MILLVILLE, N.J. (August 2, 2025) – Bruno Ribeiro took his third win of the 2025 Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) season in the opening round of the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour weekend. In a wild race filled with obstacles and challenges for championship contenders, Ribeiro (No. 01 Alfa Cem / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) rose to the top to increase his lead in the standings.
With Ribeiro in second, Jett Bowling (No. 22 Bullhorn / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) led the field down the starting grid at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). From the instant the lights went out, fourth-place starter Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 Velox USA / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) looked to make forward progress. Reaching the rear wing of Ribeiro’s machine as they raced through Turn 5, the two made contact, which sent Ribeiro off track and allowed Ambiado to sneak by. From there, Ambiado turned his focus to Bowling, making the pass to take the lead with just over 18 minutes left on the clock.
After that, it turned into a race of attrition, as Bowling came down pit road mid-race due to a mechanical issue, losing two laps the field. Then, a late-race caution gave the field another chance at a restart, but with Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Rayne Nutrition / Ronald McDonald House Charities / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) suffering a gearbox issue on the start, competitors were sent scrambling down the front straight. As they took the checkered flag, Ambiado led the way, with Ribeiro in second and Jake Pollack (No. 5 The NRP Group / Foreview Ventures / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) in third.
Following the event, the stewards issued Ambiado a penalty for causing a collision. The drive-thru penalty was converted to a 30-second time penalty, which dropped him to fifth in the final results. Ribeiro inherited the race win, while Pollack was scored second and Sherlock was promoted to the third and final podium position.
Notes of Interest:
- Bruno Ribeiro claimed his third win of the 2025 season to extend his championship points lead.
- Jake Pollack earned his first-career podium with a runner-up finish in Race 1 on Saturday afternoon.
- With a third-place finish, Titus Sherlock earned his sixth podium of the season.
- Finishing fourth, James Lawley tied his career-best finish in FR Americas competition. He also finished fourth at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park last season.
- Anthony Autiello recorded a career-best finish with his eighth-place result in Round 12.
FR Americas is back on track tomorrow at 9:10 a.m. E.T. for Race 2 from the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour. The event will stream live on SpeedTour.TV, with live timing and scoring available on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates from the weekend will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Cooper Shipman Goes Three In A Row, Taking the Win at NJMP in F4 U.S.
MILLVILLE, N.J. (August 2, 2025) – After sweeping the weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course just a few weeks ago, Cooper Shipman carried momentum into the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour weekend to win the opening race for Formula 4 United States Championship on Saturday afternoon. In a race with intense competition and attrition, Shipman (No. 14 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) kept his focus forward to minimize his mistakes and capitalize on the misfortune of others. Turn 2 was a gremlin for several competitors throughout the race, with both Demitri Nolan (No. 5 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422) and Alex Popow (No. 55 Dr. Michael Thompson MS DDS PPLS / MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) eliminated from competition after contact with the tire barrier.
Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422) paced the field for most of the race, but a late-race restart changed everything, as Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Velox USA / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) pulled tight on his bumper and dove to the inside entering Turn 1. Hauanio dropped two wheels, giving the advantage to Caleb Campbell (No. 68 Kids Help Phone / Camtacc Properties / Legacy Foundation of Canada / LC Racing Ligier JS F422), who had darted forward from third. As Huerta Raab dropped all four wheels off the racing surface, Shipman slid into the runner-up position to take chase of Campbell. For the next three laps, Campbell and Shipman raced wheel to wheel, until finally, with just over four minutes left on the clock, Shipman drove deep into Turn 1 to complete the pass. When the checkered flag waved, Shipman led, with Campbell in second and Hauanio in third.
Following the event, the stewards issued Campbell a penalty for causing a collision. The drive-thru penalty was converted into a 30-second time penalty, which dropped Campbell to fourth in the final results and promoted Huerta Raab to the third and final podium position.
Notes of Interest:
- Cooper Shipman earned his third-career F4 U.S. win during the opening race at New Jersey Motorsports Park to extend his lead in the points championship.
- After finishing second in all three Ligier Junior Formula Championship races at NJMP last season, Kekai Hauanio finished second in F4 U.S.’s Race 1 to mark his seventh podium of the season.
- Clemente Huerta Raab earned his third podium of 2025 with a third-place finish in Round 9.
“It was a pretty crazy race out there,” said Shipman after the race. “I thought we gave it away there in the beginning, but I just kept my head down and waited to capitalize from the mistakes. Thanks to the Kiwi Motorsport team for giving me a great car—one that allowed us to come through from the back. I’m super excited to win today and super proud of our effort.”
F4 U.S. returns to the track tomorrow morning at 10:25 a.m. ET for Race 2 from the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour. The race will be live streamed on SpeedTour.TV. Additional news and updates from the weekend will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Gastón Irazú Kicks off New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour with a Win in Ligier JFC Race 1
MILLVILLE, N.J. (August 2, 2025) – Entering the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour as the points leader in Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC), Gastón Irazú increased his advantage with a victory in the opening race of the weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). Starting from the outside pole, Irazú (No. 42 Elia Group / Baly / Canal 4 / Ancap / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) had to chase down his Champagne Racing teammate, Roman Felber (No. 73 BioLongevity Labs / TownHall / Rebol / DWT / Matrix Mind Water / Phantom Fireworks / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4), to fight for the win.
Starting from the pole for the first time in his career, Felber took control of the race the instant the lights went out, as Irazú went the opposite way. With Felber out front, Irazú fell back to fourth, leaving him to fight his way back through the pack during the opening laps. By the completion of their third lap, the points leader raced up to second, but Felber still maintained more than a one-second advantage. Skillfully hitting his marks, Irazú slowly chipped away at the gap. A half-second advantage at the halfway mark was cut down to a mere 0.339-seconds with five minutes left on the clock. Then, with just over three minutes to go, Felber locked his wheels up entering Turn 5, allowing Irazú to drive by and take the race lead. From there, it was clear sailing for the Uruguayan, who checked off his fourth win of the 2025 season.
Notes of Interest:
Gastón Irazú earned his fourth win of 2025 in Round 10 at New Jersey Motorsports Park to extend his championship points lead.
Roman Felber finished second, marking his first-career podium and improving on his previous career-best finish of sixth.
Drew Szuch earned his sixth podium of the season with a third-place result on Saturday afternoon.
Following the race, the stewards reviewed footage of the race start and determined that Roman Felber made a false start. Despite a five-second penalty being issued, the 15 year old maintained his second-place finish, as he crossed the line with an 11-second advantage over third.
“It was a difficult race, but luckily we could win,” said Irazú after the checkered flag. “I didn’t start well and it was really difficult to pass Roman [Felber]—we had a great battle. This makes a big difference in the championship with good points, so I’m really happy.”
Ligier JFC will be back on tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. ET for Race 2 from the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour at NJMP. The race will be live streamed on SpeedTour.TV. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
