Nomination from Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship Provides Bower with Opportunity to Drive F4 U.S. Car
CHARLOTTE (November 28, 2023) – Scholarship recipients are being announced for the upcoming joint venture between Radford Racing School and the Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) to help transition young drivers from go-karts to racecars. Nolan Bower is the first driver to be announced to the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship Award School through a nomination from the Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship (MRFKC).
“We’re excited to have Nolan join us for this year’s Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship Award School,” said Scott Goodyear, F4 U.S. Race Director. “The Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship program is known for producing great talents—including our 2023 F4 U.S. champion, Patrick Woods-Toth, who received the nomination from MRFKC for this program last year. Lynda and Ron [Fellows] have spoken very highly of Nolan, and I can’t wait to see him behind the wheel of a racecar.”
“Our 2023 scholarship recipient is Nolan Bower,” said Ron Fellows. “He’s another kart driver from Prime Power Team, as was Patrick Woods-Toth. Nolan has progressively improved each year, culminating with a dominant 2023 season in the ROK Senior class, winning the MRFKC series title along with being crowned Canadian Karting Champion. We are excited to see what Nolan can do in an F4 car at the Radford Racing School.”
A native of Whitby, Ontario, Bower already has 10 years of experience as a competitive karter. Having raced throughout North America and Europe, the 19 year old is a four-time representative of Team Canada at the ROK Cup Superfinals, and won both the MRFKC Championship and the Canadian Nationals this year in the ROK Senior class.
“Winning this scholarship means the world to me,” said Bower. “Between my mother, my father, Trevor Wickens, Tyler Ripani and myself, we’ve all worked so hard to receive this opportunity from Ron Fellows, F4 U.S. Championship and Radford Racing School. I hope to utilize this experience to the fullest and gain the understanding of what it takes to properly transition from go-karts to racecars.”
A “karts to cars” style program, the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship Award School is designed to help scholarship winners acclimate to a racecar, while teaching them the basics of handling and car control. Nominated by some of the world’s best karting programs, scholarship recipients travel to Radford’s facility to participate in the program, which utilizes the same combination that last year’s F4 U.S. competitors used on the track—a Ligier JS F4-16 chassis, a Honda 2.0-liter engine and Hankook racing slicks. With ground school, skid control, lead-follow sessions, braking, shifting and handling drills, the program is uniquely designed to account for the fact that participants are some of the top karters in the world. The scholarship includes a two-day school, with some participants—like Bower—adding on a third “lapping” day.
Additional scholarship recipients will be announced in the coming days. The Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship Award School takes place this Friday and Saturday in Chandler, Ariz.
About 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.