Series newcomers pressure top F4 U.S. Championship drivers
In 1959, Sebring International Raceway hosted the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. New Zealand native and F1 legend Bruce McLaren claimed his maiden victory during the first and only occasion the race was held at the home of the 12 Hour, setting a Guinness Record as the youngest driver to win a world championship Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Now 60 years later, the first rung of the Formula 1 ladder, the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda, returns to the 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course that is famous for its bumpy surface. With history repeating itself, the New Zealand team of Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsport returned to Sebring following in the footsteps of one of the greatest Kiwi drivers of all time, putting all three of its drivers in the top five in qualifying.
After being fastest in both official practices, Crosslink/Kiwi driver Jose Blanco snagged the fastest lap and set a new track record in qualifying on Friday with a time of 2:13.641, earning his first Cameron Das Fast Qualifier Award presented by Druck honors of the season. The Puerto Rican pilot will start pole position for the first race of a tripleheader weekend on Saturday.
“It was a very good session and went exactly to plan,” said Blanco. “I am so happy to get my first pole position of the season. It’s been going really well all weekend. The car’s been fantastic and the Crosslink/Kiwi crew has been working really hard. We were able to put it all together today.”
Five different F4 U.S. drivers held the top spot throughout the 20-minute qualifying, shortened due to weather, with the top times only separated by about six tenths of a second. Current vice champion Kiko Porto finished the day with the second-fastest time (2:13.929) to share the front row with Blanco.
“My qualifying started well and got a P2 start,” Porto said, who trails Joshua Car by 61 points in the championship. “I am looking for a good start tomorrow to maximize points for the championship. My goal is to win podiums to make good points and close the championship gap.”
Championship-leader Joshua Car finished the day with a flying lap of 2:14.061. The Australian native will start point on Row 2 with DEForce Racing’s Guilherme Peixoto starting next to the Crosslink/Kiwi driver. Brazilian Arthur Leist and series newcomer Reece Gold round out the top-six.
Driving for DC Autosport with Cape Motorsports, Gold turned the fastest lap in qualifying out of the five new drivers joining the roster at Sebring. Turning 15 years old at the beginning of September, Gold brings a pretty impressive racing resume to the F4 U.S. lineup
Winning top karting events and championships like the SKUSA Summer Nationals in the X30 Junior class, Gold has transitioned from karts to cars he raced both karts and cars, scoring five victories in 16 races on the Lucas Oil School of Racing program. Gold now drives full time for the Cape Motorsports USF2000 team and is running in the top-10 in the championship.
“My first weekend here in F4 went well,” said Gold. “I am happy with a P6 start and the car felt good. We made some adjustments to make me a lot more comfortable and used to it. The Sebring track is bumpy but it’s a lot of fun.”
The F4 U.S. Championship drivers kick off their first of three races on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. followed by a second 30-minute race at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Fans will have the chance to meet all 28 F4 U.S. drivers during the Fan Walk on Pit Lane from 12:30 to 12:50 p.m. Eastern. The weekend culminates on Sunday with the final race at 10:30 a.m. For live timing and scoring, event photos and post-race video updates, visit F4USChampionship.com.
