October 1, 2021

With provisional race results in, Rock Hill, SC, native David Daughtery claims his 11th career victory in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. That tally puts him third all-time in the 58-year history of the Pinnacle of American Amateur Motorsports.

Daughtery drove a 2009 Mini Cooper to a 0.771-second win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course — over Tire Rack Pole Award winner John Phillips (Sealy, TX), also in a Mini — in a race that ended under caution two laps early. Another Mini, driven by Steve Introne of Windham, NH, took third place.

Frank Schwartz from Ann Arbor, MI finished fourth, while the fifth-place Chevrolet Sonic driven by fellow Michigander Brandon Vivian broke up the Mini domination.

Daughtery assumed the lead from teammate Phillips on the third of the 19 scheduled laps in what Phillips said was a planned move worked out via radio communication. It appeared to pay off when the duo was able to edge away from Introne, who started on the front row alongside Phillips but dropped to sixth place when he was pushed off the track on the opening lap.

Introne quickly moved back up to third, but he lost the draft of Daughtery and Phillips, who remained in close company as they pulled away.

Phillips believed his car was faster in the sequence of corners that leads onto the back straight of the course. He planned to make his move on the final lap, but the yellow flag flew before that was possible.

Daughtery was genuinely surprised by his most recent Runoffs win and said he thought he had a third- or fourth-place car.

He paid tribute to John Heinricy, who several hours earlier had claimed his 16^th SCCA National Championship by triumphing in the first of nine Friday races at the National Championship event.

“I’ve got to keep up with Mr. Heinricy, because he keeps clicking them off!” Daughtery noted. “So, I’ll take this one. It certainly didn’t go as planned; I had planned on sitting back. John let me by, and we were a little bit quicker out front. He had more speed at the end of the straight, but I had him up to the checkered flag. It’s just unbelievable.”

Phillips, the 2019 SCCA B-Spec National Champion, earned his fifth podium finish at the Runoffs. “We knew exactly what we needed to do when we came to the Runoffs this year. It was just as we had planned,” Phillips remarked. “Unfortunately, I was setting [Daughtery] up for the last lap and I had him covered, but the caution came out. But no better person in the world to win than David Daughtery. He’s like a brother to me and he built this car.”

Introne was delighted to earn a trip to the famed Victory Circle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s awesome to be on the Runoffs podium,” he said. “We’ve been in SCCA families all our lives, and you dream about this stuff. That was just a good damn race.”

David Rosenblum claimed the Sunoco Hard Charger Award in the #44 Ford Fiesta by gaining 17 positions to finish 31^st in the 61-car field after starting 48^th.

The 58th SCCA® National Championship Runoffs®, the Pinnacle of American Amateur Motorsports, crowns Sports Car Club of America’s Road Racing National Champions this year at the Racing Capital of the World–Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis, Indiana–during the Hagerty Race Days Friday Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 3.

Live, online video coverage of Runoffs races, presented by Mazda, is available throughout the three days of competition at SCCA.com/live along with an audio race call–supplied by the Super Tour Radio presented by Hoosier Racing Tire broadcast team–and live timing and scoring for each National Championship race.

Below are official results for Friday’s B-Spec race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (3), David Daughtery, Rock Hill, SC, Mini Cooper, 17.
2, (1), John Phillips, Sealy, TX, Mini Cooper, 17.
3, (2), Steve Introne, Windham, NH, Mini Cooper, 17.
4, (8), Frank Schwartz, Ann Arbor, MI, Mini Cooper, 17.
5, (6), Brandon Vivian, Milford, MI, Chevrolet Sonic, 17.
6, (7), Kyle Keenan, Vancouver, WA, Mazda 2, 17.
7, (5), Rob Piekarczyk, Brunswick, OH, Honda Fit, 17.
8, (10), Matt Wolfe, Canton, MI, Mazda 2, 17.
9, (9), Charlie Valdez, Austin, TX, Mazda 2, 17.
10, (4), Chris Daughtery, Rock Hill, SC, Mini Cooper, 17.
11, (12), Tony Roma, Beverly Hills, MI, Chevrolet Sonic, 17.
12, (13), Alex Ratcliffe, Leesburg, VA, Mini Cooper, 17.
13, (17), Ryan Moran, Leesburg, VA, Mini Cooper, 17.
14, (21), Conner Kelleher, Sugar Land, TX, Mini Cooper, 17.
15, (11), Riley Salyer, Longview, TX, Mazda 2, 17.
16, (16), Dan Hardison, Delaware, OH, Honda Fit, 17.
17, (14), Andrew Nelson, Dunnville, ON, Mini Cooper, 17.
18, (20), Sergio Zlobin, Houston, TX, Mazda 2, 17.
19, (22), Joseph Gersch, Conroe, TX, Toyota Yaris, 17.
20, (18), Chris Taylor, Elroy, TX, Mazda 2, 17.
21, (19), Robert Bax, Cincinnati, OH, Mini Cooper, 17.
22, (24), David Oliveira, Moosup, CT, Mini Cooper, 17.
23, (23), Matthew Downing, Canal Winchester, OH, Honda Fit, 17.
24, (26), Michael Fox, League City, TX, Mazda 2, 17.
25, (27), Christopher Jackson, Indianapolis, IN, Mini Cooper, 17.
26, (32), James O’Hare, Safety Harbor, FL, Mini Cooper, 17.
27, (25), Drew Strickland, Baltimore, MD, Mazda 2, 17.
28, (36), Mike Sitzenstock, Blaine, WA, Honda Fit, 17.
29, (34), Ali Naimi, Morgan Hill, CA, Mazda 2, 17.
30, (38), Carey Rouse, Austin, TX, Mazda 2, 17.
31, (48), David Rosenblum, Mays Landing, NJ, Ford Fiesta, 17.
32, (42), Thomas Lepper, Benicia, CA, Mazda 2, 17.
33, (43), Chris Crisenbery, Parma, MI, Honda Fit, 17.
34, (39), Cherie Storms, Langley, BC, Mazda 2, 17.
35, (51), Shawn Fohs, Mendham, NJ, Mini Cooper, 17.
36, (35), Stephanie Andersen, Racine, WI, Mazda 2, 17.
37, (47), William Storms, Maple Ridge, BC, Ford Fiesta, 17.
38, (54), Steve Kaster, Little Suamico, WI, Ford Fiesta, 17.
39, (44), Charlie Vehle, Danbury, TX, Honda Fit, 17.
40, (46), J.B. Swan, Braintree, MA, Chevrolet Sonic, 17.
41, (52), Leann Falk, Tolar, TX, Mazda 2, 17.
42, (45), Jorge Fabian, San Lorenzo, PR, Mini Cooper, 17.
43, (49), David Hancock, El Paso, TX, Ford Fiesta, 17.
44, (50), Ricky Holmstrom, Florence, WI, Mazda 2, 17.
45, (53), Billy Parrott, Barbourville, KY, Mini Cooper, 17.
46, (57), Steve Schwartz, Canton, MI, Mini Cooper, 17.
47, (58), Steve Hewett, Burnet, TX, Mini Cooper, 16.
48, (30), Kent Carter, Houston, TX, Mazda 2, 16.
49, (59), Karah Behrend, Houston, TX, Honda Fit, 16.
50, (41), Andy Doyle, Fishers, IN, Ford Fiesta, 16.
51, (29), James Rogerson, Angleton, TX, Mini Cooper, 15.
52, (40), Kristian Smith, Brighton, MI, Ford Fiesta, 15.
53, (33), Fritz Wilke, Chelsea, MI, Ford Fiesta, 15.
54, (28), Michael Olivier, Santa Rosa, CA, Honda Fit, 15.
55, (56), Kevin Stuckey, Kenosha, WI, Honda Fit, 15.
56, (37), Stewart Black, Greensboro, NC, Chevrolet Sonic, 8.
57, (60), Peter Sumerford, Birmingham, AL, Mini Cooper, 8.
DNF, (31), Bryon Prokopf, Maryland Hts, MO, Mini Cooper, 6.
DNF, (15), Chris Haldeman, McKinney, TX, Mazda Mazda2, 4.
DNF, (55), G. Brian Metcalf, Bath, NY, Mini Cooper, 3.
DNS, (61), Chuck Davis, Overland Park, KS, Honda Fit, 0.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 44 miles (17 laps)
Overall Time of Race: 39:45.761 (avg. 66.490 mph)
Margin of Victory: 0.771 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:03.971 (75.269 mph) #12 Introne
Lap Leaders: #43 1-2; #00 3-17
Sunoco Hard Charger: #44 David Rosenblum

Photo caption: Daughtery leads Phillips to the checkered flag in B-Spec.

Photo by Jay Bonvouloir

Words by Reece White

The first of three Hagerty Race Days wrapped up at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) late Friday afternoon with the Prototype 1 (P1) race at the 2021 Runoffs. Part of the 58th SCCA National Championship, the P1 class is one of the fastest and was led to the green flag by Tire Rack Pole Award winner Lee Alexander of Springfield, Tennessee, in the No. 48 One Motorsports/Factory48 Stohr WF1 Suzuki.

Right after the start, Jim Devenport of Alamo, California, drove his No. 23 Cranbrook Group Inc Elan DP02 Mazda around the outside of Alexander’s car in Turn 1 and assumed the lead. That, however, didn’t last as Alexander dove inside of Devenport in Turn 1 to regain the top spot on the third lap.

From that point, Alexander put his head down and pounded out lap after lap. By midway through the race, his lead was 3.1 seconds over Devenport. And when Alexander crossed the finish line first after 19 laps, his lead had extended to 10.297 seconds. For Alexander, this was his second Runoffs win. He also turned a 1:29.225 lap during the race to reset the P1 Runoffs record at IMS.

“I think I was a little tentative on the brakes, and Jim just got around me,” Alexander said about the pass that dropped him to second at the start. “I had to try and regroup and not worry about it too much because this is a long race.”

Back in second, Devenport tried to run a smart race, saving his car and tires to take a run at Alexander. About two-thirds through the event, he decided to push his car and give ‘er a go − but it became evident that he wasn’t going to close the gap. So, he gladly settled for a runner-up finish and his fifth podium appearance at the Runoffs.

“We got the start we wanted, but Lee was really quick,” Devenport said. “We ran as good as we could, then I made one final push. I dropped tires a couple of times, lit them up a couple times… then it was like ‘all right, I’m going to try and hold station now.'”

Behind Devenport, Chip Romer of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, sat third the whole race in his No. 29 Elan DP02 Mazda. He was challenged for a bit around the 5-turn, 2.592-mile road course by the No. 46 Swift 014 Toyota of James French, but kept cool and secured the final podium spot. That’s his second podium appearance at the Runoffs in five starts.

“That was a long race. I was counting the laps,” Romer said during his post-race interview. “We had a little overheating problem, but made it through. So, we’re all good.”

French, the defending P1 national champion from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, finished in fourth; and John Mcaleer of Roswell, Georgia, finished fifth in the No. 88 CAS Group/Elan Power/Comprent Elan DP02 Mazda after battling for some laps with Jason Miller and John Manfroy. The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to David Locke for starting 12th and finishing ninth.

Below are official results for Friday’s Prototype 1 race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (1), Lee Alexander, Springfield, TN, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 19.

2, (2), Jim Devenport, Alamo, CA, Elan DP02 Mazda, 19.

3, (3), Chip Romer, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Elan DP02 Mazda, 19.

4, (4), James French, Sheboygan, WI, Swift 014 Toyota, 19.

5, (5), John Mcaleer, Roswell, GA, Elan DP02 Mazda, 19.

6, (8), Jason Miller, Plymouth, WI, WynnFurst Kohler, 19.

7, (7), Johnnie Crean, Kamuela, HI, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 18.

8, (10), Greg Case, Dunlap, IL, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 18.

9, (12), David Locke, Lafayette, IN, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 18.

10, (13), Jon Dounchis, Naples, FL, Elan DP02 Mazda, 18.

DNF, (6), Todd Vanacore, Ormond Beach, FL, Elan DP02 Mazda, 5.

DNF, (11), John Manfroy, San Jose, CA, Stohr 01D Suzuki, 5.

DNS, (9), Darryl Shoff, Reading, PA, Elan DP02 Mazda, .

Race Stats

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 28:40.591 (avg. 103.042 mph)
Margin of Victory: 10.297 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:29.225 (104.581 mph)
Lap Leaders: #23-laps 1-2, #48-laps 3-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: #18 David Locke

Photo caption: Lee Alexander drives away from Jim Devenport to claim his second SCCA National Championship.

Photo by Jay Bonvouloir

Words by Jim Llewellyn

Scott Twomey’s long tow from Tacoma, Washington to the 58^th running of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway paid off on Friday with his first career gold medal in GT-Lite, escaping with a thrilling win over Chris Bovis, of Overland Park, Kansas. Michael Lewis, of Poway, California, finished third.

Twomey and Bovis went toe to toe around the 2.592-mile road course for 19 laps, with the knockout blow for Twomey’s No. 11 Poulsbo RV/Pat’s Autosport/Top Tech Nissan Tercel landing the final uppercut in the last corner of the race to pull out a 1.033 second win.

The race was a study in contrasts. Twomey was noticeably quicker from Turn 2 through Turn 6, and again from Turn 7 through Turn 13, but Bovis’ No. 78 Hart Marx Advisors/Schroth/Goodyear Honda CRX had the advantage on the straights.

“You really never know at the start of the race how it’s going to shake out,” Twomey said. “I didn’t know if Chris was going to check out and I had to get around Brian Linn so that I could get back up to Chris and to be frank, I didn’t think I’d catch up. When we started to go through the twisty stuff, I noticed that the gap would shrink a little bit, and when we got to the straight stuff it would extend just a tiny bit. But I think I was able to make up more ground than I was losing in the straightaways.”

Each time on the final two laps, Bovis took the lead going into Turn 1, but Twomey worked his way past in the long, flowing carousel that is the Turn 6 and 6a complex. The two were side by side in Turn 13 on the final lap and pushing hard, but Bovis didn’t have enough to stick the corner, slipped into the grass, and watched the win go to Twomey.

The win is a first for Twomey, who celebrates his first podium finish at the Runoffs.

“It’s a lifelong dream,” Twomey said. “I think it’s sinking in a little bit, but I don’t think I’ve got the full weight of it yet. Right now, if feels pretty wonderful to be up here and be in the middle of these guys here (Bovis and Lewis). They’re super talented and gentlemen; they are awesome race car drivers.”

Bovis grabbed his sixth podium at the Runoffs, and his second at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following a win in 2017.

“We took the wing and splitter off from Tuesday to Wednesday,” Bovis said of one visual difference in set up between his car and Twomey’s. “We picked up some top speed and we helped our understeer issue. It didn’t go away, but it got a little bit better, so we figured that was a better setup for the race. Even if we picked up some understeer in the second half of the race, at least we picked up some top speed.”

Lewis beat a prolific run of west coast drivers for the final podium spot. The 10-time champion moved around two-time champ Brian Linn and fellow 10 timer Joe Huffaker, Jr. on lap 12 for his 21^st career podium finish. The podium is Lewis’ first in the GT-Lite class.

We knew early on that we weren’t going to be able to compete with these guys, so I set my sights on a podium. We’re here to race. This is Indianapolis and we’re going to run as hard as we can. That’s what we did. And I bet — with the exception of this guy (Twomey) right here because he won — I bet I had more fun. I was in a pack of four or five cars, and I got to come out on top of that battle. That was really fun and I’m glad we had that opportunity.”

Huffaker finished fourth, with Linn fifth. Jonathan Stalzer earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award, improving eight positions from his starting grid to finish 14^th.

Below are official results for Friday’s GT-Lite race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (2), Scott Twomey, Tacoma, WA, Toyota Tercel, 19.

2, (1), Christopher Bovis, Overland Park, KS, Honda CRX, 19.

3, (7), Michael Lewis, Poway, CA, Mazda RX-7, 19.

4, (6), Joe Huffaker, Petaluma, CA, Nissan Sentra, 19.

5, (4), Brian Linn, Hermosa Beach, CA, Nissan 200SX SE-R, 19.

6, (5), Graham Fuller, Summit Point, WV, Honda CRX, 19.

7, (9), Paul Mevoli, Treasure Island, FL, Nissan Sentra, 19.

8, (10), Charles Leonard, Palmetto, FL, Nissan 200SX SE-R, 19.

9, (11), Kenneth Gassin, Columbus, OH, Toyota Tercel, 19.

10, (18), Jamie Blust, Johnstown, OH, Austin-Healey Sprite, 18.

11, (17), Edward Nicholson, Kansas City, MO, Nissan 200SX, 18.

12, (14), Bill Keeney, Lorena, TX, Toyota Tercel, 18.

13, (20), Rusty Bell, Galena, OH, Toyota Tercel, 18.

14, (22), Jonathan Stalzer, Plainfield, IL, Toyota Corolla, 17.

15, (12), Chris Kopley, Easton, CT, Mini Cooper, 14.

16, (3), Peter Zekert, Maryland Hts, MO, Nissan 200SX SE-R, 10.

17, (21), James Lynch III, St. Peters, MO, Mazda RX-7, 10.

18, (8), James Gregorius, Lakeville, NY, Mazda RX-7, 9.

DNF, (16), Brad Lewis, St. Louis, MO, Nissan 1200 (B110), 1.

DNF, (15), Daniel Wold, Chelsea, MI, Nissan 200SX SE-R, 0.

DNS, (13), Roy Lopshire, Blue Springs, MO, Toyota Tercel, 0.

DNS, (19), Michael Helm, Union, OH, Toyota Tercel, 0.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 36:01.735 (82.014 mph)
Margin of Victory: 1.033 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: #11 Twomey 1:51.952 (83.350 mph)
Lap Leaders: #78 laps 1 — 13; #11 laps 14-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: #71 Jonathan Stalzer

Photo caption: Scott Twomey passes under the checkered flags to take the GT-Lite Runoffs National Championship.

Photo by Jeff Loewe

Words by Reece White

Twenty-six Touring 2 (T2) cars were led to the green flag Friday afternoon by Tire Rack Pole Award winner Kurt Rezzetano of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, during the first of three Hagerty Race Days that make up the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs taking place on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 15-turn, 2.592-mile road course.

From the start, Rezzetano and his No. 37 Phoenix Performance/Hoosier/Hawk Ford Mustang GT were never really tested. By the end of the first lap, he had a 3-second lead on Charlie Peter of Olathe, Kansas, and his No. 66 Phenix Label BMW M235iR. Three laps later, that gap was up to 7.3 seconds; and midway through the race the spread between Rezzetano and Peter was 11 seconds.

In the end, Rezzetano won by a margin of 13.872 seconds and takes home his third National Championship. He also set a T2 Runoffs record at IMS by turning a 1:48.474 lap. Furthermore, the win netted Rezzetano SCCA Super Sweep honors, which is the most difficult title for an SCCA driver to achieve. To earn the award, a driver must win the Runoffs, a Hoosier Super Tour point title, and a U.S. Majors Tour Conference championship — all in the same class in the same season.

While the win looked easy, it turns out Rezzetano had a more challenging time than one might think during the 19-lap event.

“It’s always really hard because you’re worried about a lingering caution,” Rezzetano said while receiving his gold medal on pit lane. “And on lap nine, I lost the power steering. I was just fighting with that the rest of the race trying to keep the gap.”

“I’m ecstatic. I can’t say enough right now,” Rezzetano added. “Indy, I kind of felt ‘owed’ me one. I brought a car here in ’17 that I thought was going to do it, and I blew the motor in it — kind of like last year.”

Meanwhile behind Rezzetano, Peter cruised to a second-place finish; his second runner-up performance in two Runoffs appearances. However, he nearly didn’t make it through the race. On lap two in Turn 1, T2 contenders Ali Salih, Tim Kezman and defending T2 national champion Mark Boden got involved in a kerfuffle and all ended up out of the race.

“Man, I was lucky to avoid that crash. I heard it and then saw it in my rearview mirrors. I was very fortunate to avoid that,” Peter said. “Coming home in second place just like last year, I was happy then and I’m happy now.”

After the second-lap shuffle, David Sanders of Malvern, Pennsylvania, found himself third in the No. 73 Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, but he was being chased by the No. 0 Dodge Viper SRT-10 of Scotty B. White from Auburn, Washington. On lap eight, White found his way past Sanders and held that spot to take the final T2 podium step. For White, that’s the sixth time he has had a top-three finish at the Runoffs.

“The car was really awesome in the beginning,” White said. “Sanders ran me clean. He just made a couple of small mistakes and that was just enough to give me a gap.”

Sanders held tough and finished fourth. Patrick Womack of Burr Ridge, Illinois, finished fifth in the No. 120 WeatherTech BMW Z4 M. Womack started all the way back in 16th position, and his drive to fifth earned him the Sunoco Hard Charger award.

Below are official results for Friday’s Touring 2 race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (1), Kurt Rezzetano, Phoenixville, PA, Ford Mustang GT, 19.

2, (2), Charlie Peter, Olathe, KS, BMW M235iR, 19.

3, (5), Scotty B. White, Auburn, WA, Dodge Viper SRT-10, 19.

4, (4), David Sanders, Malvern, PA, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 19.

5, (16), Patrick Womack, Burr Ridge, IL, BMW Z4 M, 19.

6, (12), Nathan Martin, Westminster, CO, BMW M2 CS R, 19.

7, (14), Alan Kossof, Prospect Hts, IL, Porsche 996, 19.

8, (10), Brian LaCroix, Hyannis, MA, Chevrolet Corvette C6, 19.

9, (9), Michael Lavigne, Hooksett, NH, Ford Mustang GT, 19.

10, (15), Matthew O’Toole, Wilmette, IL, Porsche Carrera S 997.2, 19.

11, (8), Joe Koenig, Glenview, IL, BMW E92 M3, 19.

12, (20), Aaron Kaplan, Evanston, IL, BMW E92 M3, 19.

13, (24), Mikhail Butenko, San Francisco, CA, Ford Mustang GT, 19.

14, (17), Andler Klatzky, Duluth, MN, BMW M235iR, 19.

15, (22), Larry Brady, Olathe, KS, Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06, 19.

16, (23), Scott Sewell, Fort Worth, TX, Porsche Cayman GTS, 19.

17, (19), Gregory Schermer, Davenport, IA, Porsche 997, 19.

18, (25), Casey McLoed, Diamond Springs, CA, Ford Mustang GT, 18.

19, (26), Tom O’Toole, Wilmette, IL, BMW M235iR, 18.

20, (18), Bill Collins, Inver Grove Hts, MN, Chevrolet Corvette, 17.

21, (7), Joe Boden, Winnetka, IL, Porsche 997, 12.

22, (21), Josh Byington, Somerville, MA, BMW E46 M3, 15.

DNF, (13), Scott Sinnott, Esko, MN, BMW M235iR, 6.

DNF, (3), Mark Boden, Buffalo Grove, IL, Porsche 997, 1.

DNF, (11), Tim Kezman, Franksville, WI, Porsche 996, 1.

DNF, (6), Ali Salih, Stillwater, OK, BMW E92 M3, 1.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 35:02.557 (avg. 84.322 mph)
Margin of Victory: 13.872 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:48.474 (86.022 mph)
Lap Leaders: #37 laps 1-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: #120 Patrick Womack

Photo caption: Kurt Rezzetano crosses the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to take the 2021 T2 National Championship at the SCCA Runoffs.

Photo by Rick Corwine

Words by Jim Llewellyn

Tire Rack Pole Award winner Andrew Whitston kicked off the afternoon session of the first of three Hagerty Race Days at the 58^th SCCA National Championship Runoffs with a polished victory in Formula Vee.

Whitston, a native of Neenah, WI, swapped the lead several times with Brian Farnham of Medina, OH, grabbing the top spot for the final time on the 15^th of 19 laps on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Driving a Protoform P2 chassis and representing the SCCA’s Milwaukee Region, Whitston completed an impressive sweep of all eleven races he entered in 2021, culminating in his second Runoffs title in the historic open-wheel category. He won his first FV crown at Virginia International Raceway in 2019.

This year, he fought off challenges from Farnham and third place finisher Andrew Abbott from Livonia, MI, to cross the historic IMS “Yard of Bricks” finish line 0.107 second ahead of Farnham. Whitston led 17 of 19 laps.

Whitston also claimed the SCCA Super Sweep, the most difficult title for an SCCA driver. To earn the award, a driver must win the Runoffs, a Hoosier Super Tour point title, and a U.S. Majors Tour Conference championship, all in the same class in the same season.

“We did eleven races this year and won every single one of them!” exclaimed Whitson in a Victory Lane interview. “There was so much pressure coming in here today, so this is unbelievable. I’m just thankful to everybody that’s put work into this team this year. This car was so fast and handled so well. I don’t think I’ve had a mechanical DNF (did not finish) since 2013.”

Andrew Abbott’s brother, Brandon, finished fourth, with defending Formula Vee National Champion (and Indiana native) Chris Jennerjahn taking fifth place. Moving from 44^th on the 48-car grid to a 26^th place finish nabbed Chris Caruso the Sunoco Hard Charger Award.

The final ten laps were run without caution. Whitston briefly dropped to fourth place on lap 11, but maintained his composure and quickly regained the lead. He and Farnham then broke away from the pack, their task made easier when Whitston’s brother, Zachary — running fourth — locked up his brakes and spun third-place runner Alex Scaler.

Abbott led across the line to complete the 14^th circuit, but Whitston was back in front the next time around in a lead he would not relinquish.

“Taking a victory lap with my helmet off and a flag in my hand in this beautiful weather, that was really something,” he said. “I’m just so lucky to be here and grateful to everybody who helped make this happen. To actually finish this year off with a win takes a great weight off my shoulders.”

