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Video: Mazda’s John Doonan on the 2017 SCCA Runoffs
Hoosier SCCA Super Tour points chase

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Tuesday SCCA Runoffs notebook

Tuesday, 26 September 2017


By Jeff Zurschmeide (words and images)



News and notes from the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, set for Sept. 25-Oct. 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where nearly 1,000 drivers will compete for 28 national championships.
First round of qualifying times posted
The first day of qualifying turned out mixed results. With no drivers having the benefit of prior experience at the Indianapolis road course, the learning curve was steep, and favored those drivers able to attend the four test days available just prior to the start of the event.

• SCCA National Champioship Runoffs viewing guide

Notable qualifying performances today included GT-1, where David Pintaric of Canfield, Ohio is currently first on grid in his Cadillac CTS-V. Pintaric drove to a time of 1:37.961, almost three full seconds faster than the second-place Ford Mustang of Zachary Monette of Milton, Georgia. In GT-3, three-time national champion Collin Jackson of Langley, B.C. put his Nissan 240SX into first position by nearly a 3.5-second margin over the second-place Acura RSX of Joe Kristenson from London, Ontario.
Elliott Finlayson of Yorkville, Ill. brought in the fastest lap in Formula Enterprises at 1:40.209, besting the second-place qualifier Justin Gordon of Lake Worth, Fla. by more than a second. Sedat Yelkin of Austintown, Ohio turned the fastest lap in Formula Atlantic at a 1:30.783 in his Mazda-powered Swift 016a.
Defending SRF champion Todd Harris of Portland, Oregon posted a fast time of 1:54.382, almost a quarter-second faster than second-place qualifier Denny Stripling of McKinney, Texas. This is the last SRF national championship, so several drivers are hoping to put their names on the list this year. In SRF3, it was Tray Ayres of Gainesville, Georgia with the fast lap at 1:50.533. Bobby Sak of Mattawan, Michigan was second and Harris third, leading past champions John Black, Mike Miserendino and Cliff White in fourth, fifth and sixth places. In all, 101 SRF3 drivers laid down times, making it the largest class ever in SCCA Runoffs history.
In Spec Miata, Chris Haldeman of McKinney, Texas delivered the fastest qualifying lap of 1:59.608, but he cannot rest on his laurels. In order to find a driver who qualified more than a second slower than Haldeman, you have to go down to 17th place. In all, 86 Spec Miata drivers turned a qualifying lap on Monday, but only 72 will make the race at 11:45 a.m. on Friday.

[From left to right] Chris Harrison, Dustin Wright, Tony Moore and Gary Hickman build cars for Formula 1000.

