Radical Cup – Page 8 – Syndication Server

Cipriani-Detres, Dyszelski, Field earn Radical Cup poles in Toronto

In the first-ever Blue Marble Radical Cup North America event on the Streets of Toronto, teams and competitors hit the 1.786-mile, 11-turn, barrier-lined circuit for two on-track sessions on Friday. On a weekend that features a different format including only one hour-long practice session, one qualifying session, and three wheel-to-wheel races, Friday’s track time was reserved for drivers to get up to speed during the morning and award the Motul Pole Position Awards in the afternoon.

“It was a good start to the weekend,” explained Radical Global Motorsport Director Tom Drewer. “It’s great to be here in Toronto and to see our talented drivers tackle the bumpy street circuit. Most of our competitors were able to get at least 25 laps or more in practice with only a few red flags as they came to grip with the slick surface and fine-tune their machines.”

With the benchmark set, the focus shifted to the 25-minute qualifying session in the afternoon that set the grid for race one on Saturday morning. Former American Le Mans Series Champion Jon Field (ONE Motorsports) led the way in the Platinum class with a best time of 1m14.938s, a scant 0.222s ahead of Indy Al Miller (ONE Motorsports) who slotted himself into the second position. Former dirt racer turned Radical driver Wayne Williams (ESSES Racing) impressed, earning the third fastest lap in the Platinum ahead of the local Kevin Poitras (Radical Canada) and Louis Schriber (RYNO Racing).

While the Platinum drivers should be the fastest drivers on course, Danny Dyszelski (WISKO Racing) turned the third fastest time of the 31 cars on track to earn the Pro 1500 pole position as he looks to claw his way back into the championship point lead. Championship point leader Nick Persing (Radical Northwest) was second fastest in Pro 1500 ahead of Canadian Robert Soroka (RySpec Racing) in third. Aurora Straus (ONE Motorsports) was fourth in class ahead of veteran racer Gregg Gorski (ONE Motorsports) in P5.

The Pro 1340 class was led by Robert Cipriani-Detres (Team Stradale), as he looks to earn his first win of the 2023 season following three second place finishes at Road America. Crown Racing’s Seth Bacon was the best of the rest in the second position just over a tenth of a second quicker than Ken Savage (G-Tech Motorsports) in third. Seth Bacon’s son, Jace Bacon (Crown Racing), was fourth fastest, but brought out a late session red flag after licking the wall on the exit of Turn 1, which resulted in a traffic jam. Canadian Huw Leahy was fifth fastest.

With three classes on the North American tour, Radical Cup racers were competing alongside the Emzone RCC 1340 class in Toronto. Leading the way in the Canadian class was the No. 10 entry of Gavin Sanders (Sanders Motorsports) as he outpaced Jake Cowden (RySpec Racing) and motorcycle-champion-come-four-wheel-star Kenny Riedmann (Riedmann Management). Owen Clark (JMJS Motorsport) and Conner Bell (RySpec Racing) will look to move forward once the wheel-to-wheel action begins after qualifying fourth and fifth respectively.

Drewer added, “For those who didn’t find their rhythm, the first race can be one of redemption as fastest laps will set the grid for race two. Drivers will look to move forward and turn a quick lap, but the trick will be to stay out of trouble and stay out of the walls.”

Weekend schedule

Saturday, July 15

Race 1 – 11:55am – 12:30pm

Race 2 – 5:30pm – 6:05pm

Sunday, July 16th

Race 3 – 11:10am – 11:45am

Be sure to stay tuned to the Blue Marble Radical Cup social media pages for news, information, photos, and results from the event weekend.

Blue Marble Radical Cup events are open to all local and regional Radical racers with eligible cars to participate. More information, including links to register for events and obtain licensing, can be found at www.radicalmotorsport.com. Please stay tuned to the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America social media pages for news and updates from the 2023 season.

Austin Riley headlines hometown Radical Race in Toronto

The Streets of Toronto is one of the premier venues on the NTT IndyCar Series calendar, and this weekend, for the very first time it will also play host to the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America program. Joining Canada’s own Emzone Radical Cup Canada means over 30 Radical cars on track, with a large local contingent, headed by reigning outright champ Austin Riley.

“Being able to drive the streets of Toronto is a dream come true,” said Riley. “I grew up near Toronto and have watched my heroes race at Honda Indy. And now it’s my turn. We’ve got a huge group of people who support the Racing with Autism program, as well as friends and family coming out this week, so it’s going to be special when we roll out for the first time.”

