The 2026 Formula Regional Americas Championship (FRAC) season roared into life at NOLA Motorsports Park, delivering a dramatic and unpredictable opening weekend. Across three races, multiple contenders emerged, while incidents, penalties and standout performances shaped an early championship narrative.
From the outset, the field demonstrated remarkable competitiveness. Notably, less than half a second covered the top five in qualifying, which immediately set the tone for a closely fought event.
Papasavvas announces himself with pole position
Evagoras Papasavvas made an immediate impact on his series debut by securing pole position. Driving for Crosslink Motorsports, he posted a 1:33.626 lap to edge the field by 0.253 seconds.
Behind him, Brady Golan secured second place, while rookie Kekai Hauanio completed the top three. Meanwhile, Cooper Shipman and Harbir Dass rounded out the top five, underlining the depth of competition.
Earlier in practice, Shipman had set the pace in the opening session. However, Papasavvas responded in Practice 2, narrowly leading Golan. As a result, the qualifying outcome reflected a weekend-long battle at the front.
2026 FRAC | NOLA Motorsports Park | Free Practice
Session 1 | Results
- Cooper Shipman
- Evagoras Papasavvas
- Kekai Hauanio
- Harbir Dass
- Barrett Wolfe
- Brady Golan
- Alejandro Bobadilla
- Christian Bogle
- Luke Powers
- Whitney Strickland
- Jonathan Cottrill
- Aiden Schuh
- Eric Wisniewski
- Jake Pollack
- James Lawley
- Kevin Janzen
- Anthony Autiello
Session 2 | Results
- Evagoras Papasavvas
- Brady Golan
- Kekai Hauanio
- Alejandro Bobadilla
- James Lawley
- Luke Powers
- Christian Bogle
- Cooper Shipman
- Harbir Dass
- Anthony Autiello
- Eric Wisniewski
- Barrett Wolfe
- Jonathan Cottrill
- Whitney Stickland
- Kevin Janzen
- Aiden Schuh
- Jack Pollack – No time set
2026 FRAC | NOLA Motorsports Park | Qualifying/Race 1 Official Grid | Results
- Evagoras Papasavvas
- Brady Golan – Loss of fastest lap time for causing a suspension of session
- Kekai Hauanio
- Cooper Shipman
- Harbir Dass
- Alejandro Bobadilla
- Barrett Wolfe
- James Lawley
- Christian Bogle
- Eric Wisniewski
- Aiden Schuh
- Whiteney Strickland
- Jonathan Cottrill
- Luke Powers
- Anthony Autiello – 5 place grid penalty for failing to respect Red Flag (originally qualified P10)
- Kevin Janzen – 5 place grid penalty for failing to respect Red Flag (originally qualified P11)
- Jake Pollack – No time set
Golan dominates chaotic Race 1
Although Papasavvas started from pole, Race 1 quickly took a dramatic turn. Contact between Crosslink teammates Papasavvas and Hauanio at the start allowed Golan to seize the lead. From there, he controlled the race with authority.
Driving for Toney Driver Development, Golan built a commanding advantage of nearly 10 seconds before a late caution erased his lead. Nevertheless, he remained composed during the restart and once again pulled clear, ultimately winning by 5.699 seconds.
After the race, Golan reflected on his performance: “We had a good car today. We did a lot of work in the off season, so I’m super happy to see that it’s turned out well. It’s always nice to have a massive lead, but we built up a decent one again after the restart, too. We’ve had by far the fastest and most reliable car of the year. So, I’m super happy with Toney Driver Development. They’ve done an incredible job.”
Meanwhile, the fight behind him remained intense. Hauanio initially recovered to second on track after dropping to 13th, while Barrett Wolfe also surged forward. However, post-race penalties for both drivers reshuffled the order.
Consequently, Christian Bogle secured second place, with Shipman promoted to third. This result also delivered a 1–2 finish for Toney Driver Development and marked a strong start to the season.
2026 FRAC | NOLA Motorsports Park | Race 1 | Results
- Brady Golan
- Christian Bodle
- Cooper Shipman
- Evagoras Papasavvas
- James Lawley
- Luke Powers
- Kekai Hauanio
- Eric Wisniewski
- Barret Wolfe
- Whitney Strickland
- Kevin Janzen
- Aidan Schuh
- Anthony Autiello
- Harbir Dass
NC: Alejandro Bobadilla, Jonathan Cottrill
DNS: Jake Pollack
Penalties:
- Kekai Hauanio – 5-second post-race for leaving the track and gaining an advantage
- Barrett Wolfe – 5-second post-race for leaving the track and gaining an advantage
Papasavvas seizes opportunity in Race 2
Race 2 presented another twist. Golan’s early misfortune, caused by a stall and subsequent contact, removed him from contention and opened the door for others.
