Program Overview | Podium Club

Podium Club’s Premier Race Series

The Cactus Cup is a members-focused race series built on the traditions of respectful, sportsmanlike competition—competitive, community-driven, and rooted in mutual respect both on and off the track. It provides Podium Club members the opportunity to compete in a multi-round championship in a safe, professionally managed environment where sportsmanship, camaraderie, and driver development are valued as highly as race results.

Beginning this season, the Cactus Cup has partnered with Pro Auto Sports, NASA Arizona, and the Southwest Speed Festival to create a championship series featuring larger, more competitive race fields and professionally sanctioned events. This partnership is designed to strengthen the Podium Club's relationship with these organizations while providing members with an exceptional pathway to race their vehicles in established, professionally organized racing events throughout the season. Motorcyclists are eligible to race the final round only as long as they have a valid competition race license.

As an added benefit of Podium Club membership, our partner organizations have agreed to waive their annual membership and competition licensing fees for Podium Club Members racing exclusively in the Cactus Cup series. This means that Podium Club members participating in the Cactus Cup will only pay each event's race entry fee throughout the entire Cactus Cup championship series.

The championship concludes with an exclusive Cactus Cup Championship Finale hosted at Podium Club. This invitation-only final round is reserved for drivers who have competed during the season, bringing together the year's racers for two days of championship competition, camaraderie, and celebration.

Race Schedule

December 4–6 – NASA
January 29–31 – SWSF
February 26–29 – PASA
May 8–9 – Hosted by Podium Club

Race Format

Multi-Round Series hosted exclusively at Podium Club – Earn points each round toward season championships.
Class-Based Competition – Cars and motorcycles are grouped by performance for fair racing.
The race series is an invitational for nonmembers.

Steps to Secure a License & Enter a Race

Step 1: Apply for Your Cactus Cup License

Apply for your license. TT and Wheel to Wheel racing licenses available. Fee to join is $99 annually and will include the following;
- Official License Card with Lanyard
- License Type, License Level (W2W or TT), Race #
- Decal kit for all 4 corners of the vehicle (Required to be displayed)
- Key Chain
- T-Shirt
- Hat
Reciprocity with SCCA, NASA, and other national organizations.
Licenses will be reviewed by Podium Club and are subject to approval.

Step 2: Register for an Event

Once your license is approved, you can register for upcoming races by visiting the hosting organizations website.

Step 3: Determine Your Class

Cactus Cup racers will need to review Pro Auto Sports, NASA, and Southwest Speed Festivals class requirements to determine what races groups they are eligible to race in.
The Classes section of the Rules and Regulations to confirm where your car or motorcycle fits into for the Cactus Cup:
- Cars are classed by power-to-weight ratio (PWR) OR type: GR86, RUSH, or open-wheel.
- Example: Porsche GT3 = 3,278 lbs ÷ 502 hp = 6.53 PWR → GT3 Race Group
Motorcycles are classed by engine displacement only.
In short, drivers will likely be in different run groups based on the organization, however points for Cactus Cup will be scored based on Cactus Cup rules. Meaning for NASA Arizona, you may race in a class that differs from the Cactus Cup rules, and that's OK!

Eligibility Notes:

If your car doesn’t have a roll cage or fire suppression system (both required for wheel-to-wheel racing), you can still participate in the Time Trial (TT) sessions.
Members with more than one vehicle can enter multiple classes — for example, someone running a Motorcycle and a car only pay for a single Cactus Cup License.
All Podium Club members are eligible to race in the Cactus Cup. Each member is given a single annual invitation they can use to invite a nonmember to the series.

LICENSE APPLICATION

Race Entry & Pricing

Racers will need to register on the hosting organizations website.

Entry fees are determined by the hosting organization.

Final Round - Hosted by Podium Club

Entry Fee: $300 members / $450 non-members for both days

Final Round Schedule

Saturday - Practice and Qualifying
Sunday - Full day or Racing (Auto TT & W2W, Moto W2W only)
- Race Format = Warm up session, 3 races per class, each racer determines grid position for the proceeding race.
- Final race of the day is for championship points.