SCCA Pro Racing

With the 2024 season opener for Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) and Ligier JS F4 Series in the books, and Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) about to open their season at Road America next month, we took a few minutes to catch up with race director Scott Goodyear.

Q:  With the season opener at NOLA Motorsports Park behind us, you had a chance to meet the new drivers and teams in the paddock, and you saw everyone on track. What are you most excited for this season?  

Scott Goodyear (SG): “The level of competition in both FR Americas and the Ligier JS F4 Series has me excited; I know this will be the most competitive season yet. In the JS F4 Series, I’m thrilled to see so many new faces, next to so many returning drivers who are coming back to the PMH ladder. We have a great scholarship on the line, which allows the champion to move up to F4 U.S. Championship next season. With FR Americas, I’m excited to see the class grow and know how competitive those races were at NOLA—we had three different pole sitters and three different winners each of the three races. It was pretty cool.”

Q:  It seems like there’s been a buzz about FR Americas this season—a lot of interest from drivers and growth in field. Why do you think that is?

SG: “FR Americas has proven to be a great training ground for drivers looking to move up in their career—whether that be to INDY NXT or any other class. When you look at drivers like Kyle Kirkwood, Linus Lundqvist, David Malukas or Kyffin Simpson—they’re all racing at the top level of INDYCAR today, but they came up the ranks through FR Americas. The championship provides drivers with the skillset they need to move up the ladder, but more importantly, the car’s horsepower-to-weight ratio prepares them for the next class. It’s a great place for drivers to refine their race craft.”

Q:  It’s a big year for F4 U.S. Championship with the debut of the new Ligier JS F422; what are you most looking forward to as that season kicks off at Road America next month?

SG: “We’re all excited about the new Ligier JS F422 with its V4 engine, aerodynamic package and state-of-the-art design. A tremendous amount of time and R&D work went into the development of this new car, and we look forward to seeing how it performs throughout the upcoming season.

“We had a handful of them at NOLA a few weeks ago, and just seeing those cars on track together—a whole field of them is going to sound unbelievable and will look so cool, too! They truly look like a smaller version of a Formula 1 car. We’re really excited to see them take the green at Road America.”

Q:  How has the addition of the Ligier JS F4 Series strengthened PMH’s open-wheel ladder?

SG: “The Ligier JS F4 Series gives us an entry-level category on our ladder system—both from a price point perspective and a training ground. It’s a great place for young drivers to make the transition from go karts to racecars, and honestly, the entry-level price point for the JS F4 Series isn’t much more than the high level of karting that a lot of people are doing. The other benefit of the JS F4 Series is that the drivers are learning all of the tracks that they’ll race at when they move up to F4 U.S. Likewise, they’re participating in all the driver activities, whether it be autograph sessions or fan walks, and they’re getting the same media opportunities with our live stream broadcasts and media interviews. It’s a great place to learn.”

Q:  You’re a very hands-on race director; you make sure to stay active within the industry to not only promote our championships, but also the drivers. Why is that?  

SG: “I understand that motor racing—more than ever—is as much about what you do off the track as it is what you do on the track. I’m always doing everything I can to promote our series and our young drivers, as you never know how a connection or a relationship will affect you in the future. With the month of May coming up, I’ll be attending a lot of functions throughout Indianapolis, as I do every year.

“I told the drivers in one of our meetings at NOLA that I was once in their shoes; I fully understand what they’re going through and what they’re trying to accomplish. I try to make people aware of the next up-and-coming racing stars in our ladder system. You look at our Radford Racing School “Karts to Cars” Scholarship school—Will Power, Mark Dismore, Ron Fellows—these are all known names in motorsport that nominate drivers to that program. They pay attention to what’s going on in all levels of the sport—all the way down to karting.

“Recently the opportunity came up for me take on the role of GM for Omologato USA. When I was racing in INDYCAR, it was always important for me to keep working with my partners and sponsors off the track—again, what you do off the track is just as important as what you do on the track—this is no different. I’ll help to guide the Omologato brand within American motorsport. I’m not selling to Macy’s, I’m not boxing up or shipping out orders; but I am helping make the connections and find opportunities for Omologato to grow through motorsports. It’s another way to connect with people—and with Omologato being the Official Timepiece of FR Americas, F4 U.S., Ligier JS F4 Series, SVRA and Trans Am—it’s a great way to talk about what Parella Motorsports Holdings is up to, too.”