Photo: US F4
Cooper Shipman extended his unbeaten run in United States Formula 4 during its trip to Mosport in Canada last weekend.
The Kiwi Motorsport driver was a second faster than anyone in practice, and still had a 0.677-second advantage in qualifying. MLT Motorsports’ Alex Popow was second, and Kiwi’s Oliver Savoie was third despite being 1.9s off the pace.
Only five drivers on the eight-car entry list set flying laps, and three picked up five-place grid penalties including debutant Savoie.
Popow drove around the outside of Shipman at the opening corner of race one, and Kekai Hauanio had risen from sixth to third after going down Clemente Huerta’s inside at turn three. A huge crash for Savoie at turn eight that ripped off the rear of his car then neutralised racing, with drivers waiting until lap six for the restart.
A one-second gap was built by Popow within a lap of racing, but Shipman closed back in. He was alongside at the end of the back straight on lap nine, then went around the outside of him there on lap 11 to reclaim the lead. After that he pulled away to win by 4.264s, while the battle for third heated up.
Huerta began pressuring Hauanio on lap 14 of 19, getting very close on the Mario Andretti straight, and tried passing on the inside into lap eight a lap later but could not pull off the move. He was alongside again on lap 17, and this time passed before the corner. Shortly after, Hauanio went off on the pit straight and dropped back.
Having set the fastest lap, Huerta got to start race two from pole ahead of Shipman, Popow and Hauanio.
After a confusing first lap, Huerta had a gap to Huanaio, Popow and Shipman. Savoie went off on lap three, as Demitri Nolan tried passing Luke Powers for sixth.
The lead group compressed on lap four, and Shipman got to the inside of Popow and ahead before the esses.
Hauanio snuck ahead of Huerta a lap later, and Shipman was able to slipstream past too. Popow was next to clear Huerta on lap six, and Shipman took the lead on the outside down the back straight.
He then pulled away, leaving a three-way fight for second. Huerta looked to reclaim third on lap 13, and the trio ended lap 15 side-by-side. Popow got ahead, and Huerta then attacked Hauanio until crashing out at turn one on lap 18. That triggered a caution period that ran to the end, and guaranteeing victory for Shipman.
Huerta missed race three, which Shipman led lights-to-flag after a frantic first lap. Popow was side-by-side with him for a bit but ran out of room to get ahead, then Hauanio overtook him at Moss Corner.
Popow reclaimed second at the end of the back straight, but lost it again on lap 14.
Nolan took fourth from Powers in the esses on lap four, then Campbell harassed him until a wide moment at turn three meant he eased past on lap six.
Campbell then hunted down Nolan, passing him into turn one on lap 11, while Powers retired in the pits.
Results round-up
Race 1 (19 laps)
1 Cooper Shipman Kiwi Motorsport 30m33.362s
2 Alex Popow MLT Motorsports +4.264s
3 Clemente Huerta Kiwi Motorsport +4.884s
4 Kekai Hauanio Crosslink Competition +6.439s
5 Caleb Campbell LC Racing Academy +11.409s
6 Demitri Nolan Crosslink Competition +30.722s
7 Luke Powers Toney Driver Development +40.354s
Ret Oliver Savoie Kiwi Motorsport
Pole: Shipman, 1m19.708s
Fastest lap: Huerta, 1m20.623s
Race 2 (19 laps)
1 Shipman 27m57.575s
2 Popow +0.206s
3 Hauanio +1.085s
4 Powers +1.697s
5 Nolan +2.834s
6 Campbell +3.579s
7 Savoie +4.800s
8 Huerta +2 laps
FL: Shipman, 1m20.692s
Race 3 (22 laps)
1 Shipman 30m03.429s
2 Hauanio +4.359s
3 Popow +6.555s
4 Campbell +15.294s
5 Nolan +29.309s
6 Savoie +48.322s
Ret Powers
DNS Huerta
FL: Shipman, 1m20.710s
Championship standings
1 Shipman 248.5 2 Hauanio 201.5 3 Popow 180 4 Campbell 127 5 Huerta 126.5 6 Nolan 91 7 Ty Arbogast 53.5 8 Powers 33 9 Conor Grant 14 10 Savoie 14