A BRAND-NEW First Focus Radical Cup Australia season launches this weekend at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, with new faces and familiar names alike ready to launch into 2024 in style.

An 18-strong grid of Radical SR3 entries includes four examples of the brand-new SR3 XXR model launched recently by Radical Cars in the UK.

It’s the latest and greatest iteration of the enormously popular global one-make Sports Car with four having landed in Australia in time for the new season. 

The field is split between the outright, Pro-Am class and those competing for the Workhorse Am class.

Workhorse, based near Sydney Motorsport Park, return to the series this year as a category partner and supporter of the always competitive ‘Am’ race within a race that is a feature of each Radical Cup event.

A strong list of contenders has presented for the opening round with the outright and class title battles expected to be competitive.

West Australia’s Arise Racing will again fight for title honors with young-gun Cooper Cutts returning for a second season with the Perth-based team.

Cutts finished third in the championship last year and returns as the best-placed of last year’s full season runners.

He’ll be joined at Arise by the exciting new combination of Chris Reindler and Bryce Moore, and series regular Brad Russell.

Reindler, the younger brother of former Supercars and A1GP racer Karl, makes a racing return this year while fellow West Aussie Moore – like Reindler another Australian Formula 3 graduate – has proven Radical Cup form.

Perennial contender Peter Paddon returns aboard his GWR Australia #31 entry to likely lead the charge for the East Coast teams.

Several drivers will make their one-make Radical debut, including longstanding Australian Motorsport competitor and team owner, Arthur Abrahams, who has entered his AON Investments SR3.

As well as driving himself, Abrahams owned the NRC International Formula Holden team and has since competed in GT3 and historic competition around Australia and in his Western Australia Home.

Ethan Brown will also make his Radical debut, driving a car fielded by Tim Macrow Racing, while Michael Donnellan will compete in his first national round, with GWR Australia.

Donnellan has an experienced copilot on board, however – drafting in Garth Walden to copilot his #33 Pro-Am entry.

GWR’s fleet is expanded by the return of two Radical veterans in the form of Sue Hughes and Stephen Champion – the latter fresh from a trip to the Radical World Finals in 2023.

Volante Rosso Motorsport, the reigning Radical Cup Australia Champions, return with a five-car team that includes rookie Colin Ivory, Bill Medland, James Hernandez and two, two-driver combinations.

Melinda Price will again join forces with Greg Kenny while Peter Clare will have the speedy Josh Hunt alongside him.

The familiar combination of Terry Knowles and Barton Mawer will also likely contend aboard their Geoff Foreshaw-prepared entry.

Workhorse Am class contender Adam Naccarata rounds out the strong field ready to race this weekend.

The First Focus Radical Cup Australia grid will tackle a pair of 45-minute timed races this weekend as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries ‘Race Phillip Island’ event this weekend.

Following practice on Friday and Qualifying Saturday morning, one race each will be held on Saturday and Sunday of the event, commencing at 12:00pm local time.

Both races will be broadcast Live and Free on 7plus this weekend.

ENTRY LIST – ROUND 1