LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 23, 2024) – With a victory in Sunday’s Race 2 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) swept the weekend in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas). The 19-year-old Texan entered the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour as the championship points leader, and extended his lead with two additional wins this weekend.
Notes of Interest:
- Ryan Shehan won his second race of the weekend, and fourth of 2024, during Race 2 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday.
- Nicolas Ambiado recorded his career-best finish with his second-place result. Previously, the Velox USA/Speed Factory driver had two third-place finishes.
- Patrick Woods-Toth recorded his eighth podium of 2024 with his third-place finish. The Canadian is tied with Shehan for the most podium finishes this season.
- Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport has won 10 of the 11 FR Americas races to date in 2024. Shehan and Woods-Toth have won four races apiece for the organization, with Titus Sherlock winning two additional events.
- Finishing on the podium in three of the last four races, Jett Bowling 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.
With track conditions continuing to improve after morning showers soaked the racing surface, teams and drivers were given the option to choose either Hankook racing slicks or rain tires for Sunday’s feature race. The whole field opted for racing slicks, and Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 TLink / Allegro Ligier JS F3) led everyone down the starting grid after recording the fastest lap in yesterday’s event. When the lights went out, Ambiado wiggled, giving Shehan sole control of the race as they entered Turn 1. While the top-three drivers all flanked out, with Shehan, Ambiado and Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) racing nose to tail, Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 IGY6 Motorsports / Save22 Ligier JS F3) had a great jump off the block to move from his sixth-place starting position up to fourth before they exited the first turn.
The race remained fairly calm, with drivers hitting their marks and logging laps until a full-course caution slowed the pace with 10 minutes left on the clock. Landan Matriano Lim (No. 73 739Racing Ligier JS F3) appeared poised to have one of the best finishes of his career, spending the majority of the day running in the fifth position, however, a spin in Turn 9 resulted in him getting stuck in the gravel and requiring a tow from safety crews. A quick retrieval allowed the race to resume with just over three minutes left on the clock, giving the drivers one last chance at mixing up the running order.
Shehan timed his restart perfectly, keeping Ambiado in his mirrors. Woods-Toth stayed just off the Chilean’s rear wing, with just one second separating the top three drivers. By the time they reached the checkered flag, Shehan beat Ambiado across the line by just 0.452 seconds, while Woods-Toth finished third.
“We’re on the racing line on the outside, so I think that helped quite a bit,” said Shehan from the top step of the podium. “I just got a good start and was able to hold it around the outside of Nico [Ambiado]. It was a good race after that, but it was pretty stressful. The track was pretty slick after the rain this morning, and the tires weren’t too happy. So, it was stressful, but I was able to hold on. I have to thank the whole Crosslink Kiwi team, my engineer, my mechanic, my parents and my sponsors.”
FR Americas is back on track next month at New Jersey Motorsports Park for the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour, July 25-28. Live timing and scoring for the event can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
