NEWS FLASH: Joshua Car Leads FR Americas First Practice at COTA

Joshua Car kicked off the final race weekend of the 2021 Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda season, the Austin SpeedTour, with the fastest lap during practice. Car, currently second in the points standings, clocked a 2:04.523 around the 3.4-mile, 20-turn circuit in his No. 9 Crosslink Competition Crosslink Coatings Ligier JS F3.

Championship leader Kyffin Simpson was just 0.076 seconds behind Car, running his fastest lap of 2:04.599 in his No. 21 TJ Speed Motorsports Simpson Race Products, GoPro, Spy Optic Ligier JS F3. Simpson currently leads the championship by 65 points, but needs a consistent weekend to secure the Formula Regional Americas Championship.

Kyffin Simpson, right, chats post-practice with his TJ Speed team.

Ryan Yardley, driver of the No. 78 Kiwi Motorsport, Helmet House Ligier JS F3, rounded out the top three with a time of 2:04.846.

Ryan Yardley
Ryan Yardley

Ernie Francis Jr., who currently sits third in the points battle, was fourth quickest in practice. Jordan Missig, who entered the weekend just one point behind Francis Jr., was ninth in the weekend’s sole practice session.

Ernie Francis Jr.
Ernie Francis Jr.

The total field of 14 drivers have two sets of brand-new Hankook Tires for the balance of the weekend.  Friday’s schedule features the only qualifying session at 9:15 a.m. CT and Race 1 at 3:20 p.m. The Championship finishes the year with two races on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:35 p.m.

Full Results: https://www.framericas.com/pages/2021-austin-speedtour-results

Photos by Gavin Baker Photography