Reger and Forcier win at F4 US season-opener

Defending F4 U.S. team champion JDX Racing extended its winning streak to 10 wins with rookie Timo Reger chased home by Global Racing Group pairing of Benjamin Pedersen and Jacob Loomis third.

Reger started second on the grid behind Pedersen but from the start he pressured the polesitter and soon drafted past, going on to lead every lap. In the Jay Howard’s Motorsport Driver Development car, Sam Paley exchanged positions with Baltazar Leguizamon and Loomis several times before he set his eyes on Pedersen. He got his chance soon after a restart, but Pedersen used Paley’s draft to retake second. Paley’s challenge faded after overcorrecting in Turn 2 trying to dodge a spin by Leguizamon. The non-contact incident would cause a yellow which remained out for the duration of the 30-minute race.

Jordan Sherratt, who had been relegated to the back of the grid when his Crosslink Racing car failed post-qualifying tech due to improper ride height, came through the 33-car field to finish seventh and earn himself P3 on the grid for Race 2.

While the rookies shone, returning F4 U.S. competitors had several complications throughout the day. Kyle Kirkwood retired from with mechanical issues, Skylar Robinson lost two laps after a first-lap shunt, Konrad Czaczyk of Jupiter, Florida, suffered a mechanical issue during qualifying which impeded the last year’s championship runner-up from starting Race 1.

Raphael Forcier of Montreal claimed the second race of the weekend, after the start was delayed due to bad weather. But there would only be seven laps of green-flag running due to several incidents. Between yellow flags, Reger climbed to second, with JDX teammate Waddell third, before the race finished under yellow.

Reger scored his second victory of the weekend in Race 3.

“It was amazing to come home with another victory. I couldn’t ask for a better start to the season,” said Reger. “[Team owner] Jeremy Dale and the whole JDX Racing crew is a great team. We’ve made a lot of progress with the car. It’s going to be a phenomenal season.”

Reger started on the inside of Row 3 in fifth place, behind polesitter Austin Kaszuba, Brendon Leitch, Mathias Soler-Obel and Jim Goughary Jr. An incident in Turn 8 slowed traffic on the first lap but a yellow would not be thrown until Lap 2 when Jett Noland and Alan Miller tangled in the Esses. The accident caused Goughary to lose position as he got caught in slow traffic.

After the green flag reappeared, Reger started making progress so that by Lap 9, he was able to slingshot onto the high-bank, passing Soler-Obel for P2 and a lap later, passing the erstwhile leader, Leitch. Kaszuba took second with Forcier climbing from seventh to third.

The series will resume June 10-12 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.