September 21, 2012

Topeka, Kan. (Sept. 22, 2012) — GoPro, the world’s most versatile camera, and Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) today are proud to announce a multi-year partnership that names GoPro the Official Camera of SCCA through 2014. The partnership provides two very distinct paths for SCCA members to get their hands on a GoPro camera: during on-track competition and through social media.

“GoPro has a long motorsports tradition that starts with our CEO, Nick Woodman, learning to race at Raceway Sonoma while many of our employees, including Nick, are SCCA members,”said Rod Rojas Sports Marketing Manager of Four Wheel Motorsports for GoPro. “We are proud to join the SCCA as a sponsor, and are looking forward to showing the motorsports world how they can fuel their passion and capture amazing on-track and in-car footage.”

As part of GoPro’s partnership, during each of the 24 National Championship Runoffs races one driver will be selected by a panel of judges as having the “HERO Moment”for outstanding effort or performance. The “HERO Moment”at the Tire Rack Solo National Championship went to the driver who makes up the most positions from day one to day two in each of the six categories. All eight of the RallyCross National Champions will receive a GoPro camera, as will the class winners of this year’s Majors Championship classes in Club Racing.

GoPro and SCCA are also partnering to give away two GoPro cameras per month through various contests run on the SCCA’s official Facebook page and Twitter channel.

Also announced is the new GoPro Video of the Month on SCCA.com. Members will be invited to tag videos of their SCCA activities on YouTube for consideration as the GoPro Video of the Month. Finalists will be selected by judges, with each monthly winner selected by a vote at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial. Each monthly winner will have their video shown on the front page of SCCA.com, and will be awarded a GoPro camera of their own.

“SCCA members love to participate in our activities, but they also love the social aspect of our club,”said SCCA President and CEO Jeff Dahnert. “The partnership with GoPro gives our racers, workers and fans a platform to capture their favorite moments. The social media elements of our partnership give them a larger platform to share it with all of our membership and the world.”

GoPro’s YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/goprocamera), which is approaching 150 million video views, will feature a highlight video of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs later this year, shot and produced exclusively by GoPro’s production team. Each year, GoPro will run a feature video of SCCA activity, capturing the lifestyle and intensity of SCCA’s activities.

For more information on GoPro and a complete line of products and videos, please visit http://gopro.com/. Additional information on the SCCA can be found online at http://www.scca.com.

About GoPro

GoPro makes the world’s most versatile cameras, enabling people to capture immersive and engaging photos and videos of themselves during their favorite activities. GoPro’s HD HERO line of wearable and gear mountable cameras are used collectively by more consumers, professional athletes, and video production professionals than any other camera in the world. Based in Half Moon Bay, California, GoPro’s products are sold in over 80 countries worldwide and at GoPro.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sept. 22, 2012) — Pole winner Jim Drago, of Memphis, Tenn., won the 2012 Spec Miata National Championship by holding off teammate Craig Berry, of Tyler Texas, from start to finish at the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Road America. Andrew Charbonneau, of Delray Beach, Fla., finished third after a last lap battle with rookie Stephan Tisseront, from Great Falls, Va.
Starting from the Gumout pole, Drago led the Spec Miata field into Turn One, his mirrors full of action behind him, but without a serious challenge for the lead. Drago’s No. 2 East Street Racing Mazda Miata led Berry’s No. 29 Berry Marble and Granite/East Street Racing Mazda Miata out of the first turn with a trail of seven cars nose-to-tail behind them.

“I kept looking back at that pack thinking ‘maybe two more corners and I’ll be able to break this,’ but Craig [Berry] and I set our cars up identically,”Drago said. “His [Berry’s] car was loose in a couple of spots and mine was tight in a couple of right-hand turns. Where I would get tight in Turn 12 and 13, I’d have to back off a little bit and Craig would really gain, but I could gain enough through the Carousel or in Six, Seven and Eight, that it would take him the whole way to get back; so I could over slow 12 a little bit to keep that gap.”

As battles raged on behind him, Drago kept his focus forward, whether it was Berry or Charbonneau in his rear-view mirror. Even on lap six, when the two split Drago entering Turn 1, Drago could not be pressured into a mistake.

“I think we’ve all been around enough now, and with Craig being my teammate, I didn’t have to watch my mirror as much,”Drago said. “Andrew is another guy I’ve raced with inches apart for mile after mile, so it’s not so intense to the point that you’re worried about it; we trust each other completely. it’s a different kind of racing and it’s very enjoyable when you can race that close with people and not worry about it.”

The battle between teammates reached a climax on the last lap when Berry finally made a move for the win. A quick glance by Berry in Turns 12 and 13 prompted Drago to take a defensive line through the final corner. As the two streamed past the finish line, it was Drago for the win by 0.185-second.

“I knew in my mind I was a little bit better out of Three, so I tried to go like hell out of Three, Five, Six Seven and Eight and get enough of a gap that I could get down the back straight without Craig getting to me,”Drago recalled. “Going into the Carousel, I thought there was no way he was even going to be close, but then that draft came up and all I could see was that black and green 29 coming! I took the middle of the track and stayed defensive on those last couple of corners. We went up the hill closer than I would have liked, but Craig’s a teammate and if the roles were reversed we would have followed station identically.”