Riley won the 2022 Blue Marble Radical Cup outright championship on a countback of a number of race wins after tying in points with Texan Palmer Miller. He was also the Pro 1340 class champion after a title fight with Illinois’s Mike Anzaldi came down to wire at Sonoma. His 2022 North American title comes a year after clinching the Emzone Radical Canada Cup title.

This year Riley has stepped up to the ultra-competitive Pro 1500 class alongside fellow countryman Robert Soroka, who is another star in the making, series stalwarts such as Gregg Gorski, as well as a long list of American young guns including Danny Dyszelski, Nick Persing, and Aurora Straus.

Huw Leahy will be flying the Maple Leaf in the Pro 1340 class, against title contenders Ken Savage, Seth Bacon and Jace Bacon.

Another Canuck, Kevin Poitras, hopes to rebound after a strong debut in the Platinum Class at Road America ended with a heavy crash while running second. He is expected to fight for race wins against former American Le Mans LMP1 champ Jon Field and former series class champions Indy Al Miller and Kevin Poitras.

Meanwhile, 12 Canadians will line up in the Emzone RCC, including Canadian Superbike Champion and three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion Kenny Riedmann and current series points leader Jake Cowden.

“Radical is known for producing great talent, young and old, and on both sides of the border,” said Radical Global Motorsport Director Tom Drewer.

“We recently had Radical Cup alumni George Kurtz win at Le Mans, and former Canadian champ Jonathan Woolridge just took victory at Canadian Tire [Motorsport Park] in IMSA’s LMP3 class. This weekend isn’t just about providing a bucket list experience for our racers, it will further prepare them for what lies ahead in their careers.”

With more than 30 Radical racers set to battle the bumpy 1.78-mile, 11-turn barrier-lined circuit, drivers and teams will have their most challenging weekend yet. Marking the start of the second half of the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America season, championship battles are beginning to shape up with tight point chases in all three classes.

Entry List – Click HERE

Current Schedule – Click HERE

Championship Points – Drivers – Click HERE

Championship Points – Teams – Click HERE

Drivers will benefit from a 60-minute practice session to learn the twists and turns of Toronto before qualifying and three races. Be sure to stay tuned to the Blue Marble Radical Cup social media pages for news, information, photos, and results from the event weekend.

Blue Marble Radical Cup North America heads to Toronto

It will be uncharted territory for the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America program in a few short weeks as the popular program heads to Canada. Continuing its 2023 season alongside the NTT IndyCar Series, Radical Cup competitors will take on the streets of Toronto in the first Radical Cup North America street circuit event and entry numbers continue to climb.

“The Blue Marble Radical Cup North America is joining forces with FEL Motorsport’s Emzone Radical Cup Canada series for what will be true Can-Am competition,” explained Radical Global Motorsport Director Tom Drewer. “Our typical Platinum SR10 class as well as Pro 1500 and Pro 1340 SR3 classes will be joined by the RRC’s own 1340 class. And already we’re approaching 35 cars on track. We have seen consistent growth in entries this season, and we are delighted to break new barriers in our first temp circuit event.”

The joint initiative between FEL Motorsport and Radical Motorsport will give Canadian Radical drivers – both young-guns and gentleman racers – their biggest ever stage on the Canadian motor racing scene, and the locals have responded at the opportunity with half of the confirmed entrants set to fly the Maple Leaf throughout the three days of competition, July 14-16.

Hometown heroes will include reigning Blue Marble Radical Cup North America outright champion Austin Riley (Racing with Autism), PRO 1500 podium winner Robert Soroka (RySpec), Platinum class front runner Kevin Poitras (Radical Canada East), current RCC points leader Jake Cowden (RySpec), former Canadian Superbike Champion Kenny Reidmann, and Gavin Sanders (Emzone), who stunned the Blue Marble Radical Cup paddock at Road America with three wins in his series debut.

The barrier-lined Toronto circuit could prove to be a key turning point in the North American championship point scenario. Racing around Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto, the 11-turn, 1.78-mile circuit is both a driver and fan favorite due to its high risk versus reward ratio.

Drewer continued, “Having been lucky enough to race on street circuits myself, nothing beats the atmosphere of a street circuit. You can hear the fans cheer, you can see their faces, and you have to drive with a heightened awareness, not to mention pinpoint accuracy. There’s nothing like it.”

