The 2020 Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour opened competition Saturday with 25-minute races on Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course‘s 2.4-mile, 15-turn “Club” circuit during an event hosted by SCCA’s Ohio Valley Region. Temperatures in the upper 90s made things toasty on track and pushed competitors to their limits. The result was some close races and unexpected finishes.

Pushing a Prototype: Todd Vanacore was on pole in his Prototype 1 (P1) vehicle Saturday with teammate Darryl Shoff alongside. The duo, both driving Elan DP02 cars, darted off at the start to decide who would take the first P1 race win of the weekend. Vanacore looked to have the advantage, but his car soon ended up off course. Shoff scooted by in the No. 94 RAACE car and went on to victory.

“Todd gaped me at the start and we held that separation for most of the race,” Shoff said afterwards. “Coming down the back straight, he lost his brakes or broke a wing or something and went off there. That made it really easy for me to ride out the race. Things like that happen in racing.”

Spec Review: The Spec Racer Ford Gen3 class was won Saturday by Bobby Sak in the No. 19 Elite Autosport SRF3 car, but not without some pressure from Justin Claucherty. The B-Spec win went to Rob Piekarczyk in the No. 99 Carbotech/Kryderacing/Ohio Technical College Honda Fit. And in Spec Miata it was Jonathan Davis, in the No. 61 Rossini Racing Products/G-LOC Brakes Mazda Miata, who emerged victorious. However, fellow SM competitors Justin Hille, Peter Ensor and Brandon Collins kept things interesting in that 25-minute event.

“I didn’t get the best start,” Davis admitted. “Justin, in the outside lane, got a better run. He and Collins pushed by me. So, I tucked in third going up to the Keyhole. Next lap, Collins made a move on Hille and he got to the lead. Then we were nose-to-tail there for a couple more laps. Eventually, I worked my way past Collins and got by Hille, then just tried not to make any mistakes.”

Touring 2 and GT-2 for the Win: SCCA racer Mark Boden is on a roll right now in Hoosier Super Tour competition. During the WeatherTech Chicago Region® June Sprints at Road America a few weeks back, he managed a total of three first-place finishes. Boden claimed another two victories Saturday at Mid-Ohio, but either victory could’ve just as easily not have happened.

In Touring 2, Boden was dominate in the No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports Porsche 997.1 C2. But Boden chalked up that victory to his hard-working team that miraculously replaced a failed brake booster lickety-split earlier in the weekend.

“We got the replacement part to the track 10 minutes before qualifying started,” Boden said. “They through it in, we made the session … so, big ‘hats off’ to the Fall-Line guys for making that happen.”

Later Saturday during the GT-2 competition, it was Tom Patton and his Sunbeam Tiger racecar that looked strong and was out front early. But Boden reeled in Patton and was able to grab the lead and claim another win, this time in the No. 146 Fall-Line Motorsports Porsche 991.2 Cup car.

“I think I had a little bit of an advantage,” Boden said about the GT-2 race. “I went out on sticker (tires). Tom drove a great race. He’s got me on power, but I’ve got him on brakes. And I had to use all the brakes the Porsche has in order to get him and keep the lead.”

Second Shot Sunday: The excitement isn’t over yet for competitors at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as a whole second day of Hoosier Super Tour racing will take place on Sunday with 35-min./21-lap races throughout the day. Follow all the action live at http://www.scca.com/live.

Saturday Winner Rundown: Below are provisional race results from Saturday’s Hoosier SCCA Super Tour at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with Class: Name, Hometown, Region and Car.
American Sedan®: Andrew McDermid; Howell, MI; Milwaukee Region; Ford Mustang
B-Spec: Rob Piekarczyk; Brunswick, OH; NEOhio Region; Honda Fit
E Production: Sam Halkias; Westerville, OH; Ohio Valley Region; Triumph TR6
F Production: Craig Chima; Akron, OH; NEOhio Regio; Lotus Super 7
H Production: Steve Sargis; Frankfort, IL; Blackhawk Valley Region; Triumph Spitfire
Formula 500: Eric McRee; Lapeer, MI; Detroit Region; NovaRace Blade
Formula Atlantic®: C. Ahsen Yelkin; Canfield, OH; Steel Cities Region; Swift 014
Formula Continental®: Devin Lesueur; Saint Charles, IL; Chicago Region; Van Diemen RF02
Formula Enterprises 2: Max Grau; Port Byron, IL; Great River Region; FE2/Mazda
Formula F: Russell J. Ruedisueli; Rochester, MI; Detroit Region; Van Diemen RF99
Formula Vee®: Andrew Whitston; Neenah, WI; Milwaukee Region; Protoform P2
GT-1: Ryan McManus; Medina, OH; NEOhio Region; Chevrolet Corvette
GT-2: Mark Boden; Buffalo Grove, IL; Chicago Region; Porsche 991.2 Cup
GT-3: Paul Young; Commerce Township, MI; Detroit Region; Ford Probe
GT-Lite: Graham Fuller; Martinsburg, WV; Washington DC Region; Honda CRX
GT-X: Colin Cohen; Southlake, TX; Texas Region; Maserati Trofeo GT4
Prototype 1: Darryl Shoff; Reading, PA; Philadelphia Region; Elan DP02
Prototype 2: Mike Reupert; Hubertus, WI; Milwaukee Region; Stohr WF1
Spec Miata: Jonathan Davis; Wadsworth, OH; NEOhio Region; Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford 3: Bobby Sak; West Bloomfield, MI; Detroit Region; SRF3
Super Touring® Lite: Joe Moser; Wilmette, IL; Detroit Region; Honda CRX SI
Super Touring® Under: Mark Wajda; Cement City, MI; Detroit Region; Honda Prelude
Touring 1: Hugh Stewart; Milford, CT; New England Region; BMW M3
Touring 2: Mark Boden; Buffalo Grove, IL; Chicago Region; Porsche 997.1
Touring 3: Bill Pintaric; North Jackson, OH; Northern Ohio Valley Region; BMW M3
Touring 4: Michael Borden; Greenfield, WI; Milwaukee Region; Mazda MX-5

Photo: Darryl Shoff took the Prototype 1 win Saturday during the Hoosier Super Tour’s stop at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour is conducting its sixth race weekend of the year, July 17-19, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during an event hosted by SCCA’s Ohio Valley Region. Built in 1962 as a location for weekend sports car racing, Mid-Ohio is often called the most competitive road course in the United States. The circuit, which has hosted SCCA’s National Championship Runoffs® on several occasions, is set on 330 acres in the rolling hills of Lexington, Ohio, and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary track configurations. The 2.4-mile, 15-turn “Club Course” will be the challenge this weekend at Mid-Ohio, which is a switch from last year’s layout.

Club vs. Pro — Last year, the Hoosier Super Tour at Mid-Ohio was conducted on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Pro Circuit that eliminated the pre-Keyhole “bus stop” chicane. That was necessary because Keyhole “work and grading” was underway for an ARX Americas Rallycross event taking place at Mid-Ohio the weekend following Hoosier Super Tour activities. But things are back to “normal” this time around with competitors facing the classic 2.4-mile, 15-turn “Club Course.”

Which circuit is better? That really comes down to personal preference. But longtime racer Tom Patton, who is from the Cincinnati area, certainly has his favorite. Patton, who drives the No. 50 Hoosier Tires/Redline Oil/Carbotech Sunbeam Tiger in the GT-2 class, has been racing at Mid-Ohio for four decades. He remembers when Mid-Ohio didn’t even have a “Pro” circuit. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that the “Club” layout is his favorite.

“I was bummed out when we had to run the Pro course last year,” Patton admitted. “The run up to the Keyhole on the Club course is just classic. Going up through the Keyhole on the Club course is much more fun for me.

“Mid-Ohio is my favorite racetrack,” Patton continued. “Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen and VIR are top tracks, but Mid-Ohio is home for me. I feel comfortable coming here. It’s always great to come to Mid-Ohio.”

Back to Business — Facial coverings, social distancing and repetitive hand washing couldn’t dampen the glee many had for being out again at Mid-Ohio. For some, getting out on track is a form of therapy and helps people feel as if life is returning to normal. For others, getting back to the track is a matter of business. Take for example Scott Rettich, owner of Alliance Autosport. This weekend’s Hoosier Super Tour is the first time Rettich, a Columbus-area SCCA racer for 15 years, has competed in 2020 at Mid-Ohio.

“It’s great to be back at the track, we’re having a great time and it’s a great weekend so far,” Rettich said.

Alliance Autosport is supporting 15 cars entered at Mid-Ohio across three different classes, those being Spec Racer Ford Gen3, Formula Enterprises 2 and GT-2. In all, Alliance Autosport has a stable of around 35 cars and serves nearly 40 racers each year from throughout the country. Now in business almost a decade, Alliance Autosport can be seen at about two dozen events a year, employing four full-time personnel and a bunch of part-time help.

“These Mid-Ohio weekends are critical to our business,” Rettich noted. “Having multiple races canceled was certainly pretty rough on the business. But we’re working on getting caught up. All our drivers are anxious to race.”

Toasty Weekend — Friday was a beautiful summer’s day in Lexington, Ohio with temperatures peaking in the upper 80-degree range and a light breeze that made things nice. Saturday and Sunday are looking to also be pretty nice, but with temperatures a little higher in the 90-degree range — and just a slight chance of showers. Tim Gilvin, Hoosier Racing Tire’s Circuit Racing Product Manager, said the toasty temperatures predicted for race days could impact how cars perform on track.

“The weekend is going to be pretty hot,” Gilvin said. “That really changes the track conditions. Besides being tough on the drivers, the temperatures can be tough on the tires. Racers will probably need to be a little more tidy with their driving, and a little more patient, and maybe not abuse tires so much.”

And if it rains? “Hoosier is ready. Best rain tires around,” Gilvin said with a smile.

Because of government COVID-19 concerns, spectators are NOT allowed at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend for the Hoosier Super Tour event. Fans can, however, still follow all the action online from Mid-Ohio with live timing/scoring, video, Super Tour Radio presented by Hoosier Racing Tire and more at http://www.scca.com/live.

Results and more information available at the Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour Mid-Ohio event webpage.