Farnham drove a strong race in his Silver Bullet FR-1 chassis and thought he had the potential to challenge Whitston for the victory.

“There must have been oil down, because we started to get loose, or our rear tires were going off,” he observed. “I had a little too big of a slide through Turn 10, and if we’d have had one more lap, I might have got to him. But Andrew drove a great race. He was really moving, and it was hard to keep up with him.”

Andrew Abbott finished third at the Runoffs for the second consecutive year. “The race was crazy, but Andy [Whitston] drove a great race,” he said. “The field was pretty stacked this year and times were pretty close throughout the field. Andy has been the class of the field all year, and Brian was right there with him, always up front. It’s Indy, and we’re on the podium…what a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

Below are official results for Friday’s Formula Vee race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (1), Andrew Whitston, Neenah, WI, Protoform P2, 19.

2, (6), Brian Farnham, Medina, OH, Silver Bullet FR-1, 19.

3, (4), Andrew Abbott, Livonia, MI, Vector AM-1, 19.

4, (3), Brandon Abbott, Farmington Hills, MI, Vector GB-4, 19.

5, (7), Chris Jennerjahn, Hartford City, IN, Vortech FV, 19.

6, (8), Alex Scaler, Asbury, NJ, Scaler Mk1, 19.

7, (22), Rick Shields, Bridgeville, PA, Adams Acer-J, 19.

8, (12), Stevan Davis, Danielsville, GA, Vortech FV, 19.

9, (14), Dean Curtis, East Stroudsburg, PA, Womer EV3, 19.

10, (13), Ron Whitston, Neenah, WI, Protoform P3, 19.

11, (20), Jeff Loughead, Darien, IL, Vortech FV, 19.

12, (18), Jonathan Weisheit, Baltimore, MD, JK Technologies XP-1, 19.

13, (15), Roger Siebenaler, North Hero, VT, Mysterian M2, 19.

14, (28), Brian Styczynski, Villa Park, IL, Citation XTC-41, 19.

15, (17), Donnie Isley, Fletcher, NC, Agitator 16, 19.

16, (31), Alexander Bertolucci, Mount Prospect, IL, Citation XTC-41, 19.

17, (5), Jeff Filipkowski, Bangor, PA, Vorscha GB-4, 19.

18, (26), Robert Neumeister, Pueblo, CO, Protoform P2, 19.

19, (27), Rich Richardson, South Pekin, IL, Lazer 1, 19.

20, (37), Stuart Delaney, Plymouth, MI, Caracal C, 19.

21, (36), William Styczynski, Downers Grove, IL, Vortech FV, 19.

22, (32), Jon Adams, Whitmore Lake, MI, Adams V-2, 19.

23, (25), Ryan Donaghy, Philadelphia, PA, Volkswagen DRT 001, 19.

24, (35), Marjorie Lundberg, Beaverton, OR, Caracal C, 19.

25, (16), Mark Farnham, Medina, OH, Silver Bullet SB-1, 19.

26, (44), Chris Caruso, Henderson, NV, Protoform P2, 19.

27, (34), Jeffrey Valeo, Brooklyn, NY, Mysterian M2B, 19.

28, (30), Guy Bellingham, Brantford, ON, BRD AFV-02, 19.

29, (41), Ron Wake, Lafayette, CA, Mysterian M4, 19.

30, (45), Mark Edwards, Los Angeles, CA, Glamdring , 19.

31, (40), Earl Winebrenner, Sarasota, FL, Mysterian M3, 19.

32, (47), Joseph Bertolucci, Mount Prospect, IL, Citation XTC-41, 19.

33, (19), Mark Fosberry, Groton, MA, Lazer MKII, 19.

34, (42), Anthony Henderson, Chattanooga, TN, Caracal C, 19.

35, (46), Lawrence Bacon, Novato, CA, Protoform P3, 19.

36, (39), Rick Ruckman, Summersville, WV, Mysterian M2, 18.

37, (48), Iqbal Bashir, Ossining, NY, Caracal C, 18.

38, (29), Gregory Bruns, Moore, SC, Vorscha GB3, 17.

39, (33), Mark Richardson, Washington, IL, Vortech FV, 16.

40, (38), Curt Bennett, Danville, PA, Protoform P1, 14.

41, (2), Zachary Whitston, Austin, TX, Protoform P2, 13.

DNF, (21), Quinn Posner, Camas, WA, Protoform P3, 8.

DNF, (9), Mitchell Ferguson, Moore, SC, Vorscha GB4, 8.

DNF, (11), Hunter Phelps-Barron, Garland, TX, Mysterian M4, 8.

DNF, (24), Steve Whitston, Hutto, TX, Protoform P2, 6.

DNF, (43), Donald Manthe, Santa Rosa, CA, Caracal C, 4.

DNF, (10), Gavin Sweeney, Brooklyn, NY, Protoform P2, 1.

DNS, (23), Dennis Andrade, Silverlake, WA, Vortech FV, 0.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 49 miles (19 laps)
Overall Time of Race: 40:55.771 (avg. 72.194 mph)
Margin of Victory: 0.107 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: #79 Scaler 1:57.234 (79.595 mph)
Lap Leaders: #12 Whitson 1-10; #25 A. Abbott 11; #12 Whitson 12-13; #15 Farnham 14; #12 Whitson 15-17
Sunoco Hard Charger: #60 Chris Caruso

Photo caption: Whitston drives his Formula Vee to the top spot on the podium, solidifying a perfect 11-race, 11-win season and earning SCCA Super Sweep honors for 2021.

Photo by Jeff Loewe

Words by John Oreovicz

Preston Pardus, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, claimed back-to-back SCCA National Championships on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, sneaking away from a huge Spec Miata field for victory at the 58^th SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Nick Bruni, of Arlington, Virginia, and 15-year-old Connor Zilisch, of Mooresville, North Carolina, joined Pardus on the podium.

Pardus became the first person in class history to win the Runoffs for the third time, grabbing a 6.859-second margin of victory at the conclusion of the 19-lap race. The championship came in a track-capacity field of 72 Mazda Miatas, with others shut out of the feature race following Thursday evening’s last chance qualifying race.

After starting second, Pardus’ No. 42 Danus Utilities/East Street Racing Mazda Miata led a train of four around Tire Rack polesitter Brian Henderson at the beginning of the second lap. The race’s lone full-course caution came on the second lap of the race and when the race went green again on lap four, Pardus took advantage of the fight for position behind him and set sail.

“I was thinking about it last night and what the race was going to be like,” Pardus said. “2017 was kind of a pack race, and I thought that year you could separate from the field with two cars. The East Street guys brought a heck of a car this week through the infield and it allowed you to see nice gaps on people. It allowed me to break the draft when they started racing for second really hard. I knew I had to do it then with new tires on the car. I put down a few flyers right away and it got me two or three seconds. From there I was just trying to keep my head in the game. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a race like that where it was so mental. You can’t make any mistakes because if you do, you’re back in the pack.”

Pardus officially led 18 of 19 laps on his way to his gold medal. It was a break from his win a season ago, when he started deep in the field and pressed his way to the front at Road America for an equally, yet differently, impressive win.

“I didn’t win for a long time in this class,” Pardus said. “I know how hard it is to be up on this podium. I didn’t win a National for four years when I started. I wasn’t good like Connor right away; it would have been awesome to do that but I didn’t have it for the first four years. We came here in ’17 and won and you don’t know when you’re going to win or if you’re going to win again. Every time you get out there, I want to make sure it’s the best I can do.”

Bruni and Zilisch were in a five-deep pack battling for the final podium positions during the final 14 laps of the race. Bruni was out of the podium positions on lap 16, with his No. 6 Mazda Miata trailing Zilisch and Jim Drago as they crossed the stripe, with Brian Henderson and Kyle Greenhill still in the mix. He worked his way around both Drago and Zilisch and was running second at the white flag.

“Initially I was trying to check out and thought I could do it and get away, but I realized Connor and Jim were starting to hook up and run me down,” Bruni said. “I started to back it up a little bit, knowing that Jim was going to pick me up and keep me in front of Connor and I didn’t want to give them the run down the front straight. Connor got around Jim and I knew it was coming.”

Running a defensive line, Bruni kept Zilisch at bay and led a train across the finish line for his first Runoffs podium.

“I’m surprised I’m not in tears already,” Bruni said. “It’s taken 11 or 12 years to get up here and a lot of blood, sweat and tears and a lot of work to get into this position. It takes a lot on the track, it takes a lot off the track, and this is a moment I’ll be telling my kids and eventually my grandkids about for years to come. It’s a special moment.”

