SCCA Pro Racing

AVONDALE, La. (April 14, 2024) – Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) returned to the winner’s circle at NOLA Motorsports Park in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) on Sunday afternoon.

Notes of Interest:

• Ryan Shehan kicked off his 2023 campaign by winning at NOLA Motorsports Park, and once again did it this season. The 19-year-old looks to better his ranking after being named the 2023 FR Americas Vice Champion.
• Cole Kleck earned three podiums in this weekend’s three races, with his first-career win in Race 1, a second-place result in Race 2 and third in Race 3. Kleck was awarded the Omologato Perfectly-Timed Move of the Race and recognized by the stewards for an outstanding performance this weekend. The award includes a bespoke Omologato timepiece.
• Patrick Woods-Toth also had a perfect podium performance this weekend with second-place finishes in Races 1 and 3, and a victory in Race 2.
• Jett Bowling recorded both his career-best start (second) and finish (fourth) in Race 3.
• Justin Garat earned his first-career top-five finish with a fifth-place result in Race 3.
• FR Americas had three different winners in its three races at NOLA Motorsports Park, as Cole Kleck won Race 1, Patrick Woods-Toth took Race 2 and Ryan Shehan was victorious in Race 3.

Ryan Shehan led the field off the starting block for the third round of the 2024 season. With a quick lap in Race 2, Jett Bowling (No. 02 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) lined up next to Shehan, but it was Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 Save22 Ligier JS F3) who got the jump when the lights went out to move into second place. Third-place starter Cole Kleck (No. 11 Kleck Racing / International Mechanical Ligier JS F3) put pressure on both Shehan and Bowlsbey through the opening turns as he looked to overtake both first and second, but he fell to fifth when he dropped two wheels off the racing surface in Turn 6. The caution was displayed later that lap as Anthony Autiello (No. 07 A Autiello Construction Co. Ligier JS F3) spun on the track.

When the race restarted, Shehan quickly jumped ahead and opened up nearly a two-second lead within just a couple laps. Meanwhile, Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) set out on a mission to move forward as soon as the green-flag waved. First overtaking Kleck, Woods-Toth then set his sights on Bowlsbey, and secured the second position with over 20 minutes left on the clock. From there, Woods-Toth focused on the leader, slowly chipping away at Shehan’s near two-second lead. The two sped away from the field opening a 12-second gap over the battle for third, as Kleck, Bowling and Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) fought for position behind them. With less than three minutes left, Kleck and Bowling made wheel-to-wheel contact, which allowed Sherlock to drive past Bowling and overtake fourth just as the full-course caution was displayed. Nicole Havrda (No. 6 Valley Kitchens Ltd/Colonial Countertops Ltd Ligier JS F3) encountered an issue on track, leaving her car stranded along the course and forcing the safety period. Without time to resume the race, the checkered flag waved with Shehan leading the field across the line. Woods-Toth was second, and Kleck was in third.

     READ MORE:  Race 3 Official Results

“Yeah, it was a tough race,” said Shehan. “Of course, I had to win the one that was green for most of it, but I'll take it. I just tried to stay consistent. I think I kicked the tires a little bit at the start, so I got a bit worried, but it seemed like the gap was pretty consistent. We have a new tire compound with our Hankook Tires, so I was just learning that. This was really the first full race we had with it. I think I stayed within three-tenths every lap, and they say consistency is key. It worked out today.”

FR Americas is back on track next month at Road America for the Road America SpeedTour, May 16-19. Tickets for the weekend are available on RoadAmerica.com. Live timing and scoring can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Photos by Gavin Baker Photography.