Anthony Autiello Takes Masters Cup Win in NJMP Finale

MILLVILLE, N.J. (August 2, 2026) – Evagoras Papasavvas returned to the top step of the podium in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) competition at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) closing out the New Jersey Lottery weekend. Close battles and intense pressure were the theme of the all-green Race 3, holding the attention of both spectators and drivers all the way until the checkered flag.

Notes of Interest:

• After retiring early in Race 1 of the NJMP weekend, Evagoras Papasavvas completed the comeback to secure the race win in the final event of the weekend. The victory marked his fourth of the 2026 season.
• Brady Golan notched his eighth podium of the season with a runner-up finish in the final race of the New Jersey Lottery Racing America weekend at NJMP.
• Harbir Dass returned to the podium at NJMP with a third-place result in Race 3. The 2.25-mile circuit is the same place where Dass scored his first-career podium while racing in Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) in 2024. With the result, Dass earned his second podium of the season.
• Anthony Autiello earned his third Masters Cup Class victory of the 2026 season.
• FR Americas is in the midst of one of its most competitive seasons in series history. The New Jersey Lottery weekend once again saw three different winners from three different teams. Luke Powers and Toney Driver Development won Race 1, while Cooper Shipman and Kiwi Motorsport took Race 2, and Evagoras Papasavvas and Crosslink Motorsports were victorious in Race 3.

Polesitter Brady Golan (No. 40 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) led the field to the lights to start the final race of the weekend. A flawless launch as the lights went out gave Golan an easy lead while those behind him fought hard for position. Second-place starter Cooper Shipman (No. 10 Driven Dynamix / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) and third-place Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) made contact on the exit of Turn 1, allowing fourth-place starter Evagoras Papasavvas (No. 71 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) to race by and claim the runner-up position. Harbir Dass (No. 9 Northcoast Medical Group / Alpha Micron / Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) also got a great start from the sixth position and moved into third before the field completed the first lap. 

The next 15 minutes featured a pressure-filled battle between Golan, Papasavvas and Dass—who spent the majority of the time running in that order. As the race neared its halfway point, Papasavvas had closed within 0.133 seconds of Golan. Racing into Turn 1, Papasavvas pulled wide, before crossing over to take the inside line and completing the pass as they raced into Turn 2. With Dass following in Papasavvas’ wake, Golan was left to fight back from third. Only a second separated the trio, as the battle continued for the next several laps until Golan was finally able to overtake Dass and move back into second. Still the three stayed nose to tail all the way to the checkered flag, with Papasavvas as the first car to cross the finish line, followed by Golan and Dass. 

“That was super exciting,” said Papasavvas atop the podium. “The car felt amazing—once again, a huge shout out to the whole Crosslink Motorsports crew. I was able to gain some time on the leader and had a good hard-fought battle. I knew I had time, but just had to stay calm. Thankfully, I was able to make the over-under and get it to stick. About a lap later the end plate fell off, and I was just freaking out for a little bit because I knew I saw something fly by my head, but I had no idea what it was. I tried to just keep managing what I had—staying calm, cool, and doing the best I could with the pedals, and luckily, I ended up taking the win. I have to thank the whole Crosslink crew, GRIP, my family, everyone watching at home, and all my sponsors who helped me get to where I am today. Thank you.”

>> SEE MORE:  Race 14 Provisional Results

The Masters Cup class had an eventful race, as Anthony Autiello (No. 07 Hope For The Warriors / Momentum Motorsports Ligier JS F3) went from spinning to winning in Race 3. Whitney Strickland won both of the opening races of the weekend, but a stall on the start gave Autiello the advantage he needed to break through for a class win. Autiello took the top step on the podium with Strickland in second and Janzen in third. 

“A spin and win—who would have thought? But that was the formula today,” said Autiello. “It was a hot day; everybody knows the tires were absolutely shot. Two races on this set of tires—that’s tough for everybody. Everybody was fighting really hard today, and even the young guys did a great job. I have to thank everybody at Momentum—Neil, my mechanic, Phil. We had a little help from some outside engineering earlier this weekend, which helped put it all together today.” 

FR Americas returns to the track for Labour Day Weekend Sprints at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, September 3-6. Live timing and scoring will be available on the Race Monitor App, with additional news and updates shared on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Prospective drivers looking to learn more about FR Americas are encouraged to visit the championship’s website at FRAmericas.com.