September 29, 2017

David Daughtery, of Fortville, Indiana, led every lap in his No. 1 Carbotech/Hoosier Mini Cooper at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take his second consecutive SCCA Runoffs® B-Spec win and his tenth SCCA National Championship. Following Daughtery was John Heinricy from Clarkston, Michigan, in the No. 35 Hoosier/Mobil/Hawk/Matic Chevrolet Sonic and the No. 43 PhillipsRacePrep/HPD/Hooiser Honda Fit driven by John Phillips of Sealy, Texas.

Daughtery took the lead after picking the unusual outside starting position of the front row as the bunched-up B-spec field made it through the first corners without incident.

“I thought I would change things up at the start and pick the outside which is kind of weird, but I wanted to keep somebody in my mirrors so I knew where they were,” said Daughtery, playfully shoving Heinricy. “I was able to go down the outside and clicking off low 2:04’s and kept going all the way.”

By the end, Daughtery won by more than 15-seconds.

Behind Daughtery, Phillips ran in second place for about half the race, holding off a challenging Heinricy, who used lapping Touring 3-class traffic to get side-by-side with Phillips heading into turn seven. The two cars ran door-to-door for several corners before Heinricy completed the pass for second.

“It was a tough battle with John all the way through the race,” Heinricy said, “It was really close.”

Phillips tried using the draft to his advantage on lap 11, and got a run to the outside of Heinricy heading into Turn 1, but wasn’t able to get by.

“We fought hard, he never gave up and kept pushing me and it was a lot of side-by-side,” Phillips said. “It was really a great race.”

From there, Heinricy slowly stretched his advantage over the third-place Phillips.

All three podium finishers were highly complementary of the Touring 3 class drivers who were sharing the track for the eighth race of the day, despite being worried about the large speed differences between the two classes.

“The T3 guys were great,” Daughtery said, “they worked well with us and was way better than I could have imagined.”

Rounding out the top-five were Kent Carter from Houston, Texas driving the No. 91 Honda/Hoosier/Carbotech/Black Armor Honda Fit in fourth place, and Rob Piekarczyk from Brunswick, Ohio in the No. 99 OTC/HPD/King Motorsports/Kryderacing Honda Fit in fifth place.

The 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs, the Pinnacle of American Motorsports, crowns Sports Car Club of America’s Road Racing National Champions this year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Friday, September 29 through Sunday, Oct 1.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Friday’s B-Spec race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), David Daughtery, Fortville, IN, Mini Cooper, 18.
2, (3), John Heinricy, Clarkston, MI, Chevrolet Sonic, 18.
3, (2), John Phillips, Sealy, TX, Honda Fit, 17.
4, (5), Kent Carter, Houston, TX, Honda Fit, 17.
5, (4), Rob Piekarczyk, Brunswick, OH, Honda Fit, 17.
6, (12), Jasper Drengler, Shawano, WI, Honda Fit, 17.
7, (6), Brad Davis, Summerville, SC, Mini Cooper, 17.
8, (10), Ted Sahley, Cleveland, OH, Mazda 2, 17.
9, (7), George Badger, Pendleton, IN, Mini Cooper, 17.
10, (8), Tom Coury, Westlake, OH, Mazda 2, 17.
11, (13), Fritz Wilke, Chelsea, MI, Ford Fiesta, 17.
12, (11), Chris Morgan, Studio City, CA, Honda Fit, 17.
13, (9), G Brian Metcalf, Big Flats, NY, Mini Cooper, 17.
14, (14), Andrew Wickline, Brewerton, NY, Mini Cooper, 17.
15, (16), Brian Kelm, Mount Pleasant, SC, Ford Fiesta, 17.
16, (18), Michelle Yaiser, Brighton, MA, Mini Cooper, 16.
17, (17), Cherie Storms, Langley, BC, Mazda 2, 9.
18, (15), Joseph Gersch, Conroe, TX, Toyota Yaris, 6.

Length of Race: 47 Miles
Overall Time of Race: 38:09.448
Average Speed 73.363 mph
Margin of Victory: 12.889
Fastest Race Lap: 2:04.050 (75.221 mph) Posted: 9/29/17 7:20 PM
Lap Leaders: #1 laps 1-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: #101 Jasper Drengler

(updated: September 30 at 6:50 p.m. Eastern to reflect a change in third place in the official results)

Indianapolis, Ind. (September 29, 2017) — Derek Kulach, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, took advantage of an early race incident involving the front-row qualifiers and cruised to his second straight Touring 3 crown on Friday at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kulach was joined on the podium by Andrew Newell, of Bellevue, Washington, in second. Marshall Mast, of Narvon, Pennsylvania, crossed the finish line in fourth but was elevated to third after a disqualification.

Kulach was in the thick of things on the opening lap, starting third, when Todd Lamb’s No. 4 Atlanta Speedworks Porsche Boxster made contact with Charles Hurley’s No. 95 Grip Racing/Car Tender BMW 330i through Turn 5. The contact moved Lamb outside and into Tire Rack polesitter Rob Hines, who went through the gravel trap in his No. 14 Nissan/Hoosier/G-Loc Nissan 350Z. With both Lamb and Hines then buried deep in the field, Kulach had clear ground in front of him.

With an open track, Kulach steadily pulled the No. 01 Fiesta Auto/G-Loc/Nissan Nissan 350Z away from the field, finishing 3.315 seconds ahead of eventual silver medalist Newell.

“I feel elated,” Kulach, who grew up in an SCCA family, said. “I grew up wrenching for my dad and its absolutely surreal thinking I can win let alone back to back. To me, it’s one of those things you read in a book. I’m super happy but a lot of things had to go right for me to win today.”

Newell struggled with brakes in qualifying this week on the No. 166 Strictly BMW/Grip Racing BMW SpecE46 during qualifying, and because of that ended up on eighth on the grid. Right or wrong, Newell admitted that he wasn’t fully certain that his brakes were going to work as he drove from the fourth row on the first turn, but they held and he worked through the field.

Using slower traffic to his advantage, Newell was able to get a run on his teammate, Hurley, on lap 14 and made the pass in Turn 12. The six-position improvement in the race also earned Hurley the Sunoco Hard Charger award.

“I had some braking issues earlier in the week and my ABS stopped working in the final two qualifying sessions, so I wasn’t able to put down a good qualifying time,” Newell said. “I had a good start getting to the front row and was able to run a clean race. I dropped behind Chuck, and I trust him a lot, to see if we could catch up with Derrick. Unfortunately, as the lapped traffic played out it didn’t play in our favor (to catch Kulach). I had a great race. This track is amazing to run at. I’m just happy to be here.”

Hurley recovered from the contact early with Lamb, and then weaved his way through traffic to cross the finish line third. However, Hurley was later disqualified by the stewards for the first-lap incident.

“Andrew and I tried to work together to close the gap on Derrick, but sometimes you get the lapped traffic right, and sometimes you don’t,” Hurley said. “I didn’t this time around. There were a few times we got held up significantly. At one point, I got held up really bad and that’s when Andrew was able to make his run and take P2.”

Mast was elevated to third in the No. 31 Phoenix Performance Ford Mustang, just ahead of a recovered Hines, now fourth. The change moved Ali Salih, sixth on the track, to fifth in the official results.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Friday’s Touring 3 (T3) race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (3), Derek Kulach, Albuquerque, NM, Nissan 350Z, 19.
2, (8), Andrew Newell, Bellevue, WA, BMW SpecE46, 19.
3, (6), Marshall Mast, Narvon, PA, Ford Mustang V6, 19.
4, (1), Rob Hines, Arlington, VA, Nissan 350Z, 19.
5, (5), Ali Salih, Wooster, OH, BMW SpecE46, 19.
6, (11), Lansing Stout Jr, Corvallis, OR, Nissan 350Z, 19.
7, (7), Scotty B White, Auburn, WA, Ford Mustang V6, 19.
8, (12), Vincent Piemonte, Burbank, CA, Ford Mustang V6, 19.
9, (10), C.Jason Vein, Hobe Sound, FL, BMW SpecE46, 19.
10, (14), Stephen Blethen, Suncook, NH, Mazda RX-8, 19.
11, (17), Tim Mullen, Boston, MA, Mazda RX-8, 19.
12, (15), Mark Kennedy, Holly Hill, FL, Ford Mustang GT, 19.
13, (20), Raymond Blethen, Londonderry, NH, Mazda RX-8, 18.
14, (19), Timothy Wise, Santa Cruz, CA, Mazda MX-5, 18.
15, (16), John McDermott, Seattle, WA, BMW 330i/ci, 18.
16, (21), Paul McNamara, Windermere, FL, Nissan 350Z, 18.
17, (18), Paul Kwiecinski, Northbrook, IL, Mazda MX-5 Global Cup, 18.
18, (22), David Byassee, Denver, CO, Porsche Boxster, 18.
19, (24), Cecil Morris, Denver, CO, Porsche Boxster, 18.
20, (23), Dana DeShong, Valrico, FL, BMW SpecE46, 16.
21, (9), Andrei Kisel, North Vancouver, BC, BMW 330i/ci, 14.
22, (2), Todd Lamb, Atlanta, GA, Porsche Boxster, 0.
DNS, (13), Robert Schader, Lafayette, CO, Nissan 370Z, .
DQ, (4), Charles Hurley, Monroe, WA, BMW 330i/ci, 19.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 36:17.188
Average Speed: 81.432 mph
Margin of Victory: 3.315 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: No. 95 Hurley 1:53.286 (82.369 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 95, lap 1; No. 01, laps 2-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 166 Andrew Newell

The opening day of the 2017 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was pretty good for Andrew Aquilante. To start the day, he became the first-ever winner of a Runoffs event at Indianapolis with a dominant performance in the Touring 1 class. Then to close out the day, he mirrored his morning performance with an impressive victory in the GT-2 class, making that eight Runoffs wins for the driver from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.

Aquilante held the fastest GT-2 qualifying times all week on the 15-turn, 2.592-mile road circuit. At the start of the race, he easily moved into the lead. The No. 88 Dublin Mazda/Hoosier Mazda RX-8 of Taz Harvey fell into second with Preston Calvert in the No. 77 Phoenix/Hoosier/Hawk Chevrolet Corvette applying a massive amount of pressure.

By the end of the first lap, Aquilante already had a four-second lead. He stormed on, unchallenged, for a 33-second GT-2 win in his No. 33 Phoenix/Hoosier/Hawk/Varsity Chevrolet Corvette.

“It’s pretty cool to win two races in one day at Indianapolis,” Aquilante admitted. “While this track layout, on paper, looks pretty easy, it’s not. It’s pretty challenging. It’s a lot of work, but it’s really satisfying to do what we do. And I’m pretty happy to do what we did.”

Behind Aquilante, Harvey and Calvert where duking it out. Using every inch of the track, even the curbs, Calvert was trying everything to get by Harvey. On the second lap, Calvert got by and set off to try and catch Aquilante. However, he knew that was a tall order. So, he was happy with a runner-up position.

“Unless Andrew is in an inferior car, I will never beat him,” a humble and gracious Calvert noted. “There are very few people in this business right now who can both build a car and drive the car at the level that Andrew and Kurt Rezzetano can. And I am blessed to have both of those guys in the team I drive with, and they are very generous with their knowledge.”

While Aquilante and Calvert where clicking off laps, a fantastic fight was raging for the third and final spot on the podium. Harvey faded and in his place came Jonathan Start in the No. 51 Kalin Const/Hoosier/Encore/G-Loc Dodge Viper ACR-X, Tom Patton in the No. 50 Hoosier Race Tires/RedLineOil Sunbeam Tiger, and the No. 44 Engineered Components Company Dodge Viper of Adam Andretti. Those three waged war for several laps until Andretti finally found his way clear.

With time running out, Andretti caught a glimpse of Calvert’s car down the track. Calvert had dialed back his driving to conserve equipment, and traffic was starting to impact lap times. Seeing a chance to improve his position on the podium, Andretti took a stab at Calvert.

“Once I looked in the rearview mirror and didn’t have any threat there, I put my head down and really started to attack to try and catch Preston, fill his mirrors up. Traffic really helped out to close that gap,” Andretti said after the race. “My opportunity came to go three-wide around Turn 4 on the outside, and traded a little paint with Preston. But I drove off the track and mowed a little grass for the Speedway.”

Patton finished in the fourth position, and Smart rounded out the top-five finishers.

The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to No. 40 Richard Ruckh who started 33rd and finished 25th in his Amsoil Chevrolet Camaro.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Friday’s GT-2 race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), Andrew Aquilante, Chester Springs, PA, Chevrolet Corvette, 19.
2, (3), Preston Calvert, Potomac, MD, Chevrolet Corvette, 19.
3, (10), Adam Andretti, Elgin, IL, Chevrolet Camaro, 19.
4, (5), Tom Patton, Hamilton, OH, Sunbeam Tiger, 19.
5, (4), Jonathan Start, Caledonia, MI, Dodge Viper ACR-X, 19.
6, (7), Michael McAleenan, Tacoma, WA, BMW M3, 19.
7, (11), Aaron Quine, Medina, OH, Chevrolet Camaro, 19.
8, (8), Mark Boden, Winnetka, IL, BMW M3, 19.
9, (9), Bob Kahn, Cypress, CA, Chevrolet Corvette, 19.
10, (16), Bobby Kennedy, Holly Hill, FL, Ford Mustang, 19.
11, (15), Max Nufer, St. Louis, MO, Chevrolet Camaro, 19.
12, (2), Taz Harvey, Danville, CA, Mazda RX-8, 19.
13, (17), Alan Kossof, Prospect Heights, IL, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, 19.
14, (21), Steven Pounds, Cypress, TX, Maserati GT4, 19.
15, (13), Chad Gilsinger, Marysville, OH, Acura NSX, 19.
16, (14), Oli Thordarson, Trabuco Canyon, CA, Chevrolet Corvette, 18.
17, (24), Bryan Collyer, Port Orange, FL, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 18.
18, (20), Jerry Onks, Murfreesboro, TN, Chevrolet Corvette, 18.
19, (18), Mike McGinley, Overland Park, KS, Chevrolet Corvette, 18.
20, (23), Bobby Reuse, Alabaster, AL, Chevrolet Camaro, 18.
21, (25), Roger Reuse, Birmingham, AL, Chevrolet Camaro, 18.
22, (26), Tyler Thielmann, Kiel, WI, Ford Mustang, 18.
23, (28), Jorge Nazario, San Juan, PR, Chevrolet Corvette, 18.
24, (31), Tom Stanford, Orland Park, IL, Chevrolet Camaro, 18.
25, (33), Richard Ruckh, Wheaton, IL, Chevrolet Camaro, 18.
26, (30), Tim Gray, Minneapolis, MN, Ford Mustang, 18.
27, (34), Dan Harding, Dover, OH, Porsche 996, 17.
28, (35), Danny Malfatti, Hayward, CA, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 17.
29, (27), Brad Gross, Grapevine, TX, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 17.
30, (32), Scott Howard, Pleasanton, CA, Chevrolet Camaro, 15.
31, (36), Leroy Lacy, Colorado Springs, CO, Sunbeam Tiger, 10.
32, (29), Darren Dilley, Hillsboro, OR, Mazda RX-7, 10.
33, (19), Terry Gilles, Avon Lake, OH, Nissan 350Z, 8.
34, (22), Pete Peterson, Lumberton, NC, Toyota Celica, 4.
35, (6), Scotty B White, Auburn, WA, Dodge Viper Comp Coupe, 1.
36, (12), James Goughary, Houston, TX, Nissan 350Z, 0.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 32:32.183
Average Speed: 90.818 mph
Margin of Victory: 33.606 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:40.976 (92.410 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 33 laps 1-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 40 Richard Ruckh

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Sept. 29, 2017) – After 16 tries and seven national podiums, Eric Prill of Topeka, Kansas, clinched his first victory ever in the Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs® Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Driving his F Production MaxtonsFight.org/JPM/Hoosier Mazda Miata, Prill crossed the Yard of Bricks more than two seconds before second-place finisher Bob Perona of Indianapolis, Indiana. Sam Henry of Republic, Missouri, took third to complete the podium.

“To come to Indianapolis and stand on the podium where the greatest race car drivers in the world have stood and now to be part of that history feels really special,” Prill said as his eyes filled with tears. “I’ve been the perennial bridesmaid of the Runoffs for so long that this win feels like a long time coming.”

The 42-car FP field completed 18 laps before the 40-minute clock expired. Race winner Prill started pole-position with the SpringfieldDyno/Hoosier/Hawk Mazda Miata of Henry joining him in the front row. As the group of cars rounded Turn 1, Prill started to pull away, but got sideways in Turn 5, allowing Charlie Campbell of Corry, Pennsylvania, to pass. Prill quickly recovered his P1 spot. The pass in Lap 1 was the only time Prill conceded first place.

A full-course yellow on Lap 7 ended Prill’s five-second lead, grouping up the field for the first restart of the race. Again, Prill had a successful start and pulled away from second-place Joe Huffaker of Petaluma, California, after Huffaker locked his wheels going into the Horseshoe. The error allowed Henry to challenge Huffaker for the second spot.

Another full-course yellow was caused by a single-car wrecking nose first into the tire barrier on Lap 12. The incident ate up a majority of the race clock while the safety crew reinforced the wall and extracted the uninjured driver. On the restart Henry’s No. 137 and Perona’s No. 83 Browns Oil Service/Lucas Oil/IUPUI machine locked wheels, allowing Peter Morton of Milford, Michigan, to pass. Henry and Perona recovered their positions as Morton dropped back to P6. Perona on the inside of Henry locked wheels one more time as the pair fought door-to-door for top-five positions. Chuck Mathis of Saint Jacob, Illinois, blew right by the battling duo to take the fourth position. Again, Henry and hometown-pilot Perona recovered to take back third and fourth.

After holding second for 14 laps, Huffaker’s Huffaker Engineering/Hoosier machine unexpectedly lost speed on the penultimate lap. Huffaker did not recuperate and retired the race which allowed Perona and Henry to finish on podium position.

“When I saw Joe slow down, all I could think was get to the podium,” Perona said. “I knew from the start it was going to be hard to get around Sam. He raced me really hard and really well. I had to work for every inch and had a great job doing it.”

Mathis took fourth in his AMT Racing Engines/Hoosier machine and Kevin Ruck of Atascosa, Texas, rounded out the top-five in his No. 73 Hoosier/Honda/Hawk Acura Integra. Dave Patten of Durbarton, New Hampshire, received the Sunoco Hard Charger award after improving 12 positions.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

Provisional results for Friday’s F Production (FP) race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), Eric Prill, Topeka, KS, Mazda Miata, 18.
2, (5), Bob Perona, Indianapolis, IN, Mazda Miata, 18.
3, (2), Sam Henry, Republic, MO, Mazda Miata, 18.
4, (8), Chuck Mathis, Saint Jacob, IL, Volkswagen Rabbit, 18.
5, (7), Kevin Ruck, Atascosa, TX, Acura Integra, 18.
6, (9), Bill Hingston, Aurora, CO, Mazda Miata, 18.
7, (20), Peter Morton, Milford, MI, Lotus Super Seven, 18.
8, (4), Brian Linn, Hermosa Beach, CA, MG Midget, 18.
9, (12), David Bednarz, Ann Arbor, MI, Mazda Miata, 18.
10, (10), Ken Kannard, Sebring, FL, Mazda Miata, 18.
11, (18), Larry Gallagher, Thornville, OH, Acura Integra, 18.
12, (16), John Walker, Richland, MI, Lotus Super Seven, 18.
13, (21), Neal Frank, Santa Fe, NM, Mazda Miata, 18.
14, (13), Rick Haynes, Hebron, OH, MG Midget, 18.
15, (15), Daniel Thiel, Webster, NY, Mazda Miata, 18.
16, (25), Mark Weber, Saint Louis, MO, Mazda Miata, 18.
17, (23), Gerald Lamb, Oswego, IL, MG B, 18.
18, (17), Paul F. Jensen, Colorado Springs, CO, Mazda Miata, 18.
19, (28), Michael Sturm, Grafton, WI, Mazda Miata, 18.
20, (26), Kyle Baker, Angleton, TX, Mazda Miata, 18.
21, (24), Tom Tuttle, Austin, TX, MG Midget, 18.
22, (27), Bill Okell, Victoria, BC, Austin-Healey Sprite, 18.
23, (33), Robert Keller, Algonquin, IL, Volvo P-1800, 18.
24, (31), Ray Meister, Oakland, CA, MG Midget, 18.
25, (36), Dave Patten, Dunbarton, NH, Datsun PL510, 18.
26, (11), Doug Weaver, Chatham, ON, Mazda Miata, 18.
27, (35), Steven Layfield, Abingdon, VA, Mazda Miata, 18.
28, (39), Harold Tubbs, Salem, MO, Mazda Miata, 18.
29, (30), Michael Hart, Mundelein, IL, Turner 1500, 18.
30, (40), Mark Amenda, Streator, IL, Honda CRX Si, 17.
31, (3), Joe Huffaker, Petaluma, CA, MG Midget, 16.
32, (22), Paul Kullman, Seminole, FL, Mazda Miata, 16.
33, (34), William R Hubiak, Waukesha, WI, Saturn SL2, 16.
34, (29), Tony Machi, Hales Corners, WI, Honda CRX Si, 11.
35, (41), Dave Reiter, Eagle, NE, Mazda 626, 8.
36, (14), Mason Workman, Reynoldsburg, OH, Mazda Miata, 7.
37, (32), Andrew Wright, Murfreesboro, TN, Lotus Super Seven, 6.
38, (6), Charlie Campbell, Corry, PA, Mazda Miata, 5.
39, (37), Chuck Davis, Overland Park, KS, Acura Integra, 4.
40, (19), Mark McAllister, Webster, NY, Mazda Miata, 1.
41, (38), Brian Frank, Eaton, OH, Ford Fiesta, 0.
DNS, (42), Albert Correia, San Jose, CA, Porsche 914-4.

Length of Race: 47 miles
Overall Time of Race: 41:25.740
Average Speed: 67.570 mph
Margin of Victory: 02.332 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:53.007 (82.572 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 7 laps 1-18
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 121 Dave Patten

Nineteen-year-old Matt Cowley, of Tampa, Florida, outlasted a gaggle of other young competitors for a Formula F National Championship on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the SCCA Runoffs. Seventeen-year-old Zach Holden, of Abbottstown, Pennsylvania, and 23-year-old Jonathon Kotyk, of Atlantic Beach, Florida, joined Cowley on the podium after spending time at the front of the field.

Cowley’s No. 80 Team Pelfrey/Gap Guard Mygale FF/Honda crossed the stripe just 0.659-second in front of Holden, averaging 79.905 mph over the 19-lap race that was slowed twice for three laps under full course caution.

The win was the debut for the aspiring professional open-wheel racer, who officially led eight laps during the race.

The draft was a key component of the race, where the trailing two drivers in the pack got a pull down the front straight, across the yard of bricks, and into Turn One, where lap after lap the youngsters fanned out and swapped positions. Each of the three spent time on the point.

The advantages of the draft became a disadvantage with one to go, however, as 14-year-old Yuven Sundaramoorthy’s No. 45 K-Hill Motorsports Mygale FF/Honda and veteran racer Bob Perona’s No. 78 BPMS Piper DF3D/Honda made the battle a five-car dash for the final 2.592-mile run around the circuit.

But Sundaramoorthy spun in Turn 13, and Perona slowed to miss him, sliding back out of the podium positions. With Cowley up front through Turn One on the final lap, he held off his race-long dance partners and took the green flag.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be crowned a champion,” Cowley said. “It just feels amazing. There’s not really a typical lap, it’s just pack racing and anything can happen at any time. The mentality for me is to get to the front and stay out for as long as possible, but I struggled to keep up with the front runners so I was third for quite a lot of it. When it came down to the checker, I got in the lead down the front straight so I just went to the inside to protect my line. I wanted to make sure I was first going into Turn 1 as well, and then the same down the back straight. There was a lot more battling going on, and I tried to defend and keep my position and fortunately came out on top.”

Holden was sandwiched between the two teammates, and was pleased with his maiden Runoffs appearance in the No. 02 K-Hill Motorsports Mygale FF/Honda.

“That was a heck of a race, all the way around,” Holden said. “There was maybe one lap that we didn’t pass. I tried my hardest to stay out in front and did it sometimes, and sometimes didn’t. That last lap, I didn’t defend the best. Jonathon and Matt got me, and I thought it was over after Turn 1 because they pulled a gap on me. Coming back into Turn 7, they were battling really hard and I just went around the outside. I went a little bit deeper to pick them both off, but didn’t quite get it.”

Kotyk, too, had opportunities, but didn’t catch quite the right breaks after moving the No. 81 Team Pelfrey/Gap Guard Mygale/Honda forward from his eighth position on the grid.

“I wanted to play it smart,” Kotyk said. “I took some things from karting, and wanted to push it forward pretty quick and then play it smart. It was definitely the longest race I’ve done so far, so I just needed to be patient and then the yellow came out. That let me catch Matthew and Zach as well, and then just was able to push back up to the front. It was a battle from there to the end of the race, and a lot of fun.”

Christopher Horan’s No 24 Steelfiber.com/Primus Racing Van Diemen RF00/Honda snuck through the spins on the final lap to finish fourth, with Perona recovering for fifth.

Meagan Sauce Hutton improved 15 positions from her grid position in the No. 40 Sportscar Performance Swift DB6/Honda to earn the Sunoco Hard Charger award.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Friday’s Formula F (FF) race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (3), Matthew Cowley, Tampa, FL, Mygale FF Honda, 19.
2, (1), Zach Holden, Abbottstown, PA, Mygale FF Honda, 19.
3, (8), Jonathon Kotyk, Alantic Beach, FL, Mygale FF Honda, 19.
4, (2), Christopher Horan, Canonsburg, PA, Van Diemen RF00 Honda, 19.
5, (5), Bob Perona, Indianapolis, IN, Piper DF3D Honda, 19.
6, (12), Steve Oseth, Indianapolis, IN, Mygale SJ15 Honda, 19.
7, (17), Ryan Bjerke, Dunstable, MA, Spectrum 014H Honda, 19.
8, (7), Yuven Sundaramoorthy, Abbottstown, PA, Mygale FF Honda, 19.
9, (15), Ray Rivard, Macomb, MI, Van Diemen RF99 Honda, 19.
10, (18), Brandon Lavender, Marysville, OH, Van Diemen RF85 Ford, 19.
11, (14), David H. Livingston Jr., Nashville, TN, Spectrum 14H Honda, 19.
12, (19), Mike Sauce, Arlington, TX, Sauce SVM1 Honda, 19.
13, (21), Sam Lockwood, Cumming, GA, Spectrum 014H Honda, 19.
14, (24), Bill Kephart, Colorado Springs, CO, Vestial 09F Honda, 19.
15, (22), Steve Meyer, Longmont, CO, Piper DF05 Honda, 19.
16, (20), Brad Hayes, Santa Cruz, CA, Piper DL7 Honda, 19.
17, (32), Megan Sauce Hutton, Arlington, TX, Swift DB6 Honda, 19.
18, (28), Randy Acock, Corpus Christi, TX, Van Diemen RF98 Honda, 19.
19, (27), Robert Gross, Washington TWP, MI, Piper DL 7 Honda, 19.
20, (25), Donald Baggett, Berkeley Lake, GA, Swift DB6 Ford, 19.
21, (23), James Dietz, Hinckley, OH, Van Diemen RF02 Honda, 19.
22, (33), Kevin Brumbaugh, Somerset, KY, Van Diemen RF00 Honda, 19.
23, (34), R.Lawence Bangert, Issaquah, WA, Swift DB1 Ford, 19.
24, (30), Jon Krolewicz, Pontiac, SC, Swift DB3 Honda, 19.
25, (29), Mark Keller, Snohomish, WA, Piper DF05 Honda, 19.
26, (26), Michael Bernstein, San Ramon, CA, Swift DB16 Honda, 19.
27, (35), Jon Swanson, Winter Garden, FL, Van Diemen RF86 Ford, 18.
28, (16), Skip Streets, San Clemente, CA, Piper DF05 Honda, 16.
29, (36), Alan Murray, Monticello, MN, Swift DB1 Ford, 16.
30, (31), David Jalen, Alameda, CA, Swift DB1 Ford, 12.
31, (10), Tim Kautz, St. Charles, IL, Piper DF3D Honda, 9.
32, (13), Joel Haas, Jupiter, FL, Piper DF05 Honda, 6.
33, (9), Rick Payne, Mission, BC, Van Diemen RF99 Honda, 5.
34, (6), Derek Ketchie, Charlotte, NC, Swift DB1 Ford, 4.
35, (11), Andy Brumbaugh, Elgin, SC, Van Diemen RF98 Ford, 4.
36, (4), John Benson, Dade City, FL, Swift DB3 Ford, 1.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 36:58.787
Average Speed: 79.905 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.659 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: No. 81 Kotyk 1:44.524 (89.273 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 80, laps 1 — 4; No. 02, laps 5-6; No. 81, lap 7; No. 80, lap 8; No. 02, laps 9-11; No. 81, lap 12; No. 30, lap 13; No. 02, laps 14-17; No. 80, laps 18-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 40 Megan Sauce Hutton

(updated: September 30 at 6:55 p.m. Eastern to reflect a change in second place in the official results)

Spec Miata (SM) has been an exciting class to watch all week during the SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. More than 100 drivers posted qualifying times during the week, and a Last Chance Race was held late Thursday afternoon to decide who would fill the final 12 starting positions.

Spec Miata qualifying was led all week by Chris Haldeman in the No. 28 X-Factor Racing machine who brought the 72-car field to the green flag for the start. The gaggle of colorful cars made it clean through Turn 1, which is a credit to the caliber of skill Runoffs drivers exhibit.

Haldeman held the lead early, with Preston Pardus’ No. 42 Danus Utilities/5X Racing/ESR/PR Mazda Miata and the No. 39 Adept/Rossini/OPM/G-Loc Mazda Miata of Danny Steyn in tow. But within only a couple laps, things started to change rapidly and often.

For most of the 19-lap event around the 15-turn, 2.592-mile Indianapolis road circuit, there were as many as six SM challengers who made up the front pack. Contenders throughout included the No. 44 Kessler/Flatout/Carbotech Mazda Miata of Tyler Kicera, the No. 13 Baci Racing/Keenan Transit/Rossini Mazda Miata of Michael Gagliardo, the No. 21 Bravo Trailers Mazda Miata of Daniel Bender, and Michael Carter’s No. 08 Rossini/Carbotech Mazda Miata.

The race, which went without a full-course yellow, came down to the last lap. As the lead pack came down the front straight it was Rollan of Miami, Florida, who held the slightest advantage over Steyn of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Pardus of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Going into Turn 1, Pardus positioned himself outside Rollan and right up against the white, outer cement wall while Steyn moved to Rollan’s inside. Smoke curled up from Pardus’ car as he executed a late-braking maneuver to gain the advantage and the lead — a lead he never relinquished as he went on to become the 2017 Spec Miata Runoffs Champ.

“This is big. This is awesome,” Pardus said after the race. “The historical significance of this track is major. It’s paved the way for the past 100 years. To say I’ve actually got to race here is incredible. And to make it a Runoffs win is even more incredible.”

While Pardus moved into the lead, Steyn managed to maneuver himself into second spot. He looked to be taking a bit of a defensive posture the last half of the final lap, and crossed the finish line second.

Unfortunately, Steyn was later disqualified by the Chief Steward for a non-compliant car.

Rollan brought his car home in third, elevated a day later to a runner-up finish.

“Everyone kind of thought beforehand it was going to be a Texas thing this year,” Rollan joked. “It’s a great thing the three of us from Florida are here. We made it.”

Haldeman finished fourth and Carter came home fifth. Each were also elevated one position, giving Haldeman the third-place trophy.

The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to TRB Autosport No. 19 of Justin Elder who started 52nd and finished 29th in the large class.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Friday’s Spec Miata (SM) race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (2), Preston Pardus, New Smyrna Beach, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.
2, (10), Selin M. Rollan, Miami, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.
3, (1), Chris Haldeman, McKinney, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
4, (9), Michael Carter, Savannah, GA, Mazda Miata, 19.
5, (7), Daniel Bender, Northbrook, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.
6, (8), Michael Gagliardo, Chicago, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.
7, (6), Jonathan Davis, Wadsworth, OH, Mazda Miata, 19.
8, (15), Joseph Federl, Austin, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
9, (11), Nick Leverone, Mendon, MA, Mazda Miata, 19.
10, (12), Andrew Charbonneau, Boca Raton, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.
11, (13), Paul Holton, Tallahassee, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.
12, (26), Jim Drago, Memphis, TN, Mazda Miata, 19.
13, (16), Jason Knuteson, Danville, IN, Mazda Miata, 19.
14, (27), Taylor Ferranti, Cypress, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
15, (29), Voytek Burdzy, Shiller Park, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.
16, (23), John Davison, Jacksonville Beach, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.
17, (17), Erik Stearns, Van Buren, OH, Mazda Miata, 19.
18, (32), Max Nufer, St. Louis, MO, Mazda Miata, 19.
19, (22), B. Clark Cambern, Dewitt, MI, Mazda Miata, 19.
20, (25), Julian Garfield, Beloit, WI, Mazda Miata, 19.
21, (4), Matt Reynolds, Fair Oaks, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
22, (20), Justin Hille, Ypsilanti, MI, Mazda Miata, 19.
23, (30), Jason Connole, Raleigh, NC, Mazda Miata, 19.
24, (19), Marc Cefalo, Swoyersville, PA, Mazda Miata, 19.
25, (24), Jason Kohler, White Lake, MI, Mazda Miata, 19.
26, (37), Kyle Greenhill, Mundelein, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.
27, (38), Lee Thomas, Austin, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
28, (52), Justin Elder, Lakeville, MN, Mazda Miata, 19.
29, (39), Senter Smith, Greenville, SC, Mazda Miata, 19.
30, (47), James Randall, Watertown, MN, Mazda Miata, 19.
31, (43), Alex Piku, Grosse Pointe, MI, Mazda Miata, 19.
32, (56), Dean Busk, Chandler, AZ, Mazda Miata, 19.
33, (46), Dave Hechler, Franklin, OH, Mazda Miata, 19.
34, (49), Richard Astacio, Stamford, CT, Mazda Miata, 19.
35, (55), Domenico Leuci, Binghamton, NY, Mazda Miata, 19.
36, (42), Ricardo Juncos, Avon, IN, Mazda Miata, 19.
37, (48), Nicholas Soriano, Jacksonville, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.
38, (40), Toby Linder, Dallas, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
39, (35), Joe Boyd, Richmond, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
40, (61), Jesse Singer, Miami, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.
41, (54), Amy Mills, Bellevue, WA, Mazda Miata, 19.
42, (62), Charlie Campbell, Corry, PA, Mazda Miata, 19.
43, (58), Natalino Scappaticci, Ann Arbor, MI, Mazda Miata, 19.
44, (28), Chris Ciufo, Livonia, NY, Mazda Miata, 19.
45, (63), Brian Wright, Winston Salem, NC, Mazda Miata, 19.
46, (64), Joe Schubert, Woodmont, CT, Mazda Miata, 19.
47, (68), James DeFinnis, Shavertown, PA, Mazda Miata, 19.
48, (31), Michael Collins, Frederick, MD, Mazda Miata, 19.
49, (70), Michael LaMaina, Oaklyn, NJ, Mazda Miata, 19.
50, (50), Marc Briley, Austin, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
51, (53), Stephen Jeu, Houston, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
52, (67), Steve Sturm, Mc Lean, VA, Mazda Miata, 19.
53, (60), Whitfield Gregg, Bellevue, WA, Mazda Miata, 19.
54, (71), Matthew Van Vurst, Pompano Beach, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.
55, (65), William Keeling, Houston, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
56, (72), Dave Metz, Galion, OH, Mazda Miata, 19.
57, (45), Andrew Devoto, Wilsall, MT, Mazda Miata, 18.
58, (59), Cooper Lilly, Henderson, KY, Mazda Miata, 16.
59, (66), Robert Spence, Atlanta, GA, Mazda Miata, 16.
60, (18), Alex Bolanos, Hialeah, FL, Mazda Miata, 15.
61, (44), Steven Powers, Mesa, AZ, Mazda Miata, 14.
62, (14), Spencer Rutherford, Lexington, KY, Mazda Miata, 14.
63, (5), Tyler Kicera, Manheim, PA, Mazda Miata, 14.
64, (69), John Harms, Plano, TX, Mazda Miata, 14.
65, (51), Brian Naumann, Milford, MI, Mazda Miata, 13.
66, (57), David Ciufo, Livonia, NY, Mazda Miata, 12.
67, (21), Trace Hance, Naples, FL, Mazda Miata, 9.
68, (41), Daniel Setili, Bloomfield Hills, MI, Mazda Miata, 6.
69, (34), Jeff Luckritz, Saint Joseph, MI, Mazda Miata, 5.
70, (36), Juan R Marchand, South Haven, MI, Mazda Miata, 1.
71, (33), John Costello, Dallas, PA, Mazda Miata, 0.
DQ, (3), Danny Steyn, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 38:15.326
Average Speed: 77.241 mph
Margin of Victory: 00.242 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:59.100 (78.348 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. #28 lap 1; No. 42 laps 2-3, 7-10, 19; No. 39 lap 4; #87 laps 5-6, 11-18
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 19 Justin Elder

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Sept. 29, 2017)- In a tight battle for the Spec Racer Ford (SRF) National Championship, Mike Miserendino of Bakersfield, California, took the checkered flag in his MBI Racing machine for the first time since 2009 during the 54th Sports Car Club of America® National Championship Runoffs® at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway on Friday.

Todd Harris of Portland, Oregon, finished second for a fifth overall national podium, and Scott Rettich of Columbus, Ohio, snagged third for a 12th overall national podium.

“Crossing the bricks at IMS as a national champion hasn’t set in yet,” Miserendino said with a huge smile on his face. “I actually felt the bricks underneath me every time, but on the last lap it could have been a cobble stone road and I wouldn’t have known; I was just focusing on that flag. It’s awesome to race and win here in Indy. I feel absolutely amazing right now.”

Harris dominated the SRF class leading up to the championship race, setting fast-lap time in all four qualifying sessions. Driving the No. 42 Pro Drive Racing/Flatout car, Harris lost the chance to defend his 2016 title as the lapped-traffic on the final lap played a role in Miserendino’s win.

“The lapped traffic kept things entertaining today,” Harris said. “It helped me take first but in the end, it threw me off because we had traffic four cars long. I chose to draft and Mike took the inside, and he got by. I love racing these guys, though. They race very hard but clean. Everyone played it straight-up today and that is what we want Spec Racer Ford to be.”

The 50-car SRF field started the 19-lap race with Harris inside on the pole and Miserendino completing the front row. Denny Stripling of McKinney, Texas, Rettich and Todd Vanacore of Ormond Beach, Florida, rounded out the top-five starters.

Rettich got the jump on the start and slipped into first before Turn 1, creating a small gap from the rest of the field. However, his momentum was interrupted by a full-course yellow caused by a four-car, Turn 1 incident.

On the restart, Miserendino took the lead, holding off Rettich. Rettich, tight on Miserendino’s tail, seized the front-runner’s position during Lap 16, but not without contention from the 2016 SRF National Champion Harris. Harris completed a bold pass in lapped traffic to take the lead on Lap 17.

Harris led going into the penultimate lap with Miserendino and Rettich trying to catch his draft. As the trio approached the front straight, Harris ducked to the outside of lapped-traffic as Miserendino took the inside. Miserendino’s calculated move landed him the win, dropping Harris to second.

Miserendino, Harris and Rettich take the track again Saturday for the Spec Ford Gen 3 race.

The No. 7 Southeast Spec Racer/Lightspeed car of Denny Stripling finished fourth, and Matthew Harper finished fifth in the No. 77 Rose-Hulman racecar.

The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to the No. 78 Astra Products Co. car of Bill Ladoniczki who started 39th and finished in sixteenth position.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

Provisional results for Friday’s Spec Racer Ford (SRF) race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (2), Mike Miserendino, Bakersfield, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
2, (1), Todd Harris, Portland, OR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
3, (4), Scott Rettich, Columbus, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
4, (3), Denny Stripling, McKinney, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
5, (8), Matthew Harper, Charlotte, NC, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
6, (6), Charles Turner, Montpelier, VA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
7, (11), Connor Solis, Prunedale, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
8, (10), Dave Ogburn III, San Angelo, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
9, (14), Todd Fox, Memphis, TN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
10, (18), Craig Blackwell, Carmel, IN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
11, (15), Mark Goodman, Brentwood, TN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
12, (17), Thomas A Panaggio, Tampa, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
13, (16), Bill Cullen, Merritt Island, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
14, (24), Benjamin Brinn, Lafayette, IN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
15, (29), Bernard Grogan, Newtown Square, PA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
16, (39), Bill Ladoniczki, Odessa, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
17, (30), Reid Johnson, Hamel, MN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
18, (38), Mark Peyser, Easton, CT, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
19, (31), John Annis, Tampa, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
20, (20), Thomas Kirchman, Kilchberg, ZH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
21, (33), Roy Hillenburg, Friendswood, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
22, (27), Scott Schweitzer, Lake Orion, MI, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
23, (19), Kurt Breitinger, Martinez, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
24, (25), Geno Barbera, Carson City, NV, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
25, (34), Mark Fickenscher, Painesville, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
26, (44), David Knoche, Greensboro, NC, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
27, (21), Dave Cammack, New Brighton, MN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
28, (26), Vince Balch, San Diego, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
29, (40), Bruce Kromminga, Millersville, MD, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
30, (42), Steven Thomas, Marlton, NJ, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 19.
31, (45), Raymond R. Moser, Red Bank, NJ, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 18.
32, (43), Jim Nash, Bloomington, MN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 18.
33, (35), Scott Sanda, Western Springs, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 18.
34, (36), Jim Tibor Jr, Silver Plume, CO, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 18.
35, (48), David Glodowski, Minneapolis, MN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 18.
36, (47), Craig Wheatley, White Bear Lk, MN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 18.
37, (46), Michael Pesch, Franklin Park, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 18.
38, (50), David De Bolt, Cumberland, IN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 18.
39, (49), Steve Ladoniczki, Palm Harbor, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 17.
40, (13), Tom Burt, Woodway, WA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 17.
41, (23), Bruce Richardson, Los Gatos, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 10.
42, (32), Jim Tibor, Cortland, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 9.
43, (22), Hal Briand, New Baltimore, MI, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 5.
44, (28), Jay Messenger, Muleshoe, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 2.
45, (37), Efren Ormaza, Quito, ECU, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 2.
46, (5), Todd Vanacore, Ormond Beach, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 0.
47, (7), B. Doug Mead, Melbourne, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 0.
48, (9), Richard Baldwin, Covington, LA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 0.
49, (12), Max Koff, Ann Arbor, MI, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 0.
50, (41), Doug Stewart, Porter Ranch, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford, 0.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 39:14.221
Average Speed: 75.308 mph
Margin of Victory: 00.194 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:53.769 (82.019 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 17 laps 1-2,17; #11 laps 3-16, 19; #42 lap 18
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 78 Bill Ladoniczki

Keith Grant, of Germantown, Tennesee, broke a 14-year SCCA National Championship Runoffs drought full of near misses with a win on Friday in Formula Atlantic at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sedat Yelkin, of Austintown, Ohio, and Spencer Brockman, of Westport, Connecticut, completed the podium.

Grant’s No. 40 Mazda/Hoosier/Polestar Swift 016a/Mazda started on the front row, alongside Tire Rack polesitter Sedat Yelkin’s No. 17 Everclear Swift 016a/Mazda. The two identical cars matched each other for speed across the track six times to start the race, but on the seventh circuit Grant used the draft down the front straight to move in front entering Turn 1.

“The lapped cars made a difference today,” Grant said. “I knew I had to stay nose-to-tail with Sedat the whole time.”

Once in front, Grant was able to clear a gap for his first National Championship in class, and the second of his career. Grant’s last title came in the GT-4 class back in 2003. Grant’s final margin of victory was 3.217 seconds, covering all 19 laps in 100.647 mph.

“I thought this win would come a lot sooner,” Grant said. “Some got away, some just had some really good competition that beat me. It’s been a long time coming, but I think it’s really rewarding not only for me but for the team. It’s fun to drive on a course like this with the prestige that Indianapolis brings to it.”

Yelkin’s drive became more difficult when his right front flap on his wing came lose, slowing him down. By the end of the 19-lap race, Yelkin had to switch his strategy from chasing Grant for his second title, and holding off Brockman for his second career runner-up finish. Brockman’s No. 34 Mazda of Milford/Mazda/Hoosier Swift 014a/Mazda got close to Yelkin, but Yelkin held on for the silver medal.

“The beginning of the race was pretty typical,” Yelkin said after his fourth podium. “I didn’t have a dynamite start by any means, but we did good.

“Right when I was able to put just a big enough gap on Keith that he wouldn’t have a draft on me, I caught some traffic, got clipped on the front, and lost the front flap. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was backing up my braking points about 100 feet and made the car real difficult to steer.”

Brockman ran alongside Yelkin late, but couldn’t make the pass stick. For Brockman, it was his second-consecutive third-place finish in the class, in just his second appearance at the Runoffs.

“All week we struggled with pace,” Brockman said. “In the beginning I saw they had a little bit of a gap, but I just tried to maintain the gap, get through the lapped cars cleanly, and toward the end I saw I was catching Sedat.”

Former champion Matt Miller’s No. 82 Laundryroom.rent Swift 016a/Mazda finished fourth, followed by Dudley Fleck’s No. 74 Guiness/K-Hill/Hoosier Swift 016a/Mazda in fifth.

Lee Alexander drove his No. 48 Factory48/Comprent Motorsports Swift 016a/Mazda to sixth, from eighth on the grid, to earn the Sunoco Hard Charger.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Friday’s Formula Atlantic (FA) race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (2), Keith Grant, Germantown, TN, Swift 016a Mazda, 19.
2, (1), Sedat Yelkin, Austintown, OH, Swift 016a Mazda, 19.
3, (4), Spencer Brockman, Westport, CT, Swift 014a Mazda, 19.
4, (3), Matt Miller, Alsip, IL, Swift 016a Mazda, 19.
5, (5), Dudley Fleck, Cedar Rapids, IA, Swift 016a Mazda, 19.
6, (8), Lee Alexander, Springfield, TN, Swift 016a Mazda, 19.
7, (6), Dwight Rider, Aurora, CO, Ralt RT41 Toyota, 19.
8, (9), Kirk Kindsfater, Abbottstown, PA, Swift 014a Toyota, 19.
9, (10), Charles C. Duncan, Broomfield, CO, Swift 016a Mazda, 18.
10, (12), Larry Howard, Kansas City, MO, Elan Pro Formula Mazda, 18.
11, (7), Lewis Cooper Jr, Grosse Pointe, MI, Swift 016a Mazda, 14.
12, (11), Matthew Gendron, Monson, MA, Elan Pro Formula Mazda, 5.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 29:21.534
Average Speed: 100.647 mph
Margin of Victory: 3.217 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: No. 40 Grant 1:31.365 (102.131 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 17, laps 1 — 6; No. 40, laps 7-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 48 Lee Alexander

Jeff Shafer, of Las Vegas, left the Prototype 2 field behind from the Tire Rack Pole and cruised to his second SCCA Runoffs title in a row on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tim Day, Jr., of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Greg Gyann, of Willowbrook, Illinois, joined Shaffer on the podium after a back and forth battle.

Shafer qualified his No. 28 One Motorsports Stohr WF1/Suzuki on the pole by more than three seconds, and was nearly 10 seconds ahead of the field after just two trips across the yard of bricks.

From there, it was all about maintaining the gap to the title.

“My journey with my wife started here, about 23 years ago,” Shafer said. “We lived here for a year, and I had just started getting into racing cars. I came and watched the Indy 500, and obviously dreamed of driving on the race track. It hasn’t worked out on the big oval, but this is pretty darn close. It’s fun to come back. It’s an awesome feeling to get out here and actually win the race. We saw a big list of names on the podium of Formula 1 and NASCAR guys who have won the race, and hopefully SCCA gets added.”

Behind the champion, however, was a back and forth battle. Day’s No. 8 Mere Mortal/Hoosier Stohr WF1/Suzuki started second, but briefly lost the position on the opening lap to Gyann. Day recovered, but held his mirrors full of Gyann’s No. 83 Argus Magnetics/Gycor International Stohr WF1/Suzuki for seven laps.

Gyann moved in front of Day on lap seven, but the two black prototypes remained in lockstep. Coming down the Hulman Strait on lap 12, Day moved back to the runner-up position under braking in Turn 7, and held on for the final seven laps for his first Runoffs podium.

“Although we were second fiddle to Jeff Shaffer, (Gyann) and I were neck and neck,” Day said. “Early in the race, he got a good run on me, and at that moment I knew I had to be 100 percent focused because it was game on. The important thing was not to overdrive the car and let him get a serious gap.

“It was a really good race, I think he’s a great competitor. This is my first year in P2, so we’re completely stoked with the results.”

Gyann earned his second podium in as many years with the third-place finish.

