2024 Formula Regional Americas Championship Explained

The 2024 Formula Regional Americas Championship was the seventh season of a FIA-sanctioned F3 series across North America, and the fifth season under the Formula Regional moniker after a rebrand in 2020. The series was promoted by SCCA Pro Racing, the professional racing division of the Sports Car Club of America.

2023 F4 US champion Patrick Woods-Toth won the Drivers' Championship with three races to spare in his debut season. His team, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports - the only multi-car team bar the last round - defended their Teams' Championship title, claiming it in the first race of round five.

Teams and drivers

All drivers competed with Ligier JS F3 cars on Hankook tires. All teams were American-registered. After having used Honda powertrains for all of its history, the series originally planned a switch to using Ligier 1.65-litre V4 ‘Storm’ engines in 2024.[1] This switch, however, did not occur as the series used a Mountune engine based on the previous Honda power unit.[2]

Team DriverRounds
Jensen Global Advisors1 Theodor Jensen[3] 3
Jake Pollack[4] 7
IGY6 Motorsports3 Bruno Ribeiro7
22 Hayden BowlsbeyAll
Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports6 Nicole Havrda[5] All
14 Alex Benavitz[6] 1
24 Kevin Janzen[7] nowrap1–4, 6–7
25 Ricco Shlaimoun[8] All
27 Patrick Woods-Toth1–6
31 Titus SherlocknowrapAll, NC
66 Ryan Shehan[9] 1–4, NC
73nowrap Landan Matriano LimAll, NC
02 Jett Bowling[10] All, NC
DD Autosport11 Cole Kleck[11] [12] 1, 7
Speed Factory17 Justin Garat1–5
Toney Driver Development38 Hailie Deegan[13] 7
80 Brady Golan7
Velox USA55 Nicolas Ambiado1–5, 7
Atlantic Racing Team77 James Lawley[14] All
Momentum Motorsports07 Anthony Autiello[15] 1, 3, 6–7

Race calendar

The 2024 calendar was announced on 4 October 2023. The championship did not visit Virginia International Raceway as it did the year before, but instead debuted at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. The number of championship races increased from 18 to 19, as the events at Mid-Ohio and COTA only held two races each.[17] FR Americas also held a non-championship invitational event at Laguna Seca, visiting the Western US for the first time.[18]

RoundCircuitDateSupport billMap of circuit locations
1R1 NOLA Motorsports Park, Avondale13 AprilSVRA Sprint Series
Trans-Am Series
TA2 Series
Ligier JS F4 Series
R214 April
R3
NCR1 Laguna Seca, Monterey4 MaySVRA Sprint Series
Trans-Am Series
R25 May
2R1 Road America, Elkhart Lake18 MayRoad America SpeedTour
SVRA Sprint Series
Formula 4 United States Championship
Ligier JS F4 Series
R2
R319 May
3R1 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway15 JuneIndy SpeedTour
SVRA Sprint Series
Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy USA
Formula First USA
R216 June
R3
4R1 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington22 JuneSVRA Sprint Series
Formula 4 United States Championship
R223 June
5R1 New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville27 JulySVRA Sprint Series
Atlantic Championship
Formula 4 United States Championship
Ligier JS F4 Series
R228 July
R3
6R1 Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Bowmanville30 AugustNascar Canada Series
Trans-Am Series
TA2 Series
Formula 4 United States Championship
R231 August
R31 September
7R1 Circuit of the Americas, Austin1 NovemberSVRA Sprint Series
Formula 4 United States Championship
R22 November

Race results

RoundCircuitPole positionFastest lapWinning driverWinning team
1R1 NOLA Motorsports Park Patrick Woods-Toth Cole Kleck Cole KleckDD Autosport
R2 Ryan Shehan Patrick Woods-TothCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R3 Patrick Woods-Toth Ryan ShehanCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
NCR1 Laguna Seca Titus Sherlockno starters
R2 Jett Bowling Ryan Shehan Titus SherlockCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
2R1 Road America Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-TothCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R2 Titus Sherlock Titus SherlockCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R3 Titus Sherlock Titus SherlockCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
3R1 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-TothCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R2 Patrick Woods-Toth Ryan ShehanCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R3 Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-TothCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
4R1 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Patrick Woods-Toth Nicolas Ambiado Ryan ShehanCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R2 Patrick Woods-Toth Ryan ShehanCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
5R1 New Jersey Motorsports Park Patrick Woods-Toth Nicolas Ambiado Titus SherlockCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R2 Nicolas Ambiado Nicolas AmbiadoVelox USA
R3 Nicolas Ambiado Patrick Woods-TothCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
6R1 Canadian Tire Motorsports Park Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-TothCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R2 Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-TothCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R3 Patrick Woods-Toth Patrick Woods-TothCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
7R1 Circuit of the Americas Titus Sherlock Titus Sherlock Titus SherlockCrosslink Kiwi Motorsports
R2 Bruno Ribeiro Bruno RibeiroIGY6 Motorsports

