Round Eight of the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Mid-States Conference Championship went off without a hitch Sunday at the Colorado Region SCCA May Daze event at High Plains Raceway.
The day started off with brief warm-ups, and then went straight into racing, with five 18-lap, 45.9-mile races.
Race One
Race Group One looked like a longer version of Saturday’s sprint race, with Denny Stripling, of McKinney, Texas, going flag-to-flag for his fourth Mid-States Conference win of the season in the No. 4 Lightspeed Motorsports SCCA Spec Racer Ford.
While Stripling took an 11.293-second win, the battle for second place was fierce for the majority of the 18-lap race. Keith Verges, of Dallas, Texas, was rarely more than a half second clear of Bixby, Oklahoma’s Richard Stephens. Stephens made his move on the final lap, taking second place, but only to see Verges draft back past between Turns Three and Four in his No. 77 Apex Driving Academy entry. Stephens was able to get his No. 56 Dalrymple Racing Services SRF alongside once more as they entered the Prairie Corkscrew, but Verges was able to hang on to the position.
As with Saturday, polesitter Matt Reynolds, of Fair Oaks, Texas, dominated Spec Miata in his No. 71 Reynolds Brothers Racing/Jesse Prather Motorsports Mazda Miata. Keith Slankard, of Lafayette, Colo., finished second, followed by Russell Lindemann, of Longmont, Colo.
Race Two
Group Two had a split start, with the Touring 2 cars taking the green flag first, followed by the small bore Production, GT and Touring cars. Natha Waldbaum, of Omaha, Nebraska, got the jump on polesitter Mike Pettiford to take the lead, but Pettiford, of Louisville, Colorado, was back out front by the time the first lap ended.
Similarly, as the second group took the green, second-starting Mike Halbrook, of Coppell, Texas, took the lead in Turn One with his No. 75 Caterham 7, but Matt Reynolds, fresh off his Spec Miata win, was able to move to the front on the straightaway heading to Turn Four.
Both Pettiford and Reynolds would not be challenged again for their respective class wins, but what was in doubt was the overall win. Pettiford led for 17 laps and 10 corners, as Reynolds finally put his No. 71 Reynolds Brothers Racing/Jesse Prather Motorsports Mazda Miata in front of Pettiford’s No. 42 GO 4 IT Racing Schools/Hoosier Tires/Hawk Chevrolet Corvette. He held on the final three turns to take a 0.713-second win. Reynolds broke his own class track record in the process, turning a best time of 1:58.842.
The best battle of the group was the race-long scrap for Touring 4, which was won by Stan Czacki, of Truth or Consequence, New Mexico, in his No. 00 Whitehead/DGI/SchaffAuto/BFG/HPD Acura RSX-S over the Pontiac Solstice of Lakewood, Colorado’s Daniel Kalvar.
Other winners, repeating their Saturday efforts, included: Aurora, Colorado’s Bill Hingston (No. 08 Little Bill Racing/Mazdaspeed Mazda Miata); Conifer, Colorado’s Jonathan Goodale (No. 04 Mazdaspeed/Hoosier/JoeApex.com Mazda MX-5); and Aurora’s Jerry Oleson (No. 81 Austin Healey Sprite).
Race Three
Group Three polesitter James Stiehr, of Evergreen, Colorado, had an shifting issue at the start of the race, jumbling the Formula F pack, allowing Reid Hazelton, of Burlington, Wisconsin, and Rick Payne, of Mission, B.C., past. Hazelton’s lead in the No. 23 ColoradoPen.com Van Diemen/Honda was short-lived as he went off in the Prairie Corkscrew later that lap, allowing Stiehr to re-take the lead. Stiehr sped away in his No. 5 Carpe Metam Racing/Morgan Adams Fnd Piper DF5/Honda to take his second-straight win. Bill Kephart, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, earned his third-straight Majors podium finish, taking the runner-up spot in his No. 37 Vestal 10F/Honda. Littleton, Colorado’s David Loken completed the podium, and Hazelton fought back to finish fourth.
Timothy Friest, of Leavenworth, Kansas, took his sixth Formula 500 win of the season, and fourth-consecutive, in his No. 36 Hoosier/XTRacing/RodEndSupply KBS Mk VII. Jack Walbran and David Vincent completed that class podium. Bob Neumeister, of Pubelo, Colorado, swept the Formula Vee weekend in his No. 94 Hoosier Tire Vortech/VW. Tyler Hunter and Lisa Noble completed Sunday’s top three.
Race Four
Race Four featured a pair of runs from the back of the pack. After changing classes from GT-2 to GT-1, Robert Prilika, of Castle Rock, Colorado, lined up last on the grid in his No. 25 Porsche of Colorado Springs Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. In the opening six laps, he sliced through the entire field to take the overall lead and cruise to victory.
While Prilika was last on the official grid, John Gary, of Grapevine, Texas, entered the course as the field had nearly completed its pace lap, his clutch having failed. Gary used all 18 laps in his No. 79 Pinnacle Autosports Chevrolet Camaro to catch GT-2 leader Jim Valdez, of Denver, and pass his No. 27 Valdez Motorsports BMW on the final lap for the win.
Pettiford, who earlier won Touring 2, led overall and in Touring 1 until Prilika moved to the point. One lap later, Pettiford brought his No. 41 GO 4 IT Racing Schools/Hoosier Tire/Hawk Chevrolet Corvette into the pits with terminal mechanical issues.
Touring 3 had the most exciting race, with polesitter Jason Ott, of Littleton, Colorado, coming under fire at the start from teammate Jim Leithauser, of Westminster, Colorado, and Derek Kulach, of Albuquerque, N.M. The latter two ended up off course in Turn Three after Kulach and American Sedan leader Jim Wheeler made contact. Ott was able to build a gap on the Touring 3 field and take his sixth-straight Conference win to remain perfect in his No. 09 BimmerHaus/Hoosier Tire/Alpine Motorsports BMW Z4M Coupe. Leithauser and Kulach recovered to complete the podium.
Wheeler continued in the American Sedan lead until he suffered a flat tire, handing the lead over to Kim McDonald, of Grand Island, Nebraska, in his No. 29 Kim’s Auto Repair Services/Herman Plumbing Pontiac Firebird.
Anthony Simmers, of Boulder, Colorado, scored his second win of the weekend, taking Super Touring® Under in his No. 45 RebayReseller.com/Hoosier Volkswagen GTI. Robert Maples and John Harms completed the STU podium.
Race Five
The final race of the weekend saw Kirk Kindsfater, of Eaton, Colorado, lead flag-to-flag in his Prototype 1 class No. 32 RillTech Speads RS11/Suzuki.
Barry Gilbert, of Englewood, Colorado, took the Formula Continental® win in his No. 3 Van Diemen Ford after early leader and Saturday winner Doug Stout had an off. Chuck McConica, of Longmont, Colorado, took the P2 win in his No. 02 McConica Citrus Radical ProSport after early leader Bruce Gurney had a mechanical issue.
Jose Gerardo (Formula 1000), and Jon Surbeck (Formula Enterprises) scored uncontested wins.
Complete results are available at the event page at http://www.scca.com/highplainsmajors. The Mid-States Conference of the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour next travels south to Pueblo Motorsports Park for Rounds Nine and 10, May 24-25.
BYERS, Colo. — Class winners from Sunday’s SCCA U.S. Majors Tour races at High Plains Raceway, with class, driver, hometown and car.
American Sedan, Kim McDonald, Grand Island, Neb., Pontiac Firebird.
E Production, Matt Reynolds, Fair Oaks, Texas, Mazda Miata.
F Production, Bill Hingston, Aurora, Colo., Mazda Miata.
Formula 1000, Jose Gerardo, El Paso, Texas, Stohr F1000/Suzuki.
Formula 500, Timothy Friest, Leavenworth, Kan., KBS Mk. VII/Rotax.
Formula Continental, Barry Gilbert, Englewood, Colo., Van Diemen/Ford.
Formula Enterprises, Jon Surbeck, Livermore, Colo., SCCA Enterprises.
Formula F, James Stiehr, Evergreen, Colo., Piper DF5/Honda.
Formula Vee, Bob Neumeister, Pueblo, Colo., Vortech JM/VW.
GT-1, Robert Prilika, Castle Rock, Colo., Porsche 997 GT3 Cup.
GT-2, John Gary, Grapevine, Texas, Chevrolet Camaro.
GT-3, Jim Speights, San Antonio, Texas, Mazda RX-7.
GT-Lite, Jonathan Goodale, Conifer, Colo., Mazda MX-5.
H Production, Jerry Oleson, Aurora, Colo., Austin-Healey Sprite.
Prototype 1, Kirk Kindsfater, Eaton, Colo., Speads RS11/Suzuki.
Prototype 2, Chuck McConica, Longmont, Colo., Radical ProSport.
Spec Miata, Matt Reynolds, Fair Oaks, Texas, Mazda Miata.
Spec Racer Ford, Denny Stripling, McKinney, Texas, SCCA Spec Racer Ford.
Super Touring Lite, Robert Schader, Longmont, Colo., Mazda Miata.
Super Touring U, Anthony Simmers, Boulder, Colo., Volkswagen GTI.
Touring 1, Michael Pettiford, Louisvelle, Colo., Chevrolet Corvette.
Touring 2, Michael Pettiford, Louisvelle, Colo., Chevrolet Corvette.
Touring 3, Jason Ott, Littleton, Colo., BMW Z4 M Coupe.
Touring 4, Stan Czacki, Truth or Consequence, N.M., Acura RSX-S.
Image: James Stiehr leads the Formula F pack at High Plains Raceway
Credit: Rupert Berrington Image
Contact: Eric Prill, SCCA VP Marketing & Communications, [email protected], 785-250-7920
High Plains Majors
The Northern Conference U.S. Majors Tour wrapped their first weekend under unexpectedly sunny skies at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, as 25 drivers took wins on Sunday in championship action.
Sunday featured six groups of 24 lap races, all which ran without a single safety car deployment on the seven turn, 1.950-mile circuit.
Highlights included:
Group 1: For the second consecutive day, Voytek Burdzy moved his No. 41 Advanced Autosport Mazda Miata to the front of the field and drove away, collecting a 11.257-second victory and a new track record of 1:21.999 in the process.
Michael Novak held that record in the No. 9 Roush Caldwell Race Prep Miata for almost a full minute, setting the mark on lap 12 before Burdzy rattled off three in a row that were quicker. Novak, comfortably in second, had to back off and hold on at the finish with a failing left front hub. He got to the finish, however, and took home the runner-up trophy.
Keith Mellen’s biggest issue on his way to a third-place finish in the No. 87 Dreaming Tree Racing Miata was avoiding the No. 27 Advance Autosports Miata running wide at turn one on lap 17 in the midst of that podium battle. Mellen was safe and alone for the final seven laps, while Brown would fall all the way to 13th at the finish.
Group 2: Scott Rettich led flag to flag in the No. 17 Alliance Autosport/Springboro Car Wash Spec Racer Ford on Saturday, and on the opening lap Sunday had opened up more than a second lead in front of the Spec Racer Ford field.
That was shortlived, however. With gravel on the racing line through turn one and a crowd behind him, Rettich hit the disturbed surface and ran off track. Jeff Beck’s No. 31 Lindell/Ryan Spec Racer nearly followed him, running two wheels wide, and Adam Gottlieb’s No. 7 No. 7 Flat Black Racing Spec Racer Ford sat in front for 15 laps.
Rettich fell back to seventh, then worked his way to the front of the field lap by lap. By lap 12, he was back in second, and even Gottlieb knew he was on borrowed time out front. Coming up the front straight to start lap 19, Rettich moved back in front in the same corner that sent him off track early in the race, and moved on to the checkered flag. Gottlieb held off Beck to the finish, for the same podium order as Saturday.
Group 3: Super Touring Lite and Touring 4 highlighted Group 3 on Sunday with two tight battles to the finish.
Rich Walke kept his No. 61 Creative Technology Mazda RX-7 in front of the Super Touring Lite battle, but it took his full effort for the entire distance. Breton Williams’ No. 00 First Wealth Financial Group Mazda RX-7 was charging hard, looking for a way around.
Williams best opportunity may have been in Turn One at the end of the front straight, one of the prime passing spots on the track. That corner was covered for the last seven laps by a local yellow flag, however, for Steve Sargis’ GT-Lite No. 1 SBS Batteries/Hoosier Tire Triumph Spitfire. Sargis’ left rear wheel had locked up following an issue with his brake caliper and suspension, and left him stranded on track. Walke used that to his advantage for the STL win.
Jim Ebben was Sunday’s Touring 4 winner following a tough battle with Ralph Porter. Porter led early in the No. 32 Hoosier Racing/Tire Barn BMW Z4, but coming through the sweeping left hander was moved wide by an F Production car on the inside coming through. Ebben, just behind, used that opportunity to move his No. 8 Mazda/Hoosier/Lamers Racing Mazda RX-8 side by side of Porter, and then out braked him into the following turn to move in front. Once there, Ebben kept his Mazda on the point and took the checkered flag.
Greg Gauper, in the No. 15 Rana Mort Racing/King Motorsports Honda Civic, and Brian Kelm, in the No. 12 Ford Fiesta, swept H Production and B-Spec, respectively, with wins on Sunday.
Group 4: Like Saturday, the Formula 500, Formula F and Formula Vee races featured runaway wins, including weekend sweeps by Michael Mueller (No. 24 MJ Mfg/Fibeco/Hoosier Red Devil/Rotax) in Formula 500 and Michael Varacins (No. 65 Speed Sport/Veetech/Hoosier Speed Sport AM-5/Volkswagen) in Formula Vee, respectively.
Behind them was a battle of attrition. Robert Perona got into the clear in his No. 73 Goodyear Piper DF-3/Honda when, early in the race, Saturday winner Jeffrey Bartz ran off track in turn one and spun back across the curbing, leaving his No. 33 Hoosier/SBS/Two Doggs Van Diemen/Honda high-centered for two laps. From there, Perona had the room to cruise to the checkered flag.
Varacins fell behind the No. 9 Rocket Motors/Subway/Hoosier Protoform P2 of Andrew Whitston on the opening lap, trailing the first time by the stripe after getting boxed in at the start. Varacins moved around and into the lead on lap two, and didn’t look back. Whitston, however, lost his brakes on lap five, flying off track and into the weeds in turn seven, dramatically ending his day and pulling him off the podium.
Group 5: The Prototype classes stole the show in the wings and things group.
In Prototype 1, Jason Miller’s No. 8 Kohler/Millenium WynnFurst was in front for the duration, but it was far from an easy race. Dudley Fleck’s No. 74 Mazda/Hoosier/Coors Light Van Dieman/Mazda followed in Miller’s wake, tracing his steps and looking for a way around.
Fleck’s race came to an unfortunate end on lap 14, when he pulled off course and climbed out of the car as the Central Division safety team fought a fire in Fleck’s car. Fleck was physically unharmed, but his day was over, and Miller earned the win.
The Prototype 2 race was decided even later than that. After Jeff Miller led the first 22 laps in the No. 0 Kohler/Millenium/Goodyear Lola WynnFurst, Richard Colburn’s No. 9 Amari Metals NosTendo 2 moved around him down the front straight and into turn 1 with two to go.
Still pushing hard, Miller — the father of Prototype 1 winner Jason — ran wide and just off course, and Colburn came home with the win. And excited Colburn said after the race that it may be the first time that he’s beaten the elder Miller heads up in his 45 year racing career.
JR Smart (No. 09 Smart Motors/Hurricane Hanna Swift 014a/Toyota) swept the weekend in Formula Atlantic; Peter Lesueur (No. 05 OSQ/Hoosier Tire Van Diemen RF02) earned his second Formula Continental win of the weekend; Brian Lift (No. 29 Havoc Motorsport Formula Mazda) won twice in Formula Mazda, as did Charles Livingston (No. 33 JDR 012) in Formula 1000.
Group 6: For the second straight day, Bryan Long marched his No. 29 HRPWorld/Hawk/Goodyear Chevrolet Corvette to an overall and GT-1 win, setting a track record of 1:07.128 in the process on Sunday.
Chris Pedersen’s No. 67 Ford Mustang and David Venhaus’ No. 11 Ford Mustang were nose to tail for most of the race. Pederson’s bright orange machine was without fourth gear, bogging him down at points — but his weakness matched up with Venhaus’ own, who had fading brakes and couldn’t take advantage of Pederson’s low speed at the end of the front straight.
The two ran side by side down the front straight on lap 17, but both went hard on the brakes into turn one and wobbled under braking. Pedersen emerged from the corner in the lead, and finished on top of the podium.
Mike Cyphert had the same battle in GT-3, fighting with George Cichon lap after lap. Cyphert kept his No. 76 Toyota Motorsports/TRD/Red Line Toyota Celica just in front, and though Cichon’s No. 39 Hoosier/MAZDASPEED/Cichon Racing Mazda RX-7 was ready to capitalize on any mistakes, Cyphert didn’t make one large enough to let him by. The pair finished one and two on the podium.
Matt Slaverns (No. 34 Fall-Line Ford Mustang GT-2) and John Kachadurian (No. 80 Chicago Motor Cars/Grey Fox Racing Porsche GT3) scored weekend sweeps in Touring 2 and GT-2, respectively.
The Northern Conference Majors Tour continues May 30 — June 1 at the BFGoodrich Tires Mid-Ohio Super Tour at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Round Three and Four.
Results and more information is available at SCCAMajors.com.
South Beloit, Ill. – Provisional race winners for Sunday’s Northern Conference Majors Tour Round Two at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.
American Sedan: Chris Pedersen, Mundelein, Ill., Ford Mustang
B-Spec: Brian Kelm, Plymouth, Mich., Ford Fiesta
E Production: Jon Brakke, Fargo, N.D., Mazda Miata
F Production: Michael Sturm, Grafton, Wis., Mazda Miata
H Production: Greg Gauper, Hubertus, Wis., Honda Civic
Formula 500: Michael Mueller, Plymouth, Wis., Red Devil/Rotax
Formula 1000: Charles Livingston, Saint Louis, Mo., JDR 012
Formula Atlantic: J.R. Smart, Madison, Wis., Swift 014a/Toyota
Formula Continental: Peter Lesueur, Saint Charles, Ill., Van Diemen RF02/Ford
Formula Enterprises: Scott Rettich, Columbus, Ohio, Formula Enterprises/Ford
Formula F: Robert Perona, Indianapolis, Ind., Piper DF-3/Honda
Formula Mazda: Brian Lift, Crestwood, Ill., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Michael Varacins, Burlington, Wis., Speed Sport AM-5/Volkswagen
GT-1:Bryan Long, Peoria, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette
GT-2: John Kachadurian, Chicago, Ill., Porsche GT3
GT-3: Mike Cyphert, Twinsburg, Ohio, Toyota Celica
GT-Lite: Steve Sargis, Frankfort, Ill., Triumph Spitfire
Prototype 1: Jason Miller, Sheboygan Falls, Wis., WynnFurst
Prototype 2: Richard Colburn, Northbrook, Ill., NosTendo 2
Super Touring Lite: Rich Walke, Hawthorn Woods, Ill., Mazda RX-7
Spec Miata: Voytek Burdzy, Shiller Park, Ill., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Scott Rettich, Columbus, Ohio, Spec Racer Ford
Touring 2: Matt Slavens, Davenport, Iowa, Ford Mustang GT
Touring 3: Kevin Fandozzi, St. Joseph, Mich., Chevrolet Cobalt
Touring 4: Jim Ebben, Appleton, Wis., Mazda RX-8
Blackhawk Farms Majors U.S. Majors Tour