The No. 172 Panic Motorsports/Late Apex Storage Mazda Miata of Zilisch had maybe the most exciting drive of any of the podium finishers. Zilisch dropped from second to outside the top five in the first half of the race, then worked back toward the front. Running fourth, Zilisch moved around both Drago and Bruni with identical moves into Turn 12 on back-to-back laps with three and four laps remaining in the race, respectively.

It was an impressive debut for Zilisch, who started karting at four years old and was the first American to win the FIA Karting Academy Championship as a 14-year-old and is in his first season racing cars.

“I’ve had so much fun here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Zilisch said. “It’s so special to be able to race here at such a young age. Karting really has helped me and formed me into the driver I am today, and Spec Miata was such a good jump off. I’ve really enjoyed my time in Spec Miata and enjoyed racing with all the amazing people in the class. Being able to get a podium here is just amazing. I can’t believe I was able to do it. I came into the weekend hoping for a top 15, top 10 and coming away with a podium was way out of my expectations.”

Greenhill and Travis Wiley finished fourth and fifth, while Henderson, Chris Haldeman and Drago ran in the top eight after Drago and Hendrson slid off the track in the final corners challenging Zilisch for the podium. Elivan Goulart and Charles Mactutus completed the top 10 while Nick Stagl earned the Sunoco Hard Charger, improving an impressive 18 positions to finish 47^th after starting 65^th.

Below are official results for Friday’s Spec Miata race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (2), Preston Pardus, New Smyrna Beach, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.

2, (4), Nicholas Bruni, Arlington, VA, Mazda Miata, 19.

3, (3), Connor Zilisch, Mooresville, NC, Mazda Miata, 19.

4, (7), Kyle Greenhill, Mundelein, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.

5, (18), Travis Wiley, Austin, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

6, (1), Brian Henderson, Fredericksburg, VA, Mazda Miata, 19.

7, (16), Chris Haldeman, McKinney, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

8, (8), Jim Drago, Memphis, TN, Mazda Miata, 19.

9, (9), Elivan Goulart, Shelton, CT, Mazda Miata, 19.

10, (11), Charles Mactutus, Columbia, SC, Mazda Miata, 19.

11, (12), Jonathan Davis, Wadsworth, OH, Mazda Miata, 19.

12, (5), Tyler Brown, Muskego, WI, Mazda Miata, 19.

13, (13), Matt Reynolds, Fair Oaks, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

14, (14), Danny Steyn, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.

15, (31), Brett Kowalski, Las Cruces, NM, Mazda Miata, 19.

16, (25), Tyler Quance, Cypress, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

17, (20), Nathan Saxon, Wakefield, RI, Mazda Miata, 19.

18, (6), Grayson Farischon, Arcadia, OK, Mazda Miata, 19.

19, (19), Logan Stretch, Arlington, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

20, (24), Justin Oakes, Houston, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

21, (17), Clark Cambern, Dewitt, MI, Mazda Miata, 19.

22, (28), Marc Cefalo, Swoyersville, PA, Mazda Miata, 19.

23, (22), Camden Gruber, Winchester, VA, Mazda Miata, 19.

24, (32), Tom Brown, Muskego, WI, Mazda Miata, 19.

25, (15), Justin Casey, Santa Clara, CA, Mazda Miata, 19.

26, (21), Clayton Cavell, Napa, CA, Mazda Miata, 19.

27, (23), Andrew Devoto, Wilsall, MT, Mazda Miata, 19.

28, (27), Frankie Barroso, Miami Shores, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.

29, (35), Chris Ciufo, Livonia, NY, Mazda Miata, 19.

30, (29), Joshua Hansen, Burlington, WI, Mazda Miata, 19.

31, (41), Steven Powers, Phoenix, AZ, Mazda Miata, 19.

32, (33), John Raudat, Chester, CT, Mazda Miata, 19.

33, (30), Anthony Geraci, Glen Head, NY, Mazda Miata, 19.

34, (34), Sean Varwig, Lake Zurich, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.

35, (44), Lee Thomas, Austin, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

36, (42), Vinnie Baratta, Katy, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

37, (48), Boris Said Jr, Escondido, CA, Mazda Miata, 19.

38, (37), Samantha Silver, St. Paul, MN, Mazda Miata, 19.

39, (49), Christopher Shaffer, Dallas, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

40, (40), Cooper Lilly, Henderson, KY, Mazda Miata, 19.

41, (45), William Knight, Tulsa, OK, Mazda Miata, 19.

42, (38), Quyen Tong, Benbrook, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

43, (50), Domenico Leuci, Binghamton, NY, Mazda Miata, 19.

44, (52), Ryan Gutile, Madera, CA, Mazda Miata, 19.

45, (61), Andrew Charbonneau, Delray, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.

46, (39), Andrew Jenkins, Becker, MN, Mazda Miata, 19.

47, (65), Nick Stagl, Chicago, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.

48, (51), Greg Sorg, Oak Park, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.

49, (46), Ryan Heishman, Carlisle, PA, Mazda Miata, 19.

50, (60), Jeremy Butz, Darnestown, MD, Mazda Miata, 19.

51, (58), Sean Hayes, Naperville, IL, Mazda Miata, 19.

52, (55), Joseph Tobin, Hilton Head Island, SC, Mazda Miata, 19.

53, (67), Dave Hechler, Franklin, OH, Mazda Miata, 19.

54, (54), Gordon Kuhnley, St. Paul, MN, Mazda Miata, 19.

55, (57), David Ciufo, Livonia, NY, Mazda Miata, 19.

56, (53), Michael LaMaina, Oaklyn, NJ, Mazda Miata, 19.

57, (64), Matthew Davis, Dallas, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

58, (62), Cole Gibson, Los Gatos, CA, Mazda Miata, 19.

59, (59), Jesse Singer, Miami, FL, Mazda Miata, 19.

60, (66), Marshall Stocker, Hanover, MA, Mazda Miata, 19.

61, (70), Breton Williams, Clinton, IA, Mazda Miata, 19.

62, (63), Bill Collins, Inver Grove Hts, MN, Mazda Miata, 19.

63, (56), Myles Goertz, Waukee, IA, Mazda Miata, 19.

64, (71), Kyle Hohlier, Moore, OK, Mazda Miata, 19.

65, (72), Robert Spence, Acworth, GA, Mazda Miata, 19.

66, (69), Marc Briley, Austin, TX, Mazda Miata, 19.

67, (47), Amy Mills, Bellevue, WA, Mazda Miata, 19.

68, (43), Jeremy Rutter, Sherman Oaks, CA, Mazda Miata, 17.

69, (10), Brandon Collins, River Forest, IL, Mazda Miata, 11.

70, (68), Toby Linder, Dallas, TX, Mazda Miata, 11.

DNF, (36), Taylor Ferranti, Cypress, TX, Mazda Miata, 8.

DNS, (26), Nick Leverone, Mendon, MA, Mazda Miata, 0.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 49 miles
Overall Time of Race: 39:41.353 (74.450 mph)
Margin of Victory: 6.859 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: #97 Henderson, 1:58.837 (78.521 mph)
Lap Leaders: #97, lap 1; #42, laps 2-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: #19 Nick Stagl

Photo caption: Preston Pardus claims back-to-back SCCA National Championships at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, sneaking away from a huge field at the 58^th SCCA National Championship Runoffs.

Photo by Jeff Loewe

Words by Reece White

Indianapolis’ own Max Grau, in the No. 71 Rennkraft Motorworks car, led a 28-car Formula Enterprises 2 (FE2) field to the start Friday morning during the first Hagerty Race Day at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs race around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 15-turn, 2.592-mile road course.

Grau held the lead on the opening lap. He was followed by C. Russell Turner, Jeff Shafer, Bailey Monette and Scott Rettich. On lap two, Monette spun his No. 5 OPTECH SCCA Mazda FE2 and dropped back to 13th. Then on lap six, Turner pulled his No. 32 PCS car out of the race.

By the midway point of the 19-lap event, Grau had extended his lead to 7.8 seconds over the No. 92 ONE Motorsports machine of Shafer who was just ahead of Columbus, Ohio, driver Rettich. T.J. Acker was fourth in the No. 62 Bulldog Motorsports car, and fifth was the No. 47 Hillenburg Motorsports racecar driven by Darryl Wills.

The lead Grau built was erased on lap 10 when a full-course yellow came out and bunched up the field. At the restart on lap 12, Grau maintained the top spot, but was unable to reestablish his large gap on Shafer, Rettich, Acker, Wills — and a charging Monette who had fought back to the sixth position. But a lap later, another full-course yellow came out.

The second restart occurred with only two racing laps remaining. Grau got a sluggish restart, and Shafer moved to his inside while Rettich, in the No. 17 Alliance Autosport/Red Line Oil SCCA Mazda FE2, moved to Grau’s outside. Braking as late as he could, Rettich slipped around Grau and took the lead. Shafer slotted close behind in third while Acker was passed by Wills and Monette.

On the last lap, Rettich skillfully defended his lead going into Turn 1. Grau and Shafer began to mix it up a bit, which gave Rettich the breathing room he needed to claim the FE2 victory and his seventh Runoffs win.

“There’s been a few times we’ve had the car to beat and didn’t win. Today, we didn’t quite have the car to beat,” Rettich said in pit lane after the race. “I just went on my experience and race craft, drove clean and hard, and came away with a win.”

Behind Rettich, Shafer passed Grau to secure a runner-up finish, which made for a fifth Runoffs podium appearance for the Las Vegas resident in four National Championship races.

“That was nerve wracking, I’ll tell you that,” Shafer said afterwards. “It went green and Max didn’t take off. I actually ran into the back of him and bent my endplate. That’s how Scott got a run on the both of us.”

Grau finished third 0.299 behind Shafer for his second Runoffs podium appearance.

“I had the pace; I just couldn’t execute,” Grau admitted. “That’s the bottom line. There’s not really more to it than that.”

Monette of Milton, Georgia, managed to fight back to claim fourth place, and Willis of League City, Texas, finished fifth. The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to Kelton Jago in the No. 29 SCCA Mazda FE2 car, gaining 11 positions.

Below are official results for Friday’s Formula Enterprises 2 race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (5), Scott Rettich, Columbus, OH, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

2, (2), Jeff Shafer, Las Vegas, NV, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

3, (1), Max Grau, Indianapolis, IN, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

4, (4), Bailey Monette, Milton, GA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

5, (7), Darryl Wills, League City, TX, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

6, (6), T.J. Acker, Saugus, CA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

7, (13), Paul Schneider, Charlotte, NC, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

8, (10), Blake Pigeon, Austin, TX, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

9, (19), Amy Hollowell, Greenwood, IN, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

10, (9), Jason Pribyl, Glenview, IL, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

11, (22), Kelton Jago, Midland, MI, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

12, (14), John Yeatman, Cave Creek, AZ, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

13, (18), James Regan, Longmeadow, MA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

14, (20), Thomas Green, Lake Mary, FL, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

15, (16), Gabe Fehribach, Ferdinand, IN, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

16, (25), Jeff Read, Vacaville, CA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

17, (23), Eric Cruz, Barhamsville, VA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

18, (24), Sam Harrington, Finksburg, MD, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

19, (15), Corey Condit, Scottsdale, AZ, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

20, (28), Doug Schumacher, Cedar Rapids, IA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

21, (26), Roy Hillenburg, Friendswood, TX, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

22, (21), Gray Fowler, Gilbert, AZ, SCCA Mazda FE2, 16.

23, (8), Todd Vanacore, Ormond Beach, FL, SCCA Mazda FE2, 14.

24, (12), Tom Burt, Woodway, WA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 13.

25, (17), Lee Rackley, Clinton, NC, SCCA Mazda FE2, 12.

26, (11), Robert Vanman, Allen, TX, SCCA Mazda FE2, 19.

DNF, (27), Keith McDonald, Ranson, WV, SCCA Mazda FE2, 8.

DNF, (3), C. Russell Turner, Montpelier, VA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 5.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 49 Miles
Overall Time of Race: 39:07.676 (avg. 75.518 mph)
Margin of Victory: 00.594 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:36.655 (96.541 mph)
Lap Leaders: #71-laps 1-17, #17-laps 18-19
Sunoco Hard Charger: #29 Kelton Jago

Photo caption: Rettich wheels the No. 17 Alliance Autosport/Red Line Oil SCCA Mazda FE2 to the top podium finish at the 2021 SCCA National Championship Runoffs.

Photo by Jay Bonvouloir

Words by Jim Llewellyn

Steve Sargis of Frankfort, Illinois, earned his ninth SCCA National Championship at the Runoffs with a dominant win in the H Production during the first Hagerty Race Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sargis, representing the Blackhawk Valley Region, drove a 1975 Triumph Spitfire to an 8.1-second margin of victory over a 1986 Volkswagen Golf driven by Christopher Schaafsma of Wheaton, IL. Enrik Benazic of Farmingdale, NY, completed the podium in a 1986 Honda Civic Si.

Sargis, the Tire Rack Pole Award winner, immediately pulled away into a commanding lead, leaving the field behind by more than three seconds on the opening lap. But his seven-second advantage was eliminated in an incident involving Eric Vickerman and Vesa Silegren on lap three that caused the race to be black flagged. The pair were disputing second place when the incident occurred entering the back straight.

Racing resumed with just over six minutes remaining in what was transformed into a 40-minute timed race. Sargis was again in command for the final few laps, turning the fastest time of the race with a time nearly two seconds quicker than Schaafsma could manage.

Ralf Lindow of Bellevue, Nebraska took fourth place, while fifth place was claimed in a photo finish by Jason LaManna over Bill Okell. Matthew Benazic was the race’s Sunoco Hard Charger, gaining 21 positions in his move from 30^th place to ninth.

Sargis’ most recent triumph gives him a total of 20 podium finishes in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Runoffs in three different classes, including back-to-back H Production crowns.

“It turned out that getting pole was really important and I just wanted to get a good clean start,” Sargis related. “Once I got through Turn 1, it seemed everything was good, and I gapped out pretty quick. Unfortunately, we had the incident, but once I got restarted, it turned out to be okay after that.

“Last time I came to Indy, I was in GT-Lite and it was a rough week, to say the least,” he added. “It’s really good to have a smooth week, and I just feel bad that a lot of guys wrecked today.”

The winner’s only drama came at the end of the black flag stoppage when his car initially refused to fire. After obtaining a helping hand from a competing crew, he was able to finish off his latest Runoffs success.

“Nothing happened, and I had to get push-started,” Sargis said. “I think my boys were down at Turn 1, so we had to borrow some muscle. I guess I owe them a beer!”

While joking that 20 Runoffs podiums showed that he was old, Sargis said the best part of his long SCCA career is the family aspect.

“A lot of the family from when I started racing 45 years ago are gone, but there are new guys coming in and my boys are both racing SCCA now,” he reflected. “I share this car with my younger son; my older son has a spec Miata. They’re good kids, and to me it’s a family thing.”

Schaafsma repeated his second-place finish from the last time the Runoffs were staged in Indianapolis. “I like it because it’s the smoothest track we race on,” he commented. “There are no bumps or dips or other things to upset the car, so you can really just focus on driving.”

It was also the second podium finish at the Runoffs for Benazik. “I had a really good day,” he remarked. “I was hoping to finish fourth, fifth, or sixth. I tried to be as smart as I could, and the race went my way. I tried to drive what I could drive, in my car, and it was fast enough.”

Official results for Friday’s H Production race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (1), Steve Sargis, Frankfort, IL, Triumph Spitfire, 9.

2, (5), Christopher Schaafsma, Wheaton, IL, Volkswagen Golf, 9.

3, (8), Enrik Benazic, Farmingdale, NY, Honda Civic Si, 9.

4, (6), Ralf Lindow, Bellevue, NE, Volkswagen Golf, 9.

5, (10), Jason LaManna, Rochester, NY, Volkswagen Rabbit, 9.

6, (11), Bill Okell, Victoria, BC, MG Midget, 9.

7, (13), Scott Hileman, Johnstown, OH, Volkswagen Rabbit, 9.

8, (20), Chris Albin, Maryland Hts, MO, Volkswagen Golf, 9.

9, (30), Matthew Benazic, Whitestone, NY, Honda Civic Si, 9.

10, (14), Robin Bank, Aliquippa, PA, Volkswagen Golf, 9.

11, (19), William Trainer, Lake in the Hills, IL, Volkswagen Scirocco, 9.

12, (18), Andrew Wright, Murfreesboro, TN, Triumph Spitfire, 9.

13, (22), Greg Gauper, Hubertus, WI, Honda Civic Si, 9.

14, (16), Brayden Connolly, Columbus, OH, Fiat X-1/9, 9.

15, (12), Matt Brannon, Columbus, OH, Fiat X-1/9, 9.

16, (25), Edward Werry, West Deptford, NJ, Honda Fit, 9.

17, (15), Jason Stine, Stow, OH, Austin-Healey Sprite, 9.

18, (21), Jerry Oleson, Aurora, CO, Austin-Healey Sprite, 9.

19, (9), Mark Brakke, Coon Rapids, MN, Mazda 2, 9.

20, (35), Leanna Wright, Murfreesboro, TN, Mini Cooper, 9.

21, (23), Vincent LaManna, Ontario, NY, Volkswagen Rabbit, 9.

22, (34), John Fine, Norcross, GA, Honda Civic Si, 9.

23, (31), Hayes Lewis, Alexandria, VA, Porsche 924, 9.

24, (27), Jack Schulz, Monett, MO, MG Midget, 9.

25, (26), Cory Markos, Riverside, CA, Honda CRX, 9.

26, (40), Darryl Saylor, Mount Juliet, TN, Honda CRX, 9.

27, (32), Greg Amy, Middletown, CT, Toyota MR-2, 9.

28, (37), David Oliveira, Moosup, CT, Mini Cooper, 9.

29, (33), Robert Bax, Cincinnati, OH, Mini Cooper, 9.

30, (39), Frank Schwartz, Ann Arbor, MI, Mini Cooper, 9.

31, (36), Charles Fullgraf, Philadelphia, TN, Honda Civic Si, 9.

32, (41), James Melady, Jefferson, TX, MG B, 9.

33, (28), Ron Copeland, Maumee, OH, Honda CRX, 9.

34, (42), John Faull, San Jose, CA, Austin-Healey Sprite, 9.

35, (7), Jack Banha, Blue Bell, PA, Volkswagen Rabbit, 7.

36, (4), Ben Valentine, Fullerton, CA, MG Midget, 7.

37, (17), Neil Verity, Grey Forest, TX, MG B, 6.

38, (38), Robert E. Horrell Jr, Memphis, TN, Honda CRX, 5.

DNF, (29), Martin Burk, Summit Point, WV, Honda CRX Si, 3.

DNF, (3), Vesa Silegren, Cleveland, TN, Honda CRX, 2.

DNF, (2), Eric Vickerman, Howell, MI, Austin-Healey Sprite, 2.

DNF, (24), Tom Broring, Derwood, MD, Triumph Spitfire, 1.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 9 laps (23 miles)
Overall Time of Race: 41:39.476 (avg. 33.599 mph)
Margin of Victory: 8.100 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: Sargis, 1:56.188 (80.311 mph)
Lap Leaders: Sargis 1-9
Sunoco Hard Charger: #8 Matthew Benazic

Photo caption: HP National Champion Steve Sargis pulls away from the rest of the pack to his 20th Runoffs podium finish.

Photo by Jay Bonvouloir

Wordsy by John Oreovicz

John Heinricy, of Clarkston, Michigan, earned his 16th career SCCA National Championship on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Touring 4 race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Michael Borden, of Greenfield, Wisconsin, and Colin Koehler, of Spanaway, Washington, joined Heinricy in the medals during the first contest of the Hagerty Race Days.

Heinricy’s career championship mark places him second all-time, though this edition was less expected than some of the others. After qualifying sixth in the No. 35 Toyota 86, Heinricy survived three lengthy full course caution periods in a race that ran just 13 of the 19 laps, and only five under green, before reaching the 40-minute time limit.

The 73-year-old Heinricy slipped into third on the opening lap as that corner eliminated five cars in the 47 car field, then got to the lead on the lap five restart when then-leader and Tire Rack pole award winner Stephen Blethen got caught up in his own Turn 1 incident immediately again.

Heinricy lost the lead to Tyler Quance when the race went back to green on lap nine, but regained it later that lap when Quance pulled off course with a flat tire. With Borden’s No. 42 Advanced Autosport/Coinigy Mazda MX-5 hounding him, Heinricy kept the Toyota in front until the final full-course caution came out on lap 12, effectively ending the race.

“It feels real good,” Heinricy said. “We did everything we could to make the car as good as possible and get the car ready for me every time we went out. We had some swings during qualifying, but we knew what we had to do to make the car better. My motto going into this race was it’s not who goes the fastest, it’s who gets their first. I really thought about it while I was going out.”

Heinricy began racing at 37, and shows no signs of slowing down. He remains a distant 11 wins behind career race win leader Jerry Hansen with 27.

“When I moved into second all-time, I didn’t even know,” Heinricy said. “I don’t pay attention to the statistics. What I pay attention to is just winning every race I can, and the statistics will go where they want to go.”

Borden’s runner-up finish came with a giant dent on the passenger side door as he worked through the carnage, in a car that he didn’t expect to run at the Runoffs. Because Borden concentrated on the Mazda Spec MX-5 championship during the regular season, he used a champion’s provisional as the class defending champion and a car from his Advance Autosport team to enter the event. The gamble paid off.

“We came into the week with the goal being a top five,” Borden said. “Monday was the first time ever the car was on track, so we were shooting for top five in qualifying. I’m just glad I finished that race, much less on the podium.”

Like others, Borden’s race almost ended on the first restart in the Turns 1 and 2 chaos.

“The leader tapped his brakes, so I tapped mine and the next thing I know it’s pretty much green and the three cars behind me got a much better run,” Borden said of the restart. “They were all fighting for the inside and I went to the outside and it made it interesting coming to into turn two there. It got to the point where there were two cars sideways in front of me and there wasn’t a big enough gap to go through so I backed off to wait for them to finish spinning. The next thing I know I’m just getting plowed right through them. It’s a testament to Mazda because I can’t believe it finished the race.”

Brian Laughlin battled with Koehler and Rick Delamare for the final podium position on each of the restarts. Laughlin crossed the finish line third, but was moved to last in class when his fuel was found to be non-compliant in post-race technical inspection. That elevated Koehler, who started the race in 16^th position, to his first Runoffs podium.

Delamare was scored in fourth, followed by Robert Spence in fifth. Brian Price won the Sunoco Hard Charger, climbing from 35th on the grid to 13th at the finish.

Official results for Friday’s Touring 4race at the 58th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.

1, (6), John Heinricy, Clarkston, MI, Toyota 86, 13.

2, (3), Michael Borden, Greenfield, WI, Mazda MX-5, 13.

3, (16), Colin Koehler, Spanaway, WA, Scion FR-S, 13.

4, (17), Rick Delamare, Snohomish, WA, Scion FR-S, 13.

5, (22), Robert Spence, Acworth, GA, Mazda MX-5, 13.

6, (14), Garrett Mays, Parker, CO, Pontiac Solstice, 13.

7, (26), James Ebben, Appleton, WI, Mazda RX-8, 13.

8, (27), Richard Mooney, Dane, WI, Mazda MX-5, 13.

9, (21), Roldan de Guzman, Seattle, WA, Scion FR-S, 13.

10, (24), Alexander Schefer, Arlington, VA, Mazda RX-8, 13.

11, (12), Christopher Windsor, Thurmont, MD, Mazda MX-5, 13.

12, (31), Brent Simonson, Millersville, MD, Mazda RX-8, 13.

13, (35), Brian Price, Middletown, VA, Mazda MX-5, 13.

14, (23), Ralph Porter, Kokomo, IN, BMW Z4, 13.

15, (11), Ryan Heishman, Carlisle, PA, Mazda MX-5, 13.

16, (34), Richard Dickey, Columbus, IN, Mazda RX-8, 13.

17, (28), Michael LaMaina, Oaklyn, NJ, Mazda MX-5, 13.

18, (30), Jason Benagh, Groton, MA, Mazda RX-8, 13.

19, (33), Paolo Salvatore, San Antonio, TX, Ford Mustang V6, 13.

20, (32), Ken Lendrum, Queensbury, NY, Subaru BRZ, 13.

21, (5), Raymond Blethen, Londonderry, NH, Mazda RX-8, 13.

22, (15), Jeremy Butz, Darnestown, MD, Mazda MX-5, 13.

23, (38), Greg Guthrie, Kenosha, WI, Mazda RX-8, 13.

24, (36), Philip Clarke, Oceanside, CA, Subaru BRZ, 13.

25, (18), Jared Lendrum, Queensbury, NY, Subaru BRZ, 13.

26, (41), Jeff Liller, Thurmont, MD, Mazda MX-5, 13.

27, (40), Matthew Miller, Canal Fulton, OH, Ford Mustang V6, 13.

28, (29), Kevin Fryer, Bloomington, IL, Mazda MX-5, 13.

29, (37), Tony Kiratsous, San Jose, CA, Scion FR-S, 13.

30, (44), David Hooker, San Antonio, TX, Mazda Miata, 13.

31, (42), Liam Vail, Littleton, CO, Chevrolet Camaro, 13.

32, (45), Steven Taake, Cypress, TX, Mazda 3 S, 13.

33, (46), Keith Jones, Lorain, OH, Mazda Miata, 13.

34, (43), Chalton Lane, Statesboro, GA, Mazda MX-5, 10.

35, (4), Tyler Quance, Cypress, TX, Mazda MX-5, 8.

36, (19), Brian Laughlin, Vinita, OK, Mazda MX-5, 13.

