AVONDALE, La. (April 10, 2026) — With the first round at NOLA Motorsports Park underway, drivers from Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas), Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) and Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) shared their thoughts on what they expect from the 2026 season.
Cooper Shipman (No. 10 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3), FR Americas:
“I’m really excited to get started with Kiwi Motorsport in FR Americas this weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to get another championship this year, as we come off a record-setting performance in F4 U.S. Championship last season. But there are a lot of good drivers in the series, so we’ll have to work for it. I’m really excited to compete with all these guys, and will hopefully rack up more wins and come away with a championship in the end.”
Aidan Schuh (No. 14 Homes For Our Troops / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3), FR Americas:
“This is my rookie season in FR Americas, but I'm going for the same goal as everyone—going for that championship. I'm just going to try to be consistent and work my way up throughout the season. I'm sure others will make mistakes—I’m sure I will, too—but hopefully I’ll just keep it smooth and stay on track and go for it at the end.”
Jake Pollack (No. 77 Atlantic Racing Team Ligier JS F3), FR Americas:
“It's going to be competitive, especially with all the new drivers coming in. There are some other drivers coming from around the world, so it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m excited for it.”
Kevin Janzen (No. 24 US Power Group/Data Center Solutions / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3), FR Americas Masters Championship:
“I hope to get a little bit more competitive, get some better lap times, learn a bit, and enjoy it. I moved to a new team, and it's been a lot of fun working with them [Crosslink Motorsports] so far. I just want to have a good time out here enjoy myself.”
Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Velox USA / Speed Factory Ligier JS F422), F4 U.S.:
“I want to fight for the championship, win as many races as I can, and get those FIA points. It’s always competitive when you’re talking about FIA racing, but I think it’ll be really good.”
Gastón Irazú (No. 27 Elia Group / Baly / Canal 4 / Ancap / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F422), F4 U.S.:
“I think this year is going to be a very tough competition. I expect that we’ll have about 10 cars, and I think it will be pretty close. Our team has guts, and we are going to give it our all and fight for the championship.”
Zach Fourie (No. 15 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422), F4 U.S.:
“I expect it to be competitive this year; the grid is pretty good. We've got a few people moving up from Ligier JFC—myself included. I think it'll be a good season, and hopefully, it's a good one for me, too.”
AJ Abdullah (No. 21 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4), Ligier JFC:
“I expect to grow a lot as a driver this year—I’m really just getting started in cars, so I’ll have a lot more experience at the end of the season than I have right now. It’s going to be a lot of new things for me to learn competition-wise. I'm sure it'll be pretty good. A lot of these people here have done this for a long time—they know what they're doing. It should be pretty good.”
Ava Hanssen (No. 26 One Powersports / Chiropractic Center of Elkhorn / NGK / Badger Mats Ligier JS F4), Ligier JFC:
“I'm still building, still figuring things out, but now it's no longer my rookie debut; it's focused development. Over the 2026 season, it's going to turn into something complete and competitive.”
Ella White (No. 52 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4), Ligier JFC:
“I think the racing going to be pretty good. The competition level seems pretty high, which is definitely good. I think that it'll be pretty competitive throughout the whole season, which should be really fun to watch and drive with.”
Jack Speth (No. 07 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422), Ligier JFC:
“I expect to be the champion; I think I put in the work and have what it takes. There's a bunch of cars with the new F422 joining Ligier JFC, but there should be a lot of good racing. I'm excited.”
Truly Adams (No. 47 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4), Ligier JFC:
“One of the things I expect this season is just to have a great time out here with [my team] Berg Racing. Hopefully we get to win a lot of races.”
Across the board, drivers are predicting a competitive season with lots of great racing, and it all starts this weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park. Gates open today for Racing America at NOLA with tickets available at the gate or online atRacingAmericaTickets.com. Kids 12 and under are admitted free for the family-friendly event, which includes open paddocks, a Saturday fan walk, the Hagerty Cars and Caffeine Car Show, and three full days of racing.
