Darren Keane topped the times on the opening day of the inaugural weekend of racing for the Formula 4 United States Championship powered by Honda. JDX Racing’s Kean bested the 14-car field with a lap of 1:29.155.

Qualifying and the first race is set for Saturday, with two additional races on Sunday.

Offering drivers as young as 15 the chance to take their first steps from karting into the world of open-wheel racing, competitors are also offered the unique opportunity to earn points towards an FIA superlicense. Once a competitor reaches 40 superlicense points and becomes at least 18 years old, they can qualify and apply to race in Formula 1.

“Today solidified that F4 U.S. is the environment where I want to build my business,” declared Phil Picard, Momentum Motorsports team owner. “SCCA Pro Racing worked at the top levels of professionalism. Max Crawford from Crawford Composite was on site with parts, Honda was available for accessible support and Speedcom was here with radios. Everyone worked together to create a great experience. We couldn’t be happier with our car’s performance. If the whole season goes like this, we will be very successful.”

Friday times: