MILLVILLE, N.J. (July 28, 2024) – Connor Roberts earned his first-career win at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) on Sunday afternoon. After an ultra-competitive race filled with tight battles and passes for the lead, Roberts (No. 46 ApexSpeed.com / Entropy Cellars Ligier JS F422) emerged the winner, leading the field to the checkered flag.
Notes of Interest:
- Connor Roberts started out the year with three podiums, including two runner-up finishes, during the season-opening round at Road America, but finally broke through for his first F4 U.S. win during today’s Round 8.
- With his second-place finish, Alex Crosbie finished on the podium in each of the three rounds at NJMP, increasing his podium tally to four.
- Barrett Wolfe tied his career-best result with his third-place finish.
- Alex Crosbie was awarded the Omologato Perfectly-Timed Move of the Race in recognition of his outstanding performance this weekend, which included his first-career win in Race 2. As part of the recognition, he was awarded a bespoke Omologato timepiece.
- The win by Connor Roberts marked the first F4 U.S. victory for Team Roberts Racing.
After winning yesterday’s race, Alex Crosbie (No. 41 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) led the field to the green flag with Nicolas Stati (No. 15 AGI Sport Ligier JS F422) to his outside. Crosbie immediately jumped to the lead, while Stati faced pressure from Pablo Benites Jr. (No. 44 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F422), Daniel Quimby (No. 24 Cruise America / MIR Raceline / FIJI Airways / GalvanizeIns Ligier JS F422) and Connor Roberts (No. 46 ApexSpeed.com / Entropy Cellars Ligier JS F422) behind him. Going a bit wide around Turns 7 and 8, Stati dropped to fourth as Benites Jr. and Quimby slipped past, and then to fifth as Roberts dove to the inside racing toward Turn 1 the following lap. A turn later, Crosbie went off in the exit of Turn 2, forfeiting the lead and allowing Benites Jr. to take the point position.
Despite pressure from Quimby behind, Benites Jr. was able to pull away, opening a two-and-a-half-second lead as the race neared its halfway point. Meanwhile, Quimby’s mirrors were filled with Roberts, eagerly looking for an opportunity to overtake the second position. Pulling side by side as they raced down the frontstretch with 15 minutes left on the clock, Roberts was able to get the preferred line, overtaking Quimby and moving into second. From there, Roberts kept his focus on leader Benites Jr.
With Benites Jr. initially holding a 1.895-second advantage when Roberts took the runner-up spot, Roberts chipped off three tenths by the time they made it back to the start/finish line. Picking up a few tenths every lap, Roberts was just 0.255-seconds behind Benites Jr. as they passed the five-minute mark. Racing through Turn 5, Benites Jr. went wide, losing a tire as he spun through the grass. As the clock ran out to end the race, Roberts led the field across the finish line, followed by Quimby in second and Stati in third.
Following the race, a series of Stewards Decisions were issued with penalties assessed to the final results. The tight battles on the track led to two of the front runners incurring aggressive driving penalties, as the stewards ruled that Quimby made multiple defensive moves against Roberts on the front straight, and that Stati made an aggressive move while not leaving Crosbie a lane on the front straight. Both drivers were assessed five-second penalties, dropping them to fourth and fifth, respectively in the final results. As a result, Crosbie was promoted to second, and Wolfe was credited with third, each earning a podium finish.
READ MORE: Race 3 Official Results
“We’ve had trouble all weekend—a lot of stuff that carried over from the crash I had at Mid-Ohio,” said Roberts after the race. “We were chasing the setup all weekend, and after the second race, we knew we needed to make a change. We put the car back on the scales, went over the whole thing and found quite a few things to change. Once I got out there, the pace was just unlocked right in front of me. The ending of the race was a bit sad—it was going to be a great three-way fight between me, Daniel Quimby and Nicolas Stati. It’s unfortunate for Pablo with how his race ended, but racing incidents happen and you just have to roll with the flow. This win means so much—my dad and I have worked really hard. It means a lot to me to give him that win after all his hard work, dedication, and the money he’s spent letting me pursue my dream. It means the world to me. Also, thanks to Entropy Cellars, ApexSpeed.com, and the guys at Ligier for making all this possible.”
F4 U.S. takes on Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for its next round, August 29-September 1. Live timing and scoring can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates about F4 U.S. are available on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
