Once again, all three classes class in the Radical Cup North America program have come down to the wire. This year it’s Sonoma Raceway, nestled in the heart of California’s Wine Country, that will see the champions crowned. Jordan Missig, Nick d’Orlando, and Even Slater will duke it out for the outright and Pro 1500 championships. Eyes will also be on Jack Yang to see if he can fend off local Corey Neveau for Gold 1500 honors. The question remains if sim star Suellio Almeida can claim Pro 1340 over Chris McMurry, while the Platinum class will also be one to watch as Jon Field attempts to take back-to-back championships.
“What a year,” said Radical Motorsports’ Tom Drewer. “Over 65 drivers have taken part, with six nationalities represented. Over 15 teams have put cars on the track, with more than 30 entries each weekend and amazingly, yet again, all the championships will be decided at the season finale.”
Platinum
Jon Field (ONE Motorsports) enters the weekend as the championship point leader but will need a trio of solid races to stay on top and take home the title. Louis Schriber (EVR Motorsports) sits 53 points in arrears of Field, and only 34 markers ahead of Chip Romer (One Motorsports), who’s in third. One Motorsports puts three drivers in the top-four of the championship standings entering the famed Sonoma Raceway with Clint Field only 19 points behind Romer and eight markers ahead of the Esses Racing driver of Wayne Williams. While those five competitors look to battle for the title and race wins in Napa County, they will be joined by 2024 race winner Michai Stephens (RYNO Racing with Team Stradale), EVR Motorsports drivers Jim Booth and Gregg Gorski as well as Group-A Racing’s Steve Jenks.
In the Platinum class team championship, ONE Motorsports has a commanding lead by more than 120 points over their next closest competitor EVR Motorsports, while Esses Racing is just 94 markers behind EVR in P3.
Pro 1500
The Pro 1500 Championship will go down to the wire as three drivers sit within 40 points of one another with the top two separated by only eight. Graham Rahal Performance with Radical Indianapolis will have a pair of dogs in the fight as Jordan Missig and Nick d’Orlando sit first and second and are favored for the title. With no team orders in play, it could open the door for the EVR Motorsports driver of Evan Slater in third. Slater would need to be aggressive and beat both drivers throughout the weekend to earn the title, but anything is possible. Spencer Schmidt (Cameron Racing) is the best of the rest, sitting fourth in the points table, but more than 100 points behind the front three and 48 ahead of Jack Yang in fifth.
While the pair of GRP drivers are favored for the title, they will be up against some stiff competition from the local Cameron Racing outfit. Joining the local team this weekend in an effort to fight for the podium is Amit Patel, Arul Venkatesh, Bob Mueller and Corey Neveau. The latter is just 24 points behind Jack Yang in the Gold class, and hopes his hometown advantage will do the trick. Ron Fletcher, along with Matt Romer and Chris Hinojosa from the ONE Motorsports camp, is also throwing his hat into the mix.
In the Pro 1500 team championship, Graham Rahal Performance with Radical Indianapolis has been the dominant team in most events, but EVR Motorsports is keeping them honest in the second position. GRP is on top by 106 points, while Cameron Racing with Radical Northwest sits in third, 98 points behind EVR Motorsports.
Pro 1340
The Pro 1340 championship battle is almost as tight as Pro 1500 as Graham Rahal Performance with Radical Indianapolis has a chance to claim both titles. Suellio Almeida enters the weekend with his GRP entry atop the point standings, but only by 15 over the consistently fast Crown Racing with Apex driver Chris McMurry. GRP puts a pair of drivers in the top three in points after 15 of 18 races with Kenny Naill 19 points ahead of RYNO with Team Stradale’s Benjamin Blander. The top four in the championship are all confirmed for Sonoma, but they will be joined by a few dark horses including Englishman Alex Fisher (RYNO with Team Stradale), Matt McMurry and Anders Fjordbach, both out of the Crown stable.
Crown Concepts with Apex Motor Club enters the final event on the calendar with a 119-point gap over Graham Rahal Performance with Radical Indianapolis. The Indy-based program sits a mere four points ahead of RYNO with Team Stradale and three wheel-to-wheel races left in the schedule.
In the Radical Cup North America Rookie of the Year honors, Nick d’Orlando has a 32-point margin over Evan Slater, with Suellio Almeida in third place.
In the outright series championship battle, Missig leads d’Orlando, Slater, Almeida, and Jon Field as only 96 points separate the top-five.
With championship weekend on the horizon, competitors will hit the track Thursday for a pair of test sessions before the first official practice of the weekend. Friday will feature practice two, qualifying, and race one, while the season will conclude on Saturday with races two and three prior to the Awards banquet at Turn 11. All three races will be live streamed on Radical Motorsport’s YouTube channel. Stay tuned to the Radical Cup North America social media pages for news, information, photos, and results from the event weekend.
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.