The hot Texas temperatures were no match for Crown Racing’s five-car lineup at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) this past weekend for the penultimate event weekend in the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America season. Despite the 100+ degree temperatures, Crown Racing with APEX left the Lone Star State with three wins, three second-place finishes, and one third-place finish courtesy of Chris McMurry, Seth Bacon, and Jace Bacon.
It was veteran driver Chris McMurry who made his return to the series this weekend and scored the Pro 1340 pole position for race one with the rest of the Crown Racing team starting close behind. Jason Jason Plotke qualified well, turning a lap fast enough to start fourth in the Platinum class. In race one, McMurry turned his pole position into a podium, claiming his first win alongside teammates Jace and Seth Bacon, who rounded out the top-three, giving Crown Racing a Pro 1340 class podium sweep in their first race of the weekend. Ralf Ludwig and Jason Plotke each crossed the finish line in sixth in their respective classes.
“We made it clear that we came to conquer this weekend,” explains Team Manager Joey Martin. “Race one is only a sign of what’s to come this weekend.”
Continuing with the 105-degree weather on Sunday, it was Chris McMurry who turned a second pole position into a first-place result as he climbed to the top of the podium in race two with young rookie Jace Bacon right on his tail in second. Seth Bacon and Ralf Ludwig rounded out the Pro 1340 class in fifth and sixth with Jason Plotke coming up just shy of a podium in fourth, his best finish of the weekend in the Platinum ranks.
In race three, it was son who beat out father for the win in the Pro 1340 class. Jace Bacon, who started on the inside of the front row for race three courtesy of scoring the fastest race lap in race two, claimed his third podium of the weekend but first win, just ahead of Seth Bacon in second. Chris McMurry followed close behind rounding out the top-five. Ralf Ludwig and Jason Plotke had a tough go-around for their last race of the weekend, as they both failed to complete the full race distance.
“I’m so proud of this team,” explained Martin. “I’ve said time and time again that there is so much talent coming out of APEX Motor Club and this weekend really proved that. Chris McMurry does what he always does and scored two wins for the team with Jace scoring a win as well and Seth adding two more podium results this weekend. The team really performed despite the intense heat, so I think that really says a lot about their capabilities. This track is brutal to race on even in regular temperatures, so this weekend is a win for the team.”
With the sweep in the victories, Crown Racing has earned six victories in the past six races at the famed Circuit of the Americas dating back to 2022.
Crown Racing will continue its momentum in the Blue Marble Radical Cup North America season finale at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca in two weeks alongside the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale with both Team and Driver Championships up for grabs.
For more information on Crown Racing or to contact Joey Martin, please email Joey Martin at jmartin@crownconceptsusa.com or by phone at 520.900.7586. Crown Racing can also be found online on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by searching “Crown Concepts” or by visiting their website, www.CrownConceptsUSA.com.
Photo Credit: RTD Media