Jacir clinches 2026 Ligier JFC Gen. 1 title with Race 2 win, while Kennedy completes Gen. 2 sweep at VIR

Beckham Jacir locked in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) Gen. 1 title by winning Race 2 at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) on Sunday morning. Jacir has dominated the Gen. 1 class this season, winning 11 races overall—including the last six consecutive rounds—and finishing on the podium in all but one event.

“This feels great,” said Jacir after climbing from the car. “We knew what we came here to do throughout the whole season; we knew we were going for the championship. I can’t thank the team at Champagne Racing enough for giving me such an amazing car. These guys have been working hard all year, but all the work has paid off. I’m so proud of everyone—I can’t thank them or my sponsors enough for helping get me here.”

In the Gen. 2 class, Edward Kennedy went two for two in a weekend that also carried championship implications. Entering VIR one point out of the championship lead, Kennedy’s weekend sweep gives him a 13-point advantage heading into the season finale at Barber Motorsports Park next month.

Five different teams were represented across Sunday's two podiums, with MLT Motorsports and Kiwi Motorsport on the Gen. 2 podium, and Champagne Racing, Berg Racing and Speed Factory on the Gen. 1 podium.

As the lights went out, polesitter Beckham Jacir (No. 7 Stonica/Bell/OMP/P1DOKS/Behind the Wheel/Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) immediately pulled ahead to control the pace. Behind him, the second- and third-place starters Ava Hanssen (No. 26 One Powersports/Chiropractic Center of Elkhorn/NGK/Badger Mats Ligier JS F4) and Lazaro Bainotti (No. 11 Fundacion Fangio Rus seguros Cordoba deportes/Speed Factory Ligier JS F4) were wheel to wheel by the time the field reached Turn 1. Hanssen initially took the spot, but it wasn’t long before Gen. 2 competitors Edward Kennedy (No. 30 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) and Jack Speth (No. 07 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) joined the mix. Racing to the Uphill Esses on Lap 2, Kennedy got around Jacir to take the overall race lead while Speth looked to make his way through traffic to follow in Kennedy’s wake. With the Gen. 2 car dicing through traffic, Bainotti also looked to gain ground, completing the pass to overtake Hanssen for second in class as they entered Turn 14.

The running order continued to shuffle as the minutes ticked by. Hanssen’s car stepped out on her, giving AJ Abdullah (No. 21 Freedom Detox/Grid State Digital/Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) an opportunity to slide by and move into third. Meanwhile, Bainotti’s car dialed in, giving him the ability to challenge Jacir for the lead. For the next 10-plus minutes, the two championship contenders put on a great show, swapping positions and taking turns leading the field, until Jacir finally claimed the top spot as his own.

Crossing the finish line, Kennedy led Speth in the Gen. 2 class, while Jacir led Bainotti and Abdullah across the line in the Gen. 1 class.

Following the race, the stewards investigated a possible false start by Bainotti. Reviewing video evidence, they found that Bainotti’s nose was over the start box line. As a result, they issued him a five-second time penalty, dropping him to third on the updated results.

“The race today was another that compared to that round in Road America—it was very fun,” said Jacir. “[Lazaro Bainotti] was on new tires, so I figured he was going to be a bit quicker than me, but I knew I had to bring it home to get the championship, so I played it safe. We had a nice battle—I think we were going at it for four or five laps. It was pretty good. Unfortunately, he had a bit of a wiggle and went off, but that’s racing. It was a very fun battle.”

“The race today was good,” said Kennedy after climbing from the car. “I had a great launch. I got Jack [Speth] on the start with my clutch movement, and then we had the whole race. I got past the Gen. 1s in the first two laps, and then I don't know what happened—maybe a mechanical problem or something else? I got a big gap and was able to just manage tires. When the lapped car came, I set in a flyer, and just brought it home. Now we're leading the championship, and I'm really excited about it. Barber is going to be great.”

Stream Round 14

Ligier JFC will wrap up the 2026 season next month at Barber Motorsports Park during the Racing America @ Barber weekend, October 16-18. Live timing and scoring for the event will be available on Race Monitor, while additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Prospective drivers looking to learn more about Ligier JFC should visit the series’ website, LigierJFC.com.