Kiwi Motorsport Earns Seventh F4 U.S. Team Championship, Vice Champion Alex Popow Named Most-Improved Driver, and Third-Place Champion Kekai Hauanio Takes Omologato Perfectly-Timed Pass Award

 

CHARLOTTE (December 29, 2025) – The 2025 Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) season was one for the record books. Driver Champion Cooper Shipman set a new standard for up-and-coming racers as he competed under the Kiwi Motorsport banner and led his team to their seventh F4 U.S. Team Championship title. Behind him, MLT Motorsports’ Alex Popow and Crosslink Motorsports’ Kekai Hauanio raced wheel to wheel all season, with the battle for the vice championship coming down to the final laps. Popow pounced to take the Vice Championship and Most-Improved Driver honors, while Hauanio won the Omologato Perfectly-Timed Pass Award as the Third-Place Driver Champion.

 

F4 U.S. Driver Champion: Cooper Shipman, Kiwi Motorsport

The second-generation Ligier JS F422 chassis continued to prove its competitiveness, with four drivers taking checkered flags this season, and eight standing on the podium throughout the championship’s 17 races. At first, the 2025 championship appeared to be anyone’s to win. Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422), Alex Popow (No. 55 Dr. Michael Thompson MS DDS PPLS / MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) and Caleb Campbell (No. 68 Kids Help Phone / Camtacc Properties / Legacy Foundation of Canada / LC Racing Ligier JS F422) split the victories during the first six races at NOLA Motorsports Park and Road America, but after that came Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and once Cooper Shipman (No. 14 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) pulled into Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio, no one could kick him out.

For the next nine rounds, Shipman never skipped a beat, taking checkered flag after checkered flag until he tallied nine-consecutive wins. Surpassing five-time INDYCAR winner Kyle Kirkwood and the inaugural F4 U.S. series champion Cameron Das on the list for longest win streaks, Shipman set a new standard for the series record books. Accruing nine wins, 13 podiums, 14 top fives, 15 top 10s, four poles and seven fastest race laps, Shipman locked in the championship by the conclusion of Round 15 at VIRginia International Raceway.

With the title, Shipman earned a scholarship to compete in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) in 2026. Perhaps giving a preview of what can be expected next season, the Texan used 2025’s final round to get some experience in the FR Americas car, driving to a podium finish in his series debut at Barber Motorsports Park.

“Wow, so many people to thank for this year,” said Shipman while accepting the F4 U.S. Championship trophy. “First of all, my parents for supporting me and helping me all the way through my motorsports career to get to this point. Thanks to Scott for helping me get into this series and get my feet on the ground. 

“But most importantly, thanks to Kiwi Motorsport for all of their support this year. Teena , Garry , all of my driver coaches that I worked with this year, the number of different engineering mechanics—some in person, and some unfortunately not able to be here with us. You guys all helped me be fast every single time we went on track this year. This record of nine wins in a row and this championship would not have been possible without any of you. So, I just can't thank you guys enough. I hope to be up here again next year talking to you guys. Thank you.”

Valued at more than $295,000, Shipman’s prize package includes the lease of a Ligier JS F3 chassis from Ligier Automotive, an engine from Mountune USA, three sets of tires per event from Hankook Motorsports and race entry fees from Racing America. In addition to earning valuable FIA Super License Points, Shipman was awarded a variety of other prizes, including a carbon Bell helmet, custom OMP racing suit, bespoke Omologato timepiece, Haas F1 Team guest experience at a 2026 F1 event, and an invitation to the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony.

     READ MORE: 2025 Driver Points Championship Standings

 

F4 U.S. Driver Vice Champion: Alex Popow, MLT Motorsports

Alex Popow left the opening round of the 2025 season with two wins at NOLA, but it took until the final round at Barber for the MLT Motorsports driver to regain the top step of the podium. In between, Popow earned a total of 8 additional podiums, 14 top fives and 15 top 10s, and continued to prove his speed through two poles and six fastest race laps.

“I just want to take the time to say thank you to my parents,” said Popow while accepting his award. “Being Vice Champion is obviously a little bit bittersweet, because you always want to try and go in for the win. But we overcame all the challenges we had this year. Being a small effort with just one car on the team has been a really big learning experience for me in terms of development and setting up the car. It's been just an incredible year. I'm so thankful to be here, and thankful for everyone here, as well, for making it a great year.”

