KYLE KIRKWOOD CAPTURES F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS LEAD AFTER CTMP
Battle for the top-10 heats up heading into Mid-Ohio
INDIANAPOLIS (July 20, 2017)- New competitors have emerged in the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda top-10 standings. After six consecutive wins, Kyle Kirkwood of Jupiter, Florida, slipped into first place, stealing the spot from Timo Reger of Houston. Thirty-one points now separate the sophomore Cape Motorsports pilot from the second-place JDX Racing rookie.
“It feels amazing to be first in points after struggling the first event in Homestead,” Kirkwood said. “Cape Motorsports has given me a fast car, and we will continue to push the rest of the season.”
Raphael Forcier of Montreal sits in third but not without pressure from rookie Jacob Loomis of Corinth, Texas. Only three points separate the pair. Mathias Soler-Obel of Bogota, Colombia, secured the last spot in the top-five, moving from ninth to fifth place after having his best race weekend since the first season event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At 15-years-old, Soler-Obel is the youngest competitor in F4 U.S. history to be top-five in championship points.
“We have been working hard since the start of the season,” said Soler-Obel. “It is an honor to be the youngest competitor in the top-five of the standings. My goal is to be the youngest competitor to ever win the F4 U.S. Championship.”
With two second-place podiums and a top-10 finish in his F4 U.S. debut, Dakota Dickerson of San Diego scored enough points at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park to position himself into sixth place. Jordan Sherratt of Durban, South Africa, who won the JRi Shocks Hard Charger Award in the series opener after making 47 position changes, saw the biggest jump in standings after CTMP. The Crosslink Motorsports driver shot from 15th to eighth in points. Baltazar Leguizamon of Buenos Aires, Argentina, rounds out the top-10, tying for ninth with rookie Ben Waddell of Denver.
Brendon Leitch from Intercargill, New Zealand, John Paul Southern Jr. from Westlake, Ohio, and Austin McCusker of Glen Head, New York, scored their first points of the season at CTMP. After three events, 24 of the 37 drivers entered in the 2017 F4 U.S. Championship season have put points on the board.
F4 U.S. points are calculated based on FIA rules and regulations.
At the end of the season, the top-seven drivers will be presented FIA Super License points to aid in their racing career advancement to Formula 1. The F4 U.S. Championship is the only junior racing series in the United States to offer its competitors Super License points.
The F4 U.S. Championship teams are back in action for Rounds 10-12 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course August 10-12. Fans can view full point standings at, F4USChampionship.com.