One week from today, hundreds of drivers and crew will be loading into Road America to take on the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco — and they’ll be on a mission, because the Runoffs is no ordinary race. For those who don’t know, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the winner-take-all title event where only the best of the best stand atop the podium. But while Runoffs qualifying kicks off on Oct 1 and runs through Oct. 3, with races happening Oct. 4-6, we’re so giddy with excitement that we can’t help but try to predict the outcome of all the races.
If you’ve ever seen the Runoffs, you’ll know this is a completely impossible task. Still, this week will be full of articles where we attempt to do exactly that.
Of the 26 classes competing for National Championships this year, two of the most difficult to predict are Spec Miata and Spec MX-5. These classes are — as the name implies — spec, meaning the cars are built to strict rulesets, thus requiring the drivers to pedal as fast as they can from flag to flag if they want to spray the Mazza sparkling wine come race day.
Spec Miata is such a close competition that at last year’s Runoffs, the gap between the first two cars crossing under the checkered flag was so indeterminably miniscule that dual champions were crowned. We would say that that won’t happen again, but Spec Miata races are always tight, so it’s more accurate to say that we’re surprised it hasn’t happened before.
You could say that Spec MX-5 is –quite literally — the next generation of Spec Miata. While Spec Miata uses the NA and NB Miata chassis, Spec MX-5 is exclusive to the NC. This is the first year Spec MX-5 drivers get to race for an SCCA National Championship — and a lot of racers want the honor of being the first in that record book.
So, with the caveat of the fact that predicting the winners of these two classes is impossible, let’s dive in. Then follow along all week as we have a go at predicting all of the other class wins, too.
Who Will Win Spec Miata?
At the best of times, the Spec Miata race is nearly impossible to predict. No one could have guessed that this class would produce the only too-close-to-call tie for a National Championship in SCCA history when Preston Pardus and Nicholas Bruni crossed the line in a dead heat last year.
Naturally, our choice to win this year is Preston Pardus. He has collected a Championship four times out of eight appearances at the Runoffs, including 2020 at Road America. But meaning no disrespect, you might get better odds of a correct choice using a blindfold and a dart board. Bruni will be back again looking for his next championship, as will the ever-growing list of past champions.
To help us sort through the list, we asked three-time STL champion and current Spec Miata Hoosier Racing Tire Super Tour points leader Danny Steyn to weigh in. While we didn’t pick Steyn for the win, his insight into the class and the drivers is truly invaluable.
“The talent pool in Spec Miata just gets deeper and deeper,” Steyn says. “You start off with the Usual Suspects. That’s Preston Pardus and the rest of the East Street gang including Jim Drago, Todd Buras, Rob Hines, Nicholas Bruni, and Brett Kowalski. Then you add in Tyler Brown at his home track, and the father-and-son pairing of Elivan and Ethan Goulart. You also have to add in the ever-growing contingent of young wheelmen that are nipping at the heels: Travis Wiley, Sean Varwig, Logan Stretch, Matt Novak, Bobby Gossett, Noah Harmon, and many more.”
There’s little doubt that some of the best competition in SCCA happens in Spec Miata. However, Steyn graciously failed to name himself and his drafting partner, 2022 second-place finisher Charles Mactutus, as potential winners. We see Steyn as someone who could easily spoil our podium prediction — but considering we see Mactutus as earning a spot on that podium, Steyn will need to get past his teammate to do so.
When asked about his own chances, Steyn said, “I really like my chances working with my awesome teammate Chuck Mactutus. He and I have proved that we can win against the best, and we have been at the front throughout the 2024 season. And never forget, it rains at Road America! For anyone to win, there is going to be some luck involved.”
Podium Prediction: Spec Miata
1. Preston Pardus, No. 42 Danus Utilities/East Street Racing/Daytona 1/Best Price Trailers /G-LOC Brakes 2003 Mazda Miata (4 National Championships)
2. Todd Buras, No. 56 321 Motorsports 1999 Mazda Miata (1 National Championship)
3. Charles Mactutus, No. 66 OPM/Rossini/G-Loc 2002 Mazda Miata
Who Will Win Spec MX-5?
SCCA’s newest Runoffs class is Spec MX-5 (SMX), designed to bring the 2006-’15 third-generation NC MX-5 Miata into its own. The class provides a home for the many retired cars from the professional MX-5 Cup series.
Leading this group is Justin Adakonis, and he’s our choice to take the championship. He’s a Runoffs rookie, but he’s leading the Hoosier Super Tour points. Adakonis has been competing consistently through the year and appears to have eyes on the prize. Our choice for second place is Noah Harmon, who finished fourth and fifth in last year’s demonstration races, but has picked up five podium finishes this year.
For third, we think Ethan Jacobs will earn the honor. Jacobs is a bit of a wildcard with mixed results this year, but when he and the car get in the groove, he’s very fast.
Other wildcard contenders could be past Spec Miata driver Camden Gruber or 2020 T4 champion Michael Borden.
