[h=2]SCCA Runoffs notebook: By the numbers[/h] Jeff Zurschmeide (words & images)

The 53rd annual SCCA National Championship Runoffs are happening at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this week, with qualifying sessions taking place Monday through Thursday, and 28 championship races on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.


A total of 581 drivers appear on SCCA's official entry list. As in prior years, Spec Miata is the largest single class, attracting 48 entries. Spec Racer Ford Generation 3 is second with 43 drivers. Many SRF drivers double-entered, as the second generation Spec Racer is also still eligible for a championship through 2017. A total of 27 drivers will race in the SRF contest.
The Touring and Super Touring classes are popular this year, with 34 drivers racing in Super Touring Light, and 33 contesting the Touring 4 championship.
Among Formula cars, FV is by far the most popular platform with 39 entries, and F Production leads the developed production classes with 34 entries.


Photo: SpecMiata.jpg – Caption: "Justin Hille was fastest in Monday Spec Miata qualifying."
Track Records Fall in Monday Qualifying
Qualifying records fell Monday at the SCCA Runoffs as the championship event returned to Mid-Ohio after 11 years at other tracks. The past decade has seen substantial driver, tire, and racecar development, and the results are in.
The top seven drivers in American Sedan all broke the existing Runoffs qualifying record for this course. Tom Sloe (pictured) is on pole with a time of 1:33.468, followed by Edward Hosni, Philip Smith, Andy McDermid, John Heinricy, Drew Cattell, and Amy Aquilante, all under the previous record of 1:36.868.
"It doesn't hurt to have Ron Hutter horsepower under the hood. He was a NASCAR engine builder for Dale Earnhardt Jr. the year he won his championship," Sloe said.
Additionally, four drivers in Formula Vee broke the former class record of 1:39.146. Michael Varacins set the fast time of 1:38.595, and Gary Blanarik, Roger Siebenauer, and Richard Shields were all faster than the old record. In GT-1, polesitter Cliff Ebben has broken the previous track record of 1:24.063 with a fast time of 1:23.606.
With the fast pace set on Day 1 of qualifying, more drivers are expected to break their class records as they dial in their cars for this year's championships.
Maxton's Fight Continues
Eric Prill is an F Production driver and Chief Operations Officer for SCCA, Inc. He's also the Chairman of Maxton's Fight, a 501(c)3 charity devoted to supporting families as they battle childhood diseases. This is the second year that SCCA racers have come together at the Runoffs in support of Maxton's Fight.
A pair of run/walk events to benefit the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital and Maxton's Fight will take place Saturday evening on the race course. The events include the SCCA Runoffs 5K and a one-mile Checkered Flag Dash. The 5K course invites participants to complete a lap of Mid-Ohio on foot, including a checkered flag at the finish line. The one-mile Checkered Flag Dash fun run/walk offers everyone an opportunity to see a portion of the track on foot.