The Sports Car Club of America® has been around for 80 years, and while organized, rules-based road racing didn’t begin until a few years into the Club’s existence, the “Production” category was there pretty much as soon as SCCA members hit the track. Consequently, the Production category has a proven ruleset that has attracted oodles of racing talent behind expertly-prepared race cars — which is why the E, F, and H Production races at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco are so darn hard to predict.
This year’s Runoffs, taking place Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024, at Road America, features packed Production fields. At the time of this writing, E Production (the fastest of the three classes) sports a strong 18 entries, with H Production boasting 21 drivers. F Production, meanwhile, leads the pack with an impressive 28 cars entered.
Who will win in each of these classes? We truly don’t know, but that’s never stopped us from guessing…
Who Will Win E Production?
John Hainsworth, upon learning that he was our pick to win in E Production, said, “It is exciting to be picked for the win. For the first time, I hope the [picks] are right!”
Hainsworth’s Runoffs history has been one of frustration. Of the five times he’s competed in E Prod, he’s been a podium contender each time who never landed on the top step. Even last year where the results show him finishing 18th, he qualified on the Tire Rack Pole and was battling for the lead when he was forced to take evasive action.
But that’s the past. Hainsworth has had a very successful and fun season in 2024, which we see translating to a Runoffs win.
“Racing back and forth with Peter Norton during the first event at VIR definitely helped shake off the winter rust and set the tone for the year,” Hainsworth says. “Until then, I had never finished a Sunday race in EP at the VIR [Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA] Super Tour, so it felt great to finally accomplish that. Another highlight was the Majors weekend at a freshly repaved NJMP Thunderbolt circuit, also my home track. It was a challenge adjusting to the changes and continuing to find time as the weekend went on. I believe that also helped prepare me for the new pavement we will see out at Road America.”
Hainsworth has worked hard to get his RX-7 ready for this season. “All of the hard work on the car really pays off when you can put together complete weekends. It allows you to focus on driving and car setup. As a result, your speed builds throughout the year. If you can accomplish that during a season, I feel like you come into the Runoffs with your best foot forward.”
As for his competition at this year’s Runoffs, Hainsworth says “it is as wide open as I can remember.”
He is sure that the BMWs will be strong, with Tyler Ladd, Jon Brakke, Cam Wogrin, and Doug Piner all competing for the championship. He also believes that “you should never count out Peter Norton, especially if the conditions are tricky. Peter can hang in your draft all race long and pounce when he sees his opportunity.”
Ladd is in Jesse Prather’s BMW Z3, and it’s known to be fast.
We give Brakke the edge over Ladd in their battle, with both drivers finishing on the podium — albeit with Hainsworth’s taillights ahead of them.
Then there’s the dark-horse picks. To that end, Hainsworth is keeping an eye on Aaron Johnson. “I think he and his Honda S2000 will surprise some folks.” We agree, but we’d also add Bill Miller in his BMW 328 to that list.
In other words: This race will be fun to watch!
Podium Prediction: E Production
1. John Hainsworth, No. 95 Turf Trade/ Max-Attack/ Hoosier/ Carbotech 1990 Mazda RX-7 Convertible,
2. Jon Brakke, No. 89 1999 BMW Z3 (3 National Championships)
3. Tyler Ladd, No. 51 1999 BMW Z3
Who Will Win F Production?
Our prediction of Kevin Ruck and his Acura for the win in F Production was a surprise to him.
“Gotta say, I’m legit shocked by this,” he says. “My season has been anything but an example of impressive speed and consistency. I’ve fought multiple issues this season with the chassis, drivetrain, and electronics, which made it a chore to just get eligible for the Runoffs. I had to take it all the way to my last chance this summer to accomplish that; [it] certainly wasn’t by design.”
The good news, he explains, is he did discover a big problem with his car’s front suspension that was causing dynamic toe and camber changes, plus he resolved an electrical problem that was causing the car to advance the timing. “[It was] damaging things internally to the point of needing to tear into the engine, which had to happen three times this season,” he says. “It was not fun, and I was real close to throwing in the towel in early July. Hopefully now that means we’re setup well for the Runoffs.”
