Shipman continues streak, wins first two U.S. F4 races at CTMP

Cooper Shipman extended his Formula 4 United States Championship presented by Mosport Karting Centre (F4 U.S.) win streak, taking the victory in Race 2 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Saturday afternoon. In one of the most action-packed races this season, the top four engaged in tight racing and close battles all afternoon, with Shipman (No. 14 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) having to overcome the charges of his championship rivals to eventually emerge with the victory.

Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Velox USA / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) led the field to green after setting the fastest lap in Race 1. Shipman lined up to his outside, but Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422) and Alex Popow (No. 55 Dr. Michael Thompson MS DDS PPLS / MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) put on an early charge, with Hauanio moving to second and Popow to third on the opening lap, while Shipman fell to fourth.

Keeping a level head, it only took Shipman five minutes to restart his forward progress, moving back into third and then setting his sights forward. Meanwhile, Hauanio looked toward Huerta Raab, closing in on the Chilean to take the point. His lead, however, was short lived, as side-by-side racing between Hauanio and Huerta Raab allowed Shipman to reach their gearboxes. Shipman made his way around both drivers to pace the field and begin opening a gap as the clock ticked down.

Behind him, Hauanio, Huerta Raab and Popow continued to dice it up. The trio raced three-wide down the front straight, with Popow racing wide to claim second, and Huerta Raab using the inside line for an overtake. Hauanio was able to slingshot past Huerta Raab in the following corner, and the three raced nose to stern toward the checkered flag. With the white flag in sight, Huerta Raab got loose entering Turn 1, losing control and sailing into the tire barrier. As a result, the safety car brought the field to the checkered flag, with Shipman taking the win, Popow following in second, and Hauanio in third.

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Notes of Interest:

• Cooper Shipman won his sixth race of the 2026 season while extending his championship points lead.
• With six-consecutive victories, Cooper Shipman is now tied with 2017 F4 U.S. champion and current IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood for the second-longest win streak in F4 U.S. history. Cameron Das holds the record with eight-consecutive victories.
• Alex Popow finished second to record his seventh podium of 2025. The Venezuelan American finished on the podium in both of today’s events.
• With a third-place result, Kekai Hauanio secured his ninth podium of the year. Hauanio remains second in the point standings, now trailing Cooper Shipman by 40 points.
• Luke Powers (No. 51 Corporate Commercial Group / Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F422) earned a career-best finish with his fourth-place result.
• Three teams were represented on today’s podium, with Kiwi Motorsport securing the victory, MLT Motorsports taking second, and Crosslink Motorsports finishing third.

“It was a bit of a chaotic start,” said Shipman. “I knew the guys behind me were going to be aggressive with me and try and shuffle me back, but I stayed calm, stayed consistent and made my way back through the field. Then, I controlled my race from the front. I have to thank all of Kiwi Motorsport, Teena [Larsen], Garry [Orton], and both my parents for supporting me and getting me this far.”

Race 1

Cooper Shipman won the opening Formula 4 United States Championship presented by Mosport Karting Centre (F4 U.S.) race of the Labour Day Weekend Sprints at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Saturday morning to extend his win streak to five. After sweeping the last two events, Shipman (No. 14 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) has momentum on his side as he races toward the 2025 championship title and a scholarship to compete in Formula Regional America Championship (FR Americas) next season.

Starting the race on the pole position, Shipman faced an immediate challenge from Alex Popow (No. 55 Dr. Michael Thompson MS DDS PPLS / MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422), who had a great start from the outside pole to charge around the outside and to the race lead as the field raced through the first turn. An early caution prevented Shipman from making forward progress, but a restart a few minutes later gave him another shot at the lead. Popow was initially able to hold the position, but Shipman consistently chipped away at the gap and zeroed in on Popow’s gearbox as the race neared the 20-minute mark.

Overtaking Popow in Turn 8, Shipman turned his focus out front to start building a gap toward the checkered flag. Behind him, Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422) had climbed to third after starting in the back following an accident in yesterday’s practice, which caused him to miss qualifying. With Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Velox USA / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) in fourth, the Chilean was focused on Hauanio’s rear wing and looking for a way around. The two had a cat-and-mouse type battle for the final 10 minutes of the race, with Huerta Raab finally completing the pass around the outside in Turn 8 with just over two minutes left on the clock. As the checkered flag waved, Shipman led the way, with Popow and Huerta Raab following him across the line.

Notes of interest:

• Cooper Shipman took his fifth win of the 2025 season, leading the series in victories this year. The Texan has won every race since Round 7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June.
• Alex Popow finished second to mark his sixth podium this year. The Venezuelan-American continues to search for his first win since the series’ opening round at NOLA Motorsports Park in March.
• Clemente Huerta Raab secured his fifth podium of 2025. The result marked his third-consecutive third-place finish.
• Three countries were represented on today’s podium, with Cooper Shipman hailing from America, Alex Popow representing Venezuela and Clemente Huerta Raab calling Chile home.
• Shipman’s win marked the fifth victory of 2025 for Kiwi Motorsport. The six-time F4 U.S. Team Champions currently lead the team championship point standings.

“I just didn’t get the jump off the line that I wanted and Popow was able to roll it around the outside of Turn 1,” recalled Shipman on top of the podium. “But I just stayed patient, stayed calm and made sure that I timed my run to where I could get him down the back straight. Once I got to the lead, I knew as long as I maximized my exit out of Turn 6 that I could control the race, and I was able to come away with a win. I have to thank both my parents, my Kiwi Motorsport team—Teena [Larsen] and Garry [Orton]. They put an awesome car underneath me, and made sure I could come away with another win.”

F4 U.S. will finish out its weekend at the Labour Day Weekend Sprints Sunday morning at 10am ET.