Kiwi Motorsport heads to VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) with championship ambitions across FRAC, F4 U.S. and Ligier Junior Formula Championship as the 2026 season reaches its penultimate event.
The team will field its full three-series line-up at VIR, with several drivers still firmly involved in their respective title fights. Cooper Shipman leads Kiwi’s FRAC challenge from third in the standings, while Zach Fourie and Caleb Campbell occupy second and third in F4 U.S. Jack Speth arrives in Virginia as the Ligier JFC Gen. 2 championship leader.
With only two event weekends remaining, the margins for error continue to narrow. Kiwi will therefore look to maximise every qualifying session and race as its drivers attempt to strengthen their positions before the final event of the season.
Shipman leads Kiwi Motorsport’s FRAC challenge
Shipman enters the weekend third in the FRAC Drivers’ Championship and remains among the leading contenders as the season approaches its conclusion.
The Kiwi Motorsport driver has another opportunity at VIR to reduce the gap to the drivers ahead, with only one event remaining after the Virginia round. Harbir Dass will join him once again in the team’s FRAC line-up and enters the weekend seventh in the standings.
Both drivers therefore have plenty to fight for during the double-header. While Shipman remains focused on the championship battle at the front, Dass can also make significant progress in the standings with a strong points haul.
The penultimate round places increased importance on consistency. Any points lost at VIR will leave fewer opportunities to recover during the finale, making clean execution particularly important for Kiwi’s FRAC programme.
Four Kiwi drivers occupy top seven in F4 U.S.
Kiwi arrives at VIR with an especially strong position in F4 U.S., where four of its drivers sit inside the top seven in the championship.
Fourie leads the team’s challenge in second after taking his maiden F4 U.S. victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. His success in Canada moved him ahead of teammate Campbell, who enters VIR third in the standings.
Clemente Huerta holds fifth, while Ayden Kohut sits seventh. Their positions give Kiwi several opportunities to score heavily as the team also continues its fight at the top of the Teams’ Championship.
The CTMP weekend demonstrated the depth of Kiwi’s F4 U.S. line-up. Fourie claimed victory in Race 1 before returning to the podium in Race 3, while Campbell, Huerta and Kohut continued adding points across the event.
At VIR, the team will look to convert that depth into another strong collective result while Fourie and Campbell attempt to strengthen their individual championship challenges.
Speth arrives at VIR with Ligier JFC lead
Kiwi also enters the penultimate weekend from the front of the Ligier JFC Gen. 2 championship through Speth.
Unlike several of his teammates, who arrive needing to close championship deficits, Speth faces the challenge of protecting his advantage as the season reaches its decisive phase.
That changes the nature of his approach without reducing the importance of maximising each session. Strong qualifying positions and consistent race finishes will remain vital if he wants to carry the championship lead into the final event.
With Kiwi competing across three categories during the weekend, Speth’s title position gives the team another major objective alongside its FRAC and F4 U.S. programmes.
Larsen highlights scale of Kiwi’s championship opportunities
Kiwi Motorsport Team Owner Teena Larsen acknowledged how much remains at stake across the team’s three programmes.
Rather than focusing on a single championship challenge, Kiwi arrives at VIR with several drivers capable of influencing their respective title fights during one of the most important weekends of the season.
“We have a lot on the line this weekend, and it is exciting to have so many of our drivers in championship contention,” said Kiwi Motorsport Team Owner Teena Larsen.
The team’s position reflects the work completed throughout the season. Kiwi has built championship opportunities across different categories, but Larsen knows the final rounds will place even greater emphasis on execution.
“We have worked hard all season to put our drivers in this position, and now it is about executing when it matters most.
With so few races remaining, strong pace alone will not guarantee the results Kiwi needs. The team must also avoid costly incidents, maximise qualifying and convert opportunities when they arise.
Kiwi carries multiple championship goals into VIR
Larsen highlighted each part of the team’s programme, with Shipman and Dass continuing their FRAC campaigns while four Kiwi drivers remain near the front in F4 U.S.
Speth’s position at the top of Ligier JFC adds another title fight to an already busy weekend.
“Cooper and Harbir have a strong opportunity in FR, Zach, Caleb, Clemente and Ayden are all fighting near the front in F4, and Jack has done an incredible job leading the JFC championship.
The breadth of those opportunities gives Kiwi several different objectives to manage. Fourie and Campbell need to gain ground in F4 U.S., Shipman aims to strengthen his position among the FRAC leaders, while Speth needs to defend his championship advantage.
However, each programme ultimately depends on the same requirement: delivering consistently throughout the weekend.
VIR presents demanding penultimate-round challenge
Virginia International Raceway will test Kiwi’s drivers across its 3.27-mile, 17-turn configuration.
The Alton, Virginia circuit combines fast, flowing sections with significant elevation changes and demanding braking zones. Consequently, drivers must balance outright speed with precision across a lap that punishes mistakes.
Larsen expects the circuit to challenge the team, but she believes Kiwi arrives prepared for the task.
“VIR is a challenging track, but we are ready for the weekend and looking forward to seeing what this team can accomplish.”
The weekend will also demand adaptability because Kiwi will operate programmes across all three championships simultaneously.
Testing begins on Thursday and continues on Friday before the competitive sessions get underway. Practice and combined Ligier JFC and F4 U.S. qualifying will follow, while FRAC qualifying takes place on Saturday morning.
Kiwi prepares for decisive final stretch
Saturday will feature the opening race for each championship before all three series return for another race on Sunday.
That compact format gives Kiwi and its drivers limited time to recover from any setback. As a result, the work completed during Thursday and Friday testing could play an important role once qualifying begins.
For Shipman, Fourie, Campbell and the other championship contenders, VIR offers one of the final opportunities to change the points picture before the finale. Speth, meanwhile, will attempt to preserve the advantage he has already established in Ligier JFC.
Kiwi therefore enters the weekend with meaningful championship stakes across its entire programme. The team has already put several drivers into strong positions over the course of the season, but VIR will begin determining how many of those opportunities remain intact heading into the final event.
With three championships, multiple title contenders and only two weekends remaining, execution becomes increasingly important as Kiwi Motorsport begins the decisive phase of its 2026 campaign.