In the past, Ruck’s Acura couldn’t match the straight-line speed of Ken Kannard’s Integra or Cliff Ira’s Del Sol because they had a larger throttle body than Ruck’s car had. “After the flat-plate restrictors (FPR) got put onto all of us this spring, we’re now all standardized breathing through the same hole size,” Ruck explains.
Ruck thinks the Mazda Miatas will continue to be strong, so he expects to be raced by Mason Workman, who has had a stellar year, Charlie Campbell, Bill Hingston, Doug Weaver, and David Bernarz, with Joe Moser in his Integra GSR a real wild card. Of course, Ira will be a challenger as well.
We anticipate Workman having the advantage over Ira for that second step on the podium — but don’t quote us on it.
Being chosen to win the Runoffs has not always gone well for Ruck. “Hopefully this pick doesn’t doom me to another painful ‘ripping of defeat from the jaws of victory’ situation, which I’ve been so good at in recent years,” he says.
Podium Prediction: F Production
1. Kevin Ruck, No. 73 Hoosier/ AEM Electronics/ MCS 1990 Acura Integra (2 National Championships)
2. Mason Workman, No. 52 Hoosier/Planet Miata/Mazda/Carbotech 1992 Mazda Miata
3. Cliff Ira, No. 36 Cliff Ira Motorsports/JPM 1996 Honda Civic Del Sol VTEC (2 National Championships)
Who Will Win H Production?
Oh my. Jesse Prather has built a car for H Production, and he’s been very successful with it.
“I haven’t lost a race in my new Mazda 2 this year, including winning both days at the [WeatherTech Chicago Region®] June Sprints® in wet and dry conditions,” Prather says. “I’m super happy to be back in a Mazda!”
Why move from E Production to H? Simply put, he’d done everything he wanted with his E Production BMW and was looking for a new challenge. Prather had been building engines for the Mazda 2 that Mark Brakke had built, so he knew the car was capable. “When he wanted to sell it, the timing was perfect,” Prather explains.
Prather had never raced in HP, so he had his new challenge and a chance to expand his business, Jesse Prather Motorsports (JPM).
With two-time National Champion Chris Schaafsma unable to make this year’s Runoffs, Prather believes it will be a three-car shootout between himself, Chuck Mathis, and Steve Sargis — and we don’t disagree.
“Chuck Mathis is running in HP for the first time this year as well, and has had a great year including beating Sargis at the Cat National in July,” Prather adds. “He’ll be my biggest challenge. Then there’s Steve Sargis. He might just wipe the floor with us. You just never know what he’ll bring to the Runoffs. He’s a win-or-break kind of guy it seems this year, but has run three times at Road America this year and should be fast.”
Behind these three, Prather sees Matt Brannon, Brayden Connelly, Chris Albin, Ralf Lindow, Vesa Siligren, and Rob Bax in the top 10.
Podium Prediction: H Production
1. Jesse Prather, No. 34 JPM/Sunoco/Carbotech/Hoosier/Amsoil 2011 Mazda 2 (6 National Championships)
2. Steve Sargis, No. 18 Carbotech 1975 Triumph Spitfire (9 National Championships)
3. Chuck Mathis, 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI, Hoosier/ AMT performance engines (1 National Championship)
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.
The SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco is coming up fast, with the event taking place Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024, at Road America, just south of Elkhart Lake, WI. While it’s easy to get distracted by the beautiful scenery while at the track, it’s important to remember that the best SCCA racers from across the country will gather there to battle for the honor of being able to call themselves a National Champion. And winning is no small feat. Pulling together a winning combination of car and driver takes months — sometimes years — to accomplish. So who will win come Hagerty Race Days on Oct. 4-6? This week, we throw some darts at the wall and make predictions.
When it comes to SCCA® Road Racing, it’s hard to imagine two classes farther apart than American Sedan® and B-Spec, but we put them together along with Super Touring® Under and Super Touring Lite for the purposes of picking the winners because, well, the juxtaposition is entertaining. But it works out well, because while the cars vary in appearance, the quality of racing between all four classes is a mirror image.
If you want to win in one of these classes, you need to be the best.
So…
Who Will Win American Sedan?
American Sedan is dominated by experienced drivers. It takes a lot of practice to hustle a beast of a car through a Runoffs race and still be there — and be fast — at the end. That’s why we think Greg Eaton will claim his fourth AS championship this year. Last year, he led the first laps of the race at VIR and set the fast lap of the race, although that all came to an end with a “DNF” by his name in the results. This year, we think he’ll return to the top step of the podium.
Our pick for second place is defending AS Champion Daniel Richardson. He’s been coming to the Runoffs since 2010 and took his first National Championship title last year.
For third place, we like AS stalwart Andy McDermid. With a Runoffs career stretching back to SSGT in 1990 and eight prior Runoffs titles to his name, it’s entirely possible he could win again.
Also in the hunt could be James Jost, who won the National Championship title in 2021 and is currently leading AS in the Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour points.
In other words, while we don’t know who will win, we do know we’ll be tuning in to watch this race.
Podium Prediction: American Sedan
1. Greg Eaton, No. 21 Eaton Racing and Development 2006 Ford Mustang (3 National Championships)
2. Daniel Richardson, No. 22 Hoosier, AutoGear, ProSystems Brakes, Performance Auto Works, Gentium Technologies 1991 Chevrolet Corvette (1 National Championship)
3. Andy McDermid, No. 24 WeatherTech/Felice Performance/Lane Automotive/Carbotech Brakes/Hoosier 2013 Ford Mustang (8 National Championships)
Who Will Win B-Spec?
In B-Spec, we think Stephanie Andersen has what it takes to win the 26-car field at the Runoffs, in part thanks to the off-track research she’s done to understand the competitive landscape.
“I have been closely following my competition,” Andersen says. “There is a large list of drivers who will be fast this year and many come with loads of experience, including National Championships. I must pay respect to a list of drivers that I’ve had excellent races with this season, including Stewart Black, Joe McClughan, Eric Yagel, Gale Corley, John Phillips, Rob Piekarczyk, and Riley Salyer.”
On-track, meanwhile, she raced from 21st position at the start of the 2024 WeatherTech Chicago Region® June Sprints® at Road America to finish third. She managed this by running a smart and methodical race, making passes when the opportunity arose and keeping her car clean and fast so it was there when she needed it most. She also won the Cat Nationals at Road America this year.
All of that is to say that when it comes to putting themselves in the right position at the right time at Road America this year, Andersen is a proven commodity.
B-Spec is a tight class, though, which makes predicting the rest of the podium just as difficult as anticipating the winner. For second, we’re going with Super Tour points leader Stewart Black, and for third we like the young and fast Riley Salyer. Both are showing speed and smarts in this momentum class.
Road America may be an extra-long track for a B-Spec car, but that just means that there’s more room for great racing.
“Yes, the lap times are long,” Andersen admits, “but the circuit offers so many unique challenges that the time goes by quickly. Not to mention, I consider Road America to be my home track and favorite.”
Podium Prediction: B-Spec
1. Stephanie Andersen, No. 138 X-Factor Racing/G-Loc Brakes 2013 Mazda2
2. Stewart Black, No. 40 Bill Black Autosports 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
3. Riley Salyer, No. 22 MSR Houston/Hands On Driving Academy 2013 Mazda2 (1 National Championship)
Who Will Win Super Touring Under?
After last year’s amazing performance of recovering from a wall hit on the first lap and working through the field to win the championship, we couldn’t pick anyone else but Chip Herr to win Super Touring Under. For his part, Herr is checking his rear-view mirror for the competition.
“Joe Moser is always fast, and Daren Treakle is not only quick but has a fast, reliable BMW,” Herr says. “I will be right there in the fight, and it should make for a great race. I have done very well over my career at Road America, so I hope to be on the top of my game.”
Our pick for second in STU is Joe Moser, and he has some thoughts about the competition as well.
“I think the podium will include Chip Herr in his Audi, Dan Treakle in his BMW, and Thomas Noble in his S54 powered BMW,” Moser says. “Hopefully the race is clean and green because a long clean race may give us an advantage due to our weight. We’ll never have the power and top-end speed of the rest of the field, but we’re feeling good that we have a shot at a podium. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all shakes out at Road America.”
For third place, we think Thomas Noble has what it takes, but we also expect to see current Super Tour points leader David Fiorelli as well as Jose Osiris-Pena, John Schmitt, and Rylan Hazelton in the mix.
Podium Prediction: Super Touring Under
1. Chip Herr, No. 1 Warwick Autopark/Carbotech/Hoosier/MCS/Roux 2007 Audi A4 (1 National Championship)
2. Joe Moser, No. 36 1990 Honda CRX Si (5 National Championships)
3. Thomas Noble, No. 72 Precision Motorwerks 2003 BMW 330i
Who Will Win Super Touring Lite?
Super Touring Lite offers some of the best traditional SCCA racing at the Runoffs, with both front-drive and rear-drive cars competing against each other. One of the most successful drivers in this class has been Joe Moser, with two STL National Championships, including one at Road America in 2020 — he also has three STU Runoffs titles to his credit. Put another way, we’re not going to bet against Moser in this class.
That said, he’s got his work cut out for him this year.
“I’m a glutton for punishment, so I’m driving old Hondas in three classes,” Moser jokes. “For STL, it will be your usual cast of characters, I think with Danny Steyn — the annual best bet for the Tire Rack Pole Award — and the likely podium to include Danny and Jose Osiris-Pena, [and] Max Gee is always fast.
“And with the new BOP [balance of power] rules changes, it should be even more competitive this year,” Moser continues. “We’re feeling good about the engine package we’re bringing this year, so I’m hopeful to put the King Motorsports CRX back on the top of the podium.”
Like Moser said, Steyn is fast, which is why he’s our pick for second place this year. It’s a safe bet because he’s also finished second in STL for the past two years. Then again, he owns three STL National Championships and six Runoffs pole positions in this class, so he’s a sensible bet for the win as well.
Additionally, Steyn is leading the Super Tour points in the class.
For third place, we like Mike Taylor, who is still chasing his first National Championship. He qualified third last year and finished fourth — we think this is his year to make the podium and spray that Mazza sparkling wine.
Podium Prediction: Super Touring Lite
1. Joe Moser, King Motorsports/Hoosier/Carbotech No. 36 1990 Honda CRX Si (5 National Championships)
2. Danny Steyn, No. 9 Ocean Machinery/Nelson Engines/OPM Autosports/G-LOC Brakes/Mazda/Hoosier 2007 Mazda MX-5 (3 National Championships)
3. Mike Taylor, No. 39 JustTrackIt/E3 Storage/MS3 Pro AMP EFI 1998 Acura Integra
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.
Racing in the rain can turn a challenging track day into an absolute nightmare, but it doesn’t have to ruin your weekend. In this episode of the SCCA Shop Manual, presented by Hoosier, we break down the fundamental vehicle adjustments you need to make when the skies open up. We cover the essential steps to softening your car’s setup—including shock settings, spring rates, and sway bars—to ensure you maintain traction and confidence on a slippery surface. Beyond the garage, we explore the critical science of tire selection, helping you understand when to switch to full wets versus intermediates, and how to adapt your racing line to manage tire temperatures effectively in changing weather conditions. Whether you are a beginner looking to survive your first wet event or a seasoned pro refining your foul-weather strategy, these practical tips will help you stay settled and fast regardless of the forecast.