After dispatching Charbonneau half way through the race, Berry was finally able to focus his attention squarely on Drago.

“We did have a strategy,”Berry said of himself and teammate Drago. “I was hoping we could keep nose-to-tail and get away from the pack and then battle it out for the last two laps. It did not take long for me to realize Andrew [Charbonneau] was going to be part of this race and that the plan was not going to work out!”

After shadowing Drago for five laps, Berry made his intentions known on lap 13. Unable to complete a pass in Turns 12 and 13, Berry lost the momentum he needed to draft past Drago up the hill and across the finish line.

“I had a good run through the Kink and down the back straight,”Berry said. “Jim moved over, and that’s what you have to do, so I tried to take him outside, inside and across and pushed him up the hill, but it wasn’t enough.

“It was really tough,”Berry concluded. “We missed the setup just a little bit and I had a loose car in the right handers, so I couldn’t get on the throttle as early as I could earlier in the week. I knew Jim was going to have to make a bobble, so all I tried to do was get as close as I could to him and hope that he’d make a mistake. I knew it would be a good finish either way because we’re teammates and he’s helped me all year.”

Starting fifth in the No. 67 Auto Tecknick Not East Street Mazda Miata, Charbonneau had a great start and moved into fourth. On lap six, Charbonneau was around Berry and into second, challenging Drago for the lead. Charbonneau made a move on Drago in Turn One to start lap six, taking the lead. It was short-lived, with Drago back to the front in Turn Five. The pass dropped Charbonneau to fourth behind Berry and Patrick Sandlin’s No. 58 East Street Racing/Community Mortgage Mazda Miata.

Three laps later, Charbonneau passed Sandlin for third in Turn One , but the two continued to jockey for position. They made contact, sending Sandlin into the wall at Turn Two and ending his day.

“I had the pass made in Turn One,”recalled Charnonneau. “I gave him [Sandlin] room, but then he pushed me over a little bit and in my opinion, he jerked the wheel and put me into the grass. I was able to save it and get back on the track.”

Charbonneau kept his car on course, but dropped to fourth behind Danny Steyn. He was back to third a lap later, but with a mirror full of Stephan Tisseront’s No. 09 Ti-Speed Engineering/OPM Mazda Miata. On the final lap, rookie Tisseront went to the inside of Charbonneau into Turn Five, but the veteran got him right back on the exit.

“I anticipated he was going to make that move,”Charbonneau said. “I don’t think he realized I was going to double pass him. We got up to the bridge [Turn Six] and he kind of pushed me over a bit. I had carried more momentum through Five and I finally got him going into Canada Corner and continued from there.”

Charbonneau claimed the final podium spot, plus the GoPro Hero Move of the Race for his exchange with Tisseront, who finished fourth in his Runoffs debut.

Steyn, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., completed the top five in his No. 39 ADEPT Studios/ROSSINI Engines/OPM Mazda Miata.

Ninth-place Patrick McGinnis, of Saint Louis, Mo., set the Hawk Fast Race Lap with a 2:42.943 (88.374 mph).

Bruce Anderson, of Sarasota, Fla., was named the Sunoco Hard Charger. He advanced three positions, from 20th to 17th in his No. 54 Senson Racing Group/Autotechnik Racing Mazda Miata.

Now in its 49th year, the SCCA National Championship Runoffs annually crowns Champions in the Sports Car Club of America’s Club Racing classes. The live broadcast of all 28 National Championship races will be available through Sunday at http://www.SpeedcastTV.com/scca and later available On Demand from the same site.

Follow the action on Twitter @SCCAOfficial or the SCCA, Inc. Official Facebook page at facebook.com/sccaofficial. More information is available at http://www.scca.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Provisional Results from Saturday’s Spec Miata National Championship Race, part of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America with finish position, starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.
1, (1), Jim Drago, Memphis, TN, Mazda Miata, 13.
2, (2), Craig Berry, Tyler, TX, Mazda Miata, 13.
3, (5), Andrew Charbonneau, Delray Beach, FL, Mazda Miata, 13.
4, (7), Stephan Tisseront, Great Falls, VA, Mazda Miata, 13.
5, (8), Danny Steyn, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Mazda Miata, 13.
6, (9), Matt Reynolds, Boerne, TX, Mazda Miata, 13.
7, (15), Bruce Andersen, La Grange Park, IL, Mazda Miata, 13.
8, (13), Andrew Carbonell, Miami, FL, Mazda Miata, 13.
9, (16), Patrick McGinnis, Saint Louis, MO, Mazda Miata, 13.
10, (12), Chris Haldeman, Anna, TX, Mazda Miata, 13.
11, (14), David Bednarz, Ann Arbor, MI, Mazda Miata, 13.
12, (6), Tom Brown, Muskego, WI, Mazda Miata, 13.
13, (11), Todd Buras, Melbourne, FL, Mazda Miata, 13.
14, (3), Alex Bolanos, Miami, FL, Mazda Miata, 13.
15, (21), Charles Campbell, Corry, PA, Mazda Miata, 13.
16, (20), Josh Bilicki, Richfield, WI, Mazda Miata, 13.
17, (23), Mike Asselta, Overland Park, KS, Mazda Miata, 13.
18, (22), James Suhr, Springboro, OH, Mazda Miata, 13.
19, (24), Peter Naumburg, Albuquerque, NM, Mazda Miata, 13.
20, (17), Bruce Andersen, Sarasota, FL, Mazda Miata, 12.
21, (19), David Palfenier, Naperville, IL, Mazda Miata, 11.
22, (18), Trevor McCallion, Frisco, TX, Mazda Miata, 9.
23, (4), L. Patrick Sandlin, Cordova, TN, Mazda Miata, 8.
DNF, (10), Voytek Burdzy, Algonquin, IL, Mazda Miata, 1.

