Liam Sceats

Liam Sceats
NationalityNew Zealand New Zealander
Born (2005-09-20) 20 September 2005 (age 19)
Auckland, New Zealand[1]
USF Pro 2000 Championship career
Debut season2024
Current teamTJ Speed Motorsports
Car number26
Starts14 (14 entries)
Wins1
Podiums4
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finishTBD in 2024
Previous series
2023

2021–22

2021–22
2021-22

2020-21, 2021-22		Formula Regional Japanese Championship
Formula Ford Manfeild Winter Series
NZ Formula Ford Championships
Formula Ford New Zealand South Island Series
North Island Formula Ford Series

Liam Sceats (born 20 September 2005) is a racing driver from New Zealand who is currently competing in the 2024 USF Pro 2000 Championship for TJ Speed Motorsports.[2][3]

Career

Formula Regional Japanese Championship

2023

Sceats would join the 2023 Formula Regional Japanese Championship driving for Sutekina Racing Team. He would get his first win in the third round of the championship at Okayama International Circuit, and became the first foreign race winner in championship history.[4] Sceats would be in championship contention all season with Sota Ogawa. Sceats would get two more wins at Twin Ring Motegi and Fuji Speedway before the final round of the season at Sugo.[5][6] In the second race at Fuji, championship leader Ogawa would go off during the race and ultimately have to retire. This promoted Sceats to first and allowed him to win the race. Ogawa's championship lead reduced to just 28 points going into the final round. At the final round at Sugo, Ogawa had done enough to take the title ahead of Sceats.[7] Sceats would finished second in the standings.

Formula Regional Oceania Championship

2023

On December 29, 2022, it was announced that Sceats would compete in the 2023 Formula Regional Oceania Championship with M2 Competition.[8] He would get his first podium of the series at Highlands Motorsport Park. Sceats would finish fourth in the standings with three podiums.

2024

In 2024, Sceats would return to the championship, once again driving for M2 Competition.[9] He would qualify on pole for the third race at Euromarque Motorsport Park and go on to get his first win in the series.

At the final round at Highlands Motorsport Park, Sceats qualified on pole for race one, while championship leader Roman Bilinski crashed during qualifying.[10] Sceats also qualified on pole for the New Zealand Grand Prix (race 3). He would have a commanding performance in race one and proceeded to win the race. Sceats managed to keep the championship alive with this result. During race two, championship rival Bilinski had climbed all the way up to second. Bilinski would fight with Bryce Aron for the top spot, but only briefly, as Bilinski's pace faded and was passed by Patrick Woods-Toth. However, this was enough for Bilinski to take the title. In the New Zealand Grand Prix, Sceats would battle with Callum Hedge for the win. Hedge kept putting pressure on Sceats, but Sceats would ultimately hold him off and win his home race.[11][12] Sceats would ultimately finish second in the championship to Bilinski.

USF Pro 2000 Championship

2024

For 2024, Sceats would make the move to America and compete in the 2024 USF Pro 2000 Championship with TJ Speed Motorsports.[3] In the second race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he would finish second to Nikita Johnson.[13] However, Johnson was disqualified after the race which promoted Sceats to first. The Kiwi achieved his next podium at Road America, and got his final podium of the season at the Grand Prix of Toronto. Sceats finished the championship in 5th position with 256 points.

Karting record

Karting career summary

Season Series Team Position
2013 Kartsport Auckland Club Point Series - Cadet Raket class 12th
Kartsport NZ North Island Sprint Championship - Cadet class 24th
2014 46th Blossom Festival - Cadet class 8th
Kartsport Auckland City of Sails - Cadet Raket class 4th
Kartsport Auckland Club Point Series - Cadet Raket class 2nd
Kartsport Auckland Club Point Series - Cadet Rok class 3rd
Kartsport NZ North Island Sprint Championship - Cadet class 16th
Kartsport NZ National Schools Championship - Cadet class 10th
NZ Top Half Series - Cadet class
2015 47th Blossom Festival - Cadet class 1st
Kartsport NZ National Schools Championship - Cadet class 2nd
Kartsport Auckland City of Sails - Cadet Rok class 3rd
Kartsport Auckland Club Point Series - Cadet Rok class 2nd
Kartsport Auckland Club Point Series - Cadet Raket class 3rd
Kartsport NZ North Island Sprint Championship - Cadet class 2nd
NZ National Sprint Championship - Cadet 7th
2016 48th Blossom Festival - Vortex Mini Rok class 6th
Kartsport NZ National Schools Championship - Vortex Mini Rok 6th
Kartsport Auckland City of Sails - Cadet Rok class 5th
Kartsport Auckland Club Point Series - Vortex Mini Rok class 15th
Giltrap Group Kartsport NZ Sprint Championship - Cadet class 10th
2017 Kartsport NZ National Schools Championship - Vortex Mini Rok 3rd
Kartsport Auckland City of Sails - Vortex Mini Rok class 4th
NZ Top Half Series - Vortex Mini Rok class
Sievwright Kartsport NZ National Sprint Championship - Vortex Mini ROK class 4th
2018 Kartsport Auckland - Auckland Regional Schools Championship - Rotax Max Junior class 7th
50th Blossom Festival - Rotax Max Junior class 8th
Kartsport NZ National Schools Championship presented by Napier Boys High School - Junior Rotax 7th
Kartsport NZ North Island Sprint Championship - Rotax Junior class 7th
Kartsport Auckland City of Sails - Rotax Junior class 6th
RMC New Zealand - Junior Max 5th
NZ National Sprint Championship - Junior Max 10th
2019 Kartsport NZ National Sprint Championship - Vortex Rok DVS Junior class 2nd
Australian Kart Championship - KA2 18th
CIK Trophy of New Zealand - Vortex Rok DVS Junior 2nd
Kartsport NZ National Schools Championship - Junior Rotax 2nd
Kartsport NZ North Island Sprint Championship - Rotax Junior class 1st
ROK Cup Superfinal - Junior ROK Ward Racing
NZ National Sprint Championship - Junior Max 21st
2020 Kartsport NZ National Sprint Championship - Vortex Rok DVS Junior class
Kartsport NZ North Island Sprint Championship - Rotax Light 17th
Kartsport Auckland City of Sails - Rotax Junior class 6th
Australian Kart Championship - KA2 31st
2021 McFall Fuels Kartsport NZ National Schools Championship presented by Cambridge High School - Rotax Light 11th
Pool & Spa Maintenance Ltd Kartsport Auckland City of Sails - Rotax Light class 9th

Racing record

Racing career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2020-21 North Island Formula Ford Series 15 0 0 0 1 ? 4th
2021 NZ Formula Ford Championship 6 0 0 0 0 285 8th
Formula Ford Manfeild Winter Series 9 4 1 3 5 506 3rd
2021-22 North Island Formula Ford Series 12 6 2 6 8 701 3rd
Formula Ford New Zealand South Island Series 2 0 0 0 0 ? ?
2022 NZ Formula Ford Championships 8 4 1 4 5 460 3rd
Formula Ford Manfeild Winter Series 3 3 1 0 3 225 8th
2023 Formula Regional Oceania Championship M2 Competition 15 0 0 1 3 245 4th
Formula Regional Japanese Championship Sutekina Racing Team 16 3 0 2 8 219.5 2nd
2024 Formula Regional Oceania Championship M2 Competition 15 3 2 3 8 341 2nd
USF Pro 2000 Championship TJ Speed Motorsports 18 1 0 0 5 256 5th

Complete Formula Regional Oceania Championship Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 DC Points
2023 M2 Competition HIG
1
5 		HIG
2
Ret 		HIG
3
3 		TER
1
6 		TER
2
5 		TER
3
3 		MAN
1
Ret 		MAN
2
8 		MAN
3
3 		HMP
1
11 		HMP
2
7 		HMP
3
6 		TAU
1
4 		TAU
2
5 		TAU
3
5 		4th 245
2024 M2 Competition TAU
1
5 		TAU
2
4 		TAU
3
3 		MAN
1
3 		MAN
2
6 		MAN
3
3 		HMP
1
2 		HMP
2
6 		HMP
3
5 		RUA
1
2 		RUA
2
8 		RUA
3
1 		HIG
1
1 		HIG
2
9 		HIG
3
1 		2nd 341

Complete Formula Regional Japanese Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos Points
2023 Sutekina Racing Team FUJ1
1
4 		FUJ1
2
Ret 		FUJ1
3
5 		SUZ
1
3 		SUZ
2
2 		OKA
1
4 		OKA
2
4 		OKA
3
1 		MOT
1
3 		MOT
2
4 		MOT
3
1 		FUJ2
1
4 		FUJ2
2
1 		SUG
1
2 		SUG
2
3 		SUG
3
5 		2nd 219.5

American open-wheel racing results

USF Pro 2000 Championship

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos Points
2024 TJ Speed Motorsports STP
1
3 		STP
2
6 		LOU
1
18 		LOU
2
8 		LOU
3
11 		IMS
1
2 		IMS
2
1* 		IMS
3
5 		IRP
9 		ROA
1
8 		ROA
2
3 		ROA
3
8 		MOH
1
14 		MOH
2
19 		TOR
1
16 		TOR
2
2 		POR
1
15 		POR
2
12 		5th 256

References

  1. ^ "Liam Sceats (R)".
  2. ^ "Liam Sceats (R)". www.usfpro2000.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  3. ^ a b "Morales, Yeany and Sceats Represent TJ Speed at St. Pete". www.usfpro2000.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  4. ^ Wood, Ida (2023-06-11). "Ogawa extends FRegional Japan lead in up-and-down Okayama round". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  5. ^ Wood, Ida (2023-07-23). "Sota Ogawa wins once but loses twice at Motegi in FRegional Japan". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  6. ^ Wood, Ida (2023-09-09). "Sceats wins at Fuji to reduce Ogawa's FRegional Japan lead". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  7. ^ Wood, Ida (2023-11-26). "Ogawa becomes FRegional Japan champion as Okuzumi wins at Sugo". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  8. ^ "Sceats joins race to inaugural Castrol Toyota Formula Regional title". Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ. 2022-12-29. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "Sceats set to mount Castrol Toyota FR Oceania championship attack". Toyota NZ. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  10. ^ Waring, Bethonie (2024-02-17). "Sceats on pole for New Zealand GP as Bilinski crashes out of qualifying". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  11. ^ Sampson, Matthew (2024-02-18). "Liam Sceats wins 2024 New Zealand Grand Prix". VelocityNews. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  12. ^ Series, Feeder (2024-02-27). "After winning the New Zealand Grand Prix, what's next for Liam Sceats?". Feeder Series. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  13. ^ Sampson, Matthew (2024-05-12). "Double USF Pro 2000 podium for Sceats at IMS". VelocityNews. Retrieved 2024-07-17.