Champagne Racing Earns Team Championship in Debut Season, Drew Szuch and Cash Felber Honored as Vice and Third-Place Champions, Beckham Jacir Named Ligier Most Improved Driver and Max Mokarem Takes Omologato Perfectly Timed Pass Award
CHARLOTTE (December 29, 2025) – The Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) once again proved to be an excellent training ground for young talent, providing drivers as young as 14 years old with the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a formula car and begin their racing careers. Attracting interest and participation around the globe, including drivers from four continents and nine countries in 2025, Ligier JFC welcomed seven drivers to Victory Lane, while nine different competitors finished on the podium this season. Leading the charge was Uruguayan Gastón Irazú, who was named the 2025 Driver Champion, and played a major role in his team, Champagne Racing, earning the 2025 Team Championship title. Drew Szuch was back for a second season taking the Vice Championship, while rookie Cash Felber finished the year as the Third-Place Champion. Beckham Jacir, another rookie, was recognized as the Ligier Most Improved Driver, while the youngest driver in the field, Max Mokarem, earned the Omologato Perfectly Timed Pass Award.
Ligier JFC Driver Champion: Gastón Irazú, Champagne Racing
From the very first wave of the green flag at NOLA Motorsports Park, Gastón Irazú (No. 42 Elia Group / Baly / Canal 4 / Ancap / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) began to position himself as a championship contender. Driving to Victory Lane in Races 1 and 3, and setting the fastest lap in all three events that weekend, Irazú took an early lead in the championship standings. In fact, in the first six events of 2025, the Uruguayan never finished worse than second. One of Irazú’s only stumbles of the season was in Round 7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, when he failed to score any points after a late-race off-track excursion. Despite it, the rookie still set the fastest lap of the race and came back to win the next round from the pole. At New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP), Irazú swept the weekend and led Champagne Racing in their very first podium sweep with a 1-2-3 finish.
A trying weekend at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) guaranteed that the championship battle would go all the way to Barber Motorsports Park, but undeterred by the challenge, Irazú tallied his final podium that weekend while celebrating his championship achievement.
In total throughout the 15 rounds, Irazú tallied five wins, 10 podiums, 13 top 10s, one pole and seven fastest race laps.
“I don’t speak really good English, so I’ll keep this short,” said Irazú accepting his trophy. “I want to thank my team, my dad, my sponsors, and all the people who helped me. Thank you.”
As the 2025 Driver Champion, Irazú secured a scholarship to compete in the 2025 F4 U.S. Championship season. Valued at more than $197,000, the prize package includes an engine and chassis lease from Ligier Automotive, two sets of tires per event from Hankook Motorsports and entry fees from Racing America. Irazú was also awarded a variety of other prizes, including a carbon Bell helmet, custom OMP racing suit and a bespoke Omologato timepiece.
READ MORE: 2025 Driver Points Championship Standings
Ligier JFC Driver Vice Champion: Drew Szuch, Berg Racing
Racing in a series where the average age of his competition was just 17 years old, 20-year-old Drew Szuch (No. 28 Trend North / TEAM Concept Printing / Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) entered the 2025 season with a key advantage—experience. Returning to Ligier JFC for a second season, Szuch joined Berg Racing, which also brought him the advantage of a teammate to work with and share data. Winning three of the first six races, Szuch had clearly positioned himself as a title contender by the time the championship left Road America. Rounds at Mid-Ohio and NJMP proved to be a bit more difficult, as Szuch tallied three additional podiums, but never finished better than third. When the series rolled in to VIR for the penultimate round, Szuch knew he’d have to win to keep his championship hopes alive—and win, he did. The championship battle went forward to the final round at Barber, but Szuch ultimately had to settle for second, finishing the season as the 2025 Driver Vice Champion.
“First of all, thank you to everyone who puts on these fantastic events,” said Szuch while accepting his award. “It’s truly been an honor to race with all of you this year.
“I’ve said it a lot this year, but I can never say it too much—thank you to this entire Berg Racing team, especially my mechanic, Mike, and my engineer, Stefan. We achieved some pretty awesome things, and it was thanks to your hard work. So, thank you very much. To Allen and to Alex, thank you for bringing together this incredible group of people and for welcoming me into it. All year, I saw your incredible determination and commitment to this championship, and I couldn’t be prouder to drive a Berg Racing car. Thank you.”
Ligier JFC Driver Third-Place Champion: Cash Felber, Champagne Racing
One of the youngest drivers in the field, Cash Felber (No. 11 BioLongevity Labs / TownHall / Rebol / DWT / Matrix Mind Water / Phantom Fireworks / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) was just 14 years old when the season began, but showed a steady improvement all year as he worked toward his Third-Place Driver Championship. Earning points in each of the series’ first six rounds, the Ohio native had a breakthrough win at his home track, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, tallying the first of six podium appearances. By the time the season reached its final checkered flag, Felber had accrued two wins, six podiums, 10 top fives and 13 top-10 finishes.
“I have to thank the whole team at Champagne Racing,” said Felber, accepting his trophy at the Year-End Award Celebration. “We put an amazing effort all season to come off with third in the championship. Victor, Jody, my mechanic, Jamison—thank you all for helping me get this.”
