With Christmas just days away, aspiring racecar drivers around the globe are hoping to wake up on Christmas morning to find a shiny new go-kart decorated with a bow. Dreaming of a future in Formula 1, INDYCAR, or even NASCAR or IMSA, these young, hopeful drivers know that so many of today’s superstars got their start behind the wheel of a go-kart.
“Karting is the first step for young drivers to gain an understanding of racing in a competitive environment,” said Scott Goodyear, Race Director for Formula Regional Americas (FR Americas), Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) and the Ligier JS F4 Series (JS F4), who also enjoyed a successful racing career himself. “Most top-level drivers around the world—whether in F1, INDYCAR or endurance racing—have come from karting, as it’s the international training ground for aspiring racers.”
Already holding the commercial rights for the first two series on America’s Road to F1—F4 U.S. and FR Americas—Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH) built out a four-step progression to help young drivers advance their careers.
Forming a partnership with Radford Racing School to allow young drivers to get their first racecar experience and earn a competition license, PMH also established JS F4 in 2024 as an introductory step on the development ladder that leads to F4 U.S. and FR Americas.
“We enjoy working with young drivers graduating from karts to an F4 car, as it’s the perfect first step to train drivers for future success,” Goodyear continued. “Our proven program starts with the Radford Racing School, which introduces karters to the F4 racecar, and continues with drivers racing in JS F4, F4 U.S. and FR Americas, before continuing their career in Europe or here in the United States.”
With an emphasis on driver development, education and safety, and costs contained by a spec racecar, PMH’s Open Wheel Ladder provides a superb training ground for young drivers, while boasting the lowest cost per mile compared to other professional racing series in North America, as well as the other Formula 4 and Formula Regional championships around the globe. The offerings combine to attract some of the top racing talent from around the world, including nationally-competitive karter, Teddy Musella.
“The JS F4 Series, specifically with this car, is a really good series for learners because to drive this car fast, you have to drive it on the edge,” said 2024 JS F4 Driver Champion Musella. “You always have the tail happy to make it go fast, which gives you confidence for, let's say, if you go into INDYCAR or something else. With this training, you’ll be more comfortable with a car that’s on its edge. I think one of the greatest opportunities that you can get in JS F4 is the car, how it drives and the driving style that it teaches you for the next step.”
With graduates of FR Americas and F4 U.S. among the starting grids of FIA Formula 3, INDYCAR, the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR, Super Formula, IMSA, INDY NXT and more, the drivers who get their start in the series on PMH’s Open-Wheel Ladder are achieving their career goals.
Winning back-to-back championships in F4 U.S. and FR Americas over the last two seasons, Patrick Woods-Toth is poised to make his next step toward the pinnacle of racing. An accomplished karter with four-consecutive national championships, the Canadian had never sat in a racecar prior to attending the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Karts to Cars Scholarship School in December 2022.
“Getting the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Karts to Cars Scholarship was a huge step for me, especially having never driven a racecar,” said Woods-Toth after receiving his 2024 championship trophy. “Instead of spending a ton of money going testing and trying to learn without a structured program, the Radford School was a great opportunity to just do some laps and learn at a good pace without rushing or anything. You learn the basics first, so that when you actually do get a real test or go to your first race, you're ready. I think that was a key factor for me. If I never did Radford, I would have not been prepared at all for my first race. It really made a big difference.”
With strategic partnerships in place to expose karters to the series on PMH’s Open-Wheel Ladder, the organization continues to work with young drivers as they transition to racecars.
Partnerships with organizations like ROK Cup USA, New Castle Motorsports Park, Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship—who nominated Woods-Toth in 2022—and Will Power, allow those working with young karters day in and day out to nominate drivers to programs like the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship Award School.
One of the latest drivers to complete the transition from karts to cars is Vaughn Beesley, who was nominated by New Castle Motorsports Park for the 2024 scholarship award school. Working with Paragon Productions, Beesley was the focus of the short film “I Am Ready: Karts to Cars” which followed his journey from karting, through the Radford Racing School program and into the first generation Ligier JS F4 car.
“Transitioning from karts to cars is definitely a leap, but there are some key similarities,” said Beesley. “The precision and race craft from karting translate, but the difference in weight and handling of a car—especially a Ligier JS F4—is eye-opening. The instructors at Radford Racing School were incredible; they were approachable, professional and willing to dive into data after every session.
“Having Paragon Productions there to document my journey in ‘I Am Ready’ was an unforgettable experience. They captured not only the technical challenges, but also the emotional milestones of stepping into a formula car for the first time. I hope this film inspires others in karting to believe they can make the leap into cars and begin the next step of their racing careers,” concluded Beesley.
The 2025 FR Americas, F4 U.S. and JS F4 seasons kick off at NOLA Motorsports Park, March 27-30.
Click below to watch “I Am Ready: Karts to Cars,” a Paragon Productions film:
