Whitney Strickland Qualifies First in Masters Cup Class
INDIANAPOLIS (June 19, 2026) – For the second year in a row, Brady Golan took the Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Golan (No. 40 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) continues to build momentum after earning his first pole of the season last weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and following it up with back-to-back podium finishes. Recording a 1:22.508 lap, Golan edged out Cooper Shipman (No. 10 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) by just 0.153 seconds. In all, less than a second separated the top-five qualifiers, likely previewing how competitive this weekend’s field will be.
Luke Powers (No. 5 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3), a native of Fishers, Ind., will roll off fifth tomorrow marking his first start at his home track.
In the Masters Cup Championship, Whitney Strickland (No. 21 TF Companies / Hillenburg Motorsports Ligier JS F3) was the top qualifier, while Anthony Autiello (No. 07 Hope For The Warriors / Momentum Motorsports Ligier JS F3) and Kevin Janzen (No. 24 US Power Group/Data Center Solutions / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) round out the top-three starters.
>> SEE MORE: Official Grid
With one practice on Friday morning, Evagoras Papasavvas (No. 71 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) topped the charts with a 1:22.445. Pole sitter Golan was second, just 0.020 seconds off Papasavvas’ pace, while Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) ranked third.
>> SEE MORE: Practice Results
The lights go out for Race 1 at IMS tomorrow at 1:25 p.m. ET. Prior to the race, fans are invited to join the drivers of FR Americas, along with Grand Marshal Lyn St. James, on pit lane for a special fan walk where they can collect autographs, take photos, see the cars minutes before engines fire, and even walk across the Yard of Bricks. Fans may enter pit lane near the Pagoda or at Gasoline Alley beginning at 12:35 p.m. ET.
All races from the Racing America at IMS weekend will be streamed on YouTube.com/@RacingAmericaTV, with timing and scoring available on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
