(Photos: Gavin Baker Photography)
Mission Foods Austin SpeedTour at COTA
Championships Up For Grabs at COTA
Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda (FR Americas) and Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) pull into Circuit of The Americas (COTA) for their final three races of 2023. Each competing in Rounds 16-18 at the Mission Foods Austin SpeedTour, the championships will join Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), the Trans Am Series, Prototype Sprint Series Association and International GT, as all six series crown their champions in the final SpeedTour event of the season. With over 700 cars being showcased throughout the weekend between the on-track competition, Hagerty Cars and Caffeine Car Show, and Corvette Invasion, there is sure to be something for everyone. Spectator gates are open Friday through Sunday, with tickets on sale now at SpeedTour.net/Austin.
Meet The Drivers
Fans will have an opportunity to meet the drivers from FR Americas and F4 U.S. during a special pre-race fan walk on Saturday afternoon. Join us on pit lane at 12 p.m. CT to get an up-close look at the F4 cars moments before they head out on track for their third and final race of the weekend. Meet drivers from both series, get free swag—including a complimentary FR Americas/F4 U.S. series poster—and collect autographs. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event!
Watch This Weekend’s Races FREE on YouTube
Fans at home will be able to watch the FR Americas and F4 U.S. races from the Mission Foods Austin SpeedTour free on social media with streaming available on the SpeedTourTV YouTube page (YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV). Live coverage on Friday and Saturday means that all three races will be streamed for each championship. Be sure to subscribe and click the bell icon to turn on notifications for the channel to receive an alert any time SpeedTourTV goes live.
FR Americas Championship Powered by Honda
Honda Prize On The Line
With 11 wins this season, including two in the series’ last outing at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), Callum Hedge(No. 17 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) continues to lead the championship standings. However, the battle isn’t as cut and dry as it once appeared—in fact, Hedge failed to score any points in the series’ most recent race after being forced to retire early from Round 15. With three runner-up finishes at VIR, Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) kept his championship hopes alive, leaving Hedge with only a 51-point advantage going into COTA.
Cooper Becklin (No. 19 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) was eliminated from championship contention at VIR, but the Oregonian still had a weekend to remember as he secured his first-career win in Round 15. The victory, paired with two third-place results, kept Becklin just 42 points behind Shehan. Oliver Westling (No. 1 JENSEN Ligier JS F3) remains the fourth and final driver with a chance of finishing inside the top three in the point standings. The New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) Round 10 winner ranks fourth, just 57 points behind Becklin.
Jake Bonilla Joins the Grid
Jake Bonilla (No. 20 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) will join powerhouse Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport to make his FR Americas debut this weekend at COTA. Bonilla has been testing the Ligier JS F3 car with Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport this year, and earned two podiums—including a win—in the car during a Formula Pro USA Western Championship event at Sonoma Raceway last month. Previously, the San Antonian competed in F4 U.S. during the 2020 and 2021 race seasons.
Roza and Kleck Return
Manuel Roza (No. 12 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) and Cole Kleck (No. 11 Speed Factory Ligier JS F3) will both return to the FR Americas paddock just in time for the 2023 season finale. With neither driver having competed since Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June, Roza will return to his traditional No. 12 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport entry, while Kleck joins Speed Factory for the final event of the year.
Texans Race Near Home
Austinite Ryan Shehan will join three fellow Texans racing at Circuit of The Americas this weekend. Cole Kleck and Jake Bonilla can carpool from their San Antonio homes, while Max Hewitt (No. 39 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) will have the longest trip to make of the “local” drivers, with a 150-mile journey from Houston.
Bowlsbey Earns First-Career Podium
Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 Save22 Ligier JS F3) earned his first-career podium in the series’ most recent outing at VIR. A major accident during the closing laps at NJMP required Bowlsbey to rebuild his car during the 10-week break between events. With the help of his friends and family, both the driver and car were ready to race when the lights went out at VIR. Bowlsbey first entered F4 U.S. competition in 2019, and moved up to FR Americas with his family-owned IGY6 Motorsports in 2022. With 17 previous top 10s, Bowlsbey’s third-place result in Round 15 marked his first-career FR Americas podium—and the first podium finish for IGY6 Motorsports.
Hedge Able to Move Up on All-Time Wins List
With 11 victories this season, Callum Hedge is currently tied with last year’s FR Americas champion, Raoul Hyman, for third on the all-time wins list. Another victory this weekend would break that tie and solidify Hedge’s standing as the third-winningest driver in FR Americas history. Kyle Kirkwood and Linus Lundqvist, both current competitors in INDYCAR, are tied for the most wins in FR Americas with 15 victories apiece.
Formula Regional Americas | Photos: Gavin Baker Photography