Overall Time of Race: 35:36.804
Average Race Speed: 87.607 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.185-second
Hawk Fastest Race Lap: 2:42.943
Fastest Race Lap Average Speed: 88.374
Sunoco Hard Charger: #7 Bruce Anderson
Lap Leaders: #2 — laps 1-13

2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Brakke Wins E Production Gold at SCCA Runoffs at Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sept. 22, 2012) — Gumout pole winner Jon Brakke, of Fargo, N.D., outlasted Greg Ira, of Plantation, Fla., to win his third-career E Production National Championship at the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Road America. Kevin Leigh, of Harrisonburg, Va., finished third.

Driving the No. 89 Margaret Peterson Bars Mazda Miata, Brakke spent the first eight laps engaged in a second-place battle with Ira, while the then race leader Aaron Downey, of Rossmoor, Calif., drove away. But, just before lap nine started, Downey pulled his No. 5 roundpeg.com Mazda RX-3 to pit lane with a broken shifter. Downey’s day was done.

From there, Brakke inherited the race lead with Ira’s No. 2 First Coast Auto Sales Datsun 240-Z in tow and never looked back. The two drivers never traded positions after Downey went out. Brakke won by 2.318-seconds for this third National Crown. Brakke turned the Hawk Performance fast race lap, with a 2:28.626.

“When I saw the grid, I actually said, ‘Aaron’s going to get me. Greg’s going to get me. And, Sam’s going to get me at the start,”Brakke said. “And, I was right. At that point, it was a matter of trying not to drive their race because Greg was going to out-torque me out of the corners every time. It was necessary to get a run at him somewhere, putting together a series of corners — hope I could pass and keep it. We traded back-and-forth in corner one, seven, eight, Canada Corner, a bunch of them.

“Aaron has done such a great job with that car. He was running phenomenally. He was in the lead. That’s not the way to win a race — to have your competition fail like that. it’s just too bad. It was lucky for me. This was a hard fought win. It was very similar to 2010 when Greg and I battled in that race. I’m third time lucky.”

“My strategy developed as the race went along,”Ira said. “I think both Jon and I could have caught Aaron if we hadn’t been messing with each other. We were costing each other a little bit of time. He [Jon] made a great pass and I elected to stay back there in hopes we could catch Aaron because I was catching him for sure. I could see his [Jon] car was getting loose. It would have been a great three-way battle at the end. Jon and I were battling in a lot of the corners behind Aaron. He had his head down and was gapping us a bit.

“it’s been a while since I ran 13 laps at 10 tenths. Jon, Aaron and I all have pretty close cars in their own different ways. I was really anticipating this. I was hoping that all three could go through to the end. It was sad to see Aaron pull off. Sometimes it’s hard to catch Jon when he’s out by himself. But, we had a great race.”

Ira recorded his third-consecutive E Production runner-up finish and his fourth E Production podium.

Leigh started sixth in the No. 97 JBS Racing Hoosier BMW Z3. He was up to fourth by lap eight. On lap 10, third-running Sam Halkias, Westerville, Ohio, spun his No. 83 Catawba Island Marina/Buckeye Triumph TR6 in turn five. This allowed Leigh to inherit third and he held on for his first-career E Production National Championship podium.

“The BMW has a lot of power down the straightaways, that was obvious,”Leigh said. “it’s a struggle in the corners. After the first lap, we were fifth. Through attrition, we moved it up to third. These two guys [Brakke and Ira] kind of pulled away from us. I knew I had a lot of good competition behind me. They really kept me more than honest. It was a handful. I am just happy to be here at the podium.”

Austin Snader, of Brookshire, Texas, finished fourth in the No. 64 Snader Racing/Mazdaspeed Mazda RX-8. Snader earned the GoPro Move of the Race for his last lap efforts in trying to capture the final podium spot. Rick Kavitski, of Freeland, Pa., finished fifth in the No. 24 RDK Engineering Inc. Mazda Miata.

Jeff Willert, of East Troy, Wis., was the Sunoco Hard Charger. He started 29th and finished 15th.

