LEEDS, Ala. — Clemente Huerta Raab scored his first win in Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) competition, taking the Race 1 victory at Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday afternoon. The win marked his first in a formula car and his first since the South American Championship in karting.
After 10 podiums, Clemente Huerta Raab finally captured his first F4 U.S. win in his second season of competition. The victory marked the first in a single-seater racecar for the Chilean racer. Just last season he finished third in the very same round at Barber.
2026 Champion Gastón Irazú scored his 15th podium of the season. With just one ‘not classified’ finish this season, Irazú stood on the podium in every other race this year.
Tomorrow, Irazú has the chance to tie the F4 U.S. all-time win record, as he races for his 10th career win in the championship.
With a hard-fought third-place finish in Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park, Ayden Kohut earned his first career podium.
Kicking off the season-finale weekend, Caleb Campbell (No. 68 Steele Auto Group / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) started from the pole and led the early laps. Gastón Irazú (No. 27 Elia Group / Baly / Canal 4 / Ancap / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F422) started the event in fourth, but it didn’t take long for the 2026 champion to work through the field, first overtaking Fernando Rivera (No. 16 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422) and then making his way around Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422). From there, Irazú locked his focus on Campbell and passed to take the race lead on the next lap. Campbell tried to challenge, but couldn’t find a way around the Uruguayan, instead falling into the grips of his Kiwi Motorsport teammate, Huerta Raab.
Making his way around Campbell to take second, Huerta Raab then turned his focus to Irazú. Trailing for a few laps, Huerta Raab took a chance going around the inside in Turn 6 and made it stick, taking the race lead with just over five minutes left on the clock.
It was smooth sailing all the way to the finish line for the Chilean driver, and as the checkered flag waved, Huerta Raab finished first, followed by Irazú and Ayden Kohut (No. 18 The Builders Source / The Genie Company / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422). Kohut survived a race of attrition, starting fifth and steadily advancing as others ran into challenges in the all-green race.
“It’s been a long time since I won the South American Championship in karting,” said Huerta after climbing from the car. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the top step of the podium. It feels great. It feels like you’re on top of the world. I want to thank my team—Kiwi Motorsport, my dad, my parents, my family, my uncle came here as a surprise. It was a tough race.”
