After three test sessions on Thursday and another two Friday morning, the 2023 Blue Marble Radical Cup commenced its first qualifying session of the season. With nearly 25 drivers on the grid, Radical teams and competitors tackled a wet 2.670-mile NOLA Motorsports Park to claim the coveted Motul Pole Awards before the first wheel-to-wheel action of 2023. Leading the way in the Platinum class was Jon Field (ONE Motorsports), while Danny Dyszelski (WISKO Racing) and Jace Bacon (Crown with Apex) earned the pole positions in PRO 1500 and PRO 1340.
Two days of sunshine and dry conditions gave way to rain 30 minutes before qualifying. With tricky conditions all around the flat and fast facility, prototype veteran Field earned top honors in the Platinum class. Alan Miller was the best of the rest earning the second-fastest lap of the session to claim a front-row lockout for ONE Motorsports. An impressive debut performance for Esses Racing’s Wayne Williams saw him slot into the third position, nearly half a second clear of Louis Schriber (RYNO Racing) – who had an early session off-track excursion – and Alain Derzie, the third ONE Motorsports driver to find himself in the top-five.
It looked like ONE Motorsports would take the pole position in the PRO 1500 class as well with Aurora Straus – the newly-minted Radical Motorsport Brand Ambassador – at the top of the time sheets when the final lap of the session began. Less than two minutes later, however, she had fallen to third on the time sheets as WISKO Racing’s Dyszelski clocked a monster final lap to steal the pole. Cameron Racing’s Nick Persing slotted into second after leading the session early on. Straus ended the session in third ahead of Group-A Racing’s Reid Stewart and ONE Motorsports driver Gregg Gorski respectively. Reigning Outright and PRO 1340 Champion Austin Riley (Racing with Autism) had a tougher time in his PRO 1500 debut, qualifying sixth.
Having never driven in wet weather conditions before, the father and son duo of Jace and Seth Bacon (Crown with Apex) seemed unfazed by the trying conditions. Jace dominated the PRO 1340 class with Seth logging the second fastest lap, 3.716s behind but a scant 0.180s ahead of Radical Canada’s Kevin Poitras. Ken Savage (G-Tech Motorsports) rounded out the 1340 ranks in the fourth position.
Race one will run Saturday from 9-9:50 a.m. Race two will follow from 2:45-3:35 p.m.
Follow along with timing and scoring via Live Time here. Races will be live streamed here, with news, information, photos, and results available on the Blue Marble Radical Cup social media pages.
Blue Marble Radical Cup events are open to all local and regional Radical racers with eligible cars. More information, including links to register for events and obtain licensing, can be found at www.radicalmotorsport.com.