F4 US: Series in motion

Last year, SCCA Pro Racing announced the launch of the Formula 4 United States Championship powered by Honda, a series aimed at bringing the burgeoning F4 entry-level concept to North America.

The series, which would use a new and affordable FIA-certified chassis designed by Crawford Composites, plus a powerful, 160hp Honda engine, was set to launch in 2016 with a five-stop, 15-race season. But, as it turns out, building a new championship from scratch comes not without challenges.

Interest in the series – targeted, in part, toward racers moving from the likes of karts to racecars – was immediately high. By December 2015, just three months after the initial announcement, Crawford Composites had sent out nearly 100 racecar purchase agreements. During that time, development of the brand new F4 car progressed, but not at the speed hoped. The result? The F4 series kickoff slated for May 2016 was delayed; instead, the season would open at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July. This shift, according to SCCA Pro Racing's president and CEO, Derrick Walker, was necessary and fair. "We felt it was important that all drivers who want to participate in the F4 United States Championship be given a chance to do so," he says.

Fast forward to July 2-3. The opening triple-header weekend saw 14 competitors take to the Mid-Ohio circuit in their newly-constructed F4 racecars, with one driver quickly becoming the man to beat. But while Konrad Czaczyk won all three rounds, he wasn't the only one drawing attention. Elsewhere in the field, 16-year-old Darren Keane was in the midst of a steep, trial-by-fire learning curve shifting from karts to formula cars, yet it didn't take him long to nose his way forward.

"I was quickest in practice and second in qualifying," Keane notes. Race one and three saw him starting in second place, while in race two he held the pole. Being his first throw at formula cars, however, mistakes were made, and only one of the races saw Keane on the podium. It was a huge learning experience, but that's exactly what F4 is all about – adding racecraft and consistency to raw speed and potential.

"Hopefully I'll get more comfortable with the car and we can start chasing the championship down this year," says Keane, with both an excited and cautious tone. "But if the championship's not attainable this time around, we'll look at running another year of Formula 4."

To accelerate the process, Keane, alongside fellow JDX Racing teammate Blake Mount, headed up to test prior to the second F4 race weekend. "In most karts you can slam your foot on the gas," Keane notes, pulling from 10 years of karting experience. "If the F4 car is set
up right, you can do that here, too."

With Formula 4 in motion, it could very well become the juggernaut many hope, not just because of the support of Honda and Pirelli, but also thanks to the mindset of the racers. From Czaczyk, to Mount, to Keane and beyond, many young racers contesting the F4 United States Championship are bringing more than youth and enthusiasm; they're also bringing hard work, ambition, patience and talent, and, like the series itself, no one is about to take their foot off the gas.