Follow the action on Twitter @SCCAOfficial or the SCCA, Inc. Official Facebook page at facebook.com/sccaofficial. More information is available at http://www.scca.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Provisional Results from Saturday’s E Production National Championship Race, part of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America with finish position, starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), Jon Brakke, Fargo, ND, Mazda Miata, 13.
2, (2), Greg Ira, Plantation, FL, Datsun 240-Z, 13.
3, (6), Kevin Leigh, Harrisonburg, VA, BMW Z3, 13.
4, (9), Austin Snader, Brookshire, TX, Mazda RX-8, 13.
5, (8), Rick Kavitski, Freeland, PA, Mazda Miata, 13.
6, (11), James Simaras, Oconomowoc, WI, Mazda RX-7, 13.
7, (12), Rob Coffey, Thunder Ray, ON, Honda Prelude Si, 13.
8, (10), William Lamkin, Broomfield, CO, Mazda Miata, 13.
9, (22), Don Bunt, Rockford, IL, Datsun 240z, 13.
10, (13), Gary Gist, Del Mar, CA, Mazda RX-7, 13.
11, (21), Brian Haupt, Spring Hill, KS, Mazda RX-7, 13.
12, (25), Tony Jimerson, Vallejo, CA, Mazda RX-7, 13.
13, (23), Steven Burkett, Saint Louis, MO, Mazda RX-7, 13.
14, (18), Bill Allman, Topeka, KS, Mazda RX-7, 12.
15, (29), Jeff Willert, East Troy, WI, Mazda RX-7, 12.
16, (28), Ron Olsen, Barrington, IL, Mazda RX-7, 12.
17, (4), Sam Halkias, Westerville, OH, Triumph TR6, 11.
18, (24), Charlie Clark, Mission, KS, Mazda RX-7, 11.
19, (30), Rich Olsen, South Barrington, IL, Mazda RX-7, 9.
20, (31), Donald Walsh, Orrtanna, PA, Mazda RX-7, 9.
21, (3), Aaron Downey, Rossmoor, CA, Mazda RX-3, 8.
DNF, (27), Greg Kasprzyk, Yatesville, PA, BMW 325, 5.
DNF, (7), Mark Brakke, Coon Rapids, MN, Mazda Miata, 4.
DNF, (5), Matt Reynolds, Boerne, TX, Mazda Miata, 3.
DNF, (20), Steve Smyczek, Brookfield, WI, Mazda RX-7, 2.
DNF, (19), Robert E. Hummel, McHenry, IL, Mazda RX-7, 1.
DNF, (17), John Schmitt, Sunbury, OH, Honda Prelude Si, 1.
DNS, (14), Jesse Prather, Topeka, KS, Mazda MX-5, .
DNS, (15), Sam Moore, Kannapolis, NC, BMW Z3, .
DNS, (16), Michael Sturm, Grafton, WI, Honda Prelude Si, .
DNS, (26), Guy Ruse, Boulder, CO, Mazda RX-7, .

Overall Time of Race: 32:37.817
Average Race Speed: 95.617 mph
Margin of Victory: 2.318 seconds
Hawk Fastest Race Lap: 2:28.626
Fastest Race Lap Average Speed: 96.887 mph
Sunoco Hard Charger: #52 Jeff Willert
Lap Leaders: #5 – Laps 1 — 7; #89 – Laps 8 — 13

2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Fandozzi Holds Off Fisher For Touring 3 Title at SCCA Runoffs at Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sept. 22, 2012) — Kevin Fandozzi, of St. Joseph, Mich., held off a late charge by Richard Fisher, of Glencoe, Ill., to win back-to-back Touring 3 National Championships at the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Road America. Chad Gilsinger, of Marysville, Ohio, completed the podium.

Fandozzi started from the Gumout pole position in the No. 31 Hoosier/Moton/Insight Driven Chevrolet Cobalt SS and took the early lead into Turn One with Fisher right behind him. Over the next 13-laps, Fandozzi’s mirrors were filled with Fisher’s No. 78 Autobarn Volkswagen/BF Goodrich Tire Volkswagen GTI.

“The temps were cooler today so the turbo did pick up a little bit of power,”Fandozzi said of his race start. “We knew going into it we were going to have to go out and stay out [front] — run clean laps. It didn’t take Richard more than a lap or two to get right up with me. Our cars are very similar. From there, it was put your head down and make as many good, clean corner entries as you can. Hats off to Richard, I have never been pushed so hard in my racing career. I was surprised I was able to stay as focused as I did with that pressure applied.”

“I was just trying to stay with Kevin,”Fisher said. “Kevin took off the first five or six laps. It was a qualifying pace. We actually saw a lap that was under the pole time. He was really trying to set a tremendous pace. There were parts of the track where I felt like my car was a little bit better. He just drove a tremendous defensive race. He really made very few mistakes.”

On the final lap, Fandozzi had a little more than a half second lead, which Fisher cut dramatically by the time the pair hit Canada Corner. Just then, Fisher made his final move. He went to the inside of Fandozzi in Turn 13 for the lead, but couldn’t make it stick. Fisher carried too much speed in Turn 14, went wide and couldn’t get the car to stay on track at the exit. Heading up the hill to the stripe, Fandozzi held off Fisher by 0.743-second for his second-career T3 title.

