BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (August 30, 2025) – Cooper Shipman extended his Formula 4 United States Championship presented by Mosport Karting Centre (F4 U.S.) win streak, taking the victory in Race 2 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Saturday afternoon. In one of the most action-packed races this season, the top four engaged in tight racing and close battles all afternoon, with Shipman (No. 14 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) having to overcome the charges of his championship rivals to eventually emerge with the victory.
Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Velox USA / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) led the field to green after setting the fastest lap in Race 1. Shipman lined up to his outside, but Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422) and Alex Popow (No. 55 Dr. Michael Thompson MS DDS PPLS / MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) put on an early charge, with Hauanio moving to second and Popow to third on the opening lap, while Shipman fell to fourth.
Keeping a level head, it only took Shipman five minutes to restart his forward progress, moving back into third and then setting his sights forward. Meanwhile, Hauanio looked toward Huerta Raab, closing in on the Chilean to take the point. His lead, however, was short lived, as side-by-side racing between Hauanio and Huerta Raab allowed Shipman to reach their gearboxes. Shipman made his way around both drivers to pace the field and begin opening a gap as the clock ticked down.
Behind him, Hauanio, Huerta Raab and Popow continued to dice it up. The trio raced three-wide down the front straight, with Popow racing wide to claim second, and Huerta Raab using the inside line for an overtake. Hauanio was able to slingshot past Huerta Raab in the following corner, and the three raced nose to stern toward the checkered flag. With the white flag in sight, Huerta Raab got loose entering Turn 1, losing control and sailing into the tire barrier. As a result, the safety car brought the field to the checkered flag, with Shipman taking the win, Popow following in second, and Hauanio in third.
Notes of Interest:
- Cooper Shipman won his sixth race of the 2026 season while extending his championship points lead.
- With six-consecutive victories, Cooper Shipman is now tied with 2017 F4 U.S. Champion and current INDYCAR Driver Kyle Kirkwood for the second-longest win streak in F4 U.S. history. Cameron Das holds the record with eight-consecutive victories.
- Alex Popow finished second to record his seventh podium of 2025. The Venezuelan American finished on the podium in both of today’s events.
- With a third-place result, Kekai Hauanio secured his ninth podium of the year. Hauanio remains second in the point standings, now trailing Cooper Shipman by 40 points.
- Luke Powers (No. 51 Corporate Commercial Group / Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F422) earned a career-best finish with his fourth-place result.
- Three teams were represented on today’s podium, with Kiwi Motorsport securing the victory, MLT Motorsports taking second, and Crosslink Motorsports finishing third.
“It was a bit of a chaotic start,” said Shipman after climbing from the car. “I knew the guys behind me were going to be aggressive with me and try and shuffle me back, but I stayed calm, stayed consistent and made my way back through the field. Then, I controlled my race from the front. I have to thank all of Kiwi Motorsport, Teena [Larsen], Garry [Orton], and both my parents for supporting me and getting me this far.”
F4 U.S. will finish out their weekend at the Labour Day Weekend Sprints tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. ET. The race will stream live on SpeedTour.TV, and live timing and scoring will be available on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates from the weekend will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
