Apex Racers take gold at Cayman’s inaugural STEM F1 finals

At John Gray High School, the hum of miniature motors marked a milestone for the Cayman Islands as the Cayman Motoring Federation hosted its first-ever national STEM racing finals. Five schools spent months engineering, branding, and piloting F1-style vehicles, transforming classroom theory into high-stakes, high-speed competition.

The event on 25 April saw students from across the islands compete in a rigorous testing ground. Teams from John Gray High School, Cayman Prep, Layman E. Scott Sr. High, Cayman International School, and Grace Christian Academy faced off in categories ranging from project management and engineering to verbal presentation. Races on the 20-metre track were decided by fractions of a second, drawing praise from officials including youth minister Isaac Rankine and education minister Rolston Anglin.

Layman E. Scott Sr. High’s Apex Racers claimed the title of 2026 National Champions with a total of 542.1 points, dominating several technical and enterprise categories. Scorch Racing from Cayman Prep followed in second with 409.5 points, while Grace STEM Racing rounded out the top three. CMF president Jane Scaletta framed the initiative as a gateway for local youth into professional engineering and motorsport, noting that the program’s expansion is already planned for the next season beginning in September 2026.