“The move I made on him through 13, I was very pleased with,”Fisher said. “I felt like I should have squared off 14 a hair sooner. I knew I was going to have wheels off. I was prepared for that. If I could have kept two wheels on, if I could have squared off a touch sooner without hitting Kevin, it may have worked. But, as it was, it didn’t. It was a good try. It was the most fun I’ve ever had not winning a race.”

“In Turn 14 at the end, if that move would have worked, I would have hugged him [Fisher] and congratulated him on the best move possible,”Fandozzi said of the final lap pass. “If he could have gotten that car to just hook, and we would have raced up the hill, [that would have been great]. That was a very aggressive, very smart, well-timed move and I don’t think the grip was high enough to make it work.”

Fisher turned the Hawk Performance fast race lap with a 2:33.858 (93.593 mph), which was under the race’s pole qualifying time. He also earned the GoPro Hero Move of the Race for his last lap pass in Turn 13 trying to capture the win.

In addition to battling Fandozzi, Fisher spent the early part of the race going head-to-head with Gilsinger for second. Neither driver wanted to give an inch, while Fandozzi briefly got away. But, on lap four, Gilsinger lost the lead draft. From there, Gilsinger drove a smart, consistent race to bring his No. 07 HPD/BFG/Alpinstars/H&R/BRM Honda S2000 home third.

“I think Richard’s tires were cold and he was sliding all over the first lap so I was able to stick it in and get by,”said Gilsinger, the 2010 T3 National Champion. “I knew it wasn’t going to last. He is a fellow competitor on BFGs. I wanted to work with him to try to get up to Kevin.

“I kind of predicted the way it was going to be all week. I knew we were down on power and I didn’t really have a chance to mix it up with these guys. So, I just drove a clean race and made sure I was there if they made any mistakes.”

Rob Hines, of Arlington, Va., finished fourth in the No. 4 Nissan/Goodyear/Carbotech Nissan 350Z. Scotty B White, of Auburn, Wash., finished fifth in the No. 3 Knight Transport Specialty Vehicle Ford Mustang GT.

Tom Wickersham, San Ramon, Calif., was the Sunoco Hard Charger. He started ninth and finished sixth.

Follow the action on Twitter @SCCAOfficial or the SCCA, Inc. Official Facebook page at facebook.com/sccaofficial. More information is available at http://www.scca.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Provisional Results from Saturday’s Touring 3 National Championship Race, part of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America with finish position, starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), Kevin Fandozzi, Saint Joseph, MI, Chevrolet Cobalt SS, 13.
2, (3), Richard Fisher, Glencoe, IL, Volkswagen GTI, 13.
3, (2), Chad Gilsinger, Marysville, OH, Honda S2000, 13.
4, (4), Rob Hines, Arlington, VA, Nissan 350Z, 13.
5, (6), Scotty B White, Auburn, WA, Ford Mustang GT, 13.
6, (9), Tom Wickersham, San Ramon, CA, Honda S2000, 13.
7, (5), Pratt Cole, Salt Lake City, UT, Ford Mustang GT, 13.
8, (8), Cheyne Daggett, Iowa City, IA, Ford Mustang GT, 13.
9, (7), Matthew Staal, Torrance, CA, Honda S2000, 13.
DNS, (10), Mike Kramer, Lewisburg, TN, Saturn Ion Redline, .

Overall Time of Race: 33:48.146
Average Race Speed: 92.301 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.743 seconds
Hawk Fastest Race Lap: 2:33.858
Fastest Race Lap Average Speed: 93.593 mph
Sunoco Hard Charger: #14 Tom Wickersham
Lap Leaders: #31 — Laps 1-13

2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sept. 22, 2012) — Kent Prather, of Wakarusa, Kan., successfully defended his GT-Lite National Championship in dramatic fashion at the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Road America. Prather pulled alongside Robert Lentz, of Chantilly, Va., at the finish line to take the win by 0.023-second. James Hargrove, of Surrey, B.C., finished third.

Starting from the Gumout pole, Prather’s No. 26 Mazda/Moss/Goodyear/Torco/Carbotech Mazda Miata held the lead to Turn Eight, where second-starting Lentz got by. Four turns later, Lentz spun and relinquished the lead to Prather as rain began to fall on the back half of the four-mile road course. On the following lap, Prather spun from the lead in Turn 13, handing the lead to Steve Sargis who drives the No. 18 SBS Batteries Hoosier Tire Triumph Spitfire.

“I got back into Canada Corner on the second lap and I just turned to the right too hard,”Prather, an eight-time National Champion, said. “I must have been in too low of a gear and I just spun around, but I was going the right direction… It was just a rookie mistake.”

Sargis and Hargrove exchanged the top spot several times until lap seven, when Sargis ran wide in Turn Three and slowed considerable on course, before exiting the track at Turn Five. Hargrove inherited the lead in his No. 38 RaceEnergy/Analytic Systems Honda Civic and, by this point, Prather had remarkably worked his way back to second. This commenced a fantastic duel between Hargrove and Prather that saw the two exchange the lead several times per lap.

