SCCA Pro Racing

Leading open wheel team breaks out the brooms, sweeps first-ever F3 Americas tripleheader

Top-flight Louisville-based open wheel racing team Abel Motorsports put together a weekend to remember, during the new F3 Americas Championship’s first ever event. Abel Motorsports took delivery of their brand new Ligier/Honda race car just days before the first F3Americas event, signed one of America’s best young open wheel racers to drive and then schooled the competition in all three rounds of the new series. The three-race weekend was held at Pittsburgh International Race Complex just north of the Steel City. 

Reigning F4 U.S. Championship titleholder Kyle Kirkwood, of Jupiter, Florida, jumped into the Abel Motorsports F3Americas machine for the opening rounds of the course in another important open wheel development series.   Kirkwood continued to build his championship resume’ by starting the opener on the front row, then recovering from a near-disaster while trying to take the lead, before making the winning pass early in the 35-minute timed event. Kirkwood rolled to a five and half second margin of victory in Round 1 of the Championship.

“We had a great weekend.  We take this as a huge step forward for Abel Motorsports.   We think these opening rounds of F3 are something our team will always have to remember.  Hats off to Kyle Kirkwood for the spectacular job he did, helping us get there” commented team principal Bill Abel. 

The weekend’s second 35-minute event was more of the same.   Kirkwood had earned the pole for Round 2 by setting the fastest race lap in the opener.  When the green lights came on, the young champion and his Abel Motorsports machine were long gone. Kirkwood ended up scoring another dominant win, cruising to the checkers more than eight seconds ahead of the field.

The pairing of Kirkwood and the Abel Motorsports F3Americas machine was too much for the competition in the weekend’s closer as well.   After earning his second pole starting spot, Kirkwood was in command all the way in this one, flying to a 14.7 second win to complete the sweep.   

The tripleheader victory gives Kirkwood a realistic shot at an unprecedented accomplishment: winning three major open wheel championships in little more than a year (F4US, USF2000 and F3 Americas).    Team principal Bill Abel is excited to give Kirkwood that opportunity.  “The next F3 weekend is right away, next week, at Mid Ohio, one of our favorite race tracks.  We feel really good about our chances at that event.”

The new F3 Americas Championship moves right into its second weekend of action in just a few days, with another three rounds of the series set to unfold at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course starting Friday.  

Abel Motorsports is competing in multiple open-wheel developmental championships in 2018, the team’s second year of professional racing operations.  Abel Motorsports has just debuted its official team website, www.abelmotorsports.com, and is accepting inquiries about driving opportunities in several different categories of cars.