The final day of Radical Cup North America competition in 2024 ended on Saturday as competitors hit the track for races two and three at Sonoma Raceway. In picturesque weather, champions were crowned, but not before some on-track battles and drama through a pair of wheel-to-wheel races, one of which included a mandatory pit stop. In the end, Jon Field, Jordan Missig, and Suellio Almeida earned class championships with One Motorsports, Graham Rahal Performance, and Crown Racing with Apex scoring Team Championship honors.
Platinum
After an opening lap incident that took EVR Motorsports’ Gregg Gorski and Esses Racing’s Wayne Williams, ONE Motorsports competitor Clint Field and Chip Romer out of contention, it was clean and green to the end and another runaway win for Michai Stephens.
Earning the pole position and race one win, Stephens set the fastest lap of the race en route to his second win on the weekend. Jon Field (One Motorsports) was able to extend his championship point lead, finishing second, while Steve Jenks (Group-A Racing) overcame a late race spin to stand on the podium in the third position. With Jenks third, Louis Schriber (EVR Motorsports) was classified in the fourth position after a spin and contact with Pro 1500 driver Spencer Schmidt as he attempted to get going again, with Clint Field in fifth.
Looking for a weekend sweep, Stephens jumps to the lead at the start of race three but not before having to fend off an attack from Jon Field. Controlling the pace up front early, Stephens eventually fell back for the first time during the weekend. With a mechanical issue, Stephens relinquished the lead to Field and was never able to get it back. Jon Field, a multi-time race winner this season, was back in a familiar position and, after the mandatory race three pit stop, drove to the win and series title.
Steve Jenks was back on the podium for the second time on the day, leveling up from his P3 results in race two to finish second in race three, while Chip Romer joined them in the podium in third. Louis Schriber finished a strong season in the Platinum class, finishing inside the top-five in fourth place. Gregg Gorski and his EVR Motorsports machine crossed the line in fifth place despite having to make an extra pit stop for a mechanical issue.
Jon Field is the 2024 Radical Cup North America Platinum Class Champion.
ONE Motorsports is the 2024 Radical Cup North America Platinum Team Champion.
Pro 1500
Nicholas d’Orlando had some trouble early on, all but handing the championship to Jordan Missig after he went on to take his second win in as many races. What started as a disastrous weekend for the Graham Rahal Performance driver, with a fire that forced him to borrow a car, turned out pretty good so far, with a pair of race wins and valuable championship points. Continuing to impress in their debut season, EVR Motorsports and Evan Slater were back on the podium in the second position, pushing Missig all the way until the checkered flag flew. Matt Romer (ONE Motorsports) celebrated on the third step of the podium, while Nicholas d’Orlando recovered to finish fourth en route to the second-fastest lap of the race. Jack Yang finished fifth in Pro 1500 but was the best of the Gold drivers for the second time in as many races.
Overcoming all odds, Missig capped off a perfect weekend of wheel-to-wheel racing scoring his third victory of the weekend, and eventual Pro 1500 championship. With Evan Slater leading early, Missig sat in the second position waiting for the perfect opportunity. Biding his time and making his bid for the lead in the second half of the race, Missig moved to the point and managed to hold Slater off over the 24-lap affair. Slater had another strong showing and was rewarded with the second step on the podium ahead of Matt Romer. Nicholas d’Orlando had an issue early in the race and fell back into the clutches of the Pro 1340 leaders, but managed to work his way back forward to cross the line fourth, one position ahead of Cameron Racing’s Spencer Schmidt.
Jordan Missig is the 2024 Radical Cup North America Pro 1500 Class Champion.
Graham Rahal Performance is the 2024 Radical Cup North America Pro 1500 Team Champion.
Jack Yang is the 2024 Radical Cup North America Pro 1500 Gold Class Champion.
Pro 1340
An intense battle in Pro 1340 saw Chris McMurry (Crown Racing with Apex) led early from a hard-charging Suellio Almeida (Graham Rahal Performance), but an off-course excursion handed the lead to Almeida with 15 minutes to go. Losing pace as the race went on, McMurry was passed by his son Matt, who was eventually able to chase Almeida and sneak by in the late stages of the race to earn the win. Almeida finished ahead of Chris McMurry, his main championship protagonist in third to gain a few championship points on his rival, with the RYNO Racing with Team Stradale duo of Mike Anzaldi and Benjamin Blander finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Race three on the weekend for the Pro 1340 competitors was highlighted by team tactics as Crown Racing with Apex strategically positioned their drivers to give Chris McMurry a chance at victory. McMurry led at the mid-race point ahead of Matt McMurry and Anders Fjordbach, while GRP’s Suellio Almeida was fourth. After the pit stop cycle, Chris McMurry led but Almeida had moved into the second position, but was under pressure from Matt McMurry and Fjordbach. If positions finished this way, Almeida would win by five points, but 15 minutes remained.
Chris McMurry headed to pit lane from the lead to serve a penalty and all but gave up his quest for the championship despite returning to the track to finish in the fifth position. In the latter stages of the race, Almeida led from Fjordbach and Matt McMurry. Trying to keep them in his rearview mirror, Almeida lost traction and the lead but played it smart, thinking of the big picture. Allowing the two Crown Racing with Apex drivers into the top two positions, Fjordbach took the win with Matt McMurry in second. Almeida held the third position and did precisely what he needed to do to be crowned champion. Mike Anzaldi capped off his season with a fourth-place finish, just ahead of Pro 1340 Vice Champion Chris McMurry.
Suellio Almeida is the 2024 Radical Cup North America Pro 1340 Class Champion.
Crown Racing with Apex is the 2024 Radical Cup North America Pro 1340 Team Champion.
Nicholas d’Orlando is the 2024 Radical Cup North America Rookie of the Year.
“A great season has come to a close, and we have three more champions crowned,” said Tom Drewer. “Thank you, and congratulations to all who made the 2024 Radical Cup North America program a huge success. We will take a little break but begin our 2025 preparations next week, beginning with our schedule announcement. Stay tuned.”
Radical Cup North America events are open to local and regional Radical racers of all ages with eligible cars to participate. More information, including links to register for events and obtain licensing, can be found at www.radicalmotorsport.com. Stay tuned to the Radical Cup social media pages for the latest series news and updates.