 

F4 U.S. Driver Third-Place Champion: Kekai Hauanio, Crosslink Motorsports

Joining F4 U.S. after finishing as the Vice Champion in Ligier Junior Formula Championship in 2024, Kekai Hauanio came out the gates hot to start the season. Winning the opening race at NOLA, Hauanio took two additional victories at Road America to overtake the points lead and become the first driver to reach three wins this season. Not just the only driver to score points in every round this season, Hauanio was the only driver to finish in the top five in each of the season’s 17 races. His fight for the Vice Championship came down to the final race of the season, but as Popow took his fourth win in the final round, Hauanio came up just 3.5 points short and finished third in the standings.

“I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone who helped me get here—especially to my grandparents who have supported me for the last 10 years of my racing career,” said Hauanio while accepting his trophy. “To Crosslink Motorsports—the whole crew, Gill, Steve, Dylan, and my mechanic Aiden—just a huge thank you to all of them. To everyone that helped me get here—thank you.”

 

F4 U.S. Team Championship: Kiwi Motorsport

Kiwi Motorsport celebrated their seventh F4 U.S. Team Championship title. Taking the points lead in Round 2 at NOLA, the organization never wavered, leading the standings all the way to the final checkered flag of the 2025 season. Fielding cars for Shipman, Clemente Huerta Raab (No. 17 Velox USA / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422), Oliver Savoie (No. 88 YXE Auto / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422), and entering Zach Fourie (No. 15 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) in the final race of the season, the Dallas-based organization averaged 2.4 cars per event. In total, drivers from the Kiwi Motorsport stable accounted for nine wins and 20 podiums in the season’s 17 races.

The award was accepted by team co-owners Garry Orton and Teena Larsen.

“I'd just like to thank all of our drivers, all of our parents, and all of the mechanics and engineers who made this possible,” said Orton while accepting the award. “It's been a fantastic season. The car has put on some real good racing.  I was up in the stands watching, and it was like for a whole lap, the whole field was side-by-side. I looked over at Scott Goodyear and he was walking up and down the side of the building. I texted him and said ‘you’re going to wear your shoes out, mate.’ The racing was fantastic. All the other drivers, you did a real good job. Thank you very much.”

“I want to thank all of our drivers, all of our team—we can't do this without you,” said Larsen while accepting the award. “It’s a lot of moving parts to this, and our team is about 25 crew members, eight drivers—it takes quite a village to make this work. I’m so proud of everyone on our team. To Cooper, thank you for an amazing season, and of course all of our other drivers, it was just was an incredible time. A really big shout out to Scott Goodyear and his team. Ligier, thank you so much for everything you do. Hankook, Mountune, and of course for leading this gang. We can't do it without you.

“We love being here. We love winning. We love it all, so thank you. Proud of our whole team and everybody that's in the series, so thank you very much.”

     READ MORE: 2025 Team Points Championship Standings

 

F4 U.S. Team Vice Championship: Crosslink Motorsports

Crosslink Motorsports was honored as the 2025 F4 U.S. Team Vice Champions. Competing as a two-car team while fielding entries for Third-Place Driver Champion Hauanio and two-time podium finisher Demitri Nolan (No. 5 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F422), the organization finished the year with three wins and 15 podiums.

 

F4 U.S. Team Third-Place Championship: MLT Motorsports

In many ways, the fight between MLT Motorsports and their competition was reflective of David vs. Goliath. Spending much of the year as a single-car operation competing only in F4 U.S., the organization fielded a full-time effort for Driver Vice Champion, Alex Popow. Twice they expanded to be a two-car organization, fielding Conor Grant (No. 54 Back Of House / Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F422) during the season opener at NOLA, and Jonathan Cottrill (No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) during the season finale at Barber. In total, the Atlanta-based team secured four wins and 12 podiums during the 17-race season.

The award was accepted on behalf of MLT Motorsports by driver Alex Popow.

 

Ligier Most Improved Driver: Alex Popow, MLT Motorsports

Alex Popow was recognized as the Ligier Most Improved Driver in F4 U.S., which awarded him a $2,000 parts credit from Ligier Automotive North America.

 

Omologato Perfectly Timed Pass Award: Kekai Hauanio, Crosslink Motorsports

Kekai Hauanio was awarded the 2025 Omologato Perfectly Timed Pass Award, which recognizes the driver who picks up the most spots from their starting position to their finishing position of each race. Throughout the 17 events this season, Hauanio gained 18 positions to secure the award and win a bespoke Omologato timepiece.

 

F4 U.S. will kick off its 2026 season, with a pre-season test at NOLA Motorsports Park, March 23-24, followed by the 2026 season opener at the same circuit just two weeks later. For news and updates throughout the off season, follow F4 U.S. on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Prospective drivers wanting to learn more about F4 U.S., the #RoadToF1 ladder, and how to get involved in the 2026 F4 U.S. season should visit F4USChampionship.com.