With the new 2022 Blue Marble Cocktails Radical Cup getting ready to launch, the series hosted a two-day test at Barber Motorsports Park. The same venue will also host the season opener in late April, running on the NTT Indy Car Series event.
Group-A Racing entered three cars, one in each class. Steve Jenks, who has been with Group-A since they entered Blue Marble Cocktails Radical Cup, was with the team, but in a new car and class. Jenks was sampling a brand new Radical SR10 in the Platinum class instead of his usual SR3 1500. In Jenks usual SR3 1500, was open wheel driver Reece Everard, who got his first taste of Radical Sports Cars back in October with the team at NJMP. The third was Reid Stewart in his SR3 1340, making his return in his completely rebuilt car.
The Group-A Racing trio showed tremendous pace during the two-day test, constantly monopolizing the top of the time sheets. Steve Jenks would top the time sheet in the Platinum class with his SR10 5, out of the 6 sessions he participated in. In the final session he drove, Jenks set the all-time fastest lap of the test. That lap was also 4 tenths under the track record set a year ago. It was a tremendous debut for Jenks and the team who were using a brand-new car that only ran its first laps just a week before at Carolina Motorsports Park.
In the SR3 1500 class, Everard came out and was immediately to the top of the board. Everard would end five sessions of the six he participated in on the top of the time sheets. Everard got some of his first experience running in a bigger program with the engineering and coaching resources the Group-A Racing program has to offer. He was faster and better every session out, which was very impressive for his second outing in a Radical, and first time in a series hosted outing.
In SR3 1340, Reid Stewart was in his completely rebuilt car with a new chassis, all rebuilt by Group-A during the month of February. There was not a single hiccup or issue with the car running perfectly out of the box. After being out of a car for 6 months, he spent the first day building up to the new daunting Barber Motorsports Park, never setting a foot wrong and progressing all along. On Day 2, he took another huge step of progress, both in technique and the lap time, consistently in the top 2 at the end of the sessions and occasionally at the top of the board during the sessions.
“These two days were a tremendous way for us to kick off the 2022 season” commented Group-A Racing owner Jonathan Scarallo. “The Group-A Racing cars were monopolizing the top of the time sheets in all three classes and everybody definitely took notice. I was very happy with how all the drivers worked individually, but also together to help one another. Lenny did a great job as always on the engineering, as the cars ran perfectly and it was a great start to the year. No points are awarded during a test, but it certainly gives everybody under the tent a ton of confidence for when we come back here next month for when it does count!”
Group-A Racing is a professional race team since 1996 & also exclusive dealer for Radical Sports Cars in the North East. For more information on cars for purchase, arrive-and-drive opportunities with your Radical or using one of theirs, contact Jonathan via 631-974-4379 info@GroupARacingTeam.com