High hopes in Formula 1000
One of the great things about SCCA Club Racing and the Runoffs is that upstart racecar builders can come and compete with the best in North America. One of those upstarts is Phoenix Race Works. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, this company is building cars for the popular Formula 1000 (aka Formula B) class.
"We design the car, and we construct, manufacture and sell the car in a collaborative effort with Gary Hickman and Tony Moore at Edge Engineering," says Phoenix owner Dustin Wright. "My role is the chief technical guy. But it's truly a team effort to design and manufacture the cars. We have some help at the track from Chris Harrison at Harrison Auto Dynamics. He works with our whole team on setup, tuning, and refining the car."
There are two Phoenix cars competing at the Runoffs this year, competing against three apiece from Ralph Firman Racing and JDR Motorsports, four from Stohr, and a selection of others including notable builders such as Citation, Van Diemen and Philly Motorsports.
"We're a small company compared to our competitors," Wright says. "The four of us come out and race together as a team. But we've got over 100 years of combined racing experience."
Formula 1000 is among the newest classes in SCCA Club Racing, and its open rules encourage innovation and experimentation. The class uses a one-liter motorcycle engine in a winged formula car chassis for a low-cost, high-speed racing experience.
"We sat down with the rules sheet and balanced a whole bunch of requirements before we even started to draw things in CAD," Wright explains. "That allowed us to package the car efficiently, get the weight where we wanted it, and set up highly functional targets. After three or four years of sharpening the edge, we're very competitive in our class."
Wright has high hopes for future growth in F1000.
"We want competition," he insists. "We want people to come out and challenge us. We want people to buy our cars, and we want people to build their own cars, or buy them from another manufacturer and come out and race. We'd like to see 10 to 20 cars in this class at every race weekend."
The Phoenix team driver, Gary Hickman of Santee, California, is convinced they've got the right solution for a championship this year. Hickman won the Western Conference Majors title in F1000, and is the presumptive winner of the Hoosier Super Tour Points Championship. If he wins his race this weekend, it will count as a Super Sweep.
"The car is amazing to drive," Hickman states. "It really makes me look good. It's the most neutral-handling car I've ever driven, and it's confidence-inspiring. I routinely pull two and a half Gs, plus, in cornering, and close to that under braking. For the money and the performance, you can't beat it. It's fun to drive, it's easy to drive, and it's safe.
Monday's qualifying session saw Hickman in first position with a fast lap of 1:35.369, almost two full seconds ahead of the second position car of Kevin Roggenbuck of Woodinville, Washington. Formula 1000 races at 4:45 p.m. EDT on Saturday, September 30. You can watch the race live on SCCA.com.
Workers count at the Runoffs
Much has been said about the nearly 1,000 racers coming to the Runoffs, but the event would not be possible if not for the volunteer efforts of hundreds more race workers from SCCA regions all over North America.
The Runoffs race official and specialty worker team includes 119 people working flagging and communications, 20 starters and two start judges, 87 technical inspectors, 42 people in timing and scoring, 23 people working pre-grid, 20 paddock marshals, 16 pit marshals, 26 race administrators, 16 registrars, 11 sound judges, 8 pace car drivers and many more stewards, driver services and emergency fire and rescue workers.
All told, 538 individual volunteers have come to Indianapolis to help make the SCCA Runoffs a reality this year. SCCA simply could not manage an event of this magnitude without their expertise and professionalism.

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[h=2]SCCA National Championship Runoffs viewing guide[/h] Tuesday, 26 September 2017


Image by Connor Solis



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With the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs poised to shatter records at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year, viewers at home will also have expanded opportunities to see the action unfold via SCCA.com, Motor Trend OnDemand and CBS Sports Network.
Presented by Mazda, each of the 28 Runoffs class races will be broadcast live at SCCA.com. Coverage begins at 8:20 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Sept. 29; Saturday, Sept. 30; and Sunday, Oct. 1. Eight race sessions are planned each day, with the day's final event slated to start at 4:45 p.m.
[h=3]Click here to listen to the audio commentary, follow live timing, and watch several static video feeds[/h] Subscribers to www.MotorTrendondemand.com will also have access to Runoffs events. Four one-hour, select shows will air on CBS Sports Network in December.
The race calls will once again feature long-time Runoffs stalwarts Rick Benjamin, Greg Creamer, Jeff Lepper and Dorsey Schroeder in the booth, with Heyward Wagner manning pit lane. Production remains with Apex Broadcast for the ninth year in a row.
"Even before I was President, the Runoffs broadcast was something I looked forward to," Michael Cobb, SCCA President and CEO, said. "Now, the partnership with TEN, Motor Trend OnDemand, and CBS Sports Network is going to bring the best road racing anywhere to even more people. We're really excited about sharing this premier SCCA experience with enthusiasts across the country."
"The SCCA Runoffs are one of the greatest weekends in Motorsport and has launched some of the most successful drivers in American road racing," added Bobby Akin, TEN: The Enthusiast Network's senior vice president and general manager of original programming. "Motor Trend OnDemand is extremely proud to be a part of this mythic event!"
And stay tuned to RACER.com for updates throughout the event.
Here's what's on tap this week:
TUESDAY
Qualifying: Audio commentary, Live timing, & Static video
WEDNESDAY
Qualifying: Audio commentary, Live timing, & Static video
THURSDAY
Tire Rack Pole Day & Last Chance Qualifying races for SM and SRF3
Live webcast & Timing
FRIDAY
Race Day 1 - T1, FA, P2, SRF, SM, FF, FP, GT2, T3, B-Spec
Live webcast brought to you by Mazda, Timing, & Victory circle stream
SATURDAY
Race Day 2 - GT3, FC, FM, EP, SRF3, STL, AS, T2, P1, FB
Live webcast brought to you by Mazda, Timing, & Victory circle stream
SUNDAY
Race Day 3 - FE, GT1, FV, GTL, T4, F500, STU, HP
Live webcast brought to you by Mazda, Timing, & Victory circle stream
For more on the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs, click here.
The 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs are open to the public. To purchase tickets, click here.

