INDIANAPOLIS - The new Formula 4 United States Championship powered by Honda took one step closer to launching its inaugural season this week as the chassis for its car was approved by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
The F4 chassis passed the FIA crash test, completing the chassis certification process and allowing Crawford Composites to begin the process of completing and delivering chassis to teams. The Crawford chassis is the first to be approved and built in the United States.
“This is great news and another positive step forward for the SCCA Pro Racing F4 program,” said Derrick Walker, President and CEO of SCCA Pro Racing. “It’s an exciting time to see the tremendous interest from teams gearing up to take delivery of the all new Crawford Composites F4 car as we move toward our first race on May 27.”
In order to earn FIA approval, the F4 chassis underwent a battery of tests, including the survival cell, frontal impact, rear impact and front and rear rollover testing.
The F4 series will utilize the new, American-built Crawford carbon-composite chassis and Honda K20 C1 2.0-liter engine, producing the FIA-mandated 160 PS (158 bhp). Pirelli PZero racing radial tires complete the package, which will meet the FIA price cap of $45,000 for the chassis, including paddle shifters, data acquisition and camera.
F4 bridges the gap between karting and open-wheel racing, while providing the first step in the ladder to the pinnacle levels of motorsports.
Organized and sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the inaugural F4 U.S. Championship will visit five classic tracks, consisting of 15 races, for its 2016 season.
The series kicks off at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, on May 27-28 and is scheduled to wrap-up Oct. 8-10 at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, where the season championship will be decided.
For more information on the SCCA Pro Racing F4 U.S. Championship, visit http://www.f4uschampionship.com/.
About the SCCA Pro Racing F4 U.S. Championship:
FIA F4 is a means to modernize entry-level open-wheel racing for participants, around a contemporary, cost conscious formula. SCCA Pro Racing has chosen partners that embrace these ideals and can support this vision with appropriate technology and products. The selected F4 powerplant is based on the engine currently used in the Honda Civic® Type R® recently launched in Europe, detuned to meet FIA-mandated output of approximately 160 Hp. The engine and the ECU will be sealed to help with parity and compliance.
About SCCA Pro Racing:
SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc. -- a 65,000-member organization dedicated to motorsports events. SCCA Pro Racing provides full-service organization, operation and sanctioning for numerous professional racing series such as the Pirelli World Challenge and Trans Am®.
