BALTIMORE, MD, June 29, 2021 — Looking to return to the form from his first event of the season where he earned two wins and three podium results, Jason Alder entered this past weekend with high hopes. Piloting the #77 Velocity Racing Development entry and taking on the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Alder had a third-place podium result in the second wheel-to-wheel action of the weekend to add to his 2021 F4 United States Championship Powered by Honda points haul.
After claiming the eighth quickest lap in practice and earning a front row starting position after qualifying was rained out, Alder was looking to add to his 2021 win total and retake the championship points lead. With his goals set high and settling into the second position after the opening lap, a clutch failure pushed Alder down the running order. Falling back to 22nd, the F4 rookie was able to gain one position before the checkered flag flew to cross the line in P21.
With a fast car under him, Alder lined up in the fourth position for Sunday morning’s round eight courtesy of his lap times in round seven the day prior. With a good clean start, the #77 entry settled into the fourth position before advancing into third before mid-race distance. With the gap to the leader closed under the one and only caution period of the race, it would be a dash to the finish and round eight win. Looking to jump the top two on the restart, Alder was only able to maintain his third position and drove to the checkered flag to find himself back on the podium, his first since round three at Road Atlanta in April.
Race three of the weekend saw the Velocity Racing Development driver begin his quest for a race win from the outside of row two in the fourth position. An average start saw Alder maintain his position for the opening laps before eventually falling to fifth. In a race that featured more caution periods, one of them happened to be for Alder who fell to the tail of the running order and a lap down. Classified in the 24th position, it was a disappointing end to a promising weekend for the first-year driver.
“Regroup, refocus and get back on top is the goal in a few weeks’ time in Minnesota,” explained Alder. “Mid-Ohio was an improvement from Road America, but we need to get back to the form that we showed during the opening event of the year. I will work my tail off to ensure that is the case for myself, my team and my partners.”
The next stop for Jason Alder and the F4 United States Championship Powered by Honda is July 16-18 at the Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota.
Photos: YACademy
