Apex champions decided in season finale

The championship for the Radical Silver class of the Scottsdale Ferrari Apex Challenge series presented by Coffin & Trout could not have been any more dramatic in the eighth and final round.

Going into the day it was Eric Griffin who held a nine-point advantage over Blake McGovern. That meant if Giffin qualified on pole and finished third, or finished second regardless of getting the pole, Griffin would prevail. In qualifying, though, these two winners of six of the seven silver class races this season were bested by 27-year-old Lucky Ludwig, really throwing a wrench into things.

The starting order was Ludwig, McGovern and Evan Wolf with Griffin fourth. But Griffin wasted no time jumping into third on the opening lap. Ludwig built a gap while McGovern and Griffin battled back and forth all race. With one lap remaining a full course caution was displayed. The championship came down to the green-white-checker restart that followed, a three-lap sequence that had McGovern maintaining second and Griffin dropping down the order.

The 2023-2024 season also ended with two drivers winning two different classes. Joey Rainey won both the MX5 Cup and GT4 championships ahead of his father Joe Rainey and Matt Williams, while Jeff Koning won both the Time Attack Consistency and Time Attack Fastest championships. Rainey and Koning also won all four class races Saturday.

Radical Gold was captured by Chris McMurry for the third consecutive season. He started from the overall pole and went wire-to-wire. But the young guns of the series gave the veteran driver of nearly 90 professional level races in the American Le Mans Series, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Asian Le Mans Series fair warning for next season heading into the first turn.

Ultimately it was 18-year-old Jace Bacon -- who started off-pole -- that finished second in the Radical Gold race after a good restart fight with McMurry and Stellantis Chief Design Officer Ralph Gilles who rounded out the podium. Bacon also finished second in the Radical Gold championship points with his father Seth Bacon finishing third.

At the front of the Porsche Cup race was the three-car train of polesitter Chris Hansen, Jordan Darling and Scott Needham. Darling snatched the lead into the first turn. There was no change in position among the trio from that point on, though the battle was rarely separated by more than a second or two. Needham, who had the championship sewn up a race earlier, made a point of emphasis with the quickest race lap. But it was Darling who notched his apparent second win in three years at Apex.

Post-race review deemed Darling jumped the start, giving Hansen his third win of the season.

What a season it was! Over 298 entries involving 62 drivers over 8 race weekends for an average field size per race weekend of 37 cars. Making it the best racing of any U.S. private club. If you’re interested in becoming an Apex member and racer and getting involved in the next season starting in October, please email us

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