Irazu takes flag-to-flag Ligier JFC win at NOLA

Gaston Irazu led from lights to checkers in Ligier Formula Junior Championship (Ligier JFC) to win an all-green race three at NOLA Motorsports Park on Sunday morning. After a penalty on Friday, Irazu showed great resilience, winning two of the weekend’s three races and finishing second in the other. With the results, the Uruguayan leaves the NOLA SpeedTour as the Ligier JFC points leader.

Irazu focused his attention forward, pulling away from the field, while those behind him jockeyed for position. The opening laps were filled with fierce battles and side-by-side racing. The fight for second was especially heated, as Mokarem was challenged by Daniel Cara (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Wines/WorkHub Ligier JS F4), Dass and Drew Szuch (No. 28 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4).

Cara finally established his holding on the position after a side-by-side battle with Dass, where the two made contact after getting loose in Turn 6. With Cara emerging as the frontrunner, Dass was left to duke it out with teammate Szuch and Mokarem. Cleared from traffic, Cara, like Irazu, was able to start gapping the competition while a train of Ligier JS F416s followed in his wake, looking for the right opportunity to pick up a position.

As the race neared its halfway point, Irazu held a more than 7s lead over Cara. Six seconds behind Cara, Mokarem had settled into third. With the race staying green for the entire 30 minutes, all three drivers were able to slowly build a gap of their own as they sailed toward the finish line.

Taking the checkered flag, Irazu held a 7.381s margin, with Cara in second and Mokarem in third.

“It was really nice race,” said Irazu after climbing from the car. “I was able to pull ahead a good distance in the first two laps and go on to win. I’m very happy. I have to thank my father for giving me the chance to compete here and my team for all their work to give me a good car.”

Ligier JFC is back on track for the Road America SpeedTour, May 15-18. The event, like all 2025 races, will be streamed live on SpeedTour.TV, with live timing and scoring available on the Race Monitor App. Additional news and updates leading up to the event will be shared on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Prospective drivers looking to learn more about Ligier JFC should visit the series’ website, LigierJFC.com.