Crosslink Motorsports, a driver development program for NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT programs, enjoyed another successful weekend at the at New Jersey Motorsports Park, earning a race victory, multiple podium finishes, and several top-ten results during the fifth event of the FR Americas Championship and fourth round of the F4 U.S. Championship.
The team fielded five entries in FR Americas, including championship contender Evagoras Papasavvas, Kekai Hauanio, Alex Bobadilla, Aidan Schuh, and Masters class driver Kevin Janzen, while Fernando Rivera represented the team in the F4 U.S. Championship.
The weekend began on a high note as Papasavvas claimed pole position for race one, showcasing the speed of the Crosslink Motorsports program. Unfortunately, race one did not unfold as planned for the championship leader. After leading the field to green, Papasavvas was forced to retire six laps from the finish following an on-track incident. Teammate Alex Bobadilla capitalized on the opportunity with an outstanding drive to second place, earning a podium finish for the team. Schuh crossed the line seventh ahead of Hauanio in ninth, while Janzen collected third in the FR Americas Masters class.
Crosslink Motorsports rebounded in race two with another strong team performance. Papasavvas returned to the podium with a second-place finish, while Hauanio continued his consistent season in fifth. Schuh added another top-ten finish in eighth, followed by Bobadilla in ninth. Janzen once again stood on the Masters podium with a second-place finish.
The team finished the weekend in style during race three. Papasavvas bounced back from the opening race disappointment to claim victory, adding another win to his championship campaign. Hauanio followed with a fifth-place result for another steady weekend of competition, while Bobadilla and Schuh completed the race in seventh and eighth, respectively. Janzen rounded out the weekend with another podium, finishing third in the Masters class.
In the F4 U.S. Championship, Fernando Rivera continued to build momentum throughout the three-race weekend. Rivera narrowly missed the podium with fourth-place finishes in both race one and race three while adding a seventh-place finish in race two to cap off another productive weekend.
Team owner Gill Kaszuba praised the resilience shown throughout the event.
“Overall, I’m really pleased with how the team responded throughout the weekend,” explained Kaszuba. “It was unfortunate to see Evagoras’ race one end early after starting from pole, but the way everyone bounced back says a lot about this group. Alex drove a fantastic race to earn another podium, Kekai and Aidan continued to bring home valuable points, Kevin added another strong weekend in Masters, and Fernando had one of his most consistent weekends of the season in F4. To finish the weekend with another victory is a great reward for all the hard work everyone has been putting in.”
With another victory and a collection of podium finishes added to its season tally, Crosslink Motorsports continues to establish itself as one of the premier teams in the series as the championship enters its final stretch.
Crosslink Motorsports will now turn its attention north of the border for the next rounds of the FR Americas Championship and F4 U.S. Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, September 3-6.
Photo Credit: Crosslink Motorsports/ Alyssa Matriano Lim