The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is giving Sports Car Club of America members unique opportunities to experience the world’s leading professional sports car racing championship through an official partnership naming SCCA the “Official Grassroots Motorsports Partner of the ALMS.” The venture will serve as a platform to recognize SCCA members who positively contribute to motorsports across North America and provide an opportunity for ALMS fans to see how easy it can be to transition from enthusiasts and admirers to participants. “The partnership between ALMS and SCCA is a very natural one,” ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton said. “The majority of ALMS fans are auto enthusiasts, many of them wondering how they can become more involved in motorsports at a grassroots level; the SCCA is the ideal place to start that journey. Similarly, we believe SCCA members have a deep appreciation for our sport and hope all of them will take full advantage of the fan-centered opportunities the ALMS offers.” Starting with the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park — the third round of 2011 — an outstanding SCCA member will be recognized during each ALMS race broadcast live on ESPN3.com and on subsequent ESPN2 or ABC telecasts. That member will then be profiled on the SCCA and ALMS websites. “The American Le Mans Series represents the highest level of sports car racing in North America through its world class competition and cutting-edge technology,” SCCA President and CEO Jeff Dahnert said. “It’s the type of competition that many of our members aspire to, and featuring the new SCCA Star Performer in each of the remaining ALMS broadcasts will be a tremendous honor for several of our members.” In addition to mutual cross-promotion at events, on respective websites and through social media, SCCA members will be kept up to date on the latest ALMS contests and sweepstakes with additional SCCA member incentives under development. A heavy emphasis will be placed on the ALMS season finale, the 14th Annual Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda, and the 2011 SCCA National Championship Runoffs®, the SCCA’s premier road racing event. Currently in its traditional early summer break to allow several top teams to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón will resume its 2011 season at Lime Rock Park on July 9. Complete qualifying and race coverage will be carried live on ESPN3.com. The TV broadcast will air Sunday, July 10, at 1 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2. You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes), on our Facebook page and the official YouTube channel. You can follow SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial and on Facebook (SCCAOfficial).
Storylines/Things To Watch For Super Tour, Version Five: The top level of the Sports Car Club of America’s Club Racing program will visit Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, for Round Five of the six-round 2011 BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Super Tour. The event, co-hosted by the Ohio Valley Region and Cincinnati Region SCCA, is part of the first-ever double national Race of Champions at Mid-Ohio. The BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour activities will occur during Sunday’s races. Each race winner will be given a victory lap and commemorative checkered flag, and the top three in each class will be treated to victory circle ceremonies after each race. Live Timing is available for those at the track and around the world on all three days of the event at SCCA.com. Ordinary People, Extraordinary Feats: The racers at this weekend’s BFGoodrich Tires Great Lakes Super Tour are a unique mix of talented drivers. Most are “weekend warriors,” mixing it up on the track on the weekends before heading home to their day-to-day jobs through the week. Some are youngsters with an eye on a professional driving career, honing their craft while looking to the future. The common theme to an SCCA competition is that these are seemingly ordinary people doing extraordinary things with racecars. How prolific can these drivers become? Start with the motorsports legends — Bobby Rahal, Mark Donohue, Roger Penske, Michael Andretti, and actor/driver Paul Newman got their start in SCCA Club Racing. More recently, you could have seen current stars Boris Said, Graham Rahal, Sam Hornish or Scott Sharp at a Club race. The Best In Amateur Racing: SCCA Club Racing is the top level of amateur motorsports. Of the 300 Club Racing events held coast-to-coast, 70 of them are designated as “National” events, meaning they are qualifying events for the National Championship Runoffs® and comprise the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series. Of these 70 events, only six were designated as BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Super Tour races, bringing the National spotlight to town and making this weekend among a select group of can’t-miss events across the country. At Mid-Ohio, the racing weekend consists of a National races on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour races. Points for the BFGoodrich Super Tour will only be earned for Sunday’s races, however. Large Fields: Last season during the June National at Mid-Ohio, 148 entrants participated. With this season’s BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Super Tour and double weekend, 194 cars were on the entry list early in the race week. Ohio Drivers Well Represented: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course hosted the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® from 1994 to 2005, and the level of competition that continues to return to the storied facility makes for competitive racing. Former National Champions abound throughout the field’s 28 National classes, a number of those drivers hailing from the Buckeye State. Justin Pritchard, from Granville, won three titles at Mid-Ohio in open wheel cars, the first in Formula Continental, and a pair in Formula Ford. This weekend, he returns in E Production, driving a Mazda RX-7. That same class features Westerville’s Sam Halkias, the 2009 National Champion in class, driving a Triumph TR6. Tom Sloe, the 2009 American Sedan champ from Novelty, Ohio, has entered his Ford Mustang in the class this weekend. A pair of National Champion Ohioans lead the Formula Enterprise class, with defending F500 champion Patrick Gallagher, from Thornville, and defending FE champion Scott Rettich, from Camden, prepared to battle it out. Rettich will also race in Spec Racer Ford. Delaware, Ohio’s Kevin Ruck is the defending National Champion in F Production and brings his Acura Integra for the race weekend. 1999 GT-2 Champion Tom Patton, from Hamilton, will tow in his Sunbeam Tiger from the southwest corner of the state, while 2002 GT-3 champion Mike Cyphert will tow his Toyota Celica from his Twinsburg home in the Northeast for the GT-3 race. John Fergus, a six-time S2000 champion, brings his Carbir CS2/Ford just up the road from his Powell home. Freddy Baker won his first of four National Championships in 1980 at Road Atlanta, and his most recent at Mid-Ohio in 2000. This weekend, the Aurora resident will drive a Porsche 911 Carrera in Super Touring Over. In Super Touring Under, former FP champion Bill Niemeyer, of Loveland, Ohio will race an Acura RSX-S. Chad Gilsinger, from Marysville, will drive his Honda S2000 in Touring 2. Gilsinger also made his Baja 1000 debut last season after earning the contingency prize for winning a National Championship on BFGoodrich Tires. Among other notable Ohio drivers, SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series podium finisher Amy Ruman, from Kent, is entered in GT-1 in a Chevrolet Corvette. Corey Fergus, son of John, has won two consecutive poles at the Runoffs in the S2000 class. Top Drivers From Across The Country: It’s not just Ohio that is home to former champions racing this weekend, as a number of drivers have made the drive for the opportunity to race twice at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Aaron Ellis, from Farmington, Minn., leads the Formula 500 class as the 2000 National Champion. Formula Atlantic boasts a pair of National Champions from the same Germantown, Tenn. family in David Grant (2008 FA champion) and Keith Grant (2003 GT-4 champion). While the Formula 1000 (FB) field entry list only shows three cars, two-thirds are former National Champions. Brandon Dixon, who captured the title last year in the inaugural National season for the FB class, comes from Tuscaloosa, Ala., in his Citation F1000. Former F500 National Champion, Brian Novak, is in the FB field in his Piper F1000. Juan Marchand, from South Haven, Mich., captured the 2009 title in Formula Mazda and is on the entry list this weekend. Jeff Loughead, from Darien, Ill., was the 2004 champion in Formula Vee at Mid-Ohio, and will be challenged by 2009 champion Michael Varacins, from Burlington, Wis., in that class. Richard Grant, the patriarch of the Grant family, is a 1990 GT-4 National Champion and has entered Chevrolet Corvette in GT-1 this weekend. David Finch ventures into enemy territory from Ann Arbor, Mich., in a Porsche 944 for the GT-2 race. Mark McCaughey, from Sarasota, Fla., brings his defending Showroom Stock C champion Toyota Celica to Mid-Ohio, while former Showroom Stock B champion Harry Manning competes in a 15-car Spec Miata class. David Pintaric won the inaugural STO Runoffs race and has entered his Dodge Viper, while Mike Kramer, the 2003 SSC Champion at Mid-Ohio, returns in Touring 3 driving a Saturn ION. Pirelli World Challenge GT winner Tony Rivera is entered in Touring 2, driving a Nissan 370Z. Fun For The Family: Fans may attend this weekend’s event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with a Mid-Ohio VIP Season Pass, or as guests of the SCCA for a $10 fee. The gates open for at 7 AM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission includes a free program and a paddock pass allowing spectators into the garage areas for up close visits with the cars and drivers.
Event/Circuit: BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Great Lakes Super Tour Round Five Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 15-turn, 2.4-mile permanent road course Qualifying: Sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 2 qualifying sessions per class for Sunday’s races Races: Sunday, June 12, Six group races, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Race Lengths: Each group ru
The Monster Mile of Dover (Del.) Speedway was the site of last weekend’s Tire Rack® SCCA Solo National Tour, where 219 entrants competed in the Philadelphia Region-hosted event. The famed Monster at the entrance to the oval track cast both a literal and a figurative shadow over the event, providing shade for the Friday night welcome party, Saturday’s start line and Sunday’s finish. Between the shadows were a number of hot intra-class battles. In Super Stock, Jason Burns spent both days in his 2010 Strano Performance Chevrolet Corvette, chasing down Brian Conners, from Voorhees, N.J. Burns finally took the lead from Conners’ 2005 Lotus Elise on his last run of the day, but Conners one-upped Burns again to win the class by 0.601-seconds. The Stock Category was full of close battles. In G Stock, Philadelphia’s Jeff Jacobs had the fastest time each day in his 2006 Helix13.com/Redshift Honda Civic Si. While that’s a surefire recipe for a win, it didn’t come easy for Jacobs. The class remained in doubt the entire day, with Matt McGrain’s 2008 Premium Imports of Raleigh Honda Civic Si finishing just 0.187-second behind Jacobs. Lee Piccione, from Severn, Md., had to hold off the charge of two competitors in his F Stock 2008 Strano Parts Ford Shelby GT. Piccione was the Saturday class leader, but was challenged on Sunday by Ron Bistrais’ 2007 Ford Shelby GT and Terry Baker’s 2008 Atlantic Autowerks Ford Shelby GT. Bistrais fell just 0.188-second short of Piccione, with Baker 0.428-second behind the class winner. B Stock was the closest class of the weekend, run to a near-tie with a margin of victory of just 0.069-second. Charlotte’s Jadrice Toussaint drove his 2008 Crown Honda Charlotte/Team CM Honda S2000 to a scant 0.069-second victory over Paul Kozlak’s 2007 Red Haus Racing Pontiac Solstice GXP. Competition in the Formula 125 class remains stiff each week on the National Tour. At Dover, Keith Vail drove his 2005 Intrepid Explorer to just a 0.101-second win over Adam Fuhs’ 2008 Red Fox Racing/evo8dad prepared Italkart Supersonic, with Ryan Lower’s 2009 Wind Catchers Embroidery CRG Kalifornia in third, just 0.263-second out of the top spot. The Tire Rack Solo National Tour continues with its third event in three weeks this weekend for the Blytheville National Tour and Southern States Championship at the Arkansas Aeroplex, June 11-12. For full results from the Delaware National Tour and more information on all upcoming Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour events, visit http://www.scca.com/solo. A direct link to results for the Delaware National Tour is available at https://www.scca.com/eventresults.
Competition is being turned up to eleven this year with the introduction of the Region Cup for the 2011 Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals. The Region Cup is a program designed to reward regions that excel in event attendance and performance. Awards will be given to the top regions in each of the 4 SCCA region size divisions, Jumbo, Large, Medium and Small, as well as an award for the overall Region winner.
The competition will be based on a points system that rewards participation, performance and rookie attendance. Each Driver at Nationals will receive a single point for participating in the event, plus one point for every driver they finish in front of. In addition, Solo Nationals Rookies will receive 10 bonus points. This means the winner of a 20-car class would receive 20 points, while the last place finisher would receive 1 point. A rookie, finishing in 19th place would receive 2 points for the finish, plus the rookie bonus of 10 for a total of 12.
In addition, regions can earn a extra 100 points by having a Region Shirt for Solo Nationals. To qualify, shirts must have “2011 Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals” and the region’s name clearly displayed. As an SCCA partner, Solo Performance Specialties is offering to help regions with shirts. Regions will have the opportunity to create their own shirt design or choose from existing SPS designs. Once the shirt is finalized, region members can follow a link to order their region’s official Solo Nationals shirt and either pick it up at the event or have it shipped directly. SPS shirt designs must be finalized before August 5th. For more information on ordering shirts from SPS, contact Dave Whitworth at [email protected]
By David Feighner
The question has come up, “What is driving the SP reorg?” There are several factors that are driving the reorg proposal. The idea to reorg SP first came from a member letter to add a new class – GSP. However, the SPAC did not believe the types of cars in the original GSP proposal were relevant cars that the membership would want to build.
The SPAC pursued the question, if a SP class was to be added what types of cars does the membership find relevant? Some of the obvious choices were Corvettes, BMW’s and Datsun Z cars. While these cars are already in a class, other cars in that class have changed the game. The game changers as you may have guessed would be the EVO and STI. There have been other all wheel drive cars in the sport but the EVO, STI came on to the scene with much anticipation and many unknowns. In stock trim the cars were average but step them up to Street Touring or Street Prepared and they started to shine.
The EVO especially took well to SP. In the beginning the EVO and STI went to ESP. Quickly it was evident the solid axle pony cars where not a good match for the boost buggies. The next step was to have them run against the more sophisticated independent rear suspension cars in BSP. It was a closer match but still not the perfect fit and the other cars in BSP seemed to disappear. The SPAC tried a couple of other methods to find the right place for the EVO and STI however the proposals to move the EVO and STI to ASP came back as unfavorable.
On that note, it was back to the drawing board. The first version was put together and sent out to the membership for feedback. The feedback was very positive for the reorg. After receiving some constructive criticism, the SPAC went back to work with reorg v.2. One of the unique things that came up was perhaps we can change less classes by adding the class on the other end of the category. ASP is made up of mostly SS (Super Stock) cars so perhaps SSP (Super Street Prepared) would be a better way to go also adding a better class progression for the SS cars to Street Prepared. SSP would be made up of Corvettes C5, C6, Viper, Nissan GTR, Porsche 911 Turbo, GT3 just to name a few. That would then move the EVO, STI , Solstice GXP, Nissan 370z, BMW 128 and 135, 328 and 335 and other BSP power houses to ASP.
The SPAC thought long and hard on this move and it is the belief of the SPAC that the cars left in BSP are very relevant, very affordable and very fun to drive. BSP examples would be BMW M3 E36 and E46 Chassis, Corvette C1 through C4, Honda S2000 and Nissan and Datsun Z cars prior to the 370 as just a few. With that said the SPAC believes the category can and will support the additional class. For a complete class listing checkout the latest Fastracks.
Contributions by: Andy Hollis, Kevin Dietz, John Rogers, Mike Johnson, Dan Pedroza and Heyward Wagner
Spring Nationals marked the first attempt at a Pro and Tour on the same weekend. While there were some hick-ups here and there, the format was largely successful and very well received. In an effort to minimize the complication, the Tour course utilized many of the features of the Pro course. While it is unconfirmed at this point, but there is an intention to keep the event on the schedule for 2012 with plans for completely unique Tour and Pro courses.
One of the biggest factors for both events was weather. There was a threat of rain during the Pro that eventually hit on Sunday morning. The result was many classes failing to improve times in the early morning. The skies cleared as the third heat continued, and the course dried completely midway through the session and conditions were prime for the challenge rounds. Day one of the Tour started wet, and did not dry out until heat 3. Day 2 saw dry conditions but significant winds, strong enough to blow over cones. After several re-runs had to be granted all of the cones were double stacked to ensure they would remain upright.
In the ProSolo C-Stock saw a familiar name at the top, but this was actually the first ProSolo for Chris Fenter. Fenter took an early lead and carried the momentum through the entire weekend until the 3rd round of the Gumout Super Challenge where he was eliminated by Gumout Super Challenge winner, Robert Thorne. Fenter made it a double, taking the win at the tour as well. However, the margin over 2nd place finisher Steve Pounds in a 370z, was only a half second each day. Given the course length and tendency toward transitions, this certainly suggest that Pounds and co-driver Daniel McCelvey, who finished 3rd, can run with the roadsters and very well maybe challengers for the top spot at Nationals should the coursed favor their Nissan.