Season report

First half

The season opener at NOLA Motorsports Park attracted 15 cars, a number last reached in 2020, and Crosslink Kiwi’s Patrick Woods-Toth took pole position for the first race. DD Autosport’s Cole Kleck started fourth, but rose to second through the first five corners to take the lead by turn six. Two cars stopping on track then caused a stoppage, and Kleck led Woods-Toth and Velox USA’s Nicolas Ambiado home after the restart. Race two started with Kleck in first, before Crosslink Kiwi’s Titus Sherlock took the lead. He then made a mistake and dropped down the order, before another red flag came out. Woods-Toth got past Kleck on the restart and won, with IGY6’s Hayden Bowlsbey third. Race three saw Crosslink Kiwi’s Ryan Shehan take a lights-to-flag victory as Bowlsbey, Kleck, Woods-Toth and his teammate Jett Bowling took turns battling for the positions behind. That brought no new faces to the podium, as Woods-Toth and Kleck came out on top in the end. This handed the Canadian a narrow three-point championship lead over Kleck.[19]

Four drivers, all representing Crosslink Kiwi, participated in the non-championship invitational round at Laguna Seca. This event was part of the SVRA Sprint Series, featuring competitors from various single-seater classes. Two qualifying sessions determined the grid for the two races, with Sherlock and Bowling each securing a pole position. Due to worsening weather conditions before the first race, the four Formula Regional drivers opted out to avoid potential crashes and budget losses. The weather improved for the second race, where Bowling immediately lost the lead to Sherlock. The latter then extended his advantage while Bowling spun while trying to lap slower competitors, allowing Shehan to overtake him. Landan Matriano Lim, trailing by an additional ten seconds, completed the Formula Regional quartet.[20]

The championship resumed at Road America, where Woods-Toth secured pole position once more. He maintained his lead against an initial challenge from Sherlock, who later fell to third behind Ambiado. Sherlock reclaimed second place after three laps, but by that point, Woods-Toth had already built a lead, which he then maintained to win. In race two, the competition between Woods-Toth and Sherlock for the victory intensified, with Sherlock emerging as the leader after five laps of duelling. A subsequent off-track excursion forced Woods-Toth to pit. He rejoined a lap down, leaving Sherlock to finish ahead of teammates Shehan and Nicole Havrda. In the third race, Sherlock started from pole and held off Shehan at the start and again following a mid-race restart, securing another victory with Havrda in third place. Woods-Toth, who started third, spun and retired on lap seven. Only half points were awarded for race three, reducing the impact of his non-finish, but he still lost his championship lead to Shehan, who now led by three points.[21]

In round four of the series, the competition marked its inaugural appearance at IMS. Woods-Toth secured pole position once again, with Shehan closely trailing for most of the first race but unable to mount a successful challenge, allowing Woods-Toth to claim his third victory of the season. Theodor Jensen, debuting for Jensen GA, finished in third place. The second race featured the same front row, but Sherlock, starting from third, overtook Shehan early on to move into second place. He later took the lead during a mid-race restart after Woods-Toth was spun around by Shehan. A mechanical issue for Sherlock allowed Shehan to claim victory, leading Bowling and Havrda. In race three, Woods-Toth managed to fend off Shehan before the race was interrupted by a red flag following a crash involving Crosslink Kiwi teammates Lim and Ricco Shlaimoun. With only seven laps completed after the restart, half points were awarded, with Woods-Toth winning ahead of Shehan and Bowling. This preserved Shehan's three-point championship lead.[22]

Second half

The second half of the season commenced with a double-header at Mid-Ohio. During practice, Sherlock experienced a brake failure that resulted in hospitalisation and his subsequent withdrawal from the weekend's races. Woods-Toth secured pole position for the first race, but Shehan quickly overtook him at the start and maintained the lead for the entirety of the race. Despite Woods-Toth closing the gap, he was unable to mount a challenge. Ambiado held third place until mechanical issues forced his retirement, allowing Bowling to claim the spot. In the second race, Ambiado started from pole, but Shehan once again demonstrated superior pace at the start, taking the lead and replicating his performance to complete a double victory. Woods-Toth finished third, leaving him 23.5 points behind Shehan in the standings.[23]