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[h=2]Sunday SCCA Runoffs notebook[/h] Sunday, 01 October 2017


By Jeff Zurschmeide / Images by IMS Photo and the author



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American Sedan's Andy McDermid makes a heroic effort
American Sedan's defending champion Andy McDermid of Howell, Michigan, has had a tough week. On Monday, McDermid crashed his Ford Mustang into the wall coming onto the Indianapolis Motor Speedway main straight, flattening the left side and destroying the suspension.
Any driver could be forgiven for packing the car up and retiring from the SCCA Runoffs after a crash like that. But the determination that has made McDermid an eight-time national champion would not allow a crash to be the end of this year's story.

• [h=3]SCCA National Championship Runoffs viewing guide[/h]

"We assessed the damage and there was an awful lot of work to be done," McDermid says.
McDermid's team replaced the entire suspension, engine mounts, rear axle and all the bodywork on the left side of the car in three days.
"I have an incredibly talented crew," McDermid insists. "We rocked on it morning, noon, and night and we got it done. We had help from Capaldi Racing with some parts, and those guys are awesome. It's one of those times where you had to buckle down and do the work."
The repaired car arrived back at Indy on Friday evening, in time to make the AS race on Saturday afternoon. But without a qualifying time, McDermid had to seek permission from the event's chief steward to start the race from the back of the field.
"We're all set to go," McDermid says. "We're cautiously optimistic. But when you start at the back, there's no plan other than to go like hell and hope it works out."
McDermid started in 28th position and raced as high as seventh before retiring with a flat tire in Saturday afternoon's American Sedan race.
Collin Jackson sets a new Runoffs record

In the entire history of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, more than 20,000 drivers have tried to win a championship, and several hundred drivers have succeeded over the years.
But Collin Jackson of Langley, British Columbia, became the first driver in Runoffs history to extend a perfect Runoffs record to four entries and four wins.
"There are so many guys with multiple championships," Jackson says. "Some have thirteen or more. That's way more impressive than just four, but it would be interesting to look it up!"
We looked it up, and 69 drivers have entered once and won their races. Five drivers have entered twice and won twice. Just two drivers, Skip Barber and David Vegher, have entered three times and won all three. Now Collin Jackson is the only driver to have done it four times.
"I've never been about stats," Jackson demurs. "It's always for me about the moment, and the engineering challenge."
Jackson plans to race again next year at the Runoffs at Sonoma Raceway, hopefully extending his record to five entries and five wins.
Goodbye Indy – See you in Sonoma

The eight races scheduled for Sunday mark the finale of the 54th SCCA Runoffs, with 28 champions crowned and nearly 1,000 drivers turning a wheel in competition at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Next year's Runoffs will be held at Sonoma Raceway in Northern California. The dates will move later in the year to October 16-21, 2018. The Runoffs have not been to the West Coast since the 2014 event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and the championship event has never been held on Sonoma's iconic track.
Wishing all competitors, officials, and fans a safe journey home, that's a wrap for the 54th Runoffs Notebook from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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[h=2]Finlayson claims Formula Enterprises Runoffs win[/h] Sunday, 01 October 2017


SCCA / Image by Mark Weber



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A chilly morning started the final day of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday with 36 Formula Enterprises (FE) cars taking to the historic track.
Runoffs rookie Elliot Finlayson, of Yorkville, Ill., went flag-to-flag to clinch his first national championship, finishing the 19-lap race nearly 13 seconds ahead of second place rookie Justin Gordon, of Lake Worth, Fla. Paul Schneider, of Charlotte, N.C., completed the podium, claiming his third consecutive national third-place finish.

"I am trying to soak it all in," Finlayson laughed as he pointed to his champagne-soaked race suit. "Winning my first SCCA National Championship Runoffs is a big accomplishment. We had a lot of good results in our region and to cap-off my season with a win here at Indy is a great way to end my rookie FE season."
Finlayson, who debuted his professional open-wheel career this year in the SCCA Pro Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda at Virginia International Raceway, dominated his club region this season, securing the SCCA Northern Conference U.S. Majors Tour Championship. Finlayson is also a finalist for the Team USA Scholarship program that has helped many young Americans launch a professional career in the world of motorsports.
Driving his No. 59 Performance AFX Motorsports FE Mazda, Finlayson was challenged only once the entire race. Sitting on pole, Finlayson got the jump on front-row contender Flinn Lazier. The third-generation racer tried to insert his nose on the inside of Finlayson's machine in Turn 1, but Finlayson shut the door on Lazier, pulling a full car-length in front. From that point on, Finlayson commanded the race capitalizing on his lead every lap.



In his mirrors, a tight battle for second place was brewing between Lazier, Gordon, Schneider, Quinten Nelson and Brandon Aleckson. Nelson overcooked his car, looping it in Turn 1. He continued, but his chance for a podium-position was out of sight. Lazier moved to second with Gordon tight on his gearbox. However, a mechanical problem stopped Lazier on the side of the track, ending his national championship fight. Gordon flew by Lazier, taking second.








"Sometimes you just have to be patient," said Gordon. "I told myself, hit your marks, don't hit the curbs and just wait on someone to do something. That's what I tried to accomplish, but I didn't get much relief though as Flinn pulled off because Paul and Brandon were right there."
Gordon's fight wasn't over as Aleckson and Schneider were quickly approaching. Aleckson tucked under Gordon to use the draft to pass, but was unsuccessful in his attempt. This allowed Schneider's No. 73 Comprent Motorsports/Syvel Images FE Mazda to close the gap. He closed-out Aleckson on Lap 15 for third. On the white flag, Schneider made a final attempt to move up the podium, but traffic ended his chances. Gordon's No. 6 AAA Garden Center FE Mazda crossed the yard of bricks behind Finlayson for his first national podium. Schneider took third.
"I was determined to get on the podium again this year," Schneider said. "This is the third year in a row I've finished third. Chasing these kids is a little tough. When I was 18, Justin was a baby."
Aleckson finished just outside a podium position, crossing the line fourth in his No. 83 Dan's Upholstery/OP Consulting FE Mazda, and Alex Scaler slotted into the top-five in the No. 53 AdvantageMotrsports.com FE Mazda. Eric Cruz, in the No. 86 Cruz Associates FE Mazda, earned the Sunoco Hard Charger Award after moving from 34th on the grid to 22nd at the checkered flag.
While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

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Isley grabs first H Production championship

Sunday, 01 October 2017


SCCA / Image by Jay Bonvouloir/SCCA



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Jason Isley, of Coto de Caza, California, caught heartbreak in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs H Production race at Daytona International Speedway in 2015, finishing second in a finish-line crash. In 2016, Isley fell less than a second short at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, again the runner-up. In 2017, Isley eliminated all doubts, driving to an 8.339-second win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.
The championship was the first for Isley, at least in SCCA road racing. The pilot of the No. 99 RACER.com/Hoosier/TRD Toyota Yaris and associate editor of SportsCar Magazine is also a four-time National Champion in SCCA autocross competition. Christopher Schaafsma of Wheaton, Illinois, and Ron Bartell of Madbury, New Hampshire, joined Isley on the podium.

• RACER video: SportsCar Magazine's Jason Isley at Indianapolis

"It's quite a relief," Isley said. "I'm appreciative of those podium finishes I had, but second place was getting old. I'm happy to finally get the monkey off my back and put the whole package together. I have to give credit to Jesse Prather. He helped turn it around. We have been really competitive for a couple of years, but we just got to a plateau where we couldn't go any faster. He found that last couple of horsepower I needed to get the car out front."
Isley started on the Tire Rack pole, held off Bartell's No. 4 Hoosier MG Midget for five laps after the start, and steadily began to pick through traffic while others raced behind him. The beginning launch gave Isley the gap he needed to pilot 19 laps around the Indy road course and come home with the title.
"I'd been watching starts all weekend, and I probably changed my mind a million times about what side I wanted and how to do it," Isley said. "Ultimately, I just figured I was going to bring everyone down as slow as I could because I figured that would give us more time to spread out and hopefully cause less problems. It worked out great."
The No. 20 Hoosier/AMT Racing Engines/Anze Volkswagen Golf of the eventual silver medalist and the No. 64 Core Consulting Datsun 210 of Daniel Meller teamed up to catch up to Bartell. Contact between Schaafsma and Meller in a Turn 6 slick from oil temporarily slowed Schaafsma and sent Meller into a spin on lap seven. Three laps later, Schaafsma was around Bartell for second place, but didn't have enough to run down Isley.
Schaafsma's Runoffs debut followed what was meant to be a brief hiatus in his racing career. An incident in the WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints nearly moved the car back to square one, and left him rebuilding the entire front end prior to the Runoffs.
"In 2010, I decided to take a two-year break," Schaafsma said. "I had been racing ITB (in SCCA Regional races) and I wanted to move to H Production because it looked really fun. This is my first year back, so it turned out to be a longer break than I anticipated.
"We showed up Saturday with about four-fifths of a car. I wasn't sure I was going to make the first qualifying session. Things got progressively better every day. There's a great comradery within the Production community, and a lot of people chipped in and helped me. I showed up hoping for a top 10, and I'm really elated with where I am right now."
Bartell hung with Isley as long as he could, and admitted he didn't have the speed for Schaafsma once the pair were in open air. The eight-time podium finisher had a good reason for falling back.
"On the second day of qualifying I ruined a rear hub, which turned out to be an unobtanium part," Bartell said. "I had a choice of going home, going to upstate New York to steal it off my crew chief's car because he had the only other one in the country, or trying what we did – I ended up running three brakes. That doesn't work too good, but because I have a welded rear I can get away with it. I had, essentially, half the normal rear brakes and I would have been a sitting duck for anyone that could challenge me because I had to go easy on them. I'm very, very happy I could get it home in third. It didn't look that way early in the week."
Vesa Siligren, who started on the front row in the No. 60 Hoosier/HPD/svtek.com Honda CRX, finished fourth – just ahead of two-time defending class champion Brian Linn's No. 21 Hoosier/Carbotech/Red Line/LinnSpeed MG Midget.
Larry Svaton drove his No. 166 Hoosier/Bayless Racing/MSR Houston Honda Civic to 24th place from his grid position on 44th to earn the Sunoco Hard Charger.
While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

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[h=2]Long earns American Sedan championship at Runoffs[/h] Saturday, 30 September 2017


SCCA / Image by IMS Photo



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Any time a 13-time champion appears in your mirrors, it's a bad sign. But for 19 laps on Saturday during the SCCA National Championship Runoffs American Sedan race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Peoria, Illinois' Bryan Long looked like the experienced champion on his way to the gold medal. John Heinricy, who has earned more titles than all but one driver in the history of the Club, was held to a silver medal, while Kevin Fandozzi of St. Joseph, Michigan, finished third.
Long started from the Tire Rack pole in his No. 34 Hoerr Racing Prod/Roux/Pagid/Alcon Ford Mustang, and led every lap on the way to his first title.