Another ProSolo rookie who had a good weekend was Andrew Elias. Elias entered the event in a Ford Focus in Street Touring. He quickly found that the last minute changes he had made to the car were not to his liking, but managed to soldier through the event finishing toward the back of the ST pack. However, Elias’s luck would turn as his name was among those selected for the Bonus Challenge. From there everything seemed to go his way as, round by round, Elias moved through the bracket ultimately taking the win. As it turned out, Elias was also the top driver in his ST on Kumho tires so in addition to the free ProSolo entry he won in the Bonus Challenge; Elias took home a nice check from Kumho as well.
Street Touring was the only class to put three drivers in the Gumout Super Challenge. Class winner, Jason Frank and Will Kalman looked good to make the Challenge after their final runs on Sunday. It was Craig Mankiewicz, however that stole the show with a pair of runs in drying conditions to slot himself 7 hundredths behind Frank and 5 hundredths ahead of Kalman. Kalman got the last laugh though, as he moved past Tom Berry in round 1 of the Challenge while Frank and Mankiewicz both struggled on the tree and were eliminated.
With a win in Lincoln, Kevin Youngers now has a pair of ProSolo wins and looks to be making a run at the F-Stock ProSolo Championship. Youngers was able to establish a lead on Saturday afternoon that wet conditions initially protected on Sunday morning. The win, however was not secured until Jason Huepenbecker and Don Knopp ran from the 2nd drivers line. Huepenbeker and Knopp were among the first drivers in the event to improve time as the course dried. In the process they exchanged the third spot a number of times before Knopp claimed it on his final run and sealed the victory for Youngers.
The talk of the tour was a substantial wager between B-Stock co-drivers, Marc Phannenschmidt and Jadrice Toussaint. What neither of them counted on, however, was a stand out day 1 performance by Kevin Dietz. Dietz, with zero seat time in a S200 CR prior to the event, carried the lead into day 2, but was ultimately was not able to hold off a charging Toussaint. In the end, Jadrice took the win and the wagered amount from Phannenschmidt. Jadrice was quick to point out that the wager was all in fun and that he intended to use he funds to help make it possible for a driver to come to nationals and compete in B-Stock.
E-Modified saw some familiar names in a very unfamiliar vehicle. Bob Tunnell and Jeff Ellerby competed in Del Long’s 1956 Jeep YC-J. Typically a photo, being worth a thousand words, would tell the whole story. That is not the case here. The “Jeep”is actually a retired ¾ scale circle track car, powered by a Solstice GXP motors and rebodied as a 1956 Jeep. The Jeep showed some potential, and Tunnell said there was a decent chance that he will again be in it at Nationals, but the class pace was again set by the Sprite of Jeff Kiesel, running 3 seconds faster, per day.
The battle in Street Touring Sport Ladies may have given us a glimpse into the sport’s future as Katelyn Johnson, Hilary Ann Anderson and Kim Whitener challenged past Champions Laura Harbor and Michelle Seelig. In the end, Whitener was the class of the field, going fast right from the start and taking the win. Harbour, driving the only Miata in the class, methodically chipped away at the lead on every run but ultimately was unable to overcome the CRX’s advantage on the slalom intensive course. Anderson dug herself a hole and jumped right in with penalties on each of her first two runs each day. Undaunted, she put down fast times when it counted and ended up second, in front of the two past champs. Johnson, a product of the Formula Jr program and sporting a newly minted driver’s license, split the difference between the two champs, ending up only a tenth out of the trophies in third.
In Super Stock it was, perhaps, the end of an era, as Matthew Braun in the Elise succumbed to Sam Strano piloting the new C6 Corvette Grand Sport. The battle was not without drama and the lead fluctuated back and forth between the two when Strano would hit cones in the much wider Chevrolet. The win is even more impressive when one considers the large amount of slalom content in the courses, which would typically favor the Lotus. The only question remaining is whether Strano will drive this car at Nationals or the ESP Mustang he is also developing.