Ahead of the fifth round at New Jersey Motorsports Park, championship leader Shehan announced his withdrawal from the series due to financial constraints. During qualifying, Woods-Toth secured pole position, but in the first race, Sherlock overtook him at the start. The race remained closely contested, with Ambiado challenging Woods-Toth for second place. On the final lap, Ambiado overtook Woods-Toth to claim second. In race two, Ambiado started from pole, while Sherlock made an impressive start from fourth, passing Bowling and Woods-Toth to secure second place. Ambiado dominated the race, winning by over ten seconds, with the top three positions unchanged. The third race saw Ambiado again start on pole, but Woods-Toth had the best start, taking the lead. Sherlock retired after he got caught between Woods-Toth and Bowlsbey and made contact. Despite persistent pressure from Ambiado, Woods-Toth held on to win, followed by Ambiado and Bowling, regaining his championship lead by 31.5 points over the absent Shehan.[24]

Round six saw the series host its inaugural event outside the United States at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Woods-Toth secured pole position for the opening race and successfully defended his lead from Sherlock at both the start and a mid-race restart following a caution, ultimately claiming victory. Bowling completed the podium in third, with the top five drivers finishing in their starting order. In the second race, the podium remained unchanged, as Sherlock dominated to take an unchallenged win, securing the drivers’ championship on home soil. The third race saw Woods-Toth on pole again, with Sherlock pressuring him early on. Bowlsbey overtook Bowling for third and joined the battle for the lead, but a mistake for Sherlock dropped him down the order. Woods-Toth controlled the rest of the race to take a third win, while Bowling reclaimed second from Bowlsbey at the final corner. Woods-Toth’s triple win saw him extend his championship lead to 106.5 points, with four drivers still in contention for second place.[25]

Champion Woods-Toth elected not to enter the final two races at COTA. Sherlock secured pole position and maintained his lead at the start of the first race. Brady Golan, debuting with Toney Driver Development, initially took second place but was soon overtaken by returnee Kleck. Golan then retired, promoting Bowling to third who then took second off Kleck. With more than half the race run under yellow flag conditions, only half points were awarded. In the second race, held in the wet, Golan and Sherlock contested the lead before Bruno Ribeiro of IGY6 Motorsports overtook both within two laps, claiming his first career victory in just his second race. Golan finished second, and Havrda secured third. With Sherlock sixth and Bowling retiring, Shehan maintained second place in the championship standings despite having missed eight races.[26]

In the 17 races he contested, Woods-Toth secured eight victories and achieved six additional podium finishes, clinching his second consecutive junior single-seater championship. The season's narrative was marked by the abrupt withdrawal of his primary rival, Shehan, who exited the competition after a streak of seven consecutive top-two finishes had briefly propelled him into the championship lead at Mid-Ohio. With Shehan’s departure, Woods-Toth faced minimal opposition in the remaining rounds, as the next closest challenger trailed by nearly 80 points. Off the track, the championship faced a significant setback with the loss of its Honda title sponsorship, which also eliminated the $600,000 scholarship for the champion—a factor cited in Shehan’s decision to conclude his season prematurely.

Championship standings

Points were awarded as follows:

Position 1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  10th 
Points251815121086421

Drivers' standings

PosDriverNOL
LAG
ROA
IMS
MOH
NJM
MOS
COA
Pts
R1R2R3NCR1R2R3R1R2R3R1R2R1R2R3R1R2R3R1R2
1 Patrick Woods-Toth212112†Ret16123331111294.5
2 Ryan Shehan541DNS242221211188
3 Jett BowlingRet55DNS3Ret6Ret423354433322Ret186.5
4 Titus Sherlock4114DNS121112Ret6WDWD12Ret22916185
5 Nicolas Ambiado310DNS347597Ret221284154
6 Nicole Havrda7612†53383466Ret7875673139.5
7 Hayden Bowlsbey63Ret756Ret512†44564693512137
8 Landan Matriano LimRet137DNS41085711Ret7Ret6554DNS410884.5
9 James Lawley1171081010RetRet8978865456584.5
10 Cole Kleck1233771.5
11 Justin Garat8866746711†59WDWDWD62
12 Ricco Shlaimoun9Ret8119898Ret8879710679Ret54
13 Theodor Jensen34532
14 Bruno Ribeiro4131
15 Kevin JanzenRetRet9911911Ret910108781213†22
16 Brady GolanRet218
17 Anthony Autiello1091110101098Ret131111.5
18 Jake PollackRet92
19 Hailie Deegan11101
Alex BenavitzRetRetDNS0
PosDriverR1R2R3NCR1R2R3R1R2R3R1R2R1R2R3R1R2R3R1R2Pts
NOL
LAG
ROA
IMS
MOH
NJM
MOS
COA
Bold – Pole

Italics – Fastest Lap

† — Did not finish, but classified

Teams' standings

Only a teams' two best-finishing cars are eligible for teams' championship points.

