Bainotti and Jacir Win in Ligier JFC Gen. 1 Class, Kennedy and Speth Win in Ligier JFC Gen 2. Class

Edward Kennedy and Lazaro Bainotti won the Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) Race 2 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday morning.

Notes of Interest:

• Declared the Race 2 winner in the Ligier JFC Gen. 1 Class, Lazaro Bainotti scored his second victory of the 2026 season.
• Ava Hanssen captured a career-best finish with a second-place result in Race 2. Hanssen has scored a podium finish during each of the three race weekends this season.
• Alexander Savage earned his first podium with a third-place finish.
• Edward Kennedy earned his fifth victory of 2026 with the Race 2 win in Ligier JFC’s Gen. 2 Class.
• Five teams were represented on the Ligier JFC Race 2 podiums. Speed Factory (Bainotti), Ava Hanssen Racing (Hanssen) and G Tech Motorsports (Savage) were on the Gen. 1 Class podium, while MLT Motorsports (Kennedy) and Kiwi Motorsport (Speth) comprised the Gen. 2 Class.

In the Ligier JFC Gen. 1 Class, Beckham Jacir (No. 7 Stonica / Bell / OMP / P1DOKS / Behind the Wheel / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) started on pole and spent the entire all-green race at the front of the field. Lazaro Bainotti (No. 11 Fundacion Fangio Rus seguros Cordoba deportes / Speed Factory Ligier JS F4) did his best to stay near Jacir’s gearbox, applying pressure whenever he could. As the race passed halfway, Bainotti was making a pass on Jacir when he was forced off the track and lost several seconds. Unable to regain the lost ground before the checkered flag, Lazaro crossed the finish line in second, while Ava Hanssen (No. 26 One Powersports / Chiropractic Center of Elkhorn / NGK / Badger Mats Ligier JS F4) took third.

After the race, the stewards reviewed the incident between Jacir and Bainotti, ruling that Jacir forced Bainotti off the track and issued a 30-second time penalty. As a result, Jacir dropped to fourth in class, while Bainotti was promoted to the JFC Gen. 1 Class win. Hanssen moved into second, while Alexander Savage (No. 33 Kyma Boats / G Tech Motorsports Ligier JS F4) rose to third to claim his first-career podium.

>> SEE MORE: Round 8 Official Results

Edward Kennedy (No. 30 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) drove a flawless race with a solid jump off the starting grid to immediately pace the Ligier JFC Gen. 2 Class. After starting in the rear, it took just over 10 minutes for the MLT Motorsports driver to race through the field and claim the overall race lead. Jack Speth (No. 07 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) stalled on the start, but quickly got his engine refired and steadily clicked off laps to race through the field and finish second in his class.

“The track conditions were really slippery, so it was kind of hard to be fast and consistent, but I managed to get away and win,” said Kennedy. “I’d like to thank MLT Motorsports and all my coaches.”

Jack Speth and Beckham Jacir won their respective classes in the Ligier Junior Formula Championship (Ligier JFC) at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday afternoon. With thunderstorms closing in on the circuit, the race stayed green from start to finish, allowing the checkered flag to wave before the skies opened.

Notes of Interest:

• Jack Speth earned his third Ligier JFC Gen. 2 win of the 2026 season, finally beating his championship rival Edward Kennedy, who has bettered Speth in every round this year.
• Beckham Jacir earned his sixth victory of the year in the Ligier JFC Gen. 1 Class to extend his championship points lead.
• After winning Race 2 earlier in the day, Lazaro Bainotti returned to the podium with a runner-up finish in Race 3.
• Earlier in the day, Alexander Savage received his first-career podium after advancing in the final running order following penalties. However, in Race 3 he stood on the podium for the first time after crossing the finish line in third.
• With Ligier JFC set to recognize both a Gen. 1 and Gen. 2 champion with the Champion’s Scholarship program, Jack Speth retained the Gen. 2 Class points lead leaving the Racing America at Mid-Ohio event, while Beckham Jacir continues to lead the Gen. 1 Class standings.

For the third time this weekend, Beckham Jacir (No. 7 Stonica / Bell / OMP / P1DOKS / Champagne Racing Ligier JS F4) led the field down the grid. When the lights went out, Jacir immediately pulled ahead to start gapping the field. Behind him, second-place starter Lazaro Bainotti (No. 11 Fundacion Fangio Rus seguros Cordoba deportes / Speed Factory Ligier JS F4) was under pressure from fourth-place starter Alexander Savage (No. 33 Kyma Boats / G Tech Motorsports Ligier JS F4), who had a great jump off the block to overtake Bainotti by the completion of lap one. Ava Hanssen (No. 26 One Powersports / Chiropractic Center of Elkhorn / NGK / Badger Mats Ligier JS F4) stayed in the mix, swapping positions with Bainotti and Savage, but as the laps clicked by, the trio settled into position.

Jacir took the checkered flag, while Bainotti followed in second and Savage in third.

“I got a pretty good start, but Alexander [Savage] was giving me some good company,” said Jacir atop the podium. “Once I started to get away a bit, it was a pretty calm race. I was struggling with the tires, but it’s nice to come out with a win and stay on track. I’d like to thank the team for such a wonderful weekend, as well as all my sponsors—Bell, STONICA, OMP and P1 Doks.”

>> SEE MORE: Round 9 Official Results

Jack Speth (No. 07 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) drove a flawless race to take the Ligier JFC Gen. 2 Class win in Race 3 at Mid-Ohio. Starting the race side by side with Edward Kennedy (No. 30 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422), the MLT driver stalled on the starting grid allowing Speth to take off toward Turn 1. With both drivers starting at the rear of the field, Speth began his charge through the pack, capturing the lead just past the halfway point of the race. From there, the driver focused on consistent laps and hitting his marks to race toward the finish line. As the checkered flag waved, Speth held a two-and-a-half-second advantage over Kennedy.

“We had a great race,” said Speth on the podium. “From the beginning of the weekend with a mechanical in the first session to winning the last race. I’m super happy—this is amazing. I’d like to thank my team, Kiwi Motorsport, my mom and dad, Garry [Orton, team owner], Zach and everyone down there—Broch, Jackson, everyone. Thank you.”

Ligier JFC is back on track for the Racing America at New Jersey Motorsports Park presented by New Jersey Lottery weekend, July 31-August 2. 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 Ligier JFC should visit the series’ website, LigierJFC.com.

-Photo credit: Gavin Baker Photography