Four champions crowned in Round 7 at Apex, four more to be crowned in final race

Four championships were decided in the seventh event of the eight race long 2024 - 2025 Scottsdale Ferrari - Apex Challenge series. That means four other championships will be up for grabs at the finale on May 3 that will test driver and machine by racing for the first time ever on the new four-plus mile combined circuit configuration that connects Phase I and Phase II.

Back to the race 7 headlines, beginning with GT4 where season-long favorite Joey Rainey and his Audi R8 notched his third-straight class title. Rainey has won five races this season, but this time was one of the two races he relinquished the top step. His father Joe won Round 2 while Scott Dehlendorf was top dog this time, picking up his first GT4 class victory.

“I drove a really good mistake-free race,” said Joey Rainey. “It was really hard to pass the Aston, and by the time I cleared him Scott had driven off at that point.”

One of the championships that will be determined in the last race also involves Joey Rainey. He’s up just three points on Lucas Barnett in the Mx-5 Cup. Tom Tait is 20 points astray and has a mathematical chance. That trio, though, will be tested by Slater Colby, who along with Rainey and Stone Colby completed the Round 7 podium. There’s also seventh-grader Niko Colby, who was the Round 7 polesitter in just his second car race. All eyes will be on the MX5 Cup in the finale.

“You get in a Miata and you can play bumper cars. The racing is way more tight. If you’re thinking of getting a Miata, I 100% recommend it because it's a blast,” said Colby.

Radical Silver crowned a new champion: rookie Ryan Fisher. Fisher has won six of the seven races and for most of the season has been mixing it up with the Gold class Radical competitors. As Fisher moves to the Gold class by rule in 2026, fellow rookie Jason Dyer – brand-new to racing in 2025 – has sharpened his skills rapidly to emerge as the top contender for next season’s Silver class title with his third straight second place finish.

In Radical Gold, young Jace Bacon looks poised to dethrone four-time class champion Chris McMurry. McMurry still has a mathematical chance, though it’ll take a DNF from Bacon for the title to stay put. In Round 7, the twosome brawled early and often, with McMurry making a fierce opening-lap Turn 3 pass for the lead, and polesitter Bacon knocking McMurry off track three laps later. After penalties were served, Seth Bacon won the gold class. Both McMurry and Jace Bacon will serve grid penalties in the finale to make the championship contest extra spicy.

“It’s been a minute since I’ve been on the podium. I had shoulder surgery and that kept me mostly on the sidelines for six months, said Seth Bacon. “So today I just wanted to stay focused on executing, try not to overdrive the car and finished P2. I feel good!”

Time Attack saw two champions crowned: Jordan Sawalqah in the Street class and Joe Cattaneo in the Race class. It was the first championship at Apex for both drivers. Sawalquah has four wins on the season, while Cattaneo has five.

The GT3 and GTX championships will be decided at the last race. Chris Hanson picked up his first win of the season in GT3 and now narrowly leads by 4 points over Brannan Hankins, and 21 points over Ralf Ludwig. All three have a shot at the title. In GTX Richard Kinsey followed up his first ever win in a race car in round 6 with another top step finish in round 7. Kinsey leads the points over title hopeful Ernie Spada.

The fifth season of the Scottsdale Ferrari Apex Challenge series presented by Coffin & Trout will wrap up on May 3. In addition to deciding four more champions, the event will include vintage racing, which debuted at Apex this spring and promises more amazing cars you won’t want to miss!

Radical Gold      

139 - Jace Bacon

133 - Chris McMurry   

85 - Andy Voelkel

76 - Lucky Ludwig

74 - Jason Plotke

Radical Silver

165 - Ryan Fisher

121 - Jason Dyer

106 - Carl Fredrickson

103 - Evan Wolf

63 - Niko Kourouglos

GT3

81 - Chris Hanson

77 - Brannan Hankins

60 - Ralf Ludwig

49 - Jordan Darling

20 - Matt Crandall

GT4

169 - Joey Rainey

133 - Joe Rainey

95 - Matt Williams

83 - Matt Crandall

76 - Scott Dehlendorf

Mazda Miata       

110 - Joey Rainey

107 - Lucas Barnett

90 - Tom Tait

84 - Joe Rainey

70 - Jessica Rainey

Time Attack Street Car

140 - Jordan Sawalqah

114 - Star Sawalqah

113 - Jeff Koning

69 - Brett Voelkel

65 - George Leon

GTX

69 - Richard Kinsey

56 - Ernie Spada

36 - Doug Perry

Time Attack Race Car

125 - Joe Cattaneo

25 - Jeff Koning

20 - Rich Gramlich