2025 Formula Pro USA Western Championship

The 2025 Formula Pro USA Western Series was the sixth season of the championship for Formula Regional and Formula 4 cars established in the West Coast of the United States. The championship was promoted and organized by Exclusive Racing and Exclusive Auctions, and was ran under the same sporting regulations as the FIA-sanctioned Formula Regional Americas Championship and Formula 4 United States Championship.

It began in March, with the championship spanning six weekends until November.^[1] World Speed Motorsports driver Larry Schnur claimed the FPUSA-3 title with two races to spare when his closest competitor, Charles Duncan, did not enter the final round. The FPUSA-4 class was won by Ridgeley Welsh, also driving for World Speed Motorsports, while Kiwi Motorsport's Carolyn Fitzgerald took victory in the Women's Racing Series class.

Drivers were able to enter either the FPUSA-3 or the FPUSA-4 class, with the former using a Ligier JS F3 car and the latter a Ligier JS-F4 car. All cars were powered by Honda and used Avon tires.^[2]

The 2025 calendar was held over twelve races spanning across six weekends.^[1] The series raced at the same four circuits as it did the previous year.

The 2025 season commenced Sonoma Raceway with Atlantic's James Lawley claiming two pole positions. He then continued to head teammate Nicolas Stati and WSM's Larry Schnur in both races, with Stati setting the fastest laps on each day. The F4 class saw Jensen's Zach Fourie sweep the weekend, leading WSM's Ridgeley Welsh in both races, with his teammates Christopher DeFreitas and Yashom Kapoor each taking a third place. The standings after the weekend saw Fourie and Lawley leading their respective classes.^[9]

Thunderhill Raceway Park held round two, and the top two in F3 were absent, leaving Schnur to dominate in their stead, leading WSM's Charles Duncan in both races to take maximum points and the championship lead in class. The F4 class saw a similar picture, with an absent Fourie replaced by Kapoor as the man in front. Kapoor won both races to take a five-point lead in the standings, while Welsh claimed two more second places and Kiwi Motorsport's Carolyn Fitzgerald finished third on both occasions.^[10]

Round three at Laguna Seca brought yet another new face to the front in the F3 class, as Kiwi's Bruno Ribeiro and Crosslink's Barrett Wolfe formed the top two in both races on their series debut. Schnur collected two more third-place finishes to bolster his championship lead. The F4 class saw ten cars entered, a high-point for the series, but it was returnee Fourie who was once again on top in both races. Second and fourth place for Kapoor were enough to retain a one-point lead, with Welsh now ten points behind.^[11]

Formula Pro USA returned to Sonoma for round four, where Kiwi's Jake Bonilla dominated proceedings in F3, winning both races and taking the F3 track record in the process. Duncan claimed two more second places, leading teammate Dan Decker to close up to Schnur in the standings. The F4 class saw a new winner in race one in Jensen's Robert Arana, before Kapoor was back on top in race two to bolster his points lead again. Jensen's Aiden Zelaya and Welsh also claimed two further podium finishes.^[12]

A second round at Thunderhill was up next, where Decker won race one in F3 before race two went to another debutant in Jensen's John O'Donnell, despite dropping to the rear of the field at the start. Duncan meanwhile took two more second places to slightly close up to Schnur in the standings. Welsh dominated the field in F4 by taking two wins, taking the lead in the standings off of Kapoor, who had held it since the second round of the season. He finished third in both races, behind Zelaya, who built on his podium streak.^[13]

The season final was held at a rainy Buttonwillow Raceway Park. With Duncan and Decker both absent, Schnur was able to seal the F3 class title without opposition, sharing wins in the two races with Zelaya, who was the only other competitor in F3 when he made the mid-season step up from F4. Two second places for Welsh were enough to claim the F4 class title as both wins went to Crosslink's Austin Kaszuba on debut. Fitzgerald meanwhile narrowly became the inaugural Womens' Racing Series champion in third overall.^[14]

Points were awarded as follows:

• Official website: Formula Pro USA