MILLVILLE, N.J. (July 30, 2023) – Callum Hedge went two for two on Sunday in Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda (FR Americas) competition at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). Leading the field from lights to checkers, Hedge amassed his ninth victory in the season’s 12 races to extend his lead in the driver’s championship point standings.
Notes of Interest:
- Callum Hedge earned his ninth victory of the season on Sunday afternoon. Ryan Shehan remains the only other driver to take the top step of the podium this year with his opening two victories at NOLA Motorsports Park.
- Oliver Westling earned his third-career podium and his second podium of the weekend.
- Hayden Bowlsbey was on track to have the best finish of his career, but contact in the final minutes of the race led to a dramatic accident in Turn 1.
- Bowlsbey was awarded the Omologato Perfectly Timed Move of the Race after a solid weekend and an impressive drive in Race 3.
With the fast lap in Race 2, Hedge (No. 17 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) led the field to the starting grid. Once cars were in position, Max Hewitt (No. 39 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) signaled a stall to pit road officials, aborting the usual standing start. Instead, the field proceeded behind the safety car before making one more lap to come down the front straightaway for a two-by-two rolling start. With Hedge in control, the 19-year-old brought the field within yards of the start line before stepping on the gas to get the race underway. Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) started the race on the outside of the front row and held it side by side all the way through Turn 2, but it was Hedge who emerged with the advantage.
With Hedge and Shehan settled into place, the real action was taking place further back in the pack. Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 Save22 Ligier JS F3) had started the event in the seventh position, but was quickly racing his way through the field. Moving into fifth by the completion of lap two and into fourth by lap three. Bowlsbey kept his head down and focus forward to overtake Oliver Westling (No. 1 JENSEN Ligier JS F3) for the third position while working lap six. Westling had started the race from the third position, but spent the opening laps jockeying for position with Cooper Becklin (No. 19 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3). With Bowlsbey making his way around both of them, he settled into a groove, chipping away at the gap to Shehan in second place. Reaching Shehan’s gearbox, Bowlsbey was within a tenth of the two-time FR Americas winner as the race reached its halfway point. Still searching for his own first victory, Bowlsbey remained calm, looking for the right opportunity to make his way around Shehan. Finally, with just minutes left on the clock, Bowlsbey decided to make his move in Turn 1. Unfortunately, his front wing made contact with Shehan’s rear wheel, sending the nose of Bowlsbey’s Ligier JS F3 upward. The contact slid Bowlsbey through the gravel, where he flipped and ultimately came to a rest upside down and over the tire barrier.
Shehan was able to drive away from the incident, but surrendered his second-place running position and rejoined the field in sixth. Bowlsbey was unharmed in the incident and was evaluated and released by the on-site medical team.
The field was shown the checkered flag with Hedge out front. As a result of the incident, Westling had moved up to second, and Becklin took over third.
With his impressive drive throughout not only the third event, but the whole weekend, Bowlsbey was awarded the Omologato Perfectly Timed Move of The Race and was presented with a bespoke timepiece.
READ MORE: Race 3 Official Results
“To be honest, it wasn't really that eventful of a race,” said Hedge on the podium. “But the main thing is that Hayden and Ryan are okay. To see the car upside down—I was like ‘that’s not ideal.’ We never want to see that.”
FR Americas will enjoy a brief summer break before finishing out the battle for the 2023 championship this fall. The action will resume at VIRginia International Raceway, October 5-8. Tickets for the event are on sale now at VIRnow.com. Be sure to follow FR Americas on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
