It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for Alex Crosbie at Round 4 of the F4 US Championship at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.
Arriving at the round just three points behind the second-placed driver, Australian Daniel Quimby, an engine failure on the formation lap of the first race put the Kiwi on the back foot for the remainder of the weekend and cost him dearly in the championship battle.
The weekend started well with Crosbie, who set the second fastest time in practice, just 0.153s slower than championship leader Nicholas Stati, of Australia.
In qualifying, Crosbie completed around ten laps before he came in to make some changes to the car to improve his time. Unfortunately, the car would not restart, and he had to sit out the end of qualifying when all the fast times were coming.
“I was thinking that the engine not starting was a sign that the engine was about to fail, which proved correct,” he said later.
It meant that he qualified fourth, 1.449 seconds off pole.
Disaster struck before race one when the engine in Crosbie’s Ligier JS F422 blew on the formation lap, rendering him a non-starter in the race and costing him the opportunity to add to his points total.
He bounced back to show his undisputed speed in the second race, starting last and charging through the field to third, close behind second placegetter, American Connor Roberts, to score his fifth podium of the championship.
Crosbie started second in the third and final race and was involved in a big battle with Stati and Roberts for second place while Quimby led.
Oil on the track at Turn 1 proved troublesome as Crosbie sat behind Stati, keen to make a move.
“I hit the oil a few times, and it threw me offline,” he said. “Roberts passed me after I got a snap of oversteer there.”
Crosbie reeled in Stati and passed him for third on lap 13, and the duo battled it out throughout the remaining laps.
“I passed Stati a few times, and we went back and forth around Turn 8 and Turn 10. Eventually he shook me off for a few laps then on the last lap I made a move into Turn 8 off the back straight around the outside, sticking it through Turn 9 but I got passed by him at Turn 10 and I had to settle for fourth.”
The non-finish in the opening race proved costly for Crosbie, who, after going into the round just three points off second place in the championship, dropped to fourth in the points, albeit only 6.5 points behind Roberts.
Stati continues to lead the championship, while Quimby, who won all three races at this round, is still second.
“Hopefully, I can gain some points that I desperately need back at the last round of the championship at Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) in two months,” said Crosbie. I look forward to it and will study the track carefully and practice in the simulator to be ready for it.
The final round of the championship takes place at Circuit Of The Americas, Austin, Texas from 31 October to 3 November.