GP is the home of the Kansas Mafia, with all of the entrants save one hailing from the sunflower state. “Old guys in really old cars”describes the clan where just finishing the event with a running car is an accomplishment. In the end, Bo Radar dominated with a margin of 1.7 second over Jeff Dodds, both of them in vintage Austin Healey Sprites.
D-Stock has quite the variety of drive trains in the 12-car field. Front wheel drive, all wheel drive and Rear wheel drive platforms were all in the mix and this became even more interesting as weather played a factor on day 1. Some drivers went for wet tires, others hoped for improving conditions and started on dries and some drivers flip flopped their decision. Craig Wilcox on Kumho wets was a force to be reckoned with, he was methodically fast in the wet taking quick time for the day. Mark Smith and co-driver Tom Berry chose to keep the dry tires on the Audi and use the improving conditions and heat from the two-driver car combo to their advantage. Smith was able to power his way into second only a tenth out after day one. Day two brought dry conditions and no tire changing. The Audi TT was dominant on day two and Smith drove it to the win. Tom Berry posted fast time for class moving him to 3rd, just behind Wilcox.
In C-Street Prepared Matt McCabe lead this class wire to wire in the wet and the dry with Bill Schenker chasing all the way. For Schenker the weekend was frustrating as mechanical problems haunted him at the Pro and wet conditions at the Tour took the southern Californian out of his comfort zone. Regardless, he held on for second place only a few tenths behind McCabe on day two. Becker co-driving the car with McCabe started of the weekend with a DNF but was clean on every run thereafter netting him the third podium spot. 4th place David Feigner only had two clean runs all weekend but as we all know that’s all you need, one each day.
Jr. Karts- National Series participants are reminded that all cars in grid must remain motionless from the time the first Jr. Kart leaves the karting grid until the final Jr. Kart returns. Event officials are aware that this can be difficult for participants to gauge. As such all participants are asked to help communicate to fellow competitors when the Jr. Karts are running.
Cone Logs- At all National Tour events and Solo Nationals course sheets are made available to participants to verify cone calls. Please do not take time slips or announcer calls as a final, official word. It is also notable that there are two types of logs posted, the master log and the corner sheets. The master log reflects the cone calls that came into timing over the course radio. The corner sheets, however are the actual written log of the course workers and are the final word on whether a run was clean or not. All of these documents are available to competitors for verification during competition runs.
A Call for Solo Safety Stewards at Solo Nationals from Janice Rick– We need more SSS workers for 2011. So if you have your SSS License please signup to work safety as your first choice.
The Chief of Safety at the National Solo Event should be the person who oversees, leads and manages the process of safety and safety stewards at this event. It is actually most of the same duties and responsibilities that a Event Safety Chief does at a regional event, just multiplied by 1200 more people,
Workers on course and traffic take up most of the worry time. Both groups are close to cars that moving and are thinking of the task as hand (watch that cone, pick up that cone, etc) or (need to get this tool back to grid quick, want see such and such run, can’t see times from here, etc.) But as the Chief of Safety I want them to keep in mind that there are cars moving around them and they need to always be watching for them.
In 2011 the courses were designed with workers in mind and I think Andy Hollis and Kevin Youngers were great to work with on set up. We discussed workers station locations many times during the set up weekend. They not only designed good courses, but also kept had safety in the forefront of their minds.
Workers don’t always remember to spread out. I often see gaggles of workers. If they see it, Safety Stewards will be contacting the Op Steward to request that Course Control tell the workers to spread out.
Walkers are focused on getting from point A to point B and are usually in a hurry. Cars are entering grid, leaving tech, returning from course, etc. The Safety Stewards jump in and work as traffic control and we are often seen telling people “head up, car coming!”so they realize that point A to Point B has dangers.
In 2010 no one was hurt at this event and I think every person had fun. That is the same goal for the 2011 event!