Joining a swag of promising new talent for the opening round are several proven race winners, including two reigning champions. Five nationalities will take to Sebring’s hallowed 3.74-mile circuit, including its famed concrete straights.
Platinum Class
Six high-horsepower SR10 machines headline the top class, including 2025 champion Wayne Williams (ONE Motorsports). Former SCCA P2 Runoffs champion Chip Romer (ONE Motorsports) is returning for a full campaign, while Ben Blander (Team Stradale), Jim Booth (Valour), and Scott Wagner (JBR) all have experience of standing on the Platinum class podium.
However, it’s Robert Rossi (Giant Racing) who might be the biggest threat to Williams retaining the title. Rossi makes his first start in the series since 2022, when he scored nine podiums, including four wins.
Gold Class
New for 2026, the Gold sub-class of Pro 1500 has been separated into its own category and is officially designated for drivers over thirty years of age. Debuting in the newly minted class, three drivers will bring experience and strategic race craft to the 1500 platform while vying for the win. Dennis Kelly returns for Group-A Radical New York, while David Mason makes the switch from Primal to Radical Indianapolis Graham Rahal Performance for a full-season campaign. Mason’s former teammate is the sole Primal Motorsports driver this weekend.
Pro 1500
The Pro 1500 category enters Sebring as the largest class with nine competitors. The depth of the young guns in the Pro 1500 field signals an ultra-competitive championship battle from the very first green flag. With multiple established race winners and emerging stars, qualifying will prove critical at a circuit where track position often determines outcome.
Tri-continent team Valour Racing enters two drivers in ‘26. Veteran Jack Yang has nominated himself in the Pro class after winning the Gold category last year. He’ll be joined by Georgia youngster Luke Kendall, who is preparing himself for European LMP3 competition in 2027 with Radical Cup competition in North America and Europe.
One Motorsports will see multi-time series winner Ryan Persing and multiple podium winner Matt Romer throw their hat into the mix, while Nick Pearson and seasoned sim racer Sam McDougall will both be ones to watch as they compete out of the Group-A Radical New York camp this year.
Another sim racer-turned-real-world peddler is Josh Holtz (Crown Concept with Radical Arizona), who stunned the Apex Motor Club Radical Cup Challenge field on debut with a win and will be hoping to make a similar impact this weekend. However, Radical powerhouse Cameron Racing Radical Northwest has other ideas, with Denmark’s Jonas Axboe and Valen Venkatesh (who will turn 17 this weekend) both returning for another season.
Pro 1340
Six drivers will contest the Pro 1340 class, which, like Pro 1500, is both a proving ground for rising talent, including karters making the move to sports cars, and a venue for veterans from the country club ranks who are stepping up to national competition. The Team Stradale stable from Autobahn Country Club in Illinois is fielding two such drivers– Aaron Zeigler and series stalwart Mike D’Ambrose.
Canada’s Decklan Deonarine (RySpec Racing) makes his series debut, hoping to follow in his older brother’s footsteps of using Radical as a steppingstone to the British open-wheel scene. Another young gun to watch for will be Ferrari Challenge driver Nico Balkissoon, who makes his prototype debut this weekend. Crown with Radical Arizona is fielding Evan Wolf, while Kenny Naill, who finished third in the class points last year, returns for Radical Indianapolis and Graham Rahal Performance.
“Few circuits challenge drivers like Sebring,” explained Radical Cup North America’s Tom Drewer. “The combination of high-speed straights, technical braking zones, and the famously unforgiving concrete surface makes it one of North America’s most demanding tracks. Starting the 2026 campaign at such a venue ensures that early championship contenders will need both speed and resilience.”
The opening weekend will set the tone for the season, as teams aim to establish momentum before the championship calendar continues across North America.