September 30, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Sept. 30, 2017) – Jonathan Eriksen, of Northville, New York, claimed the Prototype 1 class National Championship on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the SCCA® Runoffs® in an eventful race, outlasting the field for a gold medal. Tim Day, of Scottsdale, Arizona, finished second, while Darryl Shoff, of Reading, Pennsylvania, scored third.

Eriksen earned the checkered flag, his first title, after inheriting the lead from Tire Rack polesitter Jim Devenport and Day. The pair, on separate incidents, went wide off track into the grass.

Starting third, Eriksen fell all the way back to sixth by the second lap. He moved his No. 7 Greene Trucking/SevenE Leasing/GDRE Stohr WF1/Suzuki around Greg Bell on lap three, and was in fourth a lap later.

The clean run left Eriksen in a position to pick up the pieces when others struggled.

“I am so excited. I can’t believe I am a national champion,” Eriksen said. “I had a great start and was able to pick up the pieces at the end of the race.”

An 18-car field completed 15 of the scheduled 19 laps before the race was checkered following an on-track incident involving Shoff and Naris Nilubol. SCCA rules dictate that when a race ends under a red flag, timing reverts to the last fully-scored lap — leaving Shoff’s No. 94 RAACE Elan DP02/Mazda in third place.

Day took a quick lead over Devenport and front-row starter Todd Slusher, of Las Vegas. As Devenport’s tires rose to temperature, he worked lap two, staying tight on Day. Devenport sliced to the inside of Day at the esses to regain the lead. Driving the No. 23 Cranbrook Group Inc. Norma Auto Concept M20 machine, Devenport commanded most of the race, gaining more than a seven-second lead over Day. As Devenport approached lapped-traffic from the Formula 1000 race, which shared the track with Prototype 1 during the session, he missed his brake point in Turn 12, going wide off track. Trying to recover, Davenport looped his car entering back on the track. His seven-second lead fell to a 22-second deficit as Day and Slusher passed Devenport’s stalled car for second and third.

“I was paying more attention to the lapped FB traffic in front of me than where I was on the track,” Devenport said. “I got too deep in the grass but got the car back on the track. I spun then couldn’t get it into gear. Then I finally got it started and was mad as a hornet.”

Day, driving the No. 8 Mere Mortal Hoosier Stohr WF1 Suzuki, held off Slusher and Eriksen with more than a two-second lead. Action between Slusher, Eriksen and lapped-traffic caused dust to pop up and debris to fly, leaving Slusher to lose second place and fall to sixth. Following closely behind, Shoff moved into third.

By Lap 14 and holding a sizeable lead, Day hit oil in Turn 12, sending his car into the grass. Day recuperated but not before Eriksen flew by to take the lead.

“Losing the lead near the end, well that’s racing,” Day said. “I take the highs with the lows. We came to Indy with the goal to get on the podium, and while we didn’t win, we are still very pleased with the results.”

Devenport finished fourth, followed by Greg Bell in the No. 43 The Door Company Stohr WF1/Suzuki. Alastair McEwan, in the No. 36 Paladin 1 Elan DP02 Mazda, earned the Sunoco Hard Charger after moving from 13^th on the grid to seventh at the checkered flag.

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.

Provisional results for Saturday’s Prototype 1 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), Jonathan Eriksen, Northville, NY, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 15.
2, (4), Tim Day Jr, Scottsdale, AZ, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 15.
3, (6), Darryl Shoff, Reading, PA, Elan DP02 Mazda, 15.
4, (1), Jim Devenport, Modesto, CA, Norma Auto Concept M20 F Honda, 15.
5, (9), Greg Bell, Ottawa, ON, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 15.
6, (2), Todd Slusher, Las Vegas, NV, Elan DP02 Mazda, 15.
7, (13), Alastair McEwan, Cary, NC, Elan DP02 Mazda, 15.
8, (11), Chip Romer, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Elan DP02 Mazda, 15.
9, (14), Kirk Kindsfater, Eaton, CO, Speads RS11 Suzuki, 15.
10, (12), Jim Hallman, Kitchener, ON, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 15.
11, (16), Steve Nicklin, Henderson, NV, Elan DP02 Mazda, 15.
12, (15), Naris Nilubol, Bethesda, MD, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 14.
13, (19), Bob Wheless, Reidsville, NC, Stohr WF1 WF1 Suzuki, 14.
14, (17), Gary Peck, Rockford, IL, Stohr 01D Suzuki, 14.
15, (10), Jason Miller, Elkhart Lake, WI, WynnFurst Kohler, 5.
16, (7), Johnnie Crean, Kamuela, HI, Dauntless Stohr P1 Kawasaki, 4.
17, (5), Keith Carter, Calabogie, ON, Stohr WF1 BMW, 0.
18, (8), Jim Downing, Atlanta, GA, Peach Mazda Day-02 Mazda, 0.

Length of Race: 39 miles
Overall Time of Race: 23:39.453
Average Speed: 98.607
Margin of Victory: 2.169 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:31.499 (101.921 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 8 1-2, 11-14, #23 laps 3-10, #7 lap 15
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 36 Alastair McEwan

To close out the second day of racing from the 2017 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Formula 1000 (FB) field took to the 15-turn, 2.592-mile road circuit.

Gary Hickman, in the No. 76 Edge Engineering Inc. Phoenix F1K 12 Suzuki, started on pole with No. 77 Alex Mayer to his side. But as the duo came down to Turn 1 it appeared as if the entire front portion of the FB field had managed to catch the front-row starters.

“I’m pretty confident that neither Alex, nor myself, expected that many cars to pass us coming up to the braking zone in one,” Hickman said about the race’s start. “I stood on my brakes, turned in and there was a hole there and I took it. Somehow, miraculously, I came out ahead of everybody.”

Hickman scooted off at the front with Mayer, in a JDR Racecars JDR JDR Suzuki, giving chase. The No. 00 Hoosier/Stan Photon VD07 Suzuki of Jeremy Hill, and the No. 5 Jake Latham/Hoosier Stohr F1000 Kawasaki of Glenn Cooper filled third and fourth.

After a few laps, Hill had dropped away from the front runners, but had a gap on the rest of the field. Then Mayer took a quick excursion off track, giving a nice buffer to Hickman. But Hickman returned the favor a few laps later with a bobble.

“I came into Turn 13 and I was carrying a lot of speed,” Hickman recalled. “I went for my brakes and I had no brakes. I went to turn left and the car was not turning. Somehow, I gathered it up and kept it on the track. But by the time I got it all gathered up and pointed the right direction, Alex caught me and went flying by.”

“I spent the next seven or eight laps just running Alex down,” Hickman continued. “I got by him once, then he got by me again.”

The competition remained fierce between Mayer and Hickman, with both driving as hard as they could. However, the battle was cut short with only a handful of laps remaining due to an on-track incident. Mayer, of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, had won his first ever Runoffs in six starts.

“It’s awesome to win here,” Mayer said about his win. “I was raised here. It’s great to do this on the actual Indianapolis Speedway.”

Hickman earned the runner-up spot, his highest Runoffs finish to date. And Hill held on for the final spot on the podium.

