October 6, 2024

Matt Romer battled with his father, Chip Romer, for 13 laps in the Prototype 1 class before sneaking away on the final lap to take his first career SCCA National Championship. The race was the 26^th and final race of the 60^th Anniversary SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco and the cap of three Hagerty Race Days at Road America.

Struggles in qualifying left Matt Romer’s No. 62 Michelob Ultra Elan DP-02/Mazda fifth on the grid, but he moved to third on the start and into second behind only his Tire Rack Pole Award-winning father by Canada Corner on the opening lap.

The two ran with the younger Romer’s blue and black prototype essentially tucked under the gearbox of Chip’s red and black No. 29 Stella Artois Elan DP-02/Mazda until lap eight when he once again used his strength in Canada Corner to move around the outside, into the lead, and tried to get away.

He didn’t go far, though, as the lead stayed at less than a second between the two until the final lap ended with a 2.928 margin of victory.

“It’s kind of a dream come true,” the newly crowned champion said. “It’s always nice to stand in the number one spot, and having my dad right there and be able to race with him the entire race is amazing. I was battling Jim for a little bit at the start and got by him, and we just teamed up and tried to get away.”

Chip Romer now has four podium finishes, including one previous win, in nine career starts. Though he fought hard for the victory, he wasn’t upset to have finished second to his son.

“My dad sat me in a hydroplane when I knee-high to nothing and got me started in racing many years ago,” Chip Romer said. “Matt grew up with me go karting and he started go karting, it’s been a family thing. I couldn’t be more proud to have this kid right next to me. He drove a hell of a race. I wasn’t giving him an inch.”

While the Romers were running away up front, Jim Devenport was taking on all comers on his way to a seventh career podium finish. Jason Miller bobbled from the outside of the front row pulling away from the green flag and fell back to fourth before overtaking Devenport’s No. 23 Cranbrook Group Inc Elan DP-02/Mazda on lap three. Lee Alexander made a play for the podium when he swept around Devenport on lap five, dropping the eventual bronze medalist back to fifth.

Devenport was in fourth when Miller pulled off on lap six, and turned his personal quickest lap of the race on lap 10 to move back around Alexander and back into the podium position.

He had one last charge to hold off as Alexander got a run out of the final corner on the way to the checkered flag. Alexander pulled alongside Devenport just before the stripe, but Devenport had 0.017sec to spare in holding on to his third-place finish.

“We just missed on the setup badly,” Devenport said. “I was loose on entry and pushing on exit, it was all I could do to keep it on the track. I had a big moment in 14 and saved it. Lee and I had a heck of a battle that we turned into a battle for third. I enjoyed it.”

Alexander finished fourth, followed by Matthew Gendron in fifth. Tyler Thielman was just behind them in sixth to earn the Sunoco Hard Charger Award after starting 11^th on the grid.

Romer’s win may not have even been the highlight of his day. Following the podium ceremony, the Cal Club member proposed to his now-fiancé Siera in front of friends, family and fans.

The 60th anniversary SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco is the pinnacle of American amateur motorsports and crowns Sports Car Club of America’s Road Racing National Champions this year at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, during Hagerty Race Days running Friday, Oct. 4, through Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.

Live, online video coverage of Runoffs races, presented by Mazda, is available throughout the three days of competition at SCCA.com/runoffs-live. Live timing and scoring for each race are also available at SCCA.com/pages/runoffs-live-timing.

Below are final results for Sunday’s Prototype 1 race at the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.

1, (5), Matt Romer, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Elan DP-02 Mazda, 13.
2, (1), Chip Romer, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Elan DP-02 Mazda, 13.
3, (3), Jim Devenport, Alamo, CA, Elan DP-02 Mazda, 13.
4, (4), Lee Alexander, Springfield, TN, Stohr WF-Z Kawasaki, 13.
5, (8), Matthew Gendron, Monson, MA, Downing Atlanta Peach Mazda, 13.
6, (11), Tyler Thielmann, Kiel, WI, Elan DP-02 Mazda, 13.
7, (2), Jason Miller, Plymouth, WI, WynnFurst West Kohler, 6.
8, (7), John Mcaleer, Roswell, GA, Elan DP-02 Mazda, 6.
DNF, (9), Greg Case, Peoria, IL, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 4.
DNS, (6), Todd Vanacore, Ormond Beach, FL, Elan DP-02 Mazda, 0.
DNS, (10), David Locke, Lafayette, IN, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 0.
DNS, (12), James French, Sheboygan, WI, Ligier JS53 Honda, 0.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 52.62 miles
Overall Time of Race: 26:28.782 (avg. 119.240 mph)
Margin of Victory: 2.928 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:00.418 (121.018 mph)
Lap Leaders: #29, Laps 1-7; #62, Laps 8-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #6 Tyler Thielmann

Before the race even began, intrigue surrounded Sunday afternoon’s GT-3 contest during the third and final Hagerty Race Day of the 60th anniversary SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco, which took place Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024, on Road America’s 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit in the Kettle Moraine region of Wisconsin.

Tony Ave came into the 13-lap race having won the previous two GT-3 Championships. Earlier in the week, he also gathered up another Tire Rack Pole Award for being the fastest GT-3 vehicle after three days of qualifying. Adding to the tale, the GT-3 race would be Ave’s fifth winner-take-all Championship challenge in three days.

Ave had already added to his overall medal count coming into Sunday’s penultimate Runoffs race. He finished second in Touring 1 and third in Formula Atlantic. Medals eluded him in the GT-1 and GT-2 contests, so GT-3 was the last chance to grab gold in 2024 at America’s National Park of Speed.

Adding to the drama, Ave switched motors in his Honda Civic after qualifying. That moved him to the rear of the 13-car field. So Jeff Dernehl’s Mazda RX-7 led racers to the green flag. Next to him was Michael Lewis, of SCCA’s San Diego Region, in the No. 32 Goodyear Mazda RX-7 machine.

As the field climbed the hill toward the starter’s stand, driver Stacy Wilson slowed his Mazda RX-7 and allowed all the other competitors behind to slip by, leaving Ave with one fewer competitor in his way. By the end of the first lap, which was led by Dernehl with Lewis in tow, Ave had already climbed up to fourth. Only third-place runner Tony Rivera and his Mazda RX-3 stood between Ave and the leaders.

Going into Turn 5 on lap two, Lewis got by Dernehl for the lead, and Ave claimed the third position after passing Rivera. A lap