That wasn't decided, however, until the final run to the checkered flag. Racing inches apart through the final four corners, without contact, Brown got a run out of the final and to the yard of bricks to claim a 0.359-second win.
"This is incredible," Long said. "We've been doing this a long time. We've built a lot of our own cars through the years, just as a family. This is a dream come true.
"When you have one of the best in multiple classes right behind you, you've got no choice but to give it all you've got and run hard. It was an exciting 19 laps, for sure. I was able to get a little bit of a lead, John had his hands full with the Cadillac for a while. I was definitely keeping an eye on that. At the end, he made it really interesting. We were able to hold through, but thankfully it was a 19-lap race."
Heinricy added his second runner-up finish of the weekend, and his 21st overall, after sitting behind the No. 27 Space Monkey Racing Cadillac CTS-V of Drew Cattell until a pass down the Hulman Straight on lap 11. Heinricy's No. 56 Hoosier/Mobil 1/Hawk Chevrolet Camaro quickly opened up some ground on the Cadillac, and set sail for Long's Mustang.
By lap 16, Heinricy had closed to the tail of Long, and slipped and slid his way through the corners looking for a way around. It never came, however, and Heinricy kept the second-place finish.
"It was just an awesome race," Heinricy said. "I had a big smile on my face and was laughing for half of the race, it was so much fun. I was just getting the giggles because we were running so hard, and the tires were getting tired and sliding, and the brakes were starting to lock, and you just watch what's going on and can't believe it's happening. And it kept happening. Nobody goes away and spins out, it just keeps going. It's just incredible fun. I don't think I've had that much fun in years in a race. It was really good."
Fandozzi, a two-time champ in his own right, slid over to the American Sedan class after years in touring cars. Though new to the class, the former champ drove his No. 12 Hoosier/Hayworth Brakes/Carbotech Chevrolet Camaro SS from tenth place, holding off Philip Smith's Camaro until Smith dropped off, and then finding himself all alone and more than 25 seconds behind the lead battle at the finish.
"This year was an experiment for me to build an A Sedan car, and it's been a great, fun ride," Fandozzi said. "Running with these guys, the cars are so much fun. Every lap, every turn, I thought to myself 'how is this car still running like this?' I was just having a blast.
"I truthfully didn't know where I was. I just kept running hard, and I passed as many people as I could. It's a real honor to be up here with these guys. Bryan must have run a perfect race to stay in front of Mr. Heinricy here. For me to even be in their zip code, it's a special day."
Danny Richardson's No. 15 Hoosier/PAW/Auto Gear/Pro-System Chevrolet Camaro finished fourth, followed by Stephen Ott's No. 87 Steve mOttorsports Ford Mustang. Tim White drove from 25th on the grid to 11th at the flag, to earn the Sunoco Hard Charger award.
Defending class champion Andy McDermid's tough week continued. McDermid had to tow back home to Howell, Michigan after an opening lap, opening session incident on Monday to repair the car. The champ then started from the back of the field in the No. 24 WeatherTech Ford Mustang, drove to seventh in seven laps, and then saw his weekend end with a blown right front tire on lap eight and the most spectacular 27th-place finish in Runoffs history.
The 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs crowns Sports Car Club of America's Road Racing National Champions this year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Friday, September 29 through Sunday, Oct 1.
While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

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[h=2]F4 U.S. drivers collect wins at SCCA Runoffs[/h] Monday, 02 October 2017


SCCA / Images by IMS Photo
























Two Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda drivers won big in the 54th Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday and Sunday. Austin McCusker of Glen Head, New York, and Elliot Finlayson of Yorkville, Illinois, claimed national championships in their rookie Runoffs appearance.

"All the F4 U.S. guys raced phenomenally this week in Indy," said SCCA Ventures Board of Directors President Dan Helman. "So much exposure comes with winning a Runoffs and the extra seat time they get here and during club-racing events benefits their professional racing craft."

After one aborted start attempt caused by formation issues, McCusker took the green on Lap 2 from pole-position for the lead in the Formula Continental class and maintained his P1 standing throughout the 19-lap race to win his Runoffs debut.

"It was an exciting race and an amazing feeling winning at the SCCA Runoffs, especially at Indy on my debut weekend," McCusker said. "Passing the bricks first and standing on top of the podium is a moment I will always remember. I have to thank everyone at Company Motorsports and Dot Works for getting me to the weekend so last minute. Everyone did a really great job."



