Costello takes third F4 US win, Berg gets maiden victory at NJMP

Michael Costello earned his third-career win in Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) competition on Sunday morning at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). After setting the fast lap en route to a fourth-place result during Saturday’s race one, the driver had a clean launch off the starting grid and sailed away to victory.

Just a couple minutes into the race, the safety car was deployed for a full-course caution, as two competitors spun in Turn 5. With one car unable to drive back to pit lane, safety workers swiftly cleared the wreckage to get the race back underway. Cars lined up one by one and Costello led the field to green, perfectly timing his launch toward the starting line. Once again solidly out front, Daniel Cará had no choice but to settle into second with Patrick Woods-Toth behind him. While Cará’s gap to Costello fluctuated slightly, staying just under or just over a second, Woods-Toth was slowly making forward progress to close in on Cará.

With just a few minutes left on the clock, Cará and Woods-Toth found themselves in a heated battle for second. There was slight contact between the two, but later in the lap, Cará went off track and damaged his wing pulling back on to the circuit. The slip-up was just enough to allow Woods-Toth to pick up the position and drop Cará to third.

When they crossed the line after 30 minutes, it was Costello who led Woods-Toth, followed by Cará. Titus Sherlock, Saturday’s winner, finished fourth, while Saturday’s pole sitter, Jesse Lacey (No. 16 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4), rounded out the top five.

“It feels awesome,” said Costello after climbing from the car. “I mean, just to be able to win at my home track and have my family here—there’s nothing like it. I want to thank everyone at ProGuard Warranty for helping me throughout my career and helping me get to F4 U.S. I’d also like to thank A14 Management for being an amazing management company—I’m so grateful to be a part of their program. I’d like to thank Jay Howard Driver Development for keeping the hard work up, especially when it was so hot here earlier in the week. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I’d also like to thank my mom and dad for everything.”

Gavin Baker Photography

After a post-race steward’s decision cost him the win in race one, Alex Berg got his first Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) win in race three at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) on Sunday afternoon. The driver set fast lap in Sunday morning’s race to lead the field off the starting grid and immediately take command of the race. An incident on the track at the end of the first lap led to a red flag for cleanup before the race resumed as a 20-minute sprint to the finish. Berg relinquished the lead for a few corners, but reclaimed the top spot before the field made it back around to the line and went on to open up a 2.627s lead before the checkered flag waved.

With a good jump off the starting block, Berg’s pace was slowed just one lap in when Logan Adams (No. 20 Jay Howard Driver Development / CSU One Cure / Lucas Oil / LHP Ligier JS F4) and Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N.E. Where Transport Ligier JS F4) made contact on the front stretch while racing inside the top 10 and sent Adams flipping through the grass. The red flag was immediately displayed, bringing cars down pit road while safety crews worked to clean up the debris.