“The Honda was making very good power,”Prather said. “I’d catch him pretty good in Turn One and Turn Three and I was able to go faster into Turn Five, but he could out brake me anywhere. If I went down on one side, he’d just go around me on the other side. It was a really good battle and I just knew that I had to somehow keep ahead of him.”

The battle for the lead enabled Lentz and his No. 60 FGR/Nissan/Goodyear Nissan Sentra SER to catch the dueling duo. Lentz set the Hawk Fastest Race Lap in the process, a 2:35.053 (92.871 mph).

“I was trying to find the limit of the tires on every lap,”Lentz said. “It was raining in a different corner every time. I was already spooked, but I kept my head down and drove it at the limit as hard as I could. Once I could see them [Prather and Hargrove] it was easier.”

On the penultimate lap, Hargrove made a costly passing attempt for the lead in Turn 14 that resulted in contact between his Honda and Lentz’ Nissan.

“Kent was coming in pretty wide,”Hargrove recalled. “I figured he might have left the door open, so I stuck my nose in there and he closed the door. It was just racing. There was more than a little contact, but both cars (Hargrove’s and Lentz’) survived and kept going. Because I lost all the momentum when I hit, Bobby had to give me a shove up the straightaway.”

The loss in momentum enabled Lentz to draft past Hargrove for the runner-up spot and give chase to Prather. What seemed like a sizeable gap became dangerously close by Turn 12. Feeling the pressure, Prather slid wide and into the grass at Turn 14. He pulled back on track alongside Lentz and the two drag-raced up the hill. At the line it was Prather by 0.023-second, the third-closest finish in Runoffs history in the modern transponder era.

“I think I’ve got to get the rookie book out again, because I’m pretty sure I looked in the mirror at the wrong time,”Prather laughed. “All I know is I was going to get a really good run on him going into Turn 14 and he wasn’t going to catch me. The next thing I know I’m off the track! I don’t know what to say other than I missed my apex, but I never let off the gas. When I got back on the track I came on pretty close to him and usually I shift into fifth through there, but I kept it in fourth, because I knew if I shifted I’d lose just enough momentum. So I kept it in fourth and got him by a couple splitter lengths.”

A victim of the race’s early rain shower, Lentz reminded himself to keep hitting his marks until the leaders came into view. His climb to the front of the pack earned him the GoPro Hero Move of the Race.

“I had the same strategy as I did last year, which was ‘attack as fast as possible,'”Lentz said. “I stuck with Kent through Turn Five and started attacking. I got a run on him in Turn Eight. We went barreling down into Canada Corner. I saw the debris flag and figured it must have been leftover stay-dry, because it was our first lap. After we were on the brakes, I could tell it was raining. I just lost it and looped it. I was really lucky, because my competitors took care of me and didn’t take me out.”

While he prepared himself for a last ditch effort to pass Prather in the final corner, he couldn’t have imagined it would finish as close as it did.

“Two years ago, I was racing Peter Shadowen for third place and I was in fourth coming up to the last corner and he drove a defensive line and that gave me a run up the straight,”Lentz said. “I was very focused on driving my line and trying to do the same thing on Kent. I was tickled when Kent took care of it himself and drove off the track! I must have lifted not knowing where he was going to go; it’s obvious Kent didn’t and that was the ball game.”

After blowing three motors in qualifying and enduring an up-all-night rebuild, Hargrove’s Sunoco Hard Charger Award for coming from fifth to third was well deserved, especially considering his lengthy battle with Prather.

“Kent’s car was stronger in one part — he ran really well in a straight line,”smiled Hargrove. “I could out-corner him. I could out-brake him, but if he was in front and took the line away, then I had to follow. He didn’t give me many chances. I took the ones that were there and made some passes, but his car has an amazing motor and after we hit in Turn 14, that gave Bobby the chance to get a run on him, I was able to stay in Bobby’s draft until the end, so I wasn’t too far down on power, but just a little bit. Basically these guys had really good motors… Kent drove a great race and Bobby came back to us and I think all three of us had an absolute blast out there.”

Jonathan Goodale, of Conifer, Colo., finished fourth in the No. 04 Mazdaspeed/Hoosier/JoeApex.com Mazda MX-5. Peter Zekert, of Maryland Heights, Mo., was fifth in the No. 45 Wiseco Pistons/Redline/RKI Group Nissan 200SX SE-R.

Follow the action on Twitter @SCCAOfficial or the SCCA, Inc. Official Facebook page at facebook.com/sccaofficial. More information is available at http://www.scca.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Provisional Results from Saturday’s GT-Lite National Championship Race, part of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America with finish position, starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.
1, (1), Kent Prather, Wakarusa, KS, Mazda Miata, 13.
2, (2), Robert Lentz, Chantilly, VA, Nissan Sentra SER, 13.
3, (5), James Hargrove, Surrey, BC, Honda Civic, 13.
4, (6), Jonathan Goodale, Conifer, CO, Mazda MX-5, 13.
5, (7), Peter Zekert, Maryland Heights, MO, Nissan 200SX SE-R, 13.
6, (8), Roy Lopshire Jr, Blue Springs, MO, Toyota Tercel, 13.
7, (4), Brian Downey, Bristow, VA, Nissan 200SX SE-R, 9.
8, (10), William Partridge, Mooresville, FL, Nissan Sentra, 7.
9, (3), Steve Sargis, Frankfort, IL, Triumph Spitfire, 6.
DNF, (9), Kyle Disque, Philadelphia, PA, Toyota Tercel, 1.

Overall Time of Race: 35:43.181
Average Race Speed: 87.347 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.023-second
Hawk Fastest Race Lap: 2:35.053
Fastest Race Lap Average Speed: 92.871 mph
Sunoco Hard Charger: #38 James Hargrove
Lap Leaders: #26, laps 1, 11-13; #18 laps 2-5; #38 laps 6-10

2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sept. 22, 2012) — The final 10 Gumout Pole Awards have been issued and all that’s left of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Road America is Sunday’s final set of races.

Four Gumout polesitters will lead their classes to the green flag after setting new Runoffs qualifying records this week.

Rob Huffmaster, of Clarkston, Mich., dove under the Super Touring Under track record by three seconds during Friday’s qualifying session, then used Saturday afternoon as a shakedown for Sunday’s race. Though defending champion Joel Weinberger cut the gap in the No. 1 Continental Audi/Castrol/BFGoodrich Tires Audi A4, Huffmaster’s No. 7 VirSecServices.com/Hoosier Pontiac Solstice GXP is still 2.7 seconds in front of the field after a lap of 2:24.264 (99.817 mph)

Huffmaster wasn’t the only one of his immediate family to earn a Gumout Pole Position. Ray Huffmaster, Rob’s father, took the Super Touring Lite top spot with a 2:35.721 (92.473 mph) and the honor of starting the race from the front of the field.

Mike Moser, of Milwaukee, Wis., won the H Production pole on Saturday morning in his class’ final session. Moser posted a flying lap of 2:40.123 (89.931 mph) in the No. 01 ETE Reman/RWM Auto/Goodyear Honda CRX. His track record came in the cool morning conditions and the same session as F Production’s Eric Prill, who drove the No. 7 JPM/Hoosier/OS Giken/Hawk Mazda Miata to the top of that class with a 2:32.857 (94.206 mph). Though the FP time wasn’t a class record, it was still fast enough to overtake defending champion Steve Sargis in the No. 18 SBS Batteries/Hoosier Tire Triumph Spitfire.

Michael Varacins, of Burlington, Wis., set a track record in Formula Vee on Friday and held onto the pole with a 2:41.112 (89.379 mph) in the No. 65 Speed Sport/Veetech/Hoosier Speed Sport AM-5/Volkswagen. Jason Knuteson, of Danville, Ind., took over the Formula 500 pole with a 2:22.982 (100.712 mph) late Saturday afternoon in the No. 92 Scorpion/Rotax.

The final 10 races of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs will be run at Road America on Sunday.

Follow all the live timing and scoring at http://www.scca.com/runoffs. Live Twitter stream is available @SCCALive. Follow this week’s activities on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial.

The SCCA National Championship Runoffs®, The Pinnacle of American Motorsports, will crown Sports Car Club of America’s Club Racing National Champions for the 49th-consecutive year in 2012. National Champions will be crowned Thursday, September 20 through Sunday, September 23.

Each race will be broadcast live on http://www.speedcastTV.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Polesitter in 10 classes following Saturday’s qualifying sessions for this week’s 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America, with class: name, hometown, car, fastest time (speed). * – Denotes better than existing track record.

Formula 500: Jason Knuteson, Danville, Ind., Scorpion/Rotax, 2:22.982 (100.712).
Formula 1000: Brandon Dixon, Tuscaloosa, Al., Citation/Suzuki, 2:08.263 (112.269).
Formula Atlantic: Jason Byers, Livonia, Mich., Swift 014a/Toyota, 2:01.729 (101.602).
Formula Vee: Michael Varacins, Burlington, Wis., Speed Sport AM-5/VW, 2:41.112 (89.379).
Touring 2: Don Knowles, Pittsboro, N.C., Ford Mustang GT, 2:27.938 (97.338).
F Production: Eric Prill, Topeka, Kan., Mazda Miata, 2:32.857 (94.206).
*H Production: Mike Moser, Milwaukee, Wis., Honda CRX, 2:40.123 (89.931).
GT-3: John Black, Olympic Valley, Calif., Nissan 350Z, 2:22.233 (101.242).
*Super Touring Under: Rob Huffmaster, Clarkston, Mich., Pontiac Solstice GXP, 2:24.264 (99.817).
*Super Touring Lite: Ray Huffmaster, Clarkston, Mich., Mazda RX-8, 2:35.721 (92.473).

2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Gerald Szykulski, of Edina, Minn., crossed the finish line at the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Road America as the Formula Continental® National Champion and the first SCCA Super Sweep award winner of 2012. Nicholas Coello, of Dousman, Wis., and Brian Belardi, of Grafton, Wis., completed the podium.