Finlayson went flag-to-flag to clinch his first national championship in the Formula Enterprises class, finishing the 19-lap race nearly 13 seconds ahead of second-place.

"I am trying to soak it all in," Finlayson laughed as he pointed to his champagne-soaked race suit. "Winning my first SCCA National Championship Runoffs is a big accomplishment. We had a lot of good results in our region and to cap-off my season with a win here at Indy is a great way to end my rookie FE season."

Finlayson was challenged only once the entire FE race. Sitting on pole, he got the jump on front-row contender and F4 U.S. pilot Flinn Lazier of Vail, Colorado. The third-generation racer tried to insert his nose on the inside of Finlayson's machine in Turn 1, but Finlayson shut the door on Lazier, pulling a full car-length in front. From that point on, Finlayson commanded the race capitalizing on his lead every lap. Lazier's battle for second ended after mechanical issued left him stranded trackside.

"It was truly great to be back racing at IMS for the third time this year," Lazier said. "My car was set up to have an explosive finish. It was the smartest set up with the best minds working on the car all week. My run for first ended from a broken throttle body before I could really show what my Comprent Motorsports car could do, but that's racing. My week was truly magical because I had so much support from Comprent Motorsports, Primus Racing, Bell Helmets and StalkIt. I have so much respect for the volunteers and SCCA workers that made this a very successful week. Thank you."

Jacob Loomis of Corinth, Colorado, also competed at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Driving in a 72-car field, Loomis started from 26th, charging quickly to the top-10. However, after incidental contact with another driver and only six laps left in the race, Loomis' podium run was cut short.

"It was a bit disappointing not to be able to finish the race," Loomis said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity Snyder Brothers Racing gave me and I wanted to give them at least a top-10 finish. Indy is a great place with a great atmosphere and not too many people can say they had the chance to race here twice in one year. I'm thankful for that."

Twenty-eight classes with nearly 1,000 entries, the largest in club history, participated in the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Fans can view full results from the weekend at SCCA.com.

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[h=2]Kemper takes Formula Mazda Runoffs title after race-long battle[/h] Saturday, 30 September 2017





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Oil spills, spin-offs, lapped traffic and tight racing defined the Formula Mazda (FM) Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs® race. Defending his race line in the No. 4 Mazda Goodyear Star Formula Mazda on the final lap, Melvin David Kemper Jr., of Toledo, Washington, took the checkered for his first national championship win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday morning.
Jarrett Voorhies, of Kissimmee, Fla,, visited the SCCA national podium for the first time finishing second and Mike Anderson, of Anza, Cali., claimed third for the second time in his Runoffs career.

• [h=3]SCCA National Championship Runoffs viewing guide[/h]

"Crossing the bricks for the national championship didn't set in, and still hasn't," said Kemper jokingly. "I'm 69-years-old, 50-years older than Jarret. I don't have as many years left to win, so winning here at IMS for the first time is pretty exciting."
The 16-car FM field completed 19 laps in the same session as the Formula Continental (FC) class. The first start was waived off, but Anderson took the lead on the second start attempt after Voorhies' bobbled start. Voorhies, who dominated all four qualifying sessions, shuffled to the back of the field after a shunt in Turn 1. A full-course yellow caused by a FC oil spill allowed Voorhies to refire his No. 15 Mitchell Petroleum Star Formula Mazda and catch the field.

On the restart, Kemper challenged Anderson for the lead. Right on the gearbox of the No. 42 HASA Pool Productions machine, Kemper accelerated from the draft and squeezed Anderson on the inside to take the top spot. Voorhies picked off cars one by one trying to catch the front-runners, but killed his momentum when he looped his car in Turn 10. He continued in sixth.