“Spec MX-5 race cars give drivers a lot of performance compared to the cost to build,” Borden told Mazda Motorsports earlier this year. “The extra power over a Spec Miata from the 2.0L engine with about 170hp makes the car more enjoyable to drive, especially at tracks like Road America. I’m getting the best of both worlds with power closer to an MX-5 Cup Car and pricing closer to Spec Miata.”
Podium Prediction: Spec MX-5
1. Justin Adakonis, No. 18 TKG Motorsports 2018 Mazda MX-5
2. Noah Harmon, No. 111, 2008 Mazda MX-5
3. Ethan Jacobs, No.199 Jacobs Design Homes/Mazda/Holiday Mazda/HRX 2009 Mazda MX-5
Catch the Action Live
Qualifying at the National Championship Runoffs takes place Oct. 1-3, with Hagerty Race Days falling on Oct. 4-6. You can keep up on all of the action by clicking on the Runoffs homepage, where you’ll find the driver entry list, the event schedule, and more.
Races will be broadcast live on Oct. 1-3 on SCCA’s YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe to the page and ring that bell icon now to get notified when the race broadcasts begin.
(Rocky Entriken is the de facto historian of the Tire Rack SCCA® Solo® National Championships. Spearheading coverage of the Solo Nationals for SCCA’s SportsCar® magazine for all but one year from the first event in 1974 through the final year of the printed magazine’s event coverage in 2023, Rocky eventually turned the statistics and records he used in his event coverage into the trusted “Solo Stats” book that has become the definitive record of who’s been to the Solo Nats, how they performed, and what that means in relation to everyone else (you can purchase that book here…with the updated 2024 edition available in the coming months). What lies below is Rocky’s observations from the 2024 Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships, which took place Sept. 3-6, 2024, in Lincoln, NE.)
At first it looked like my prowess as a prognosticator was going into the dumper. In an interview with podcaster Brian Bielanski prior to the 2023 Solo Nationals, I forecast that year’s entry cap of 1,300 would be hit within four hours of registration opening, and it ended up almost exactly that. Before event registration opened this year for the 51st Solo Nats, I predicted the usual falloff after a milestone year would mean the entry cap would not be breached. Wrongo! The cap was hit in three hours, but then never went much beyond.
By August, the inevitable cancellations allowed all wait-listers in, and the final count was 1,251 drivers who put a wheel on at least one course.
The entry record of 1,375 (from 2018) is likely safe for now, but as efficiencies continue to evolve, or organizers figure out a way to add a third course or a couple more days (or maybe slow the rotation of the planet to add another hour or so of sunlight), this record will go untouched for a while.
A Wild Wild Theme
The theme for 2024 was “Welcome to the Wild Wild West,” perhaps most outwardly represented by the four haybales in the middle of the TREC (Tire Rack Events Center, aka the Big Tent), with cow’s heads on them where would-be cowboys could practice their roping skills (or demonstrate lack of same).
As usual, leave it to Kevin Dietz of the Northwest Region for the most outlandish golf cart decoration. His annual creations are so complete little visible evidence remains that a mild-mannered golf cart underpins the creation. This year’s was a red stagecoach apparently driven by Guy Fawkes. What exactly a 17th century British revolutionary has to do with the Wild Wild West escapes me, but Dietz never fails to amaze.
Bike Racks & Scooters
This year organizers brought several bicycle racks to the site, which provided good relief from the bicycle clutter at the two courses, the TREC, and other locations. Good thing too, because the dominant personal vehicle has become the little stand-up two-wheelers which, if creating an equal clutter, at least does so in smaller space. And those little suckers are quick! Many outrunning the golf carts. Wonder if the paddock police issued any speeding tickets?
Disappearances, Additions, Champions, & Winners
(Club Spec Mustangs (and MX-5s) made their Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships debut in 2024. Photo by Andy Shultz)
Super Street-R disappeared from the class list this year, as did Heritage Classic (which was a one-time deal for the 50th running). Xtreme Super changed its name to Xtreme Unlimited. Meanwhile Club Spec MX-5 (CSX) and Club Spec Mustang (CSM) made their debuts. And an unlisted KME electric kart showed up, making a possible 94 classes for this year’s Nationals. With 15 of the potential Ladies classes standing empty, 57 new National Champions were crowned, plus winners declared in 15 supplemental classes and seven non-championship classes in which only one or two drivers competed.
Best New Innovation
The Monday evening cookout hosted by numerous Regions in the paddock following the official SCCA Welcome Party takes the cake (or BBQ, as the case may be) for the best new innovation for the 2024 Solo Nats. Participants seemed to emphasize foods local to their locale. The grandest spread was provided by the Texas-based Road Trip Racing Team with their pulled pork barbecue, pasta salad, and pickled onions. San Francisco offered Napa Valley wines and Ghirardelli chocolates. Atlanta Region/Southeast Division had Brunswick Stew and banana pudding. There were chili dogs from Saginaw Valley Region, brats and burgers from Chicago/Milwaukee Regions, johnnycakes from Eastern Tennessee Region, and offerings from JXB Performance and the Rust Belt regions. And probably somebody I’ve missed.
(Article author Rocky Entriken (right) digs in during Monday evening’s popular (and yummy) Chuckwagon Challenge. Photo by Philip Royle)
My wife commented that the Chuckwagon Challenge, as it was dubbed, brought back a lot of the “warm and fuzzies” she says she’s missed at Nationals in recent years. A major plus is that it got the gathering out of the cacophony of the Big Tent and into the paddock where, despite the crowds, a conversation could be had without shouting.
A Rookie Adventure
Now this is what the Solo Nationals is about. Or should be. Three French Canadians from Quebec, running out of New York Region, decided this was the year to do their first Nationals — René Marois with co-driver Anthony Nadeau-Poulin and girlfriend Melanie Beaumont rocking a beat up 2007 Honda Fit in XB/XBL.
“The Stars aligned,” Marois wrote in answer to a Facebook note. “It’s now or I don’t know when.” The car? Marois expounds: “A built engine with bit of boost, big tires up front, wing, splitter, air dam, race seats.” They’ve been planning the trip since January. Anthony ended up 18th and René 21st in XB, Melanie fourth in XBL. The car made all 18 runs without incident. No cones. A good time was had by all.
A Good Problem to Have
Ironically, the popularity of the Mazda brand somewhat disrupted the company’s own plans. The folks at Mazda Motorsports had scheduled a box lunch for Mazda competitors along with a cornhole tournament for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, but that turned out to be right when E Street, a major Mazda class, was competing.
The real problem was this, though: With Mazdas competing in 29 different classes, there was never going to be a time when all Mazda drivers could gather.
On Tuesday, every heat had some of the 282 Mazda drivers either competing or working, or doing both, in eight of the 10 heats. Thursday wasn’t much better — only three heats on one course had no Mazda competitors either working or driving, and the lunchtime heat wasn’t one of them.
When you think about it, this isn’t a bad problem to have.
Grand Marques
Mazda, incidentally, topped the manufacturer chart with wins in 18 classes, 14 of them by Miata/MX-5 models. Chevrolet and Honda tied with nine each, Ford and Porsche were next at six each.
Across 51 years, Chevrolet tops the chart with 371 wins, helped this year by a sweep of all five CAM trophies. Mazda stands second with 338 wins, followed by Honda’s 281, Lotus at 166, then BMW and Porsche at 154. Rounding out the top 10 is Ford with 141, Toyota with 114, Austin Healey with 83, and Nissan/Datsun with 67.
Spreading the Love
Gotta love it when a plan comes together. Zach Moore couldn’t go this year, but his car did. Moore’s LeGrand Mk. 18 sports racer was sent to Lincoln with fellow Milwaukee Region member Hilary Anderson to drive. “My car wasn’t done yet and the engine had to come out,” she said.
(Justin Peachey steps out of the borrowed B Mod-class LeGrand after securing a second-place finish. Photo by Philip Royle)
And then two Susquehanna Region members were also looking for rides. “Justin Peachey’s car blew the motor and caught on fire at Road America last month,” Anderson explained, and “David Myers’ AS car started having valve issues.”
Peachey joined Anderson in B Modified, taking a trophy with second while Anderson placed 10th. Myers ran in A Mod, finishing seventh.
Electrifying Exhibition of Speed
Chad Stoughton has been trying for several years to get SCCA to classify his electric kart. He has been running in Wichita Region events under local option rules. This year SCCA accepted his Nationals entry as Kart Modified Electric. The CRG chassis machine is eerie as it launches silently on its runs. Often FTD at local events, Stoughton ran times at Nationals that would have placed 20th in KM.
And Another Thing…
Here’s a few new entries in the Solo Nationals record book: The Kiesels extended their family win string to 36 with Jeff taking his 17th championship in E Modified and daughter Kaila winning a third in EML. Mark Daddio’s championship in D Street was his 32nd consecutive trophy finish, breaking out of a tie with Paul Kozlak, who was 16th in Super Stock. Daddio also extended his record for having always trophied in every year he’s competed.
The 56 competitors in the Xtreme Street A class is a new high mark for XS category entries. Both XAL and XBL had four drivers, the most on the Ladies side of Xtreme Street.
Lincoln, NE, now ties Salina, KS, for having been the city host of the SCCA Solo Nationals the most times — 15. Lincoln Airpark extended its record as the site that has been the host the most.
Eight drivers joined the Silver Circle this year, competing at Nationals for a 25th time: Ron Baker, Reno Region; David Fauth, Colorado; Michael Johnson, Blue Ridge; Steve Mieritz, Fort Wayne; Eric Peterson, North Carolina; Derek Punch, San Diego; Greg Reno, Kansas; Michael Snyder, Washington DC; Elizabeth Whitworth, Nebraska.
Last year seven drivers were inducted into the Golden Circle, having competed in all 50 Solo Nationals. This year the 100 Percenters number was reduced to five, both Susan Anderson and Dee Schweikle not filing an entry. That leaves the count at Dick Berger, Charlie Clark, Rick Ruth, George Schweikle, and me.
