F4 U.S. Championships

Schedule of Today’s Events (All Times Local)

Friday, April 27

7:30 am - F4 U.S. Registration Opens

8:00 am – F4 U.S. Crew Chief Meeting Starts

8:30 am-  F4 U.S. Crew Chief Meeting Ends

8:30 am- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Open

9:00 am- F4 U.S. Driver Meeting 1/Driver Development Starts

10:00 am- F4 U.S. Driver Meeting 1/Driver Development Ends

11:00 am- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Close

12:10 pm - F4 U.S. Practice 1 Starts

12:40 pm- F4 U.S. Practice 1 Ends

12:40 pm- Lunch Starts

1:25 pm- Lunch Ends     

1:30 pm- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Open

1:30 pm- F4 U.S. Tire Marking at Series Trailer Starts

2:00 pm- F4 U.S. Driver Headshots Starts

4:00 pm- F4 U.S. Driver Headshots Ends

4:30 pm- F4 U.S. Tech and Scales Close

4:30 pm- F4 U.S. Tire Marking at Series Trailer Ends

5:00 pm- Registration Closes       

5:15 pm- F4 U.S. Practice 2 Starts

5:45 pm- F4 U.S. Practice 2 Ends     

Entry List

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Teams started arriving at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia around 7:30 a.m. The temperature was 46 degrees. A light mist lingered after a heavy rainfall the evening before. Track conditions were also damp, but cleared up by the time the F4 U.S. competitors’ first practice session.

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During the drivers’ meeting, competitors reviewed important track information including safe-haven locations, towing instructions, safety concerns and flags. The Code 40 flag will be implemented for the 2018 season. Similar to the yellow flag, the Code 40 flag signifies a safety vehicle on course with an extrication in progress, however, unlike the yellow, competitors are not allowed to close gaps and are limited to 40 miles per hour.

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The first practice session began at 12:10 p.m. and lasted 30 minutes. Thirty-two of the 36 F4 U.S. competitors tested. Shortly after the session started, flaggers threw the new purple Code 40 flag for competitors to practice. Two separate off-track incidents occurred during the session, causing the purple flag to emerge. Some teams used the opportunity to make adjustments to their cars, and others used the time to complete their required two-standing start practices. Christian Rasmussen of Copenhagen, Denmark, finished the session with the fastest lap (1:53.762) with Jay Howard Driver Development teammate Teddy Wilson of Hobeach, England, finishing just .175 seconds The top four drivers were less than a half a second behind Rasmussen.

1. 6 Christian Rasmussen 1:53.762   Copenhagen DNK        JHDD
2. 4 Teddy Wilson              1:53.937    Holbeach GBR             JHDD
3. 12 James Raven           1:53.963     Portsmouth GBR         DEForce Racing     
4. 24 Benjamin Pedersen  1:54.158     Copenhagen DNK       Global Racing Group     
5. 9 Dakota Dickerson 1:54.425            San Diego Calif.          DC Autosports w/ Cape Motorsport
6. 21 Jacob Loomis         1:54.444         Corinth Texas             Abel Motorsports
7. 77 Matthew Cowley    1:54.457          Manchester GBR        Century Auto Racing
8. 57 Justin Gordon         1:54.476          Lake Worth Fla.          Primus Racing        
9. 34 Austin Kazuba        1:54.778          Burleson Texas           Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport
10. Wyatt Brichacek     1:54.786               Johnstown Colo.         JHDD 

Full Results

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12:10 p.m. Competitors and staff broke for lunch

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2-4 p.m. Competitors gathered for season portraits and media interviews

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The second F4 U.S. testing session started after lunch at 1:05 p.m. Thirty-four participated in the session, however, Braden Eves of Gahanna, Ohio, experienced transponder issues and didn’t record time. Several off-track excursions, minimized track-time for the F4 U.S. drivers.  Wilson’s pace carried over from the first practice, capturing fast lap and beating the fastest practice lap record from last season by nearly two seconds.

1. 4 Teddy Wilson          1:53.806                  Holbeach GBR         JHDD
2. 9 Dakota Dickerson    1:54.092 0.286        San Diego Calif.       DC Autosports w/ Cape Motors
3. 12 James Raven           1:54.427 0.621        Portsmouth GBR     DEForce Racing        
4. 94 Jordan Dempsey     1:54.521 715       Mullingar IRL           Primus Racing
5. 24 Benjamin Pedersen 1:54.711 905       Copenhagen DNK    Global Racing Group  
6. 21 Jacob Loomis           1:54.882 076       Corinth Texas          Abel Motorsports    
7. 5 Wyatt Brichacek      1:54.917 111        Johnstown Colo.     JHDD
8. 93 Cameron O'Conner 1:54.976 170       Johannesburg ZAF Group-A Racing        
9. 22 Jacob Abel               1:55.015 209       Louisville Ky.           Abel Motorsports    
10. 57 Justin Gordon          1:55.105 299       Lake Worth Fla.       Primus Racing        

Full Results

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Quotes from Practice

Teddy Wilson, Jay Howard Driver Development- The track is nothing like I’ve ever drove before. The elevation changes throughout made it extremely enjoyable but also very challenging. The pace that the team had today has been extremely promising and I am looking forward to getting my first qualifying session in cars.

Jacob Abel, Abel Motorsports- Overall the day was very successful. We learned a lot both in set up and driving. In the off-season, we tested and added new personnel to the team which has made us even stronger. This is the first full season that I will have a teammate. The feedback Jacob and I give to one another has been a big help in developing for the season. To say that I’m excited for the rest of the weekend and the 2018 season would be an understatement.

Jacob Loomis, Abel Motorsports- The start of the weekend has been very successful. The team worked hard to get us up to speed very quickly. Our pace is strong and I’m excited for the weekend. Big thanks to Optima Anesthesia and Abel Motorsports for this mega opportunity.

Results 

Photos