Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
The United States Formula 4 championhip had a dramatic weekend at Mid-Ohio, with the first big moment being the cancellation of qualifying due to rain.
That meant the points standings set the order of the grid for race one, although there was an inclination of who would be quick as two practice sessions were held. JHDD’s Frankie Mossman set the pace in the first with a 2m06.689s lap, as only nine drivers recorded flying laps, while International Motorsports’ Augusto Soto-Schirripa set a 2m22.406s to top the times in the wet FP2.
The field headed out with slick tyres for race one, but rain on the formation lap and several drivers going off led to everyone being called back to the pits to put on grooved tyres. There was then a delay of over 30 minutes before drivers left the pits to actually race, with a rolling start procedure on what was now a drying but foggy track.
Championship leader Patrick Woods-Toth had pole and led into turn one but Michael Costello was ahead before turn two as two drivers went off and another had to go to the pits with suspension damage, neccessitating a caution period.
Racing resumed on lap four and the top two of Costello and Alex Berg broke away while Augusto Soto-Schirripa got spun around as he tried to join the battle for third.
That meant another caution on lap six, and on the lap eight restart Lewis Hodgson passed Berg around the outside of turn one for second place while a big battle occurred behind.
Costello won the nine-lapper by 3.463 seconds over Berg, with only half-points awarde, and Hodgson was just behind in third while Woods-Toth finished fifth.
Those results help set the race two grid, with Costello and Soto-Schirripa on the front row. The latter took the lead around the outside of turn one on the opening lap and went on to win, with Berg taking second from Costello at turn four.
Costell reclaimed second at the same corner on lap nine, then chased down Soto-Schirripa while Berg fell to fifth behind Wood-Toth and Titus Sherlock.
Setting the fastest lap in race two meant Sherlock had race three pole ahead of Costello and Soto-Schirripa. It was the latter who looked set to win until Woods-Toth passed him for the lead on the penultimate lap and finished 1.533s clear.
Results round-up
Race 1 (9 laps)
1 Michael Costello JHDD 20m45.042s
2 Alex Berg Doran Motorsports Group +3.463s
3 Lewis Hodgson Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsport +3.836s
4 Daniel Cara Cara Origin Motorsports +5.078s
5 Patrick Woods-Toth Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsport +5.647s
6 Garrett Dettman Momentum Motorsports +5.875s
7 Jesse Lacey Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsport +6.389s
8 Luciano Martinez Scuderia Buell +6.750s
9 Tanner Defabis JHDD +7.112s
10 Tyke Durst Gonella Racing +7.680s
Fastest lap: Costello, 1m36.627s
Race 2 (21 laps)
1 Augusto Soto-Schirripa International Motorports 31m02.356s
2 Costello +0.448s
3 Woods-Toth +5.934s
4 Titus Sherlock Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsport +7.563s
5 Berg +11.791s
6 Cara +12.490s
7 Hogdson +17.895s
8 Lacey +25.412s
9 Logan Adams JHDD +29.517s
10 Alex Benavitz Crosslink/Kiwi Motorspot +30.516s
FL: Sherlock, 1m27.263s
Race 3 (17 laps)
1 Woods-Toth
2 Soto-Schirripa +1.533s
3 Hodgson +2.313s
4 Berg +5.573s
5 Frankie Mosman JHDD +5.686s
6 Costello +6.039s
7 Sherlock +6.160s
8 Durst +7.690s
9 Lacey +7.947s
10 Adams +8.623s
FL: Woods-Toth, 1m28.201s
Championship standings
1 Woods-Toth 135.5 2 Costello 93 3 Lacey 77.5 4 Berg 74.5 5 Sherlock 57 6 Hodgson 55.5 7 Jimmie Lockhart 50 8 Soto-Schirripa 50 9 Mossman 45.5 10 Bennett 37