Yana Kapoor delivered a flawless debut performance this past weekend, sweeping Rounds 1 and 2 of the Formula Pro USA Women’s Racing Series (WRS) Championship at the historic Sonoma Raceway.
Preparation Meets Opportunity: Kapoor spent the entire winter training relentlessly with the World Speed Academy, preparing specifically for the season’s opening rounds. Taking on Sonoma’s challenging 2.52-mile road course and its highly technical 9-9a chicane layout for the very first time—while also making her official racing debut in an F4 car—Kapoor showed maturity beyond her experience. She successfully completed every lap of the weekend and consistently shaved time off the clock, securing a faster lap in every single session.
Saturday: A Hard-Fought First Victory The opening round set a high-octane tone for the year. Kiwi Motorsports’ Chloe Jade captured Saturday’s WRS pole position, followed closely by Kapoor in second and Jensen’s Ana Palestro in third. The race quickly became an intense, nose-to-tail battle between the top three competitors. As the trio pressured each other to dig deep, positions were continuously swapped. Adapting quickly, Kapoor began laying down the fastest WRS lap times of the race, pushing Jade and Palestro to follow suit. Through unwavering consistency and raw speed, Kapoor ultimately secured her first victory.
Sunday: Sealing the Sweep Sunday’s Round 2 brought even fiercer competition, with all three WRS drivers clocking their personal best times of the weekend. This time, Palestro claimed the pole position. However, the fierce on-track battles resumed as soon as the green flag dropped. Kapoor successfully fought her way to the front of the pack and fiercely defended her lead for the duration of the 15-lap sprint, cementing a perfect weekend sweep.
Yana Kapoor Weekend Quote:
“I’m thrilled with the experience I gained this weekend! Working with the coaches has been fantastic, and I was able to get faster in every single session. Shaving time off my laps consistently was incredibly rewarding. Looking ahead to the next race weekend, I’ll be focusing on my gym training, on-track practice, and nutrition. A huge thank you to my family, the entire World Speed team, Jan, Mark, Telo, and my sponsor, Auraah New York!”
Championship Standings Impact Following this blockbuster opening weekend, Kapoor has surged to the top of the Formula Pro USA WRS Championship points standings, establishing herself as the driver to beat in 2026.
About the Series: The Formula Pro USA Western Championship, presented by Exclusive Racing Auctions, is proudly powered by Mountune USA, supported by Ligier North America, and utilizes spec tires from Hankook Motorsports.
Looking Ahead: The series will return to Sonoma Raceway for Rounds 3 & 4 from April 23–26, joining the highly anticipated, high-profile Racing America / SVRA weekend.