Szykulski won the Central Division point championship, the SCCA National point championship and the BFGoodrich Tires Rocky Mountain Super Tour in Formula Continental, and then completed the most difficult award in SCCA Club Racing with a National Championship in the No. 31 Rotary Systems Inc/Arms Up Motorsports Van Diemen DP08/Ford by 4.273 seconds to earn the Super Sweep.

The champion covered the 13-lap, 52-mile race in 28:49.230, averaging 108.256 mph.

The Gumout Polesitter, Szykulski fell behind Coello’s No. 81 Pouredfoundations.com/RFR Cars/Hoosier Firman RFR 2000/Ford at the green flag and trailed in the runner-up position. Szukulski moved around the four-time National Champion up the front straight on lap five, but Coello reclaimed the lead in Turn 12.

Just when Coello appeared to be stretching the lead, Szykulski closed the gap and went by, again up the front straight and into turn one, to regain the point on lap nine and capture the GoPro Hero Move of the Race award. Szykulski kept Coello behind him to the finish line for his first National Championship.

Szykulski also turned the Hawk fastest lap around the 14-turn, 4-mile circuit in 2:11.467 (109.533 mph).

“It feels great,”Szykulski said. “We worked hard all year developing the car and kind of ran around the country a little bit to get that last race in to get the National points, so we had that up in the air for a little while. We won every race that we’ve been entered. The car is absolutely perfect, it’s fantastic.”

The race had some early drama for Szykulski.

“We were scrambling a little bit, we got to the grid late,”he said. “It was kind of nerve wracking as far as that went. He (Coello) got a perfect start, he timed it absolutely perfectly and saw him over there going into one. I didn’t want to do anything stupid going into the first lap. His car was better early on, and he just doesn’t put a wheel wrong. You know that’s not going to happen, he doesn’t mess up.”

Coello’s car had the cornering speed and early grip, but lost ground in straight line speed to Szykulski. To make matters worse, he ran out of fuel on the final lap and drove across the finish line on fumes.

“I tried to stay close enough so that he’d have a little more pressure on him and make a mistake,”Coello said of his late race chase. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to really pass him down the straightaway unless he did make a mistake and I could get a run on him. But then for some reason on the last lap, it ran out of fuel. I swear it was a lap too long, the race, but it was strange because every race I’ve done all year six gallons makes the race.

“it’s a little strange, but it was a good race and it was fun racing with these guys. it’s always a good time, this group is really fun to race with.”

Belardi survived an early battle with Robert Allaer’s No. 52 Voss/Martini — LTD Motorsports Van Diemen DP08/Ford, moving into the final podium position on lap 8. Chasing Belardi’s No. 4 Hoosier/Arms UP Motorsports Van Diemen DP08/Ford, Allaer spun and Belardi raced to the podium unchallenged.

“Robert kind of surprised me at the start of the race going into turn five, I really didn’t see him there,”Belardi said. “I was just about to turn in, and the next thing I knew he was there. It became a little bit more of a race. [Szykulski and Coello] were obviously the class of the field all weekend, I was just planning to hopefully stay with them and then I found myself in my own battle. It took me a couple of laps to get around him and once I did, I was able to keep up my momentum.”

After spinning, Allaer rejoined the race just in front of the battle for fourth. For the final three laps, Allaer battled with Chuck Moran’s No. 45 Van Diemen RF99/Ford and Peter LeSueur’s No. 05 OSQ/Hoosier Tire Van Diemen RF02/Ford before crossing the line in fourth place. Moran and LeSueur crossed the final stripe nearly side-by-side, with Moran completing the top five.

Allaer made it to fourth after starting seventh, and those improvements earned him the Sunoco Hard Charger.

Follow the action on Twitter @SCCAOfficial or the SCCA, Inc. Official Facebook page at facebook.com/sccaofficial. More information is available at http://www.scca.com.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Provisional Results from Friday’s Formula Continental National Championship Race, part of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America with finish position, starting position in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.
1, (1), Gerald D Szykulski, Edina, MN, Van Diemen DP08, 13.
2, (2), Nicholas Coello, Dousman, WI, Firman RFR 2000, 13.
3, (3), Brian Belardi, Grafton, WI, Van Diemen DP08, 13.
4, (7), Robert Allaer, Lithia, FL, Van Diemen RF02, 13.
5, (8), Chuck Moran, Oakton, VA, Van Diemen RF99, 13.
6, (4), Peter LeSueur, Saint Charles, IL, Van Diemen RF02, 13.
7, (9), Jim Victor, Davenport, IA, Firman RF10 RFR, 13.
8, (10), Michael Manning, Dinuba, CA, Van Diemen RF01, 13.
9, (5), J.R. Smart, Fitchburg, WI, Van Diemen RF01, 12.
DNF, (6), Tim Walsh, Minneapolis, MN, Van Diemen RF06, 3.

Overall Time of Race: 28:49.230
Average Race Speed: 108.256 mph
Margin of Victory: 4.273 seconds
Hawk Fastest Race Lap: 2:11.467
Fastest Race Lap Average Speed: 109.533 mph
Sunoco Hard Charger: #52 Robert Allaer
Lap Leaders: #81 – laps 1-8, #31 – laps 9-13

2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs