Wild Action Saturday at Pittsburgh International Race Complex Shuffles SCCA U.S. Majors Event Schedule
A little rain, a little wind, a little chill, and even a couple flurries made for a wild opening day in Wampum, Pennsylvania, for the Northeast Conference’s Round Five of the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Spec Miata got the day started with pole sitter Tyler Kicera racing off to an early lead. But an incident a few laps into the event resulted in damage to the safety barrier. All drivers involved were fine, but cleanup and repairs to the tire wall took some time and the race ended under a red flag with Kicera taking the win. The delay also meant the remaining race groups of the day would have their events shortened to 20 minutes.
Shortened sessions did not stop the action on track, however, as great racing developed throughout the rest of the day. In A Sedan, multi-time Runoffs Champion John Heinricy gave up the lead early to Tom Sloe, but battled back for a win late in the race.
“This was my first Majors race of the year,” Heinricy said. “I really had to put my head down and concentrate on what I was doing. I looked for where I might have an advantage, and changed what I was doing about mid race. That seemed to pick up my pace a bit.”
The Group 6 event — which included E Production, F Production, H Production, GT-Lite and B-Spec cars — was busy with great racing throughout the field. But another on-track incident while working lap seven brought out the red flag. Everyone walked away just fine, but cleanup was again extensive. That actually brought an end to the day’s racing due to lateness of the day before Group 7 could take to the track. But that group — which consists of Formula Atlantic, Formula 1000, Formula Continental, Formula Enterprise, Formula Mazda, Prototype 1 and Prototype 2 racecars — will run their first race of the weekend early Sunday.
A second day of SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Northeast Conference competition from Pittsburgh International Race Complex will feature 18-lap or 35-min races. More information can be found at SCCA.com/majors.
Below are provisional race results from Saturday’s SCCA U.S. Majors Tour at Pittsburgh International Race Complex with Class: Name, Hometown and Car.
-American Sedan: John Heinricy, Clarkston, MI; Pontiac Firebird
-B-Spec: Mac Korince, Ridgeway, ON; Mini Cooper
-E Production: Greg Kasprzyk, Pittston, PA; BMW 325i
-F Production: Mason Workman, Reynoldsburg, OH; Mazda Miata
-Formula 500: Jeff Blumenthal, Independence, OH; Invader QC1
-Formula Vee: Gary Blanarik, Baden, PA; Silver Bullet
-GT-1: Ryan McManus, Westfield Center, OH; Chevrolet Corvette
-GT-2: Aaron Quine, Medina, OH; Chevrolet Camaro
-GT-3: Paul Young, Commerce Township, MI; Ford Probe
-GT-Lite: Andrew Nelson, Grimsby, ON; Fortech Mini
-H Production: Matt Brannon, Columbus, OH; Fiat X 1/9
-Spec Miata: Tyler Kicera, Manheim, PA; Mazda Miata
-Spec Racer Ford 3: Scott Rettich, Columbus, OH; SCCA Enterprises SRF3
-Spec Racer Ford: Matthew Harper, Charlotte, NC; SCCA Enterprises SRF
-Super Touring Lite: Darin Treakle, Broad Run, VA; Honda Civic Si
-Super Touring Under: Max Gee, Mansfield, OH; Honda Prelude
-Touring 1: Joseph Gaudette, Manassas, VA; Chevrolet Corvette Z06
-Touring 2: Marty Grand, Manassas Park, VA; Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
-Touring 3: Chad Gilsinger, Marysville, OH; Acura TL SH-AWD
-Touring 4: Kevin Fandozzi, St Joseph, MI; Mazda Scion FRS
Photo: John Heinricy took his first A Sedan Majors’ win of 2016 Saturday at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Though cool at the start of the day, the weather played a big factor in Saturday’s SCCA Mid-States Majors Round Seven races on the Circuit of St. Louis at Gateway Motorsports Park.
Unlike most motorsports stories that mention the weather, this time, it was a positive.
Tom Patton, who was originally traveling to Pitt Race for the Northeast Conference Majors Tour event there before checking the weather report and heading west from his Cincinnati-area home, went flag-to-flag in the Hoosier Tires/Red Line Oil Sunbeam Tiger to win GT-2. Later in the day, B-Spec winner David Daughtery admitted to the same strategy later in the day from his Fortville, Ind., home. His decision also paid off, taking the win in the Hoosier Tire/HPD/Carbotech Brakes Honda Fit.
The overall leaders dictated the pace almost start to finish during the 25-minute timed races.
Richard Wiese got clear of the field from the front row in Spec Racer Ford Gen3, opening a gap in the Thank You Race Volunteers! Spec Racer Ford and staying in front of the field for the first win of the weekend.
Michael Pettiford won races in back-to-back groups, taking the Touring 1 win in the GO 4 IT Racing Schools/Hoosier Tires/Hawk Brakes/Purifoy Chevrolet Chevrolet Corvette and Touring 2 (and overall) in his Pontiac Solstice GXP.
Pettiford’s Touring 2 win came in the same group as Jim Drago’s Spec Miata win. Drago’s East Street Racing Miata drafted with up-and-comer Max Nufer’s Nufer Race Engineering Miata early, then pulled just in front to create a gap and earn the win.
Continuing the pole-to-checkers showdown was Eric Prill in F Production. Sam Henry’s Sprinfield Dyno/SafeRacer Mazda Miata got the jump on the field and led the first lap, but Prill’s MaxtonsFight.org/Jesse Prather Motorsports/Hoosier Miata took the lead in turn one on the second lap, then pulled away for the overall win. Mark Weber, an SCCA veteran with more starts than anyone at the SCCA Runoffs presented by Garmin VIRB, earned his first career E Production win in Majors or National competition in the Mazda/Goodyear/Hawk/Jesse Prather Motorsports Miata.
Chris Jennerjahn’s Jennerjahn Machine Inc. Vortech/Volkswagen took advantage of an early incident that slowed Bill Johnson and Charles Hearn, and then beat son Adam Jennerjahn to the finish to take the Formula Vee win on Saturday. Despite spins, both Hearn and Johnson had closed to the back of the Jennerjahn’s intramural battle, but needed more time on track to catch back up and the father/son duo filled the top two spots on the podium.
Round Eight of the Mid-States Majors Tour continues on Sunday from Gateway Motorsports Park, with racing beginning at 11:55 a.m. Central time following an additional qualifying session for all six Majors run groups.
More information on the weekend and the U.S. Majors Tour, including results, can be found at SCCA.com.
MADISON, Ill. — Provisional results from Saturday’s SCCA Mid-States Majors Tour Round Seven on the Circuit of St. Louis at Gateway Motorsports Park.
American Sedan: Jim Wheeler, Lenexa, Kan., Pontiac Trans-Am
B-Spec: David Daughtery, Fortville, Ind., Honda Fit
E Production: Mark Weber, St. Louis, Mo., Mazda Miata
F Production: Eric Prill, Topeka, Kan., Mazda Miata
H Production: Chris Albin, Maryland Heights, Mo., Volkswagen Golf GTI
Formula 500: James Weida, West Lafayette, Ind., Scorpion W1/Rotax
Formula 1000: Steve Hamilton, St. Louis, Mo., JDR 012
Formula Atlantic: James Wright, Glencoe, Mo., Swift DB-4
Formula Enterprises: David Proudfoot, St. Louis, Mo., Formula Enterprises/Ford
Formula F: David Livingston, Lexington, Tenn., Spectrum 14H/Honda
Formula Mazda: Larry Howard, Kansas City, Mo., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Chris Jennerjahn, Hartford City, Ind., Vortech/Volkswagen
GT-2: Tom Patton, Hamilton, Ohio, Sunbeam Tiger
GT-3: George Walker, Tulsa, Okla., Mazda Miata
GT-Lite: Steve Sargis, Frankfort, Ill., Triumph Spitfire
Super Touring Lite: Cliff Ira, Kansas City, Mo., Acura Integra
Spec Miata: Jim Drago, Memphis, Tenn., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Steven Rehkemper, Chicago, Ill., Spec Racer Ford
Spec Racer Ford Gen 3: Richard Wiese, Chesterfield, Mo., Spec Racer Ford
Touring 1: Michael Pettiford, Louisville, Colo., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 2: Michael Pettiford, Louisville, Colo., Pontiac Solstice GXP
Touring 3: David Muramoto, Aurora, Colo., Nissan 350Z
Touring 4: Jim Drago, Memphis, Tenn., Mazda Miata
A chilly May morning and a bright blue sky (more on that later…) marked the start of the first Thunder Valley Match Tour here at Bristol Motor Speedway. With a strong showing from the East Tennessee Region, along with competitors from several neighboring regions and states, over two hundred drivers descended into this gorgeous mountain valley to test out their mettle. Heat one action kicked off, with 15 drivers in E Street spread between Miatas, both turbo and naturally aspirated, and a few MR Spyders. Catching the whole class off guard, Randy Adkins on his National Tour debut, took the win by two tenths over Adam Norton. With others struggling to find the pace in the Mazdaspeed Miata, this could prove to be a compelling data point as development continues. B Street was a repeat of Dixie, with Justin Barbry holding a commanding lead over 2nd place. Eric Stahl and Charles Krampert rounded out the podium.
Heat Two brought some warmer temperatures, along with the largest class at the event, C Street. John Wolf started the morning as the only driver in class dipping into the 53 second times (and 2nd in morning PAX), with Robert Carpenter nipping at his heels. The rest of the seven trophies in class were contained within .2 seconds, making it a very tight class. When the dust settled though, it was Robert Carpenter who jumped into the lead, having never driven the car before his first run, with Wolf and Brian Priebe taking the remaining podium steps. Adam Schoonmaker also jumped up a spot in A Street, coming from second to take the class win over Shawn Lambert, making up a 3/10s deficit and then some, to win by .222 seconds.
As the third heat rolled in, those crisp blue skies were rapidly turning ominous as some dark clouds rolled over the Speedway. Jeff Mabrey took the early lead in STX in his Acura Integra Type R, but couldn’t keep the pace up in the afternoon, as he was overtaken by Kristo Kukk and Bill Bostic. Bill made up two places on his last run, jumping into first with a .221 lead over Kukk. Over in Super Street, Bryan Carbon took the lead on his first run of the day and never looked back, eventually finishing almost 2.5 seconds ahead of second place. Brian LaRose, having made a mad sprint to catch his daughter’s graduation the night before the event, made a mad sprint to the top of CAM-T in his Camaro, while Dewitt Payne takes the CAM-C win in his Mustang GT.
Remember those clouds? Well, as the fourth heat started off, in the middle of Ted Visscher and Daniel Wendel’s runs in KM, the skies opened up. Thankfully, the site got only about a minute of rain, and shortly thereafter, a true dry line had formed. Wendel himself went on to take the win in KM and FTD, with local ETR member Scott Boito in 2nd. Taking top PAX for the morning and afternoon sessions though, Randall Wilcox drove a set of blistering runs in Eric Anderson’s SSM Miata. Eric couldn’t quite catch Chuck Pyanowski, and finished in third, .328 seconds back. Jumping into XP to help make a class, Tim White (in an SM Subaru) takes the overall win, despite shearing a halfshaft on his last morning run. With the car patched up for the afternoon, White ended up 1.2 seconds ahead of Mike Kuhn, with Mike Bright rounding out the top three.
With a significantly less rainy forecast predicted for tomorrow morning, conditons look ripe to begin the shootout. For those unfamiliar with the Match Tour format, session 3 in the morning establishes the brackets for the three Challenge shootouts in the afternoon, with an overall winner being crowned for each. As always, tune into sololive.scca.com and the SCCA uStream page for live timing and updates, and don’t forget to follow SoloMatters on Facebook for more info and pictures!
