Radical Australia has confirmed its event details for the 2012 Radical Australia Cup.
After running its first CAMS national series this year, the 2012 Radical Australia Cup will be held across three states, featuring four rounds with the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships.
Three additional rounds will be held at non-Shannons Nationals events including the Phillip Island 6 hour, Eastern Creek 8 hour and ARDC Sportscar carnival, also at Eastern Creek. The series will race at the Sydney base of Radical Australia four times, Phillip Island twice and will make its debut at Queensland Raceway.
The series will again feature a mixture of Enduro (2×15 minute sprint races and one 1×50 minute endurance) and Biduro (2×50 minute endurance races) and will be open to single and dual driver teams. Each 50-minute race will require a compulsory pit stop.
The Radical Australia Cup will feature national television and will be supported by MPA Projects.
The prize for the Radical Australia Cup 2012 series winner will be a fully-funded race seat, airfare and accommodation to compete in one round of the 2013 Radical Masters Series event in Europe.
Radical Cup is based on the international rules and regulations adopted for by Radical for various series throughout the world.
Radical Australia has only been operating in Australia for a few years, but the category’s manager Greg Smith says that the new, expanded schedule is proof of the classes Australian push.
“The announcement of our plans for the 2012 Radical Australia Cup show how serious Radical Australia is to the continued growth and development of the series, now in its third year,” Smith said.
“The model we run here in Australia is identical to the one that has proved successful for Radical in Europe, the USA and elsewhere in the world. The series does not rely on sponsorship or manufacturers support to survive as the series is self-sufficient and viable via the drivers, who all own their own cars.
“We are very excited about the plans implemented for next season and we are confident of averaging more than 20 cars per round.” Radical Australia will also introduce several new sporting regulations designed to enhance competition and balance performance between professional and amateur drivers.
Pro/Am driving combinations will complete two-minute pit stops during races, while amateur-only combinations will remain at one-minute duration. Meanwhile, the top three finishers in each 50-minute enduro will receive a handicap in the following race, corresponding to their finishing position. The winner will receive 12 seconds, second 8 and third 4 seconds, to be served throughout the subsequent race.
Meanwhile, grids will be decided on an amalgamated time derived from both qualifying sessions contested. Controlled braking components, suspension spring rates and a minimum weight of 660kg will ensure performance equality and cost containment amongst competitors.
Radical Australia will also continue to support state level competitors whilst also conducting a separate mini-series in Victoria, a key growth market for Radical Australia. This year, a second series, the Radical Clubman Cup, ran an additional nine round calendar supporting the NSW Motor Racing Championships and the Independent iRace Series. This will not continue in 2012.
