Seventeen-year-old Invercargill racing driver Alex Crosbie scored a dominant win in the final race of the F4 US Championship at Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas last Saturday morning (US time) to put the icing on his campaign.
Crosbie started from pole position and led all the way, stretching his lead to almost 4 seconds at the halfway point of the race only for a safety car intervention with 10 minutes to go, allowing the field to close up.
When the lights went green for a restart there was just a one lap dash to the finish. Crosbie made another good start to lead again only for a full course yellow which allowed him to cruise to victory, his second of the championship.
Australian Daniel Quimby, Connor Roberts, of the United States, debutant Alex Popow and Nicholas Stati, of Australia, followed him across the line, giving Quimby the championship.
"It was a good race and I’m glad I finally found the speed I needed this weekend," Crosbie said from the podium before acknowledging Golden Homes in the Southern Lakes and his parents. Second-placed Quimby said, "Alex was just so quick out there."
Crosbie had started the weekend well by qualifying second fastest just .192 of a second behind series newcomer, Venezuelan American Alex Popow, with Stati, Quimby and Roberts all behind him.
The first two races brought their challenges. From second on the grid in the opening race, Crosbie got a damaged wing after being cut off in an early skirmish and finished fourth at the end of the 30-minute race.
The following day, he started third in the second race and was back in sixth early on after some early jostling before working his way back to fourth before a lengthy safety car period.
At the restart he began challenging Stati for third but time ran out and he crossed the line fourth. He had real pace during the race, about half a second quicker than his rivals, and the fastest lap of the race meant Crosbie would start the final race of the championship from pole. Later stewards handed out several penalties and Crosbie copped a 5-second one that dropped him to fifth, a penalty that potentially cost him third in the championship.
The final race the following day saw Crosbie speed away from the field in his Crosslink / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422 for his dominant victory.
The round took place at the demanding 3.41-mile, 20-turn, COTA circuit, the venue for the recent United States Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Crosbie ended the championship fourth overall, just 4.5 points off third with two wins and six podiums in a fine debut season in the championship.
He competed in the F4 US Championship with Crosslink / Kiwi Motorsport and his American campaign is supported by Golden Homes in the Southern Lakes.
He acknowledges the support of his parents for his racing and appreciates all those watching and supporting his efforts back home in New Zealand during his campaign.
- By Lindsay Beer