Shipman initially led the field before Hauanio surged into the lead and controlled much of the race. However, in a dramatic late development, Hauanio encountered a mechanical issue after hitting the kerbs, which prevented him from shifting gears.
As a result, Papasavvas capitalised instantly. Having quietly worked his way through the field, he overtook Hauanio on the final lap to claim his first victory in the series.
Reflecting on the win, Papasavvas said: “I mean with two laps left, it came to a point where you have to think about the championship, so I was just thinking about getting P2 and getting the second-place points, which was going to be good. I’m super happy going from sixth to first. I made some moves early and just put myself in the right place. I stayed focused on hitting my marks and one by one ticking them off. The car felt pretty good and it ended up working out in my favor. I have to thank Body Wise, Tiger Natural Gas, my family, Ares Elite Sports Vision, and just everyone at Crosslink Motorsports.”
Shipman finished second to record a career-best result, while Hauanio held on to third, securing his first podium in the category.
2026 FRAC | NOLA Motorsports Park | Race 2 | Results
- Evagoras Papasavvas
- Cooper Shipman
- Kekai Hauanio
- Barrett Wolfe
- Luke Powers
- Christian Bogle
- Alejandro Bobadilla
- James Lawley
- Whitney Stickland
- Eric Wisniewski
- Harbir Dass
NC: Aidan Schuh, Anthony Autiello, Kevin Janzen, Brady Golan
DNS: Jonathan Cottrill, Jake Pollack
Shipman completes the set in Race 3
The final race of the weekend delivered yet another winner. Shipman, representing Kiwi Motorsport, produced a measured and controlled drive to secure his maiden victory in FR Americas.
Although Papasavvas started on pole, Hauanio initially took control of the race. However, tyre management proved decisive. Shipman steadily worked his way forward before taking the lead and building a comfortable gap of over six seconds.
He maintained that advantage to the chequered flag, capping off a weekend of consistent improvement that included finishes of third, second and first.
After the race, Shipman said: “It feels good to win. We had a couple missed opportunities yesterday, but we were able to rebound today. It’s definitely good to get a win on the board before the end of the first weekend, and even better to come away with a lead in the championship. We’ll keep pushing going forward and won’t take our foot off the next one. I’d like to thank everyone at Kiwi Motorsport, they’ve done a great job this week, giving me a great car. My driving wasn’t up to standard yesterday—I could have got more on my end. They’ve been giving me a winning car this whole week, and it was just good to finally reward them and put a good finish together.”
Hauanio finished second, while Luke Powers inherited third after post-race penalties for both Papasavvas and Golan.
2026 FRAC | NOLA Motorsports Park | Race 3 | Results
- Copper Shipman
- Kekai Hauanio
- Luke Powers
- Christian Bogle
- Eric Wisniewski
- Evagoras Papasavvas
- Jonathan Cottrill
- Brady Golan
- Barrett Wolfe
- James Lawley
- Aidan Schuh
- Anthony Autiello
- Harbir Dass
- Alejandro Bobadilla
NC: Whitney Strickland, Kevin Janzen
DNS: Jake Pollack
Penalties:
- Brady Golan – 5-second post-race for leaving the track and gaining an advantage
- Brady Golan – 30-second post-race for causing a collision
- Evagoras Papasavvas – 30-second post-race for causing a collision
- Barrett Wolfe – 30-second post-race for causing a collision
Masters Cup and standout performances
Alongside the main field, the Masters Cup delivered its own compelling storylines. Whitney Strickland claimed victory in Race 1 and completed a clean sweep across both Saturday races.
After his first win, Strickland said: “It’s been pretty fun. I’m getting used to the Ligier JS F3 car—it’s my first weekend in it really, so I’m pretty happy to get a good result. I want to thank TF Companies for letting me come out here and do this. My management team took over the company, and as CEO, I got a little break to come do this race. I also have to thank Hillenburg Motorsports for the support, and my wife for being the team mom.”
Meanwhile, Anthony Autiello secured the Race 3 Masters Cup victory, continuing his strong presence in the category.
Early championship picture takes shape
Following the opening weekend, Shipman leads the championship standings with 58 points, holding a 13-point advantage over Papasavvas. Golan, despite his dominant Race 1 victory, lost ground due to incidents and penalties across the remaining races.
Importantly, the weekend produced three different winners from three different teams. This outcome highlights the depth and unpredictability of the 2026 grid.
As the championship heads to its next round, the opening event has already established a clear narrative. Papasavvas has proven his speed, Golan has demonstrated dominance, and Shipman has shown consistency and race management.
Therefore, the 2026 season promises to deliver sustained competition and evolving rivalries. If the NOLA opener serves as any indication, the battle for the title will remain wide open.