Ligier JFC Team Champion: Champagne Racing
Competing in their first full season of Ligier JFC competition, Champagne Racing earned their first Team Championship title. Averaging 4.167 entries per race, the Atlanta-based team had Irazú, Cash Felber, VIR winner Roman Felber (No. 73 BioLongevity Labs / TownHall / Rebol / DWT / Matrix Mind Water / Phantom Fireworks / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4), and Michael Fatutta (No. 12 Abushi / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) all running full-season campaigns under their banner, and was joined by Beckham Jacir (No. 67 STONICA / BELL / OMP / P1Doks / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) at Barber, where he claimed his first-career win.
All in all, Champagne Racing drivers combined for nine wins and 22 podiums, including two podiums sweeps—one in Round 11 at NJMP and the final in Round 15 at Barber.
The award was accepted by Champagne Racing co-owners, Victor Rubin de Celis and Jhonatan Sastoque.
“I just want to thank everyone on our team,” said Rubin while accepting the award. “Our mechanics stayed late almost every race weekend so we could have reliable cars. I want to thank our drivers for really pushing it and finding the limits in our cars, and obviously, the parents for being here and supporting us and supporting their drivers. I’d also like to thank everyone with the series for putting this together. I think we will continue to grow, and try to make things better for all of our drivers. We hope to be back here again next year, as well.”
READ MORE: 2025 Team Points Championship Standings
Ligier JFC Team Vice Champion: Berg Racing
Berg Racing celebrated winning the 2025 Team Vice Championship. Fielding cars for Szuch and Harbir Dass (No. 23 Northcoast Medical Group / Dubby Energy / Dass Psych LLC / Berg Racing Ligier JS F4) in all 15 races, the team also entered part-time entries for Ronan Bray (No. 08 Allen Berg Racing Schools / Foxxr Digital Marketing / NXG Graphics / Berg Racing Ligier JS F4), Taisei Murakami (No. 98 Berg Racing Ligier JS F4), and Alex Berg (No. 98 Atna Pharma Consulting / Rohde & Liesenfeld Inc / Easydrift Technologies Inc / Berg Racing Ligier JS F4), while competing at both VIR and Barber as a four-car team. In total, Berg Racing drivers accomplished four victories and 12 podiums en route to their Vice Champion title.
Ligier JFC Team Third-Place Champion: Cará Origin Motorsports
Cará Origin Motorsports’ efforts in Ligier JFC were small but mighty. Operating as a one-car team on a partial schedule, the organization outpaced several multi-car operations to be named the Team Third-Place Champion. With driver and team co-owner Daniel Cará (No. 10 Tenuta Foppa & Ambrosi Wines / WorkHub / Cará Origin Motorsports Ligier JS F4) behind the wheel, Cará Origin earned one win, four podiums and eight top-five finishes, while earning points in each of their 11 starts.
Ligier Most Improved Driver: Beckham Jacir
Missing the first round of the 2025 season, Beckham Jacir (No. 67 STONICA / BELL / OMP / P1Doks / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) joined Ligier JFC at Road America in May. Earning a third-place finish in his debut weekend with LC Racing, the Miami native backed up the effort in the next round at Mid-Ohio, where he earned a runner-up finish. He showed consistent speed all season with three fastest race laps, but it wasn’t until the final race of the season when Jacir’s talent was put on full display. Joining Champagne Racing for the final round, Jacir put on a clinic for the art of racing in the rain as he pulled out to more than a 13-second lead at Barber Motorsports Park, dominating all the way to the checkered flag to earn his first-career win. During the Year-End Awards Celebration, Jacir was honored as the 2025 Ligier Most Improved Driver.
“I thought I was pretty solid throughout the whole year, but I’ll take it,” joked Jacir when accepting the award. “There are many people that I have to give a ‘thank you’ to. First of all, I have to thank LC Racing Team. [I spent] the beginning of the year with them. Leo [Colman, LC Racing team owner] has been there throughout my whole career, and I really have to thank him for that. I’ve got to thank Mikey, Fernando, all those guys for helping me. And then, this last round with Champagne Racing. I have to thank Victor [Rubin], and all these guys for giving me the chance here to bring home a good win. Of course, I also have to thank Scott [Goodyear, Race Director] for really helping me throughout this whole year, and everyone else at Ligier JFC—Kelley [Huxtable, Registrar], everyone in tech, and everyone else, as well. Thank you.”
Omologato Perfectly Timed Pass Award: Max Mokarem, Momentum Motorsports
With 30 positions gained this season, Max Mokarem (No. 46 BFS / District Construction / Don’t Sleep Energy / Momentum Motorsports Ligier JS F4) won the Omologato Perfectly Timed Pass Award. Recognizing the driver who picked up the most positions from their starting position to their finishing position throughout the course of the 15-race season, Mokarem led the way with his Momentum Motorsports entry to win the bespoke Omologato timepiece. With an average start of 9.2 and an average finish of 7.1, Mokarem earned two podiums this season—his first, a third-place finish at the NOLA season-opener weekend, and his final podium at VIR with a career-best second-place finish.
The award was accepted on Mokarem’s behalf by Phil Picard, owner of Momentum Motorsports.
Ligier JFC 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 @LigierJFC on all major social media platforms. Prospective drivers wanting to learn more about Ligier JFC or Racing America’s formula ladder system, or those looking to compete in the 2026 Ligier JFC season should visit LigierJFC.com.