"I was excited when I saw the double yellows but was worried about time," Voorhies said. "I was moving up and down the entire race. Deep down, I might have given up after the second spin. I kept pushing though, knowing that podium was probably out of sight this year, but with a bit of luck and determination, here we are."
Kemper and Anderson pulled away from the field with Liam Snyder, of Southlake, Texas, following in third. Kemper and Anderson continued to battle each other through the white flag. On the final lap, Anderson got caught in lapped FC traffic. Kemper extended his lead over Anderson and Snyder. Anderson fought to catch the race leader and on an attempt to overtake Kemper on the inside of the esses, spun off track. Close behind in third, Snyder's podium-run ended after Turn 7 collected his Snyder Brothers Racing car.
A prowling Voorhies capitalized on the shunts to take second. Anderson continued the race to finish third.
"I saw the white flag and knew now was the time to make a move on Mel," Anderson said. "He was faster on the straights, but I caught him in the corners. The track was so slick and I just went off. I recovered quickly, but Jarret had already passed. It was an exciting race to compete in."
Larry Mason, of Burbank, Calif., finished fourth in his No. 12 Auto Diagnostic Services/Polar car and Snyder recovered from his last-lap shunt to take fifth. Matt Stephenson of Oklahoma City earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award in the No. 08 Bell Helmets racecar.
While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

senor honda

[h=2]Gee outlasts, outruns to STU Runoffs win[/h] Sunday, 01 October 2017


SCCA / Image by Mark Weber



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Max Gee, of Mansfield, Ohio, won the SCCA Runoffs driving the No. 22 Gee Motorsports/Hoosier Honda Prelude and was crowned National Champion Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Super Touring Under class (STU).

• [h=3]SCCA National Championship Runoffs viewing guide[/h]

To win, Gee had to keep ahead of a charging Ray Huffmaster, of Clarkston, Mich., in the No. 36 BlueForceStaffing.com/Hoosier Pontiac Solstice in the final laps. Mark Liller, of Aldie, Va., finished third in the No. 79 Angry Sheep Motorsport/Hoosier/Carbotech Dodge Neon SRT-4.

Gee, who had former IndyCar driver and fellow Mid-Ohio instructor Scott Harrington helping him this week, made up for a dismal 2016 Runoffs in which he didn't complete a single lap.

"It would have been great to win last year," Gee said, "but this year at this track is unbelievable. It still hasn't sunk in yet and I don't believe it will for a while."


The eventual podium finishers all survived an exciting Turn 1 in which multiple drivers found themselves over-extending their grip levels and taking paths through the grass. After the first lap, the field settled into a race which would see positions swapped by racing and attrition.
"After watching all the races and waiting until Sunday afternoon to race we had a lot of time to study and look at everybody coming into one and must have thought about how many different scenarios and of course it didn't go anything like we thought," said Ray Huffman, the second-place finisher. "I was just glad to get through and make it into (Turn) 3."
Ray Huffmaster's son, Rob Huffmaster, of Clarkston, Mich., made it through the start and pulled out to an early lead in his No. 24 BlueForceStaffing.com/Hoosier Honda S2000, but slowed to a stop at the end of the back straight on lap eight, allowing Gee to take over the lead.
"I was excited I got first," Gee said of seeing the younger Huffmaster drop by the wayside, "but I knew I had to keep my nose down and hit my marks and try not to mess up too much and try to preserve the car all at the same time."
Gee wouldn't relinquish the top spot again, but it wasn't without facing a charging Ray Huffmaster who closed to within five seconds at the end as the pair worked through traffic.
"I was trying to do math and drive at the same time which I'm not good at, so I just kept driving and looking in my mirror," Gee said.
The third-place finisher, Liller started in eighth, made it through the Turn 1 confusion and took advantage of the attrition and hard racing to work up to third place. Once there, he had to fight off the hard-charging John Weisberg, of Webster, N.Y., in the No. 51 Redcom Labs/Mazda/Hoosier/Red Line/BERG Mazda MX-5 to hold on to the third spot.
"Towards the end of the race Weisberg was coming up on me," Liller said. "He really closed on me and it was everything I had to keep him back."
Filling out the top five was Joe Moser, of Wilmette, Ill., the 2016 Runoffs winner in the No. 63 Hoosier/King Motorsports Honda Prelude.
The Sunoco Hard Charger award was earned by Willie Phee, of Cumming, Ga., in the No. 74 G-Loc Brakes Acura TSX for starting 30th and finishing in 16th place.
While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.