37, (9), Charles Habisreutinger, Spartanburg, SC, Mazda MX-5, 13.

DNF, (1), Stephen Blethen, Bow, NH, Mazda RX-8, 5.

DNF, (7), Sergio Zlobin, Houston, TX, Mazda MX-5, 5.

DNF, (2), Thomas Fowler, Cumming, GA, Mazda MX-5, 5.

DNF, (20), Derrick Ambrose, Brush Prairie, WA, Mazda 3, 5.

DNF, (10), Timothy Wise, Santa Cruz, CA, Mazda MX-5, 2.

DNF, (8), Izzy Sanchez, San Mateo, CA, Scion FR-S, 1.

DNF, (13), Chi Ho, Orlando, FL, BMW 320i, 1.

DNF, (25), Felix Borodaty, Hallandale Beach, FL, Toyota 86, 1.

DNF, (39), Richard Grunenwald, Hilliard, OH, Ford Mustang V6, 1.

DNS, (47), Steven Christopher, Bonner Springs, KS, Mazda MX-5, 0.

DNS, (48), Nick Leverone, Mendon, MA, Subaru BRZ, 0.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 34 miles
Overall Time of Race: 38:17.517 (52.799 mph)
Margin of Victory: 0.825 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:55.929 (80.491 mph)
Lap Leaders: #50, laps 1-5; #35, laps 6-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #151 Brian Price

Photo caption: John Heinricy begins the celebration following his 16th SCCA National Championship

Photo by Jay Bonvouloir

Words by Reece White

Editor’s Note: Article has been adjusted based on post-race penalties and now reflects official results.

No aspect of the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing program happens without the hard work of the volunteer workers handling aspects ranging from event operations through technical inspection. Each year, a select few are recognized as SCCA Worker of the Year presented by Mazda.

Worker of the Year awards were presented on Thursday night during the all-participant dinner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of the SCCA Runoffs. Each of the nine honorees, coming from each aspect of road racing workers, receive a commemorative plaque, patch and jacket, as well as an SCCA Gear merchandise gift certificate.

“We have over 850 racers and over 430 workers with us this year,” Deanna Flanagan, Director of Road Racing, said. “Since 1944, the SCCA has existed to provide a place for auto enthusiasts and motorsports fans to come together and enjoy our shared passion. We’ve heard stories and witnessed selfless acts of sportsmanship and teamwork. Last night, at the block party, we had drivers, workers, crew, family, friends from all walks of life gathering as one SCCA family. To all the workers, thank you for your dedication, commitment and support to this event and our members.”

Award recipients have shown dedication throughout the season to their specialties, events, regions, competitors, fellow workers and the SCCA; exhibited strong skills, good leadership, and a willingness to go above and beyond what is expected; and provided excellent customer service to everyone encountered. SCCA members submitted Worker of the Year nominations, and winners were selected by the SCCA National staff with input from Division leadership.

Flagging & Communications

Pat Prevenas, Blackhawk Valley Region. A member since 1971, Pevanas celebrates his 50^th SCCA anniversary on Friday at the Runoffs. Respected as a long-time leader in the division, he serves as corner caption, a great teacher and mentor to others. He has worked seven divisional event weekends in 2021 and is consistent with this level of commitment in prior years. Working Flagging and Communications is a family affair for this dedicated worker, sharing event weekends with his brothers and children. He supports all types of events within SCCA with enthusiasm and professionalism.

Pit & Grid

Bonnie Wannarka, Lone Star Region. Wannarka joined the SCCA in 1987 as a member of the San Francisco Region. Nearly 20 years later, she began spending time on the East Coast and was recruited to work the grid at Summit Point with Washington DC Region. She continues to hold many specialty licenses, but grid is her home and Wannarka has worked at 22 different tracks across the country. Always willing to help when a Region needs it, she has been called upon several times to step in as Chief when the region she was visiting needed someone. She is a friend to all, sincerely sweet and helpful. You will always see her at the Runoffs and she even served as Victory Circle chief for several years. She now calls Texas home and has added Lone Star Region to her SCCA story. You never know where she’ll show up but you know she’ll have a smile on her face when she does!

Race Administration

Carol Deborde, Reno Region. A member for over 25 years, Deborde is truly a utility player. She holds licenses for registration, grid & pit, scrutineering and timing & scoring in addition to race administration. An amazing ambassador for the club, Deborde works tirelessly in every way possible to help everyone that needs information or assistance. Her attitude and helpfulness is weaved into everything she does whether she’s working registration, or assisting with lunches and socials or on grid. Her impact is reinforced by the number of people that seek her help or turn to her with a concern or thank her for her assistance. She has been a key supporter of the Runoffs, serving as chief for Victory Circle functions as well as Driver Information, often serving in both roles in the same year, oh and helping on grid on test days. In 2018, she and her husband, Dave, received the Woolf Barnato Trophy, the highest award presented to a member who has made the most outstanding long-term contribution. For her, it’s all about helping people and making sure she does her part to make sure people enjoy a great experience with SCCA.

Registration

Betsy Speed, Central Carolinas Region. Speed has been a member since 1978, and those that know her use words like positive, knowledgeable, leader, and helpful when describing her. She has been instrumental over the last 12-18 months to develop and implement safety protocols to help keep her fellow registrars and participants safe. She has developed best practices and procedures that were used at many tracks in her division. She is extremely proficient in registration programs, especially MotorsportReg and helps other Regions set up their events and answers questions about the system. She willingly shares her knowledge and expertise with her Division, trains new registrars and travels to events to contribute to their success. Speed serves as Southeast Division DA and Assistant Chief Registrar at the Runoffs.

Scrutineer

Chuck Knox, Cal Club Region. Joining in 1994, Knox has held specialty licenses in sound, start, F&C, but is most known for Tech. As a retired Navy A1 Skyraider and F4U Corsair pilot, he has always had a passion for hot rods and attended his first SCCA race at Willow Springs with friends and family. Eventually his car hobby turned into his life’s work, opening his own shop. This made him a perfect fit for the tech specialty, serving as chief for 15 years. He designed tech tools to make tech inspection easier, he prioritized getting drivers on track safely and became the “go-to-guy” because of his extensive GCR knowledge. He has been a mentor to members both new and experienced. He greets everyone with a smile and is dedicated to delivering a positive experience.

Start

Wayne and Pat Foss, Chicago Region. This year’s Start worker of the year award went to a team, the Foss duo. Members since 1980, they support the club working most Central Division events, whether it be a driver school or a Hoosier Super Tour, from Road America to Blackhawk Farms Raceway to Autobahn Country Club. They are a dependable couple who can be counted on to show up and do their job right. In addition to working start at club events, their commitment to the sport extends to Pro events, returning to their original specialty of F&C when starters aren’t needed. They are well-respected within their specialty and beyond for their contributions over the last 30 years.

Steward

Mike Beaumia, Milwaukee Region. As a steward, Beaumia has been described as a workhorse, relied on to do the work competently and confidently. Often Beaumia begins a race weekend in registration, greeting racers and workers as they arrive before moving to his steward assignment. He’s also a staple at the Runoffs working in nearly every steward role including serving on the SOM this year. With over 30 years in the club and as a driver himself, he brings additional perspective and experience to his interactions with drivers. He is a welcoming face, always calm and delivers textbook customer service to SCCA members.

Timing & Scoring

Carla Heath, Washington DC Region. The godmother of Timing and Scoring, Heath has scored cars in SCCA for nearly 40 years. She has worked as a local chief, divisional administrator, Runoffs chief, and for numerous pro racing championships. Timing chiefs across the country call anytime to answer questions, learn, and get advice. In 2021, she stepped in as Chief of Timing at the Pitt Race Hoosier Super Tour, and has set standards in the specialty. She’s created instructions and checklists that are used by many SCCA teams across the country. Heath strives for excellence and pushes those around her to do the same.

Sound

Rich Roberts, Milwaukee Region. Roberts has been involved in SCCA activities since 1993. Active in both flagging and communications and sound control, this worker has stepped up to fill a need in his division. He has worked with the sound team to learn the ropes and has become proficient in the specialty. His willingness to take on a job when asked was evident at the 2020 Runoffs when the specialty suffered some late cancellations due to Covid. This worker answered the call to serve as Assistant Chief at the Runoffs. He did an excellent job of preparing the site daily and managing the event. Not only is he extremely capable, but his warm smile is infectious.

In addition to the prizes awarded all 2021 Workers of the Year, one randomly selected winner earns an all-expense paid trip to either the Rolex 24 at Daytona or the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2022, two of IMSA Racing’s crown jewels. This year, that went to Carol Deborde.

Photo caption: Chuck Knox of Cal Club claims his Worker of the Year honors