“I got an awesome start,” Hill said. “But I couldn’t hold on to Alex and Gary anyway. And I knew that pretty much from the get go. So, my plan was just to try and hang on to them as long as I could in case something happened and protect the third position for sure.”

Cooper finished fourth and Kevin Roggenbuck, in the No. 12 Lake Union Sea Ray Ralph Firman RFR F1000 Kawasaki, finished fifth.

The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to David William O’Leary in the No. 31 O’Leary Motorsports Mygale SJ04- GSXR Suzuki for finishing thirteenth, five spots higher than where he started.

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 Saturday’s Formula 1000 (FB) 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), Alex Mayer, Harleysville, PA, JDR JDR Suzuki, 15.
2, (1), Gary Hickman, Santee, CA, Phoenix F1K.12 Suzuki, 15.
3, (3), Jeremy Hill, Toronto, ON, Photon VD07 Suzuki, 15.
4, (5), Glenn Cooper, Roswell, GA, Stohr F1000 Kawasaki, 15.
5, (4), Kevin Roggenbuck, Woodinville, WA, Ralph Firman RFR F1000 Kawasaki, 14.
6, (10), Joel Haas, Jupiter, FL, Piper DF05 Kawasaki, 14.
7, (8), Pete Frost, Douglasville, GA, Phoenix F1K.12 Suzuki, 14.
8, (7), Tim Pierce, Leland, NC, Ralph Firman RFR F1000 Suzuki, 14.
9, (6), Mark Nixon, Oro Valley, AZ, Stohr F1000 Kawasaki, 14.
10, (12), James Michael, Fort Worth, TX, Stohr F1000 Suzuki, 14.
11, (14), Stephen Hamilton, Incline Village, NV, JDR 012 Suzuki, 14.
12, (16), Jason Slahor, Ellicott City, MD, Citation F1000 Kawasaki, 14.
13, (18), David William O’Leary, Cranberry Township, PA, Mygale SJ04- GSXR Suzuki, 14.
14, (15), Richard Franklin, Wilmington, NC, Stohr F1000 Suzuki, 13.
15, (17), Mike Meyers, Penfield, NY, Philly Motorsports DB-F1000 Kawasaki, 13.
16, (9), Jose Gerardo, El Paso, TX, JDR JDR-12 Suzuki, 7.
17, (11), Mike Beauchamp, Green Bay, WI, Van Diemen RF99 Suzuki, 5.
DNS, (13), Todd Peterson, Boulder, CO, Ralph Firman RFR F1000 Suzuki,.

Length of Race: 39 miles
Overall Time of Race: 24:27.964
Average Speed: 95.348 mph
Margin of Victory: 00.509 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:33.702 (99.584 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 76 laps 1-4; No. 77 laps 5-15
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 31 David William O’Leary

John Buttermore, of South Lyon, Michigan, dropped back from the pole on the start but came back to win his first Touring 2 class and third total National Championship at the SCCA Runoffs® in his No. 97 Hoosier/Carbotech/Stoptech Chevrolet Corvette.

Second place went to Mark Boden, of Buffalo Grove, Illinois who charged from sixth place in the No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports Porsche 997. Preston Calvert, of Potomac, Maryland finished third in the No. 77 Phoenix/Hoosier/Hawk Ford Mustang.

At the green flag, pole-sitter Buttermore did not get the start he wanted and fell behind the battling pair of Calvert and Kurt RezzetanoPhoenix/Hoosier/Hawk/Penske No. 37 Ford Mustang. On the next lap, Buttermore, Rezzetano and Calvert drove into Turn 1 three-wide, with Buttermore taking the lead.

Buttermore pulled out a small lead, but had to hold off the field after Natha Waldbaum crashed her No. 05 Corvette entering the front straight, bringing out a full-course yellow and bunching the field.

“I was very nervous when (the yellow) came out,” Buttermore said, “I thought, ‘oh no this is where it all goes wrong.'”

His worries didn’t come to fruition and Buttermore held the lead on the start.

“After that, I was pushing as hard as I possibly could,” Buttermore said. “Both these guys drove an amazing race from start to finish and made me really earn this one, so it has more meaning because of these two guys.”

Behind the leader, the battle for the podium was a ferocious one, with Bill Collins (No. 163 Interstate Truck Driving School/DRM Corvette), Michael Lavigne (No. 42 Auto Re-Nu-It Auto Body/Hoosier Ford Mustang), David Sanders (No. 73 Phoenix/Hoosier Corvette), Calvert, Boden and Rezzetano all taking shots at running in the top three. Contact between Collins and Lavigne took the pair out of contention, leaving the remaining four to duke it out.

Boden, who would work his way by Rezzetano and Calvert to take second place, was very happy with the results.

“What a wonderful event,” Boden said, “I have been racing with for so many years and it’s great to be a part of this.”

Behind Boden, Calvert held off an attacking Rezzetano in the final corners of the last lap to hold on to second place.

“Of course (I thought Kurt was going to get back around)” Calvert said, “he has more car control in his little finger than I’ll ever have and fortunately I was able to keep him behind me despite making a couple of mistakes.”

Even with the close racing, there were lots of compliments all around from the top three drivers.

“We all try to drive with respect for the other drivers,” Calvert said, “I think one of the things you saw in this race was people driving and leaving racing room for people and I thought it was a well driven race on everyone’s part that I was around.”

Another detail which didn’t go unnoticed by the podium finishers was the variety of cars on the podium and competing for the win.

“T2 is a class that just keeps pulling me back in because it is so much fun,” Boden said. “You’ve got great competitors and a great variety of cars and I truly think it’s one of the best classes in SCCA just from a standpoint of the variety and competition.”

Sanders followed fourth-place Rezzetano to fill out the top five. Joe Aquilante, a teammate of Calvert and Rezzetano under the Phoenix Performance tent, improved from 18^th on the grid to finish 9^th and 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 Saturday’s Touring 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), John M Buttermore, South Lyon, MI, Chevrolet Corvette C5, 19.
2, (6), Mark Boden, Buffalo Grove, IL, Porsche 997, 19.
3, (3), Preston Calvert, Potomac, MD, Ford Mustang GT, 19.
4, (2), Kurt Rezzetano, Phoenixville, PA, Ford Mustang GT, 19.
5, (4), David Sanders, Malvern, PA, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 19.
6, (13), Jeff Lepper, Bradenton, FL, Nissan 370Z, 19.
7, (8), Jason Ott, Littleton, CO, BMW M3, 19.
8, (9), James Leithauser, Westminster, CO, BMW M3, 19.
9, (18), Joe Aquilante, Chester Springs, PA, Chevrolet Corvette, 19.
10, (12), William Moore, Chagrin Falls, OH, Chevrolet Camaro SS, 19.
11, (17), Chris Qualls, Yorba Linda, CA, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 19.
12, (16), Henry Van Vurst, Pompano Beach, FL, Ford Mustang Boss 302, 19.
13, (14), Gary Mason, Waterford, MI, Porsche 911/996, 19.
14, (11), Peter Kulka, Plandome Manor, NY, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 19.
15, (20), Buz McCall, Boca Raton, FL, BMW E92 M3, 19.
16, (10), Derek Kulach, Albuquerque, NM, Nissan 370Z, 19.
17, (25), Lynne Griffiths, Menlo Park, CA, Ford Mustang GT, 19.
18, (22), James R Smith, Alvin, TX, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 19.
19, (15), John R Buttermore, Wolverine Lake, MI, Chevrolet Corvette C6, 18.
20, (21), Nicole Jacque, San Jose, CA, Ford Mustang GT, 18.
21, (23), Carl Fung, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 15.
22, (24), Richard Kulach, Franklin, TN, Nissan 370Z, 15.
23, (19), Natha Waldbaum, Omaha, NE, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 8.
24, (5), Michael Lavigne, Hooksett, NH, Ford Mustang GT, 4.
25, (7), Bill Collins, Saint Paul, MN, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 4.

Length of Race: 49 Miles
Overall Time of Race: 37:27.923 (avg. 78.870 mph)
Margin of Victory: 02.169 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:48.769 (85.789 mph)
Lap Leaders:
No. 77 lap 1
No. 97 laps 2-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 32 Joe Aquilante

Everyone stopped what they were doing just before noon Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and found their way trackside to watch the highly anticipated Spec Racer Ford Gen3 (SRF3) race at the 2017 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs®.

More than 100 SRF3 drivers posted qualifying times earlier in the week, and a Last Chance Race was held late Thursday afternoon to decide who would fill the final 12 starting positions in the 72-car Runoffs field. On Saturday, John Black, in the No. 17 CSR Performance’s SRF3, paced the field to the start with the No. 7 Ayres Racing car of Tray Ayres beside him.

The spectator mound inside Turn 1 was filled with hooting fans as the colorful SRF3 field shot toward the first corner. Black and Ayres plunged into the turn while the rest of the field followed, some five-abreast on the main straight. Black emerged with the lead followed by Ayers and the No. 11 MBI Racing vessel of Mike Miserendino, who won the Spec Racer Ford Runoffs event Friday.

Most of the field got through the first turn clean. However, a few competitors back in the field tangled in the following corners, which brought out a full-course yellow that lasted a couple laps. On the restart, Ayres moved to the front, after a big brake lockup, and Black slotted into second. But next time around, Black moved inside Ayres on the front straight and retook the lead.

Black and Ayres swapped the lead heading into Turn 1 lap after lap for the first half of the race with Miserendino sitting content close in third. Behind the lead pack, No. 84 Todd Lamb, in the Atlanta Speedwerks/Ayres Racing car, held fourth and Robeson Clay Russell, in the No. 31 Angry Llama SRF3, was leading a fight for the fifth position.

Just past the race’s halfway point, Black bobbled a bit and lost momentum, giving Miserendino the opportunity to move up a spot. Then something occurred that most people didn’t anticipate happening at this year’s SRF3 Runoffs race — Ayers and Miserendino set sail, leaving Black and everyone else far behind.

For the last half of the race, Miserendino sat right in the wake of Ayers — keeping his nose tight to Ayers’ tail, but not making any aggressive attempts to pass. Just a sterling example of patience. Then on the last lap, Miserendino made a move in the final set of corners, pushed a little too much, and went wide at a turn. With that, Ayers, from Gainesville, Georgia, was free and went on for his very first Runoffs victory in eight attempts.

“Lead if you can and see who comes along,” Ayers said was his plan for the race. “Mike and I race once or twice a year, so I know he is tactical late in a race. Every once in a while, I’d try to click off a flyer to see what kind of gap I could get. That’s what I ended up doing on the second-to-last lap, and it worked.”

Miserendino settled in to claim the second podium spot in SRF3, saying afterward that “once I got to second I said, ‘well, let’s see if Tray and I can get away and make it a two-car race.’ We were able to pull away. At that point, I said I’d wait ’til the second-to-last or last lap, but Tray was flawless on both the second-to-last and last lap. I couldn’t get it done.”

Watching the fight for first gave Black hope that perhaps the front two would tangle, gifting the win to him. But that just didn’t happen, so he settled for third — Black’s 15th podium finish at the Runoffs.

“I didn’t quite have the car I thought I was going to have today,” Black said. “I made a couple really awful mistakes. I think Mike realized that and started pushing Tray down the front straight. It was kind of funny just watching them motor away from me down the straight.”

Further back, Lamb faltered and Russell moved up to finish fourth, and Colin Kaminsky drove the No. 27 Slick Locks/Kaminsky Racing machine to fifth.

The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to No. 14 Paul Marino in the Impress Communications/MBI Racing car. He started 52nd and finished in the 25th 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.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Provisional results for Saturday’s Spec Racer Ford Gen3 (SRF3) 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), Tray Ayres, Gainesville, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
2, (3), Mike Miserendino, Bakersfield, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
3, (1), John Black, Olympic Valley, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
4, (8), Robeson Clay Russell, Spartanburg, SC, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
5, (7), Colin Kaminsky, Homer Glen, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
6, (14), Brian Schofield, Lakeland, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
7, (10), Grayson Strathman, Jennings, OK, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
8, (4), Todd Lamb, Atlanta, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
9, (12), Scott Rettich, Columbus, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
10, (13), Cliff White, Huntsville, AL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
11, (11), Todd Harris, Portland, OR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
12, (19), Max King, Franklinville, NJ, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
13, (18), TJ Acker, Saugus, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
14, (15), Richard Wiese, Chesterfield, MO, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
15, (20), Steve Fogg, West Linn, OR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
16, (22), Jack Willes, Palm Desert, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
17, (27), Wayne Hudec, Fayetteville, AR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
18, (33), Adam Gottlieb, Wilmette, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
19, (29), John Greene, Gainesville, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
20, (16), Umberto Milletti, Hillsborough, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
21, (25), Steven Sammut, Locust Valley, NY, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
22, (47), Whitney Strickland, League City, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
23, (37), Brandon Kennedy, Newark, DE, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
24, (17), Todd Vanacore, Ormond Beach, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
25, (52), Paul Marino, Chatsworth, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
26, (46), Colin Clark, Spring, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
27, (34), David Anzalone, Glen Head, NY, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
28, (36), Dan McBreen, Atlanta, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
29, (38), Steve Introne, Oxford, CT, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
30, (39), Jean-Luc Liverato, Woodstock, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
31, (30), Derek Schofield, Lakeland, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
32, (42), Kevin Gauntt, Egg Harbor City, NJ, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
33, (35), Thomas W Burt, Woodway, WA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
34, (6), Bobby Sak, Mattawan, MI, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
35, (40), Bob Kaminsky, Homer Glen, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
36, (48), Mark Snyder, Southlake, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
37, (56), Corey Condit, Scottsdale, AZ, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
38, (50), Paul Goudy, Portland, OR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
39, (49), Jim Cote Jr., Overland Park, KS, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
40, (43), Mike Littrell, Cypress, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
41, (55), Chuck Newman, Lagrange, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
42, (41), Scott Monroe, League City, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
43, (44), Bill Booth, Cupertino, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
44, (61), Michael Greene, Gainesville, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
45, (54), Lee Hill, Brandon, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
46, (64), Jerry Aplass, Newcastle, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
47, (51), James Marinangel, McHenry, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
48, (53), Mick Robinson, Melbourne, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
49, (59), David Schacht, Noblesville, IN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
50, (58), Lee Douglas, Portland, OR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
51, (62), Mark Ballengee, Shafter, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
52, (69), Sabré Cook, Grand Junction, CO, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
53, (5), Denny Stripling, McKinney, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
54, (68), Wade White, Vail, CO, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
55, (57), Craig Blackwell, Carmel, IN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
56, (67), Tom Miserendino, London, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
57, (63), Daniel Brooks, Colorado Springs, CO, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
58, (71), Mark Hutchins, Lincoln, NE, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
59, (66), Matias Bonnier, New Albany, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
60, (72), Chris Current, Silver Spring, MD, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
61, (60), Steven Greenhill, Mundelein, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 19.
62, (65), Matt Gray, Chaska, MN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 18.
63, (32), Herb Sweeney IV, Arlington, MA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 17.
64, (70), Thomas Riley, New Fairfield, CT, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 15.
65, (9), Charles Turner, Montpelier, VA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 13.
66, (26), Jacob Loomis, Corinth, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 12.
67, (23), Max Grau, Port Byron, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 7.
68, (45), Scott Peterson, Normandy Park, WA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 1.
69, (21), John Tipton, Lexington, KY, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 0.
70, (24), Joe Sammut, Locust Valley, NY, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 0.
71, (28), David Dickerson, Wall, NJ, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 0.
72, (31), Liam Snyder, Southlake, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 0.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 39:08.416
Average Speed: 75.495 mph
Margin of Victory: 01.872 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:49.782 (84.998 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 17 laps 1-3, 5, 8; No. 7 laps 4, 6-7, 9-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 14 Paul Marino

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 30, 2017)- Honda engines dominated the Super Touring® Lite SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Honda drivers claimed all three steps on the podium.

In a brilliant display of patience, Adam Roberts, of Hillard, Ohio, won his first national championship with Eric Kutil, of Columbus, Ohio, finishing just .674 seconds behind him for second. Garret Dunn, of Commerce Township, Michigan, rounded out the podium in third.

“I am happier than I have ever been,” said Roberts. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment the entire year and for it to finally be a reality I feel like I am just living in a dream.”

Fifty-one of the 57-car field took the green flag in the 19-lap STL race with Roberts starting on pole. Danny Steyn, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, joined Roberts outside on the front row. Kutil and Dunn started from row two. On the start, Roberts and Steyn made incidental contact, which ended Steyn’s race with a flat front right tire in the first turn. Dunn took advantage of the mishap to claim first. However, Roberts, who recovered from the start, took advantage of a missed shift from Dunn to reclaim the lead. Dunn’s No. 136 Honda CRX Si faded into a distant third behind Roberts and Kutil.

Kutil stole the lead from Roberts with a slingshot move on the front straight on lap four. Driving the Carbotech/Auto Assests/Gridlife machine, Kutil led by a comfortable two-second margin for most of the race until lapped traffic slowed his momentum. Roberts slowly chipped away the gap Kutil created. After leading 13 laps, Kutil conceded first place to Robert’s Honest Speed Shop/Myers Motorsport Honda CRX Si.

Side-by-side, the pair battled for the highest step on the podium. Roberts tightly defended his race line, yielding zero room for Kutil to make a move. Lapped traffic compromised Kutil’s run once again as his fight for first was hindered from contact made by a slow car. Kutil’s No. 82 Honda Civic Si went sideways. He recovered, but the hunt for his first Runoff victory slipped by as Roberts capitalized on the contact to take the checkered.

“We started to pull away and lapped traffic really hindered our speed today,” Kutil said. “It was a large field and that happens. We are happy to take away our second national podium today.”

Dunn crossed the Yard of Bricks nearly 24 seconds after Roberts and Kutil for third. Cliff Ira, of Kansas City, Missouri, took fifth in the FIRA Motorsports Acura Integra GSR with Brian Shanfeld, of Powell, Ohio, finishing fifth in another Honda Civic Si. After finishing 14 positions higher than he started, Brian Cheaney earned 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.

Provisional results for Saturday’s STL 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), Adam Roberts, Hilliard, OH, Honda CRX Si, 19.
2, (3), Eric Kutil, Columbus, OH, Honda Civic Si, 19.
3, (4), Garret Dunn, Commerce Township, MI, Honda CRX Si, 19.
4, (6), Cliff Ira, Kansas City, MO, Acura Integra GSR, 19.
5, (13), Brian Shanfeld, Powell, OH, Honda Civic Si, 19.
6, (5), Nick Leverone, Mendon, MA, Mazda Miata, 19.
7, (7), John Schmitt, Sunbury, OH, Honda Prelude, 19.
8, (10), Darin Treakle, Marshall, VA, Honda Civic Si, 19.
9, (15), Craig McHaffie, Walpole, MA, Mazda MX5, 19.
10, (14), Bob Beede, Northampton, MA, Honda Civic Si, 19.
11, (9), Tyler Chambers, Dayton, OH, Honda Civic, 19.
12, (19), John Hainsworth, Marlton, NJ, Mazda RX-7, 19.
13, (16), Myles Gilsinger, Marysville, OH, Honda Civic Si, 19.
14, (21), Stephen Wheeler, Geneva, NY, Honda Civic Si, 19.
15, (25), Thomas Smith, Marlton, NJ, Mazda RX-7, 19.
16, (17), Mike Taylor, Cumming, GA, Honda Civic, 19.
17, (18), Brian Laughlin, Tulsa, OK, Mazda Miata, 19.
18, (28), Deuce Keane II, Cocoa Beach, FL, Honda Civic Si, 19.
19, (22), Luis Rivera, Angleton, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.
20, (8), David Palfenier, Hinkley, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.
21, (23), Amy Mills, Bellevue, WA, Mazda Miata, 19.
22, (24), Justin Elder, Lakeville, MN, Mazda Miata, 19.
23, (33), Brian Fitzgerald, Geneva, NY, Honda Civic Si, 19.
24, (27), Rich Walke, Hawthorn Woods, IL, Mazda RX-7, 18.
25, (32), Eric Thompson, Aberdeen, NJ, Honda S2000, 18.
26, (30), Mark Utecht, Stacy, MN, Honda Civic, 18.
27, (35), Glenn Murray, Grove City, OH, Acura Integra, 18.
28, (40), Rick Goryeb, Far Hills, NJ, Scion FRS, 18.
29, (41), John Paul Keane, Jacksonville, FL, Honda Civic, 18.
30, (39), John Elder, Bloomington, MN, Mazda Miata, 18.
31, (31), Andrew Wickline, Brewerton, NY, Mazda Miata, 18.
32, (38), Thomas Lamb, Kalamazoo, MI, Honda CRX Si, 18.
33, (37), Bernie Naegele, Geneva, NY, Acura Integra GSR, 18.
34, (42), Brian Mangan, Wellington, FL, Mazda RX-7, 18.
35, (45), Joe Smith, Wakarusa, KS, Mazda Miata, 18.
36, (48), Will Snyder, Southlake, TX, Mazda MX5, 18.
37, (51), Brian Cheaney, Tampa, FL, Mazda Miata, 18.
38, (34), James Goughary, Houston, TX, Mazda Miata, 18.
39, (46), Whit Gregg, Bellevue, WA, Mazda Miata, 18.
40, (43), Peter Burris-Meyer, Titusville, FL, Mazda Miata, 18.
41, (47), William Keeling, Houston, TX, Mazda Miata, 18.
42, (52), Steve Linn, Indianapolis, IN, Nissan Sentra SE-R, 18.
43, (54), Don Wiseman, Rogers, AR, Mazda Miata, 17.
44, (55), Allen Skillicorn, Dundee, IL, Mazda Miata, 17.
45, (56), Nilo Ayuyao, Oldsmar, FL, Mazda Miata, 17.
46, (57), Brian Bogert, Schnecksville, PA, Dodge Neon, 17.
47, (11), Tim Auger, Monterey, CA, Acura Integra, 15.
48, (29), John W. Roberts, Grapevine, TX, Mazda MX5, 15.
49, (50), Michael Olivier, Santa Rosa, CA, Honda Civic EX, 13.
50, (26), JT Murray, Grove City, OH, Honda CRX, 12.
51, (2), Danny Steyn, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Mazda MX-5, 0.
52, (12), David O’Maley, Loveland, OH, Honda CRX Si, 0.
DNS, (20), Ken Kannard, Sebring, FL, Mazda Miata,
DNS, (36), Carl Young, Salinas, CA, Honda Prelude,.
DNS, (44), B. Clark Cambern, Dewitt, MI, Mazda Miata,.
DNS, (49), James DeFinnis, Shavertown, PA, Mazda Miata,.
DNS, (53), Joe Schubert, Woodmont, CT, Mazda Miata,.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 35:59.214
Average Speed: 82.110 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.674 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:52.589 (82.878 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 03 lap 1-3, 14-19, No. 82 lap 4-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 8 Matt Stephenson

Any time a thirteen-time champion appears in your mirrors, it’s a bad sign. But for 19 laps on Saturday during the SCCA National Championship Runoffs American Sedan race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Peoria, Illinois’ Bryan Long looked like the experienced champion on his way to the gold medal. John Heinricy, who has earned more titles than all but one driver in the history of the Club, was held to a silver medal, while Kevin Fandozzi, of St. Joseph, Michigan, finished third.

Long started from the Tire Rack pole in his No. 34 Hoerr Racing Prod/Roux/Pagid/Alcon Ford Mustang, and led every lap on the way to his first title.

That wasn’t decided, however, until the final run to the checkered flag. Racing inches apart through the final four corners, without contact, Brown got a run out of the final and to the yard of bricks to claim a 0.359-second win.

“This is incredible,” Long said. “We’ve been doing this a long time. We’ve built a lot of our own cars through the years, just as a family. This is a dream come true.

“When you have one of the best in multiple classes right behind you, you’ve got no choice but to give it all you’ve got and run hard. It was an exciting 19 laps, for sure. I was able to get a little bit of a lead, John had his hands full with the Cadillac for a while. I was definitely keeping an eye on that. At the end, he made it really interesting. We were able to hold through, but thankfully it was a 19-lap race.”

Heinricy added his second runner-up finish of the weekend, and his 21^st overall, after sitting behind the No. 27 Space Monkey Racing Cadillac CTS-V of Drew Cattell until a pass down the Hulman Straight on lap 11. Heinricy’s No. 56 Hoosier/Mobil 1/Hawk Chevrolet Camaro quickly opened up some ground on the Cadillac, and set sail for Long’s Mustang.

By lap 16, Heinricy had closed to the tail of Long, and slipped and slid his way through the corners looking for a way around. It never came, however, and Heinricy kept the second-place finish.

“It was just an awesome race,” Heinricy said. “I had a big smile on my face and was laughing for half of the race, it was so much fun. I was just getting the giggles because we were running so hard, and the tires were getting tired and sliding, and the brakes were starting to lock, and you just watch what’s going on and can’t believe it’s happening. And it kept happening. Nobody goes away and spins out, it just keeps going. It’s just incredible fun. I don’t think I’ve had that much fun in years in a race. It was really good.”

Fandozzi, a two-time champ in his own right, slid over to the American Sedan class after years in touring cars. Though new to the class, the former champ drove his No. 12 Hoosier/Hayworth Brakes/Carbotech Chevrolet Camaro SS from tenth place, holding off Philip Smith’s Camaro until Smith dropped off, and then finding himself all alone and more than 25 seconds behind the lead battle at the finish.

“This year was an experiment for me to build an A Sedan car, and it’s been a great, fun ride,” Fandozzi said. “Running with these guys, the cars are so much fun. Every lap, every turn, I thought to myself ‘how is this car still running like this?’ I was just having a blast.

“I truthfully didn’t know where I was. I just kept running hard, and I passed as many people as I could. It’s a real honor to be up here with these guys. Bryan must have run a perfect race to stay in front of Mr. Heinricy here. For me to even be in their zip code, it’s a special day.”

Danny Richardson’s No. 15 Hoosier/PAW/Auto Gear/Pro-System Chevrolet Camaro finished fourth, followed by Stephen Ott’s No. 87 Steve mOttorsports Ford Mustang. Tim White drove from 25^th on the grid to 11^th at the flag, to earn the Sunoco Hard Charger award.

Defending class champion Andy McDermid’s tough week continued. McDermid had to tow back home to Howell, Michigan after an opening lap, opening session incident on Monday to repair the car. The champ then started from the back of the field in the No. 24 WeatherTech Ford Mustang, drove to seventh in seven laps, and then saw his weekend end with a blown right front tire on lap eight and the most spectacular 27^th-place finish in Runoffs history.

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 Saturday’s American Sedan (AS) 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), Bryan Long, Peoria, IL, Ford Mustang, 19.
2, (2), John Heinricy, Clarkston, MI, Chevrolet Camaro, 19.
3, (10), Kevin Fandozzi, St Joseph, MI, Chevrolet Camaro SS, 19.
4, (7), Daniel Richardson, Derwood, MD, Chevrolet Camaro, 19.
5, (6), Stephen Ott, Pennsburg, PA, Ford Mustang, 19.
6, (14), Craig T Weidner, Cadillac, MI, Ford Mustang, 19.
7, (11), Beth Aquilante, Alexandria, VA, Pontiac Firebird, 19.
8, (9), Patrick Madden, Titusville, PA, Ford Mustang, 19.
9, (22), Jim Wheeler, Lenexa, KS, Pontiac Firebird, 18.
10, (13), Mark Wheaton, Easthampton, MA, Ford Mustang, 18.
11, (25), Tim White, Omaha, NE, Ford Mustang Cobra, 18.
12, (20), Boyd Lear, Garden City, KS, Chevrolet Camaro, 18.
13, (21), Mark Muddiman, Belleville, MI, Ford Mustang, 18.
14, (23), Kelly Lubash, Stamford, CT, Chevrolet Camaro, 18.
15, (17), Matt Regan, Addison, IL, Ford Mustang, 18.
16, (15), James Jost, Allentown, PA, Ford Mustang, 18.
17, (19), Michael Thompson, Vacaville, CA, Chevrolet Camaro, 18.
18, (27), Matt Naegle, Phoenixville, PA, Chevrolet Camaro, 18.
19, (4), Philip Smith, New Albany, OH, Chevrolet Camaro, 17.
20, (28), Andy Schniedermeyer, Florissant, MO, Chevrolet Camaro, 17.
21, (29), John Barnett, Covina, CA, Chevrolet Camaro, 17.
22, (8), Matt Jensen, River Hills, WI, Chevrolet Camaro, 15.
23, (3), Drew Cattell, Ferndale, MI, Cadillac CTS-V, 13.
24, (5), Amy Aquilante, Phoenixville, PA, Pontiac Firebird, 12.
25, (12), Brian Himes, Slidell, LA, Ford Mustang, 12.
26, (18), John Lechner, North Olmsted, OH, Ford Mustang, 9.
27, (30), Andrew McDermid, Howell, MI, Ford Mustang, 7.
28, (26), Mitchell Mohler, Flagstaff, AZ, Ford Mustang GT, 2.
DNS, (16), Scott Sanda, Western Springs, IL, Cadillac CTS-V, .
DNS, (24), Chris Qualls, Yorba Linda, CA, Ford Mustang Cobra, .

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 35:49.968
Average Speed: 82.463 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.359 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: No. 34 Long 1:51.507 (82.463 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 34, laps 1-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 7 Tim White

Photo: Bryan Long on the way to his AS title.

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 30, 2017)- Oil spills, spin-offs, lapped traffic and tight racing defined the Formula Mazda (FM) Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs® race. Defending his race line in the No. 4 Mazda Goodyear Star Formula Mazda on the final lap, Melvin David Kemper Jr., of Toledo, Washington, took the checkered for his first national championship win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday morning.

Jarrett Voorhies, of Kissimmee, Florida, visited the SCCA national podium for the first time finishing second and Mike Anderson, of Anza, California, claimed third for the second time in his Runoffs career.

“Crossing the bricks for the national championship didn’t set in, and still hasn’t,” said Kemper jokingly. “I’m 69-years-old, 50-years older than Jarret. I don’t have as many years left to win, so winning here at IMS for the first time is pretty exciting.”

The 16-car FM field completed 19 laps in the same session as the Formula Continental (FC) class. The first start was waived off, but Anderson took the lead on the second start attempt after Voorhies’ bobbled start. Voorhies, who dominated all four qualifying sessions, shuffled to the back of the field after a shunt in Turn 1. A full-course yellow caused by a FC oil spill allowed Voorhies to refire his No. 15 Mitchell Petroleum Star Formula Mazda and catch the field.

On the restart, Kemper challenged Anderson for the lead. Right on the gearbox of the No. 42 HASA Pool Productions machine, Kemper accelerated from the draft and squeezed Anderson on the inside to take the top spot. Voorhies picked off cars one by one trying to catch the front-runners, but killed his momentum when he looped his car in Turn 10. He continued in sixth.

“I was excited when I saw the double yellows but was worried about time,” Voorhies said. “I was moving up and down the entire race. Deep down, I might have given up after the second spin. I kept pushing though, knowing that podium was probably out of sight this year, but with a bit of luck and determination, here we are.”

Kemper and Anderson pulled away from the field with Liam Snyder, of Southlake, Texas, following in third. Kemper and Anderson continued to battle each other through the white flag. On the final lap, Anderson got caught in lapped FC traffic. Kemper extended his lead over Anderson and Snyder. Anderson fought to catch the race leader and on an attempt to overtake Kemper on the inside of the esses, spun off track. Close behind in third, Snyder’s podium-run ended after Turn 7 collected his Snyder Brothers Racing car.

A prowling Voorhies capitalized on the shunts to take second. Anderson continued the race to finish third.

“I saw the white flag and knew now was the time to make a move on Mel,” Anderson said. “He was faster on the straights, but I caught him in the corners. The track was so slick and I just went off. I recovered quickly, but Jarret had already passed. It was an exciting race to compete in.”

Larry Mason, of Burbank, California, finished fourth in his No. 12 Auto Diagnostic Services/Polar car and Snyder recovered from his last-lap shunt to take fifth. Matt Stephenson of Oklahoma City earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award in the No. 08 Bell Helmets racecar.

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 Saturday’s FM 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), Melvin David Kemper Jr, Toledo, WA, Star Formula Mazda, 19.
2, (1), Jarret Voorhies, Kissimmee, FL, Star Formula Mazda, 19.
3, (2), Mike Anderson, Anza, CA, Star Formula Mazda, 19.
4, (5), Larry Mason, Burbank, CA, Star Formula Mazda, 19.
5, (4), Liam Snyder, Southlake, TX, Star Formula Mazda, 19.
6, (7), Brad Yake, Fort Worth, TX, Star Formula Mazda, 19.
7, (11), Matt Stephenson, Oklahoma City, OK, Star Formula Mazda, 18.
8, (10), Nicholas Malone, Fate, TX, Star Formula Mazda, 18.
9, (8), Karl Markey, Rosharon, TX, Star Formula Mazda, 18.
10, (12), Victor Mauk, Flower Mound, TX, Star Formula Mazda, 18.
11, (13), Terrance Carraher, Arroyo Grande, CA, Star Formula Mazda, 18.
12, (14), William Snyder, Southlake, TX, Star Formula Mazda, 18.
13, (15), Court Dowis, Pine Mountain, GA, Star Formula Mazda, 18.
14, (16), Rodger Fussell, Cresson, TX, Star Formula Mazda, 18.
15, (9), Shane Doles, Eatonton, GA, Star Formula Mazda, 15.
16, (6), Jason W Vinkemulder, Spring Lake, MI, Star Formula Mazda, 7.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 39:38.234
Average Speed: 74.548 mph
Margin of Victory: 09.074 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:41.146 (92.255 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 15 lap 1, No. 42 lap 2-6, No. 7-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 8 Matt Stephenson

Redeeming a near-miss from Daytona in 2015, Kip Van Steenburg, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, snagged a long-awaited E Production title at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs on Saturday on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chris Dryden, of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, and Jesse Prather, of Topeka, Kansas, completed the podium.

Van Steenburg’s previous Runoffs appearance ended in the lead, one lap prematurely, and his shot at redemption was delayed yet another year due to personal issues. But as chaos reigned all around Van Steenburg’s No. 4 German Excellence Porsche 944, he pulled into Victory Lane with his first title and a 2.441-second margin of victory.

“Daytona was such a heartbreak for me,” the newly crowned champion said. “I put it on the pole, and I’ve run that course so many times. To come one lap from the end and have a caliper fall off the car, that was pretty tough. So this is especially sweet. Last year, my mom passed away, so I had to deal with that and missed the Runoffs. So this is for her, and I couldn’t feel better.”

Van Steenburg got a breather after a hairy moment on lap six during a battle with Tire Rack polesitter Matt Reynolds’ No. 71 Reynolds Brothers Racing/Vintage Conn/JPM Mazda Miata. Reynolds made contact with a lapped car, cutting a tire and ending Reynolds’ day. From there, Van Steenburg managed the gap to the trailing cars and to the checkered flag.

“I was contemplating how I was going to get around that driver, and Matt caught me,” Van Steenburg said. “I thought, I’ll see what Matt does. Sure enough, he got collected and I went on the other side of him. It was almost like using someone like a pick in basketball. After we built a little bit of a lead, it was just trying to manage the tires. My car weighs so much, it just eats up tires, so you have to back up to push it to where there a little bit unhappy, but not completely unhappy.”

The craziness started at the green flag for the field, where just behind Van Steenburg and Reynolds was a flood of race cars.

“The start was absolutely crazy,” Dryden said. “There were nine of us all right there for first four or five laps. You’d look in the mirror and there was somebody else back there the next time.”

Slowly but surely, however, that field thinned out. Joe Moser slowed from second place on lap four and on lap 12 John Brakke spun (and nearly collected Prather) into the gravel in the battle for third. Soon after, a full-course caution came out, without a safety car, for one lap to retrieve yet another parked car.

“Kip played it smart and just kept his foot down,” Dryden said of the full course yellow, which meant no passing around the course. “By the time I realized there was no safety car coming, I tried to catch back up, but I think if I had managed to stay with Kip, then Jesse and I may have been able to run him down. He played it right.”

Prather was one of those who took advantage of the field at the start, moving from the fourth row to second in the first corner.

“I had the best start I could possibly get,” Prather said. “I probably could have gone to the lead, that’s how good of a start it was. Matt (Reynolds) gave me just enough room, up against the wall to the right, and I went around him, too. I think I came out in second, and then Moser went right back around me.”

A three-time champion in a car that was only raced once before the Runoffs, Prather didn’t try to stay in front early — instead, letting the 19-lap race play out.

“I was saying all week that this was going to be a race of patience, and that caught out a couple of people in this race,” Prather said. “We’ve got cars in this class that do different things differently. You’ve got horsepower and you’ve got handling, and we’re all balanced in there. It makes for great racing, but it also makes for the necessity of patience. I think the three of here were probably the most patient out there, and the race just kind of came to us. That’s part of being at the Runoffs, and the more you’re here, the more you realize it.”

Eric Powell, who battled for the podium early in the No. 41 CCP Fabrication/Kostopoulos Autosport Porsche 924S, finished fourth. Brakke recovered from his mid-race spin to finish fifth.

Peter Eels drove his No. 58 Always Green Racing Mazda RX-7 to a 19-position improvement, running from 45^th on the grid to 26^th at the checkers for 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 Saturday’s E Production (EP) 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), Kip Van Steenburg, New Smyrna Beach, FL, Porsche 944S2, 19.
2, (6), Chris Dryden, New Freedom, PA, BMW Z3, 19.
3, (7), Jesse Prather, Topeka, KS, Mazda RX-7, 19.
4, (9), Eric Powell, Orlando, FL, Porsche 924S, 19.
5, (5), Jon Brakke, Fargo, ND, Mazda Protégé ES, 19.
6, (20), John Mueller, Costa Mesa, CA, Mazda RX-7, 19.
7, (12), Rick Harris, Jamestown, CO, Mazda Miata, 19.
8, (14), Jason Albright, Clayton, OH, Mazda RX-7, 19.
9, (15), Rob Hummel, McHenry, IL, Mazda RX-7, 19.
10, (8), Kevin Leigh, Harrisonburg, VA, BMW Z3, 19.
11, (11), Rick Kosdrosky, Granbury, TX, Caterham 7 America, 19.
12, (16), Jeffrey Cripe, Sarasota, FL, BMW 328i/is, 19.
13, (18), Lance Loughman, Lake Zurich, IL, Datsun 240Z, 19.
14, (31), Greg Kasprzyk, Yatesville, PA, BMW 325i/is, 19.
15, (19), Bowie Gray, Braselton, GA, Mazda RX-8, 19.
16, (23), Heikki Silegren, Gormley, ON, Datsun 240Z, 19.
17, (27), Tim Anastopoulos, Kenosha, WI, BMW 325i/is, 19.
18, (33), Don Bunt, Rockford, IL, Datsun 240Z, 19.
19, (22), Larry Cooper, Sparks, NV, Datsun 240Z, 19.
20, (21), Sam Halkias, Westerville, OH, Triumph TR6, 19.
21, (24), Paul Pineider, Colleyville, TX, Mazda RX-7, 19.
22, (17), James Rogerson, Angleton, TX, BMW Z3, 18.
23, (32), Joseph Boruch, Waterbury, CT, Honda S2000, 18.
24, (26), Aaron Johnson, Bangalore India, ., Honda S2000, 18.
25, (39), Rick Sisk, Washington, MO, Porsche 944, 18.
26, (45), Peter Eells, Dunedin, FL, Mazda RX-7, 18.
27, (35), Steven Jeffers, Fishers, IN, Mazda RX-7, 18.
28, (37), Mark Weber, Saint Louis, MO, Mazda Miata, 18.
29, (40), Donald Walsh, Orrtanna, PA, Mazda RX-7, 18.
30, (42), JB Swan, Braintree, MA, Mazda RX-7, 17.
31, (30), Mike Munson, Bowling Green, KY, Triumph TR6, 16.
32, (25), Don Tucker, Memphis, TN, Mazda Miata, 16.
33, (28), Bill D. Miller, Weston, MO, Mazda RX-7, 14.
34, (44), Amy Dilks, Pleasant Valley, NY, Mazda RX-7, 12.
35, (2), Rick Kavitski, Freeland, PA, Mazda Miata, 11.
36, (29), Steve Smyczek, New Berlin, WI, Mazda RX-7, 9.
37, (36), Rich Olsen, Barrington, IL, Mazda RX-7, 6.
38, (13), Breton Williams, Clinton, IA, Mazda MX-5, 6.
39, (1), Matt Reynolds, Fair Oaks, TX, Mazda Miata, 5.
40, (34), Scott Jeffers, Terre Haute, IN, Mazda RX-7, 5.
41, (43), Morey D. Doyle, Indpls, IN, Triumph TR8, 5.
42, (38), Michael LeVeque, Anderson, IN, Chevrolet Corvair Coupe, 4.
43, (4), Joe Moser, Wilmette, IL, Honda Prelude Si VTEC, 3.
44, (41), Fred Albright, Tipp City, OH, Mazda RX-7, 3.
45, (10), Aaron Downey, Rossmoor, CA, Mazda RX-3, 1.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 36:47.462
Average Speed: 80.315 mph
Margin of Victory: 2.441 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: No. 71 Reynolds 1:50.396 (84.525 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 71, lap 1; No. 4, laps 2-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 58 Peter Eells

Austin McCusker, of Glen Head, New York, took the lead from the pole in Formula Continental and fought off all challengers in his No. 06 Dot Works/Primus Racing Van Diemen/Ford to win the 2017 SCCA National Championship in his SCCA Runoffs® debut.

“It was an exciting race,” McCusker said, “I was just trying to get through the lapped traffic as clean as I could.”

2014 Champion Robert Allaer, of Lithia, Florida, finished second in the No. 52 Martini/Chandon/LTD Motorsports Van Diemen/Ford and Tim Minor, of Falls Church, Virginia, brought his No. 81 Automotive Specialist/Hoosier/Ski Citation/Ford home in third place.

After one aborted start attempt, the field took the green on lap two and there was a scramble up front as cars slid on cool tires and defending champion John LaRue’s Citation and another car made contact, sending LaRue into the turn three gravel trap. That spin, coupled with car trouble for Mark Hutchison in a separate incident, brought out a full-course caution.

On the lap-six restart, McCusker and Minor broke away from third place Brian Tomasi. Minor put pressure on McCusker but lapped traffic and course conditions hampered his efforts.

“People kept going off track and dragging stuff up and the lappers were a bit of a problem today for me,” Minor said, “I would run (McCusker) down on the back straight but couldn’t get to him.”

While Minor pressured McCusker up front, Allaer got by Brian Tomasi for third place on lap six.

“I ended up just catching (Tomasi) on the back straightaway,” Allaer said. “Once we got in front our car was handling a little better and pulled away.”

Once he was ahead of Tomasi, Allaer set his sights on second place Minor.

“I was happy I could just see Austin and Tim,” Allaer said. “Any time you can stay anywhere near Tim Minor, you’re doing pretty good.”

On lap 15, Minor slid off track while passing a Formula Mazda in the split-class race, enabling Allaer to get by for second.

“I just tried to go by a Mazda and there was some oil down on the inside,” Minor said.

Completing the top five were Tomasi, of Elgin, Illinois in the No. 96 Hoosier Van Diemen/Ford and Chas Shaffer, of Catlett, Virginia, in the No. 35 Hoosier Van Diemen/Ford.

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 Saturday’s Formula Continental 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), Austin McCusker, Glen Head, NY, Van Diemen RF02, 19.
2, (4), Robert Allaer, Lithia, FL, Van Diemen RF02, 19.
3, (2), Tim Minor, Falls Church, VA, Citation US2000, 19.
4, (5), Brian Tomasi, Elgin, IL, Van Diemen RF06, 19.
5, (6), Chas Shaffer, Catlett, VA, Van Diemen RF00, 19.
6, (9), Alex Tollefsen, Brooklyn, NY, Van Diemen RF99, 19.
7, (11), Tyler Woods, Rockford, MI, Van Diemen RF93, 19.
8, (7), Douglas Rocco, Sandisfield, MA, Van Diemen DP08, 19.
9, (13), Cade Wilson, Howell, MI, Van Diemen RF94, 17.
10, (12), William Hoops, Mountain Top, PA, Van Diemen RF99, 13.
11, (14), Michael Occhipinti, Dearborn, MI, Van Diemen RF97, 12.
12, (8), Brent Gilkes, Richmond Hill, ON, Van Diemen RF03, 9.
13, (10), Mark Hutchison, Mukwonago, WI, Van Diemen RF99, 2.
14, (3), John LaRue, Muncie, IN, Citation Snipe FZ, 1.

Length of Race: 49 Miles
Overall Time of Race: 38:19.146 (avg. 77.112 mph)
Margin of Victory: 1.131 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:36.394 (96.803 mph)
Lap Leaders:
#81 lap 1
#06 laps 2-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 68 Tyler Woods

It was an all Canadian front row in the GT-3 race Saturday morning during the SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Collin Jackson, of Langley, British Columbian, and Joe Kristensen, of London, Ontario, were side by side when the green flag waved.

As it turns out, that was the closest the battle for the win would be in the GT-3 event as Jackson, driving the No. 53 Specialty Engineering/BM&M Screen Nissan 240-SX, stormed off to what would be a 51-second victory. That gives Jackson four wins in four Runoffs appearances.

It didn’t really come as a surprise that Jackson was so hot Saturday. He held the top times all four days of qualifying, and said the car actually came off the trailer perfect for testing last week at Indianapolis.

“We did a lot of work and figuring out what we needed for this track,” Jackson said in a post-race interview. “We’ve been running this car for 22 years, actually, and have a massive amount of data. So, we rolled off the trailer just perfect. I was just tickled.”

“When I was out there on the track today, I was just enjoying it to be honest,” Jackson continued. “I was cruising around and kind of enjoying the moment. It’s really neat going by and just seeing a glimpse of your number at the top of the scoring pole. I thought never, ever, ever is that ever going to happen for me. But it did. And that was pretty special. It’s a really good Saturday morning when you wake up at Indianapolis and get to go to victory circle.”

Behind Jackson, there was a vigorous struggle for the remaining podium positions. Kristensen, in the No. 14 Kristensen Racing Engines Acura RSX, had car troubles and fell out of the hunt. Jeff Dernehl, in the No. 71 Roswell Outback/RRE/Hoosier/Roux Mazda RX-7, inherited the second spot, but behind him the No. 41 Mazda/Hoosier/Mobil 1 Mazda RX-7 of Stacy Wilson and the No. 15 Toyota/TRD Toyota Paseo of Wolfgang Maike were closing in.

Maike got by Wilson working lap 12 and closed in on Dernehl. But Maike’s car seemed to fade, and Wilson got past. Then he put the pressure on Dernehl, but it wasn’t enough. After 19 laps, Dernehl held tight to claim the second spot on the podium.

“Those boys behind me kept me honest, kept me digging,” Dernehl said. “I just kept figuring out where I was strong and put my focus there. I knew where Stacy was weak and knew where he was strong. So, I just kept working on my strengths and protected my weaknesses.”

Wilson, the defending Runoffs champion, brought his car home in the third position.

“The car wasn’t exactly what I wanted today. I couldn’t get the power down,” Wilson said after the race. “I, like Jeff, just started working on my strengths and just tried to get through the weaknesses. I just tried to drive smooth and hit my marks. That’s all you can do.”

Maike kept it together to finish fourth, and Rob Warkocki, in the No. 78 Hoosier/MazdaMotorsport/TRO Mazda RX-7, finished fifth.

The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to John Mills in the No. 122 Racer Parts Wholesale Mazda Miata who started 12th and finished sixth.

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 Saturday’s GT-3 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), Collin Jackson, Langley, BC, Nissan 240-SX, 19.
2, (3), Jeff Dernehl, Roswell, GA, Mazda RX-7, 19.
3, (5), Stacy Wilson, Englewood, TN, Mazda RX-7, 19.
4, (6), Wolfgang Maike, Santa Barbara, CA, Toyota Paseo, 19.
5, (4), Rob Warkocki, Frankfort, IL, Mazda RX-7, 19.
6, (12), John Mills, Fostoria, OH, Mazda Miata, 19.
7, (11), Jeffrey Barrow, Acton, CA, Acura RSX, 18.
8, (13), Ken Nelson, Novi, MI, Nissan 200-SX, 18.
9, (9), James Ashe, Prospect, CT, Mazda RX-7, 18.
10, (15), Ray Stephenson, Miami, FL, Mazda RX-7, 18.
11, (16), Sam Moore, Kannapolis, NC, Volvo 1800 S, 17.
12, (10), Bill McGavic, Arcadia, FL, Mazda RX-7, 16.
13, (17), George Walker, Tulsa, OK, Mazda Miata, 16.
14, (2), Joe Kristensen, London, ONT, Acura RSX, 5.
15, (7), Chad Bacon, Mooresville, NC, Toyota Celica, 1.
16, (8), Paul Young, Commerce Township, MI, Ford Probe, 0.
DNS, (14), Rick Ricker, Waterford, VA, Toyota Celica,.

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 34:07.533
Average Speed: 86.588 mph
Margin of Victory: 51.654 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:46.330 (87.757 mph)
Lap Leaders: No. 53 laps 1-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: No. 122 John Mills