PosDriverNOL
LAG
ROA
IMS
MOH
NJM
MOS
COA
Pts
R1R2R3NCR1R2R3R1R2R3R1R2R1R2R3R1R2R3R1R2
1Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports211DNS11111111112111113694.5
442DNS22222222333322226
2IGY6 Motorsports63Ret756Ret512†4456469341168
512
3Velox USA310DNS347597Ret221284154
4Atlantic Racing Team1171081010RetRet8978865456584.5
5DD Autosport1233771.5
6Speed Factory8866746711†59WDWDWD62
7Jensen Global Advisors346Ret934
8Toney Driver Development11219
Ret10
9Momentum Motorsports1091110101098Ret131111.5
PosDriverR1R2R3NCR1R2R3R1R2R3R1R2R1R2R3R1R2R3R1R2Pts
NOL
LAG
ROA
IMS
MOH
NJM
MOS
COA

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2022-05-25 . Ligier unveils design for F4 Gen2 car to be used in America . 2022-10-10 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  2. Web site: Series . Feeder . 2024-10-17 . Ryan Shehan opens up on mid-season FR Americas exit from points lead . 2024-11-26 . Feeder Series . en.
  3. Web site: 2024 FR Americas Championship Entry List Rounds 7-9 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 2024-04-10. en.
  4. Web site: A . Ashleigh . 2024-10-04 . Jake Pollack Graduates to FR Americas For Season Finale . 2024-10-04 . FR Americas Championship . en.
  5. Web site: A . Ashleigh . 2024-02-08 . More Than a Dozen Drivers Awarded Support from PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship . 2024-02-09 . FR Americas Championship . en.
  6. Web site: 8 April 2024 . Alex Benavitz on Instagram: "I’m very excited to announce that I will be competing in the 2024 FIA Formula Regional Americas championship with @kiwimotorsportnz" . 8 April 2024 . Instagram.
  7. Web site: Three Returning Drivers to Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport for 2024 FR Americas Campaign – Crosslink Competition . 2024-04-05 . www.crosslinkmotorsports.com.
  8. Web site: Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Announces Two New Drivers for 2024 Season – Crosslink Competition . 2024-03-29 . www.crosslinkmotorsports.com.
  9. Web site: Media . R. T. D. . 2024-02-22 . RYAN SHEHAN RETURNS TO CROSSLINK KIWI MOTORSPORT AND FR AMERICAS PROGRAM IN 2024 . 2024-02-22 . RTD Media . en-US.
  10. Web site: 2024-04-09 . Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Brings Thirteen to FR Americas and JSF4 Season Opener . RTD Media.
  11. Web site: 2024 FR Americas Championship Entry List Rounds 1-3 at NOLA Motorsports Park . 2024-04-10. en.
  12. Web site: 2024 FR Americas Championship Entry List Rounds 18 - 19 at Circuit of the Americas . 2024-10-28. en.
  13. Web site: 8 April 2024 . TDD Announces two entries into the season finale at COTA, Hailie Deagan and Brady Golan will pilot 2 FR Americas Ligier JSF3 cars. . 1 October 2024. Instagram.
  14. Web site: 2023-11-14 . Atlantic Racing Team Announces Plans for 2024; James Lawley to Return to Drivers Seat . 2024-01-04 . F4 U.S. Championships . en.
  15. Web site: A . Ashleigh . 2024-03-25 . Momentum Motorsports Adds Anthony Autiello to FR Americas Driver Lineup . 2024-03-26 . FR Americas Championship . en.
  16. Web site: FORMULA REGIONAL AMERICAS JENSEN . 2024-10-28 . Jensen Global Advisors . en.
  17. Web site: 2023-10-03 . FR Americas, F4 U.S. and Ligier JS F4 Series Unveil 2024 Schedule . 2023-10-04 . FR Americas Championship . en.
  18. Web site: Anequini . Laura . 2024-04-09 . Formula Regional Americas: 2024 season guide . 2024-04-09 . Feeder Series . en.
  19. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2024-04-14 . Patrick Woods-Toth starts FRegional Americas season on top at NOLA . 2024-11-08 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  20. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2024-05-06 . Sherlock wins FRegional Americas' non-championship Laguna Seca race . 2024-11-12 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  21. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2024-05-19 . Sherlock wins as Shehan gets FRegional Americas lead at Road America . 2024-11-13 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  22. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2024-06-16 . Woods-Toth wins twice on FRegional Americas' first trip to the Brickyard . 2024-11-18 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  23. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2024-06-23 . Shehan grows FRegional Americas lead with Mid-Ohio double . 2024-11-21 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  24. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2024-07-28 . Ambiado, Sherlock and Woods-Toth win in FRegional Americas at NJMP . 2024-11-22 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  25. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2024-09-01 . Woods-Toth wins FRegional Americas' first races in Canada, and the title . 2024-11-25 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  26. Web site: Scout . Formula . 2024-11-03 . Sherlock and Ribeiro end FRegional Americas season with COTA wins . 2024-11-26 . Formula Scout . en-US.