INDIANAPOLIS, In., (February 2, 2023) - Era Motorsport is excited to announce that British Karting prodigy Matthew Higgins completed his first test as a member of the Era Motorsport Driver Development Formula 4 team at NOLA Motorsports Park last weekend.
Higgins was behind the wheel of the Era Motorsport No. 18 machine, the same car and number he plans to use for the Formula 4 US Championship Powered by Honda in 2023.
While red flags led to less seat time than he wanted, Higgins was able to gain valuable insight into the car and series as he looks forward to his next outing in the season opener at NOLA Motorsports Park March 9-12th.
“To begin our trip I joined the team for the ROAR before the 24 at Daytona,” Higgins explained. “It was an amazing experience where I pretty quickly became a bit of a fan-boy, making me more eager to be involved in such a mega event in the near future. Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to chat to the team’s LMP2 drivers with a wealth of experience that I could learn from.
“The test weekend was my first experience in race cars, having only raced karts previously, and I couldn’t have wished for a better team of people to guide me through this experience and support my learning.
“I got a good feeling with the car in my first few laps despite having limited track time over the two days due to red flags. The stop-start of each session made my job more difficult as we didn’t really have the time to get in a rhythm.
“It was a very valuable test as I got to experience the car in different weather and track conditions. We also got the chance to test some different setups which will help moving forward by having a better understanding of the car as we head to each new track for the first time.
The 17-year-old Manx-Welsh driver became the first to join Era’s Driver Development Program late last year after proving his ability in the karting world.
“Our goal with this program,” says team owner Kyle Tilley, “is to cultivate talent in young drivers we have seen a lot of potential in. Karting breeds the best drivers in every discipline, and we have both the experience and a future of opportunities to help these deserving athletes to really flourish in the sport.”
Matthew Higgins is the son of rally legend David Higgins, and has been racing in karts since the age of 12 in 2018. In 2020 Matthew Higgins had his most successful year karting, as he became Rotax British Champion, British Open Champion, and BNL Kick-Off Champion.
As part of the Era Motorsport Driver Development Program, Higgins will get to test behind the wheel of Era’s LMP2 car multiple times this year as he gains speed and confidence in the larger and more powerful vehicles.
The 2023 Formula 4 US Championship Powered by Honda will host six rounds between March and November.
2023 Formula 4 US Championship Powered by Honda Schedule:
March 9-12: NOLA Motorsports Park (Avondale, La.)
May 18-21: Road America (Plymouth, Wis.)
June 22-25: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, Ohio)
July 28-30: New Jersey Motorsports Park (Millville, N.J.)
October 5-8: VIRginia International Raceway (Alton, Va.)
November 2-5: Circuit of The Americas (Austin, Texas)
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