The first two Radical Cup races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca saw the same class winners. EVR Motorsports driver Evan Slater broke through for his first win in the series, before backing up his performance to make it two for two in the Pro 1500 class. Jon Field also did the double in the Platinum class, as did Chris McMurry in Pro 1500, in a day that saw tough competition throughout the field, and Spencer Schmidt take his first professional podium.
Platinum
Starting from the pole position, Clint Field led the 30-car-strong Radical Cup field into turn one, but Jon Field was the first to the checkered flag. Earning yet another race win in 2024, Jon Field continues to eat into his son’s points lead. Clint Field was able to take his pole position performance to the second step on the podium as the Fields were joined by Louis Schriber in third, who also earned the Sunoco Hard Charger of the race award. EVR Motorsports driver Gregg Gorski pushed Schriber to the end, finishing just .381 shy of the podium but ahead of Chip Romer in the fifth position.
It was the Field show again in race two as the top two positions from race one remained unchanged, with Jon Field leading Clint Field to the checkered flag. However, only after strong challenges from the likes of Chip Romer and Louis Schriber it was Gregg Gorski who this time clinched the final step of the podium. Louis Schriber had to settle for fourth, while Wayne Williams rounded out the top-five in the 27-lap affair.
Pro 1500
Looking to find his way to the top of the podium, Jordan Missig led the Pro 1500 drivers into the opening lap of race one. However, Evan Slater earned his first career victory in the Radical Cup and for EVR Motorsports, topping the charts in the Pro 1500 class. 2024 race winner Nicholas d’Orlando was back on the podium with an effort that put him second, as an altercation in traffic led to early race leader Missig being relegated to third. With Chip Romer earning a top-five in the Platinum class, son Matt Romer did the same in Pro 1500, finishing fourth, just ahead of Spencer Schmidt.
Race two saw another strong performance from Jordan Missig, however again lady luck wasn’t on his side. While leading the race, the Graham Rahal Performance driver suffered a puncture, dropping him out of contention. Teammate Nick d’Orlando also had a dose of bad luck. He too had looked strong for the win, before tumbling back through the pack, however in a stunning recovery he clawed his way back to fifth to capitalize on Missig’s misfortune to retake the lead in the Pro 1500 title.
However, the hero was again Evan Slater. He also showed fierce pace, mixing it up with the Platinum class drivers along the way to his second win of the weekend. Matt Romer had his best result of the season with second, while Spencer Schmidt, son of McLaren SP’s Sam Schmidt, took his first pro podium with third. Group-A’s Jack Yang finished fourth.
Pro 1340
Multi-time winner Chris McMurry was back in a familiar position as he led the Pro 1340 field to the green flag in his quest for another race win… and win he did. Taking the victory in the Pro 1340 class, McMurry lapped the rest of the drivers in class as the Crown with Apex driver left the rest of the field to battle for second.
Behind McMurry, Blake McGovern finished second while GRP driver Suellio Almedia gained five positions to take the final podium step in a strong recovery from a mechanical gremlin which prevented him from competing any laps in practice or qualifying. RYNO Racing with Team Stradale’s Benjamin Blander finished fourth, while Evan Wolf rounded out the top five after an off with 15 minutes remaining in the race. Mike Anzaldi received contact from behind on the start of the final lap, causing him to spin and fall to sixth as several other drivers had to take evasive action to avoid him.
Just like Platinum and Pro 1500, the Pro 1340 race winner went two-for-two on the day, with McMurry adding the race two win to his tally. The second and third steps of the podium remained unchanged from races one to two, as Blake McGovern fended off a pressuring Suellio Almeida. Arul Venkatesh, the Sunoco Hard Charger of the Race for race two finished fourth, with Mike Anzaldi closing out his Saturday with fifth.
Radical Cup North America will return to the track today for one final wheel-to-wheel race. Race three will take place at 10:45am PDT and you can follow live on the Radical Motorsport YouTube page. Follow 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.
