The Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, Aug. 11-12 with more than double its grid size from its two inaugural season events held at the Honda road-course in 2016. Thirty-two F4 U.S. drivers, including Ohio native John Paul (J.P.) Southern Jr., are slated to compete in the mid-season event.

“We are very excited to show the fans here at Mid-Ohio how much our championship has grown since we visited last season,” said SCCA Pro Vice President Steve Oseth. “I think they will be quite impressed with the pool of talent this year. The F4 U.S. drivers always put on an exciting, competitive show.”

Southern is coming off his best F4 U.S. event of the season, earning his first points at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The Jay Howard’s Motorsports Driver Development rookie tested with the team and practiced on the simulator to prepare for his home-state debut.

“I am really looking forward to representing Ohio at my home track,” Southern said. “This is the first time my sponsors and supporters will be able to see me race the F4 U.S. car in person. I really hope to impress all of them. It means a lot to me knowing that they are in the stands cheering me on which gives me an extra boost of confidence.”

Last season during the F4 U.S. Championship world debut, Konrad Czaczyk of Jupiter, Florida, set the F4 U.S. Mid-Ohio track record with a 1:26.463 fast time in the second round and was the first competitor to ever sweep an event. The following Mid-Ohio weekend, Kyle Kirkwood of Jupiter, Florida, Skylar Robinson of Augusta, Georgia, and Cameron Das of Baltimore all scored their first wins of the season.

“The second Mid-Ohio event last year was my first time competing in an F4 U.S. car. Momentum Motorsports and I had a very successful weekend with two podium visits,” Robinson said. “Our goal is to replicate that success this weekend.”

Benjamin Pedersen of Copenhagen, Denmark, Jim Goughary Jr. of Jupiter, Florida, Austin Kaszuba of Burleson, Texas, and Raphael Forcier of Montreal also visited the podium over the course of their back-to-back Mid-Ohio campaigns in 2016.

Earlier this week, two F4 U.S. teams added drivers to their line-ups, creating an even stronger grid for the Mid-Ohio Challenge. Jay Howard’s MDD expanded its season roaster to five cars with karting champion Colin Mullan of Danville, California, and Miller Vinatieri Leguizamon Motorsports confirmed that second-generation open-wheel driver Chandler Horton of Zionsville, Indiana, would pilot its fourth car for Rounds 10-12.

Serving as the support series to Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli and the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the Mid-Ohio Challenge, F4 U.S. will participate in qualifying, two races and an autograph session on Friday and finish-out the weekend early Saturday with the final round. Fans can visit F4USChampionship.com for a complete schedule, entry list and a to view live timing and scoring.

F4 U.S. Schedule for Mid-Ohio Aug. 11-12

Friday

8 a.m.-8:30 a.m. – Qualifying

1:05 p.m.-1:45 p.m. – Race 1

2:15-2:45 – Driver autograph session

5:10 p.m.-6 p.m. – Race 2

Saturday

11 a.m.-11:45 a.m. – Race 3