THE PENULTIMATE round of the 2023 Workhorse Radical Cup Australia Series returns the one-make sports car shootout to a circuit almost as if designed to suit the cars.
The fast and flowing Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at The Bend will see a pair of races held this weekend at the Shannons Trophy Series event.
It’s set to be a key round in the title battle as the field looks to keep teenage sensation Alex Gardner in touch head of the final round at Sydney Motorsport Park in November.
Gardner’s Volante Rosso Motorsport SR3 heads an 18-strong The Bend entry and leads the championship points heading into the final two rounds.
He’s won the past two rounds of the series at Queensland Raceway and Phillip Island, respectively, while Arise Racing’s Elloitt Schutte continues to apply pressure from behind in his #8 SR3.
The pair are split by just eight points as they charge to The Bend, with Schutte having had the advantage of race experience at the SA venue twelve months ago.
Schutte scored pole at The Bend last year, his flying 1m51.4018s best standing as the Radical Cup Australia qualifying record at the venue.
He then powered to an impressive if tense race one win, ahead of then-teammate Caleb Sumich, in race one, before the heavens opened on Sunday.
The two key contenders in the championship – along with third placed Jordan Oon and Adam Lisle – headline the strong field headed for South Australia this weekend.
Defending champion Chris Perini, who wrapped up the 2022 title at The Bend last year, is tabbed to return aboard his #1 Bing Technologies / GWR Australia SR3 in what has been a stop-start campaign for the Sydneysider this year.
The impressive Cooper Cutts, who sits second in the Radical rookie standings, will make his The Bend debut this weekend.
For Volante Rosso, Peter Clare and Josh Hunt will take confidence into their weekend given Clare was a winner at the venue twelve months ago; claiming the sodden Sunday race in style for his first Workhorse Radical Cup Australia win.
Adelaidean Mark Rosser, who brings significant experience in GT World Challenge, S5000 and more recently classic F1 machinery, returns to the series aboard his Team BRM-run entry.
Rosser contested the opening round of the series in Sydney earlier this year.
One notable absentee from the Adelaide entry is category stalwart Stephen Champion, who will be somewhat further afield this weekend.
Along with GWR team boss Garth Walden, Champion has headed to Europe to represent the Australian series in the upcoming Radical World Finals at the Portimao circuit in Portugal.
He’ll stop at the Abu Dhabi Formula One circuit for testing prior to the World Finals event.
The Round 4 field includes 8 cars in the Pro-Am class and 10 in the Amateur competition in what is another strong Radical field this season.
Three combinations – Jordan Oon and Adam Lisle, Peter Clare and Josh Hunt and Greg Kenny and Melinda Price – will share driving duties in the pair of 50-minute races.
Following practice on Friday, the Workhorse Radical Cup Australia field tackles a 30-minute qualifying session and the first of two, 50-minute races this Saturday, October 14.
The second race will then commence at 11:20am Sunday morning, with live streaming coverage on 7plus.
ENTRY LIST: Round 4, Shell V-Power Motorsport Park (The Bend).