It was great. It’s always fun. Last year at the Runoffs, I had basically the same situation with Sherman Chao, and this year, here I was again. It’s a lot of fun. You try to form a hair of a strategy before the race starts, and then the green flag drops and that’s out the window. I had no intention of getting Tim in turn one or two, but it was there and I took it. It’s fun to just be out there and improvise.”

The aforementioned Chao, in the No. 3 Lee Racing/GDRE/Hoosier/Hawk Stohr WF1/Suzuki, and Jake Thielmann, in the No. 55 SOBright/Phoebe Products/Moons Cycle Stohr WF/1 Suzuki held their starting positions through the race to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.

Mark Schnell started 24^th in the No. 79 Osthoff Resort/CG Bretting/InShape Carbir CR6 Sports Racer/Mazda to earn the Sunoco Hard Charger.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Friday’s Prototype 2 (P2) race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), Jeff Shafer, Las Vegas, NV, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 19.
2, (2), Tim Day Jr, Scottsdale, AZ, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 18.
3, (3), Greg Gyann, Willowbrook, IL, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 18.
4, (4), Sherman Chao, Palm Beach, FL, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 18.
5, (5), Jake Thielmann, Kiel, WI, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 18.
6, (8), Scott Rettich, Columbus, OH, Mazda ESR Mazda, 18.
7, (6), Lucian Pancea, San Antonio, TX, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 18.
8, (7), Mike Davies, Aurora, CO, Van Diemen P2 Mazda, 18.
9, (17), Thomas Kaufman, Cheriton, VA, Stwest WFX-101 Kawasaki, 18.
10, (14), Ross Wolf, Bellevue, WA, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 17.
11, (13), William B Niemeyer Jr, Loveland, OH, Sorcerer Suzuki, 17.
12, (19), Jim Hallman, Kitchener, ON, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 17.
13, (20), Vaughan Scott, Royal Oak, MI, Hidari Firefly Suzuki, 17.
14, (12), Dave Tweedlie, Riverside, CA, Radical SR3 Suzuki, 17.
15, (16), Robert Iversen, Gulf Breeze, FL, Radical SR3 Suzuki, 17.
16, (24), Mark L. Schnell, Kiel, WI, Carbir CR6 Sports Racer Mazda, 16.
17, (11), Charlie DiPasquale, Dayton, OH, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 16.
18, (23), David William O’Leary, Cranberry Township, PA, Mygale SJ04 Suzuki, 16.
19, (9), Michael Crowe, Chattanooga, TN, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 13.
20, (21), Richard Colburn, Northbrook, IL, Nostendo 1 Reupert, 11.
21, (22), Bruce Gurney, Aurora, CO, Carbir CS2 Ford, 11.
22, (10), Bryan Yates, Clemmons, NC, West WR1000 Kawasaki, 8.
23, (18), Doug Piner, Chapel Hill, NC, West WR1000 Suzuki, 8.
24, (15), Pat Witherspoon, Omaha, NE, Beasley – Ralt Sports Racer Mazda, 5.
DNS, (25), Mike Reupert, Hubertus, WI, Nostendo 1 Reupert, .

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 30:20.726
Average Speed: 97.375 mph
Margin of Victory: 1 lap
Fastest Race Lap: No. 28 Shafer 1:32.481 (100.899 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 28, laps 1 — 19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 79 Mark Schnell

Andrew Aquilante became the first driver ever to win an SCCA National Championship Runoffs race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday morning. For Aquilante, this is his seventh Runoffs victory. But taking the win at Indianapolis in Touring 1 (T1) is something special.

“It’s pretty cool to do this at Indy and be the first guy to win a National Championship at Indy,” Aquilante said after the race while sitting in his No. 33 Phoenix/Hoosier/Hawk/Penske Ford. “This is a bit of redemption for last year at Mid-Ohio.”

Aquilante, from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, led the 21-car T1 field to the green flag after a dominant performance all week in qualifying. But in Turn 1, Ross Murray drove around Aquilante on the outside in his No. 84 Complete Perf Motorsports/Hoosier Dodge Viper ACR-X to take the lead.

“I didn’t have a plan at the start, was just pretty much rolling with the punches,” said Murray, the defending T1 Runoffs champion. “Somehow, I got a little bit of an advantage going into one. But I had the outside line and had to give Andrew room, so I was slow for the next corner.”

Aquilante established himself in the lead from that point and simply never looked back. By race’s end, Aquilante had a 17-second advantage on Murray in second place. Mark Boden, in the No. 47 Fall-Line Motorsports BMW, finished third about 28 seconds back. But while Aquilante had a comfortable lead, he wasn’t necessarily comfortable up front as a racer’s mind can start to play games.

“It felt like everything was starting to shake and make some noises,” Aquilante said. “I just thought, ‘c’mon, let’s not do this right now!'”

Finishing fourth was Chris Durbin in the No. 76 HAWK Performance Ford Mustang. Tim Myers in the No. 22 G-Loc/The Hammer/LOML/Hoosier Dodge Viper ACR-X, brought the car home in fifth.

The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to Durbin who started in tenth and finished fifth.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available at SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Friday’s Touring 1 (T1) race at the 54th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), Andrew Aquilante, Chester Springs, PA, Ford Mustang, 19.
2, (2), Ross Murray, Marina del Rey, CA, Dodge Viper ACR-X, 19.
3, (3), Mark Boden, Buffalo Grove, IL, BMW M3, 19.
4, (10), Chris Durbin, South Park, PA, Ford Mustang, 19.
5, (6), Tim Myers, Atlanta, GA, Dodge Viper ACR-X, 19.
6, (4), John M Buttermore, South Lyon, MI, Chevrolet Corvette, 19.
7, (7), Ronald Hugate, Highlands Ranch, CO, Ford Mustang, 19.
8, (11), Michael Pettiford, Louisville, CO, Chevrolet Corvette, 19.
9, (9), Adrian Wlostowski, Maspeth, NY, Chevrolet Corvette, 19.
10, (5), Mike Henderson, Alpine, CA, Dodge Viper ACR-X, 19.
11, (14), Joe Aquilante, Chester Springs, PA, Chevrolet Corvette, 18.
12, (15), Andrew Entwistle, Katonah, NY, Ford Mustang, 18.
13, (16), Craig Capaldi, New Baltimore, MI, Ford Mustang, 18.
14, (17), Chris Edens, Sherwood, AR, Mazda MX-5, 18.
15, (19), Eric Thompson, Aberdeen, NJ, Toyota Supra, 18.
16, (20), Walter Bobko, St Catharines, ON, Ford Mustang, 17.
17, (21), Morey C. Doyle, Maitland, FL, Ford Mustang, 17.
18, (13), Hugh Stewart, Milford, CT, BMW E46 M3, 16.
19, (18), Cheyne Daggett, Warrenton, VA, Ford Mustang, 13.
20, (12), Pratt Cole, Salt Lake City, UT, Honda S2000, 10.
21, (8), Joseph Gaudette, Manassas, VA, Chevrolet Corvette, 6.

Length of Race: 49 Miles
Overall Time of Race: 33:10.281
Average Speed: 89.079 mph
Margin of Victory: 17.585 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:42.871 (90.708 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 33 laps 1-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 76 Chris Durbin