024 Formula Regional Americas Championship was the seventh season of a FIA-sanctioned F3 series across North America, and the fifth season under the Formula Regional moniker after a rebrand in 2020. The series was promoted by SCCA Pro Racing, the professional racing division of the Sports Car Club of America.
Reigning F4 US champion Patrick Woods-Toth won the Drivers' Championship with three races to spare in his debut season. His team, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports - the only multi-car team bar the last round - defended their Teams' Championship title, claiming it in the first race of round five.
Teams and drivers
[edit]All drivers competed with Ligier JS F3 cars on Hankook tires. All teams were American-registered. After having used Honda powertrains for all of its history, the series switched to using Ligier 1.65-litre V4 ‘Storm’ engines in 2024.[1]
Team | No. | Driver | Rounds |
---|---|---|---|
Jensen Global Advisors | 1 | Theodor Jensen[2] | 3 |
Jake Pollack[3] | 7 | ||
IGY6 Motorsports | 3 | Bruno Ribeiro[4] | 7 |
22 | Hayden Bowlsbey[5] | All | |
Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | 6 | Nicole Havrda[6] | All |
14 | Alex Benavitz[7] | 1 | |
24 | Kevin Janzen[8] | 1–4, 6–7 | |
25 | Ricco Shlaimoun[9] | All | |
27 | Patrick Woods-Toth[10] | 1–6 | |
31 | Titus Sherlock[10] | All, NC | |
66 | Ryan Shehan[11] | 1–4, NC | |
73 | Landan Matriano Lim[6] | All, NC | |
02 | Jett Bowling[10] | All, NC | |
DD Autosport | 11 | Cole Kleck[5][4] | 1, 7 |
Speed Factory | 17 | Justin Garat[6] | 1–5 |
Toney Driver Development | 38 | Hailie Deegan[12] | 7 |
80 | Brady Golan[12] | 7 | |
Velox USA | 55 | Nicolas Ambiado[5] | 1–5, 7 |
Atlantic Racing Team | 77 | James Lawley[13] | All |
Momentum Motorsports | 07 | Anthony Autiello[14] | 1, 3, 6–7 |
- Oliver Westling was announced to be staying with Jensen Global Advisors for his sophomore campaign, but did not enter any rounds.[15]
Race calendar
[edit]The 2024 calendar was announced on 4 October 2023. The championship did not visit Virginia International Raceway as it did the year before, but instead debuted at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. The number of championship races increased from 18 to 19, as the events at Mid-Ohio and COTA only held two races each.[16] FR Americas also held a non-championship invitational event at Laguna Seca, visiting the Western US for the first time.[17]
Round | Circuit | Date | Support bill | Map of circuit locations | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | R1 | NOLA Motorsports Park, Avondale | 13 April | SVRA Sprint Series Trans-Am Series TA2 Series Ligier JS F4 Series |
|
R2 | 14 April | ||||
R3 | |||||
NC | R1 | Laguna Seca, Monterey | 4 May | SVRA Sprint Series Trans-Am Series | |
R2 | 5 May | ||||
2 | R1 | Road America, Elkhart Lake | 18 May | Road America SpeedTour SVRA Sprint Series Formula 4 United States Championship Ligier JS F4 Series | |
R2 | |||||
R3 | 19 May | ||||
3 | R1 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway | 15 June | Indy SpeedTour SVRA Sprint Series Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy USA Formula First USA | |
R2 | 16 June | ||||
R3 | |||||
4 | R1 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington | 22 June | SVRA Sprint Series Formula 4 United States Championship | |
R2 | 23 June | ||||
5 | R1 | New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville | 27 July | SVRA Sprint Series Atlantic Championship Formula 4 United States Championship Ligier JS F4 Series | |
R2 | 28 July | ||||
R3 | |||||
6 | R1 | Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Bowmanville | 30 August | Nascar Canada Series Trans-Am Series TA2 Series Formula 4 United States Championship | |
R2 | 31 August | ||||
R3 | 1 September | ||||
7 | R1 | Circuit of the Americas, Austin | 1 November | SVRA Sprint Series Formula 4 United States Championship | |
R2 | 2 November |
Race results
[edit]Round | Circuit | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning driver | Winning team | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | R1 | NOLA Motorsports Park | Patrick Woods-Toth | Cole Kleck | Cole Kleck | DD Autosport |
R2 | Ryan Shehan | Patrick Woods-Toth | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
R3 | Patrick Woods-Toth | Ryan Shehan | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
NC | R1 | Laguna Seca | Titus Sherlock | no starters | ||
R2 | Jett Bowling | Ryan Shehan | Titus Sherlock | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | ||
2 | R1 | Road America | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports |
R2 | Titus Sherlock | Titus Sherlock | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
R3 | Titus Sherlock | Titus Sherlock | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
3 | R1 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports |
R2 | Patrick Woods-Toth | Ryan Shehan | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
R3 | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
4 | R1 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Patrick Woods-Toth | Nicolas Ambiado | Ryan Shehan | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports |
R2 | Patrick Woods-Toth | Ryan Shehan | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
5 | R1 | New Jersey Motorsports Park | Patrick Woods-Toth | Nicolas Ambiado | Titus Sherlock | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports |
R2 | Nicolas Ambiado | Nicolas Ambiado | Velox USA | |||
R3 | Nicolas Ambiado | Patrick Woods-Toth | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
6 | R1 | Canadian Tire Motorsports Park | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports |
R2 | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
R3 | Patrick Woods-Toth | Patrick Woods-Toth | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | |||
7 | R1 | Circuit of the Americas | Titus Sherlock | Titus Sherlock | Titus Sherlock | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports |
R2 | Bruno Ribeiro | Bruno Ribeiro | IGY6 Motorsports |
Season report
[edit]First half
[edit]The season opener at NOLA Motorsports Park attracted 15 cars, a number last reached in 2020, and Crosslink Kiwi’s Patrick Woods-Toth took pole position for the first race. DD Autosport’s Cole Kleck started fourth, but rose to second through the first five corners to take the lead by turn six. Two cars stopping on track then caused a stoppage, and Kleck led Woods-Toth and Velox USA’s Nicolas Ambiado home after the restart. Race two started with Kleck in first, before Crosslink Kiwi’s Titus Sherlock took the lead. He then made a mistake and dropped down the order, before another red flag came out. Woods-Toth got past Kleck on the restart and won, with IGY6’s Hayden Bowlsbey third. Race three saw Crosslink Kiwi’s Ryan Shehan take a lights-to-flag victory as Bowlsbey, Kleck, Woods-Toth and his teammate Jett Bowling took turns battling for the positions behind. That brought no new faces to the podium, as Woods-Toth and Kleck came out on top in the end. This handed the Canadian a narrow three-point championship lead over Kleck.[18]
Four drivers, all representing Crosslink Kiwi, participated in the non-championship invitational round at Laguna Seca. This event was part of the SVRA Sprint Series, featuring competitors from various single-seater classes. Two qualifying sessions determined the grid for the two races, with Sherlock and Bowling each securing a pole position. Due to worsening weather conditions before the first race, the four Formula Regional drivers opted out to avoid potential crashes and budget losses. The weather improved for the second race, where Bowling immediately lost the lead to Sherlock. The latter then extended his advantage while Bowling spun while trying to lap slower competitors, allowing Shehan to overtake him. Landan Matriano Lim, trailing by an additional ten seconds, completed the Formula Regional quartet.[19]
The championship resumed at Road America, where Woods-Toth secured pole position once more. He maintained his lead against an initial challenge from Sherlock, who later fell to third behind Ambiado. Sherlock reclaimed second place after three laps, but by that point, Woods-Toth had already built a lead, which he then maintained to win. In race two, the competition between Woods-Toth and Sherlock for the victory intensified, with Sherlock emerging as the leader after five laps of duelling. A subsequent off-track excursion forced Woods-Toth to pit. He rejoined a lap down, leaving Sherlock to finish ahead of teammates Shehan and Nicole Havrda. In the third race, Sherlock started from pole and held off Shehan at the start and again following a mid-race restart, securing another victory with Havrda in third place. Woods-Toth, who started third, spun and retired on lap seven. Only half points were awarded for race three, reducing the impact of his non-finish, but he still lost his championship lead to Shehan, who now led by three points.[20]
In round four of the series, the competition marked its inaugural appearance at IMS. Woods-Toth secured pole position once again, with Shehan closely trailing for most of the first race but unable to mount a successful challenge, allowing Woods-Toth to claim his third victory of the season. Theodor Jensen, debuting for Jensen GA, finished in third place. The second race featured the same front row, but Sherlock, starting from third, overtook Shehan early on to move into second place. He later took the lead during a mid-race restart after Woods-Toth was spun around by Shehan. A mechanical issue for Sherlock allowed Shehan to claim victory, leading Bowling and Havrda. In race three, Woods-Toth managed to fend off Shehan before the race was interrupted by a red flag following a crash involving Crosslink Kiwi teammates Lim and Ricco Shlaimoun. With only seven laps completed after the restart, half points were awarded, with Woods-Toth winning ahead of Shehan and Bowling. This preserved Shehan's three-point championship lead.[21]
Second half
[edit]The second half of the season commenced with a double-header at Mid-Ohio. During practice, Sherlock experienced a brake failure that resulted in hospitalisation and his subsequent withdrawal from the weekend's races. Woods-Toth secured pole position for the first race, but Shehan quickly overtook him at the start and maintained the lead for the entirety of the race. Despite Woods-Toth closing the gap, he was unable to mount a challenge. Ambiado held third place until mechanical issues forced his retirement, allowing Bowling to claim the spot. In the second race, Ambiado started from pole, but Shehan once again demonstrated superior pace at the start, taking the lead and replicating his performance to complete a double victory. Woods-Toth finished third, leaving him 23.5 points behind Shehan in the standings.[22]
Championship standings
[edit]Points were awarded as follows:
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Drivers' standings
[edit]
|
Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap † — Did not finish, but classified |
Teams' standings
[edit]Only a teams' two best-finishing cars are eligible for teams' championship points.
Pos | Driver | NOL |
LAG |
ROA |
IMS |
MOH |
NJM |
MOS |
COA |
Pts | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | R2 | R3 | NC | R1 | R2 | R3[a] | R1 | R2 | R3[b] | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1[a] | R2 | ||||||
1 | Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports | 2 | 1 | 1 | DNS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 694.5 | ||
4 | 4 | 2 | DNS | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |||||
2 | IGY6 Motorsports | 6 | 3 | Ret | 7 | 5 | 6 | Ret | 5 | 12† | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 168 | ||||
5 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Velox USA | 3 | 10 | DNS | 3 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 7 | Ret | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 154 | |||||||
4 | Atlantic Racing Team | 11 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 84.5 | ||||
5 | DD Autosport | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 71.5 | ||||||||||||||||||
6 | Speed Factory | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 11† | 5 | 9 | WD | WD | WD | 62 | |||||||||
7 | Jensen Global Advisors | 3 | 4 | 6 | Ret | 9 | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | Toney Driver Development | 11 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Ret | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Momentum Motorsports | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | Ret | 13 | 11 | 11.5 | ||||||||||||
Pos | Driver | R1 | R2 | R3 | NC | R1 | R2 | R3[a] | R1 | R2 | R3[b] | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1[a] | R2 | Pts | |||
NOL |
LAG |
ROA |
IMS |
MOH |
NJM |
MOS |
COA |
References
[edit]- ^ Wood, Ida (2022-05-25). "Ligier unveils design for F4 Gen2 car to be used in America". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
- ^ "2024 FR Americas Championship Entry List Rounds 7-9 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ A, Ashleigh (2024-10-04). "Jake Pollack Graduates to FR Americas For Season Finale". FR Americas Championship. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
- ^ a b "2024 FR Americas Championship Entry List Rounds 18 - 19 at Circuit of the Americas" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-10-28.
- ^ a b c "2024 FR Americas Championship Entry List Rounds 1-3 at NOLA Motorsports Park" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-04-10.
- ^ a b c A, Ashleigh (2024-02-08). "More Than a Dozen Drivers Awarded Support from PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship". FR Americas Championship. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
- ^ "Alex Benavitz on Instagram: "I'm very excited to announce that I will be competing in the 2024 FIA Formula Regional Americas championship with @kiwimotorsportnz"". Instagram. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Three Returning Drivers to Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport for 2024 FR Americas Campaign – Crosslink Competition". www.crosslinkmotorsports.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ "Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Announces Two New Drivers for 2024 Season – Crosslink Competition". www.crosslinkmotorsports.com. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ a b c "Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Brings Thirteen to FR Americas and JSF4 Season Opener". RTD Media. 2024-04-09.
- ^ Media, R. T. D. (2024-02-22). "RYAN SHEHAN RETURNS TO CROSSLINK KIWI MOTORSPORT AND FR AMERICAS PROGRAM IN 2024". RTD Media. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ a b "TDD Announces two entries into the season finale at COTA, Hailie Deagan and Brady Golan will pilot 2 FR Americas Ligier JSF3 cars". Instagram. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Atlantic Racing Team Announces Plans for 2024; James Lawley to Return to Drivers Seat". F4 U.S. Championships. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
- ^ A, Ashleigh (2024-03-25). "Momentum Motorsports Adds Anthony Autiello to FR Americas Driver Lineup". FR Americas Championship. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ "FORMULA REGIONAL AMERICAS || JENSEN". Jensen Global Advisors. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
- ^ "FR Americas, F4 U.S. and Ligier JS F4 Series Unveil 2024 Schedule". FR Americas Championship. 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ Anequini, Laura (2024-04-09). "Formula Regional Americas: 2024 season guide". Feeder Series. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
- ^ Wood, Ida (2024-04-14). "Patrick Woods-Toth starts FRegional Americas season on top at NOLA". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Wood, Ida (2024-05-06). "Sherlock wins FRegional Americas' non-championship Laguna Seca race". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Wood, Ida (2024-05-19). "Sherlock wins as Shehan gets FRegional Americas lead at Road America". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
- ^ Wood, Ida (2024-06-16). "Woods-Toth wins twice on FRegional Americas' first trip to the Brickyard". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
- ^ Wood, Ida (2024-06-23). "Shehan grows FRegional Americas lead with Mid-Ohio double". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
Notes
[edit]External links
[edit]- Official website: Formula Regional Americas