Drivers will benefit from a lengthy 60-minute practice session to learn the twists and turns of Toronto before qualifying and three races. Be sure to stay tuned to the Blue Marble Radical Cup social media pages for news, information, photos, and results from the event weekend.

Persing back on top, Miller and Sanders add wins in final day at Road America

Nick Persing has retaken the lead in the chase for the outright championship following the final Blue Marble Radical Cup North America race during the NTT IndyCar Series Series Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America. Spectators lined the 4.048-mile, 14-turn layout to watch 32 drivers make a run for the respective class victories, with Indy Al Miller (Platinum), Danny Dyszelski (Pro 1500) and Gavin Sanders (Pro 1340) greeting the checkered flag, before a post-race penalty elevated Persing to the Pro 1500 win.

It was not long after the green flag flew that the caution was displayed during race nine of the multi-class championship. A first-corner incident saw six drivers off the track during the opening lap including Pro 1500 contenders Aurora Straus (ONE Motorsport), Jack Yang (Group-A Racing), Dave Tweedlie (RYNO Racing) and Richard Durocher (WISKO Racing), as well as Pro 1340 competitors of Ben Blander (Team Stradale) and Mike D’Ambrose (Team Stradale).

Up front in the Platinum class, it was Indy Al Miller (ONE Motorsports) who closed his weekend on a high after a tough fought battle with Steve Jenks (Group-A Racing) to finish the final race of the weekend on top. Alain Derzie (ONE Motorsports) rebounded from having his Saturday podium result stripped to a second place finish thanks a daring pass on Jason Plotke (Crown with Apex) through the famous kink. Jenks salvaged third after contact with Miller into Turn 6 while vying for the lead that sent him into a spin. In fact, Jenks earned the fastest lap of the race on his final tour as he made a run at Derzie but finished just 0.25s in arrears of the second-place finisher.

Plotke looked as though he would take second until Derzie and Jenks charged through, but nevertheless completed a consistent weekend with a fourth position, while former dirt-track racer turned Radical driver Wayne Williams (Esses Racing) earned fifth. A lack luster seventh place finish for Jon Field (ONE Motorsports) has seen his points buffer reduced to 32 over Indy Al Miller halfway through the championship.

Danny Dyszelski (WISKO Racing) looked set to extend his point lead in the Pro 1500 ranks, finishing 1.5 seconds ahead of Nick Persing (Radical Northwest) when the checkers came out. The pair had an amazing battle which saw Persing rebound after a first lap mishap to take the class lead. A dual with Dyszelski then ensued culminating with the WISKO driver attempting a pass into Turn 6. In a post-race review it was determined the pass was incomplete as the pair entered the yellow sector caused by Jenk’s spin, and Dyszelski was handed a post-race drive through relegating him to sixth. This elevated Persing to the win, and a six point lead over Dyszelski in both the outright championship and the Pro 1500 points battle.

RySpec Racing driver Robert Soroka added another podium to his growing resume, classified in the final results in second, while fellow Canadian Austin Riley (Racing With Autism) moved up to third, for his best result of the weekend. Gregg Gorski (ONE Motorsports) and David Alban (WISKO Racing) rounded out the top five and will look to battle again in Toronto.

Gavin Sanders (Radical Canada East) went three-for-three on the weekend in the Pro 1340 class as he had a perfect event once the wheel-to-wheel action commenced. In a similar result to Saturday, Sanders earned the win ahead of Robert Cipriani (Team Stradale) as Ken Savage (G-Tech Motorsports) rounded out the podium. Saturday’s sixth-place finisher of Seth Bacon (Crown Racing) improved on Sunday to put his Crown Racing machine in the fourth position, just ahead of Andy Voekel (Crown Racing) in fifth place, but the latter was later penalized along with Ben Blander for his role in the Turn 1 mayhem, elevating teammate Evan Wolf to fifth. Ken Savage’s consistency proved key this weekend as he quietly increased his lead over Steve Bacon to 18 points in the Pro 1340 championship.

“What a weekend with IndyCar at Road America,” said Radical’s Tom Drewer. “The competition in this series continues to grow, and despite a few full course cautions we saw some truly outstanding racing in each of the three classes. We’re off to Canada now for the Hondy Indy on the Streets of Toronto July 14-16, where the Blue Radical Cup North America Series will team up with FEL’s Emzone Radical Cup Canada series. It promises to be another big grid.”

Next month’s event will be the first-ever street circuit for the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America program. Be sure to stay tuned to the Blue Marble Radical Cup social media pages for news, information, photos, and results from the event weekend.

Radical Cup Road America Race Two won by Jenks, Dyszelski, and Sanders

After a drama-filled race on Friday afternoon, it was almost 24 hours before the second wheel-to-wheel action of the weekend. With the green flag flying at 4:45pm after a day full of USF Pro Championships and NTT IndyCar Series qualifying and races, …

With 35 drivers taking the green flag, it was a caution-filled affair as yellows bred yellows throughout the 40-minute race. In the end, it was Steve Jenks who reigned supreme in the Platinum class after he passed Indy Al Miller before the final yellow flag flew late in the race. Unable to get back to green flag racing, Jenks cruised to victory ahead of Alain Derzie, who was also able to sneak by Miller on the lap before the caution flag flew. However, following the post-race investigation into a high-speed incident involving Derzie and Kevin Poitras as the pair approached Canada Corner, Derzie was stripped of his podium, elevating Jason Plotke to third, and Scott Wagner to fourth. While Poitras himself came away unscathed, his SR10 did not, ending a stellar first weekend in the Platinum class, which saw him in second place before it all unraveled.

Danny Dyszelski was back in a familiar place in race two as he scored the win in Pro 1500 to slightly extend his point lead over Nick Persing. Also earning the fastest lap of the race, Dyszelski will line up on the inside of the front row for race three in the pole position. Nick Persing, Friday’s Pro 1500 winner, crossed the line in second for his second podium of the weekend as did Aurora Straus, who took third. Canadian Robert Soroka grabbed his second top-five result in fourth, finishing just ahead of Reid Stewart in the fifth position.

Picking up where he left off yesterday, Gavin Sanders claimed his second Pro 1340 win of the weekend and his Blue Marble Radical Cup career. After taking the class lead away from pole sitter Robert Cipriani-Detres, he cruised to victory. While the top two steps remain unchanged from Friday to Saturday, Jace Bacon returned to the podium, adding crucial points to his championship challenge. Ben Blander and Ken Savage rounded out the top-five as they crossed the line, but a post-race penalty elevated Savage to fourth and Seth Bacon to fifth.

Field, Persing and Sanders win wild first Radical race at Road America

Day two of the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America program at Road America saw 35 drivers take to the 4.048-mile, 14-turn natural terrain circuit for practice, qualifying, and the first wheel-to-wheel action of the weekend. In a straightforward qualifying session that was followed by a drama-filled race, more intense action is expected over the weekend as the season approaches the midway point.

“What a day,” said Tom Drewer. “Not all the pole position winners from this morning were not able to maintain their positions in the race, providing for five different names at the top of the time charts over the three classes during Friday’s action. Incidents and issues for a few drivers in race one have shaken the grid for race two, so we are expecting more action throughout this beautiful weekend here at Road America.”

It was Steve Jenks (Group-A Racing) that led the way in the Platinum class qualifying as he pushed his Radical SR10 to the top of the charts and earned the inside front row starting spot by more than half a second. Louis Schriber (RYNO Racing) was the best of the rest in second with Jon Field (ONE Motorsports), Indy Al Miller (ONE Motorsports), and Jim Booth (WISKO Racing) rounding out the top five.

In the Pro 1500 ranks, Nick Persing (Radical Northwest) claimed the fastest lap in qualifying ahead of Radical Brand Ambassador Aurora Straus (ONE Motorsports) and Mike Anzaldi (RYNO Racing). It was Gregg Gorski (ONE Motorsports) who put his name fourth on the time charts with the Canadian Robert Soroka (RySpec Racing) in fifth. Robert Cipriani (Team Stradale) climbed to the top of the heap in Pro 1340 by 0.170s over Mike D’Ambrose (Team Stradale), and Ben Blander (Team Stradale). Gavin Sanders (Radical Canada) put four Pro 1340 drivers within 0.4s of the pole position with Seth Bacon (Crown Racing) rounding out the top five.

The drama started in turn one of the opening lap. Out in the melee were Platinum drivers Louis Schriber, and Charles Finelli (Fat Boy Racing) while a few laps later Jim Booth, Indy Al Miller, and Scott Wagner (ESSES Racing) were forced to retire. In front, Steve Jenks fended off Jon Field, however shortly after the restart, the former American Le Mans Series Champion relegated Jenks to second and drove to a 10-second victory in the 16-lap affair.

On his debut in SR10 machinery, Kevin Poitras (Radical Canada) earned his first Platinum class podium. Alain Derzie (ONE Motorsports) kept out of harm’s way to grab the fourth position with Jason Greenwood (G-Tech Motorsports) in fifth.

With lap times setting the grid for race two, several quick drivers will need to charge through the field if they want a chance at victory in Race 2.

Nick Persing (WISKO Racing) was the lone pole position winner that was able to hang on at the front of the field and win his respective class. Keeping the epic battle of Danny Dyszelski and Aurora Straus (ONE Motorsports) behind him in the final laps, Persing drove to the win and tightened the championship points with Dyszelski. Aiding that cause was Straus, who was able to get the best of Dyszelski to stand on the second top of the podium.

After a strong start to the race, which saw him take the lead from Persing for a few laps following the restart, Soroka (RySpec Racing) slipped back to salvage fourth, while Gregg Gorski (ONE Motorsports) finished fifth.

It was a fight to the finish in Pro 1340 as Gavin Sanders and Robert Cipriani duked it out for more than half of the race. Mixed in with some of the slower Pro 1500 drivers, Sanders and Cipriani battled lap after lap with Sanders getting the edge in the end and scoring the win. Cipriani stood on the podium in second after putting up a valiant effort with D’Ambrose in third. With the battle raging on in front of them, Ben Blander (Team Stradale) was hoping for some action that would elevate him to a podium result but was forced to settle for the fourth position with Ken Savage (G-Tech Motorsports) in fifth.

36 Radical racers ready for Blue Marble Radical Cup at Road America

As the 2023 Blue Marble Radical Cup North America program approaches the midway point, championship battles heat up with fully subscribed classes set for Elkhart Lake’s Road America this weekend. Set to do battle on the 4.048, 14-turn natural terrain road course, 36 Radical drivers will be aiming for the top step of the podium during rounds seven, eight, and nine.

Complete entry list: click here

“This weekend will feature the largest field of SR10s ever assembled,” said Radical Cup’s Tom Drewer. “We have 12 425bhp 380lb-ft ‘torque monsters’ on track this weekend, not to mention stiff competition in the Pro 1500 and Pro 1340 SR3 ranks. This is going to be another big weekend at Road America racing alongside the NTT IndyCar Series.”

The Pro 1500 championship battle between Danny Dyszelski (WISKO Racing) and Nick Persing (Radical Northwest) increased in intensity at Barber Motorsports Park with Persing taking two of the three race wins to close the point gap. After a dominating event at NOLA Motorsports Park in March, Dyszelski is looking in his mirrors to see a fast-approaching Persing. Both drivers have open-wheel experience at Road America and this weekend could play a major role in the end-of-the-year championship.

Gregg Gorski (ONE Motorsports) is looking to climb one step further up on the podium in Wisconsin. Having earned multiple second and third-place results, Gorski is hoping to keep the young guns at bay and claim the top step.

Two Canadians are also capable of top honors: RySpec Racing’s Robert Soroka, who earned two podiums at Barber, and reigning Pro 1340 Champion Austin Riley representing Racing with Autism.

A total of 14 Pro 1500 racers will take to the track over the weekend including Arul Venkatesh (Radical Northwest), Aurora Straus (ONE Motorsports), Jack Yang (Group-A Racing), Reid Stewart (Group-A Racing), Mike Anzaldi (RYNO Racing) and more.

The most interesting battles could come from the Pro 1340 category as new and returning drivers will look for the win. Robert Cipriani-Detres (Team Stradale) is back and after his Road America win in 2022, he is looking to impress once again. Teammate Ben Blander is another driver to watch with a very impressive run at Barber Motorsports Park last month, claiming multiple podium results and proving that he can battle with the best of them.

Canadian Gavin Sanders (Radical Canada) joins the series fresh off a pair of second-place finishes at the opening round of the Emzone Radical Cup Canada Series on May 19th.

The Crown Concepts stable has been boosted with Evan Wolf and Andy Voekel, joining the father and son of Seth and Jace Bacon who currently sit second and third in the points behind Ken Savage (G-Tech Motorsports). A second family duo of Mike D’Ambrose and Mike D’Ambrose Junior (Team Stradale) have joined the national series for their local round from Autobahn Country Club.

The Platinum Class boasts a ton of talent led by former American Le Mans Series Champion Jon Field (ONE Motorsports), who enters the weekend with 50 more points than his ONE Motorsports teammate Indy Al Miller. Local Louis Schriber (RYNO Racing), Scott Wagner (ESSES Racing), Jim Booth (WISKO Racing), and reigning class champ Steve Jenks (Group-A) all have the same aim as Miller – to close the points gap to Field.

Alain Derzie (ONE Motorsports) has impressed so far this year, after stepping up from the 1500 ranks and is another genuine contender. After replacing his SR3 1340 with SR10 machinery, Kevin Poitras (Radical Canada) returns to Radical Cup competition. Having driven Trans Am and modifieds, Kevin is used to big power and will be one to watch. Charles Finelli (Fat Boy Racing) will be pulling double duty at Road America as he will also compete in the USF Pro 2000 championship as he looks to maximize track time and his Road America experience. Jason Greenwood (G-Tech Motorsports) and Jason Plotke (Crown Racing) are also back, increasing the competition in Radical’s fastest class this weekend.

Blue Marble Radical Cup competitors will hit the track Thursday for a pair of extended practice sessions before qualifying and three wheel-to-wheel races that will take place Friday through Saturday.

Road America

Weekend Schedule – All times CDT

Thursday, June 15

Test 1 – 10:45 to 11:35am

Test 2 – 2:05 to 2:55pm

Test 3 – 5:25 to 6:15pm

Friday, June 16

Practice – 10:00 to 10:40am

Qualifying – 12:15 to 12:55pm

Race – 4:30 to 5:20pm

Saturday, June 17

Race – 4:45 to 5:35pm

Sunday, June 18

Race – 3:15 to 4:05pm

Field, Cowden, and Persing take Radical wins at Barber Motorsports Park

Sunny skies and warm temperatures greeted Blue Marble Radical Cup North America racers for race two and three on Saturday as the field saw their first wheel-to-wheel action of the day Saturday morning. With race three following the NTT IndyCar Series qualifying session, it was a packed house of fans and spectators as competitors closed their weekend of action late Saturday afternoon.

It was a battle of the veterans up front in the Platinum class as former American Le Mans Series entrant Jon Field (ONE Motorsport) managed to earn his second win of the weekend as he beat Indy Al Miller (ONE Motorsport) by 0.384s for the victory. It was Steve Jenks (Group-A Racing) that was able to find his way to the third and final step on the podium advancing forward from fourth to third, just ahead of Alain Derzie (ONE Motorsport) and Louis Schriber (RYNO Racing).

Nick Persing (Radical Northwest with Cameron Racing) was the first driver to beat Danny Dyszelski (WISKO Racing) in 2023 as he rocketed his way to the top of the charts. Scoring the win, Persing was the first driver to win an event in the United States behind the wheel of a new XXR car.

Robert Soroka (RySpec Racing) found his way to the podium for the first time this weekend as he held off the advances of long-time Radical racer and 55-year-old Gregg Gorski (ONE Motorsport). Nick Pearson, a newcomer to the Radical Cup North America program, improved from his P7 starting spot to cross the line fifth, his first top-five result of the weekend.

Doubling up on race wins at Barber Motorsports Park, RySpec Racing’s Jake Cowden climbed to the podium’s top step on route to earning the Sunoco Hard Charger Award, gaining five positions from his sixth-place starting spot, however, following the event, Cowden was penalized for an infraction handing the win to race one winner, Bijoy Garg (Team Stradale). Ben Blander gained five positions to stand on the second step of the podium with Ken Savage (TEAM) in P3.

Sweeping the weekend’s action in the Platinum class, Jon Field made his third trip to the podium’s top step and collected a trio of first-place trophies. Steve Jenks was able to add another second-place finish as Louis Schriber scored his best result of the weekend and climbed to the third and final step on the podium.

Pushing hard to keep in the top-five, Alain Derzie pushed his #09 entry to a fourth-place finish ahead of former dirt racer turned Radical driver Wayne Williams in fifth. Alan Miller, unfortunately, had an on-track incident and failed to complete the full race distance.

With Dyszelski already claiming four victories this season, Persing knocked the WISKO Racing driver off the top of the blocks in Saturday morning’s race and continued that success Saturday afternoon. Taking his second win of the season and the second weekend of the day, Nick Persing celebrated on the top step of the podium, with Robert Soroka and Gregg Gorski in second and third. Dyszelski was unable to advance forward throughout the 25-lap race to finish fourth, just ahead of Pro 1340 2022 champion Austin Riley.

Pro 1340’s Jake Cowden was able to find his way back to the top step of the podium with a dominating performance in race three. Adding his third podium result of the weekend, Bijoy Garg crossed the stripe in the second position with round three race winner Jace Bacon finding his way back to the podium in third. Jen Savage was flanked by a pair of Bacon’s with Jace in third and Seth Bacon in fifth.

With more than a month off, Radical Cup North America competitors will return to the track mid-June at the famed Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin alongside the NTT IndyCar Series.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Blue Marble Radical Cup social media pages for news, information, photos, and results from the event weekend.

Field, Dyszelski, Cowden take Radical Cup round four wins at Barber

After two test sessions on Thursday that saw a mixed bag of weather, Radical racers hit the famed Barber Motorsports Park Friday morning for qualifying for the second event weekend of the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America program. With a new day that featured sunny skies and muggy conditions, two on-track sessions took place prior to the start of the NTT IndyCar Series including qualifying that set the grid for the first wheel-to-wheel action taking place early in the afternoon.

“What a change in weather from day to day,” explained Radical Cup’s Tom Drewer. “Glad that we were able to get the rain out of the way during practice and the weather looks good for the rest of this beautiful weekend at Barber Motorsports Park.”

Leading the way in qualifying, Steve Jenks (Group-A Racing) earned the Platinum class pole position by a scant 0.005s over Indy Al Miller (ONE Motorsport). Just over a tenth of a second back in P3 was former American Le Mans driver Jon Field (ONE Motorsport) as Louis Schriber (RYNO Racing) and Alain Derzie (ONE Motorsport) rounded out the top five.

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Triple race winner Danny Dyszelski (WISKO Racing) outpaced Nick Persing (Cameron Racing) to score the Pro 1500 class pole position by just over 0.3s of a second to remain perfect on the season. Robert Soroko (RySpec Racing) was able to slot his machine into the third position in class, just ahead of Gregg Gorski (ONE Motorsport) and Canadian Austin Riley (Racing With Autism).

Series newcomer and USF Pro Championships competitor Bijoy Garg (Team Stradale) claimed the quickest time on the Pro 1340 qualifying session as another young gun, Jake Cowden (RySpec Racing) earned a front-row starting spot in class with a second-place effort. Round three winner, Jace Bacon (Crown with Apex) just beat Ben Blander for P3 as the pair would occupy row two for the start of race one, with Seth Bacon (Crown With Apex) lining up in fifth, directly behind his son in third.

Jon Field driving away in the Platinum class. Jeff Walrich/RTD Media

With the first green flag flying just after noon, it was Jon Field who scored the top step of the podium moving from third to first in the 25-lap race despite not turning the fastest race lap as that honor went to Louis Schriber. It was Alan Miller who was the best of the rest climbing to the second step on the podium just 1.314s behind Field. Behind Miller, Steve Jenks earned the third and final step on the podium falling from his pole position starting spot to third. Schriber was able to convert his fastest race lap into a P4 finishing as he maintained his starting position just ahead of Alain Derzie in fifth.

Danny Dyszelski leading Pro 1500. Jeff Walrich/RTD Media

Remaining perfect on the season, WISKO Racing’s Danny Dyszelski romped the field taking his fourth straight race win as well as the fastest lap of the race. More than half a second faster than his closest competitor, Dyszelski was 5.633s ahead of the second-place finisher of Nick Persing. Persing, who added his third podium finish in four races, narrowly beat Gregg Gorski for the second step on the block as the pair ensued in a hard-fought battle for much of the race. Gorski was just ahead of Soroka who fell one position throughout the affair. Aurora Straus (ONE Motorsport) was one of the Pro 1500 biggest movers improving from her eighth-place qualifying effort and finishing fifth on the charts.

It was Jake Cowden that stole the Pro 1340 win disposing of pole position winner and early race leader Bijoy Garg. Taking the lead late in the race, Cowden, in his first race win in his series debut, was just ahead of fellow debutant Garg. Behind them, in a distant third was Ben Blander who was more than 30s in arrears of the top two but improved through the race gaining one position to stand on the podium. Ken Savage and round three winner Seth Bacon completed the top five.

Drewer added, “A great day of racing and looking forward to two more epic races tomorrow. A huge congratulations to David Alban who earned the Sunoco Hard Charger of the Race Award.”

Saturday schedule

9:00am – 9:45am – Race 2

3:35pm – 4:30pm – Race 3

Follow along Saturday via Live Time HERE. Qualifying and wheel-to-wheel races will be live streamed HERE.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Blue Marble Radical Cup social media pages for news, information, photos, and results from the event weekend.

Radical Motorsport reveals SR1 XXR

Radical Motorsport, the UK’s largest race car manufacturer, today confirmed the most extensive set of updates to its entry-level car, the SR1, in six years. Following XXR treatment to its SR3 and SR10 models, Radical Motorsport has announced the SR1 …

Since the model’s inception in 2012, the SR1 has been favored by hundreds of drivers, as an entry-level, first step into racing a Radical. Ideal for enthusiasts looking to take their circuit driving to the next level with a track-focused, downforce-derived racing car, yet with two seats and semi-slick tires (over full slicks of the SR3 and SR10). In the 11 years since the SR1’s introduction, Radical Motorsport has expanded its global race offering to 12 international race series’ in which the model is eligible to compete, highlighting not only the SR1’s importance but also its popularity.

The SR1 XXR reveal follows the popular SR3 XXR announcement just four months ago. With similar design and engineering improvements, focusing on ease of use and durability, it also includes advancements to its aerodynamic design in the form of a central LMP-inspired fin as standard. The SR1 XXR will be fitted with a new engine, the Generation 5 1,340 cc power unit from Radical’s bespoke engine facility.

Focusing on efficiency, reliability and longevity, Radical Performance Engines (RPE) has increased recommended engine refresh intervals by 25 percent through its new Generation 5 liquid-cooled, four-cylinder and 16-valve 1,340 cc unit. Resulting in more time on track for SR1 XXR drivers, with a reduced warm-up time and thermal management upgrades, it provides drivers the ability to lap faster and harder, for longer. Alongside this, oil change intervals have also increased from six to ten hours, alongside a new drive-by-wire induction system.

Other notable improvements include durability updates, external gear position sensors for the gearbox and a new scavenge pump design with improved flow for the oiling system. At the same time, a complete rework of the engine and gearbox calibration, as well as improvements to the flow rate of the cylinder head have been made. Further upgrades include a reduction in mass for the connecting rods, crankshaft pins and the ignition system. These enhancements improve engine response and drivability but without compromising on durability. Combined with revised dry sump and cooling systems, improved coil-on-plug ignition systems and new electronic drive-by-wire, the Gen. 5 RPE racing spec engine has been optimised with usability and efficiency at the forefront.

“The SR1 will always be special to me, as I’ve witnessed first-hand how approachable it is for drivers wanting to take the step up in their racing careers,” said James Pinkerton, Radical Motorsport’s Head of Research and Development and double Radical SR1 Cup champion. “When developing the Gen. 5 RPE engine, we wanted to optimize its potential as much as possible, while staying true to what makes the SR1 so user-friendly.

“Although the entry-level racer, the SR1 XXR offers an outstanding package with unparalleled performance for the money, that will get you on the grid in a professionally administered race series. SR1 and SR3 models currently make up the majority of grids in the 12 Radical Cup championships around the world, with over 200 SR1s sold to date. Racers with the SR1 XXR will still be eligible to race in the PRO SR1 classes of Radical Cup championships around the world, too.”

Joe Anwyll, Radical Motorsport CEO, said: “The SR1 model has been key to Radical’s DNA for over ten years now, by providing aspiring drivers a window to the exciting world of motorsport, while still holding onto its approachable attributes. The past few years have seen our global race offering thrive, with 12 official Radical championships now operating worldwide. Therefore, there was no better time than now to develop and improve the SR1, to provide these aspiring racers with a chance to race at bucket-list tracks all over the world. After the launch of SR3 XXR and SR10 XXR, it was only right to align the SR1 under the XXR banner too, as, after all, it has proven to be the pillar of our company ethos — we make racers.”

The updated SR1 XXR is available to order now through Radical Motorsport’s global dealer network, operational through over 30 dealers in more than 20 countries, with production expected to begin later this summer. Meanwhile, customers of SR3 XXR have started to see their cars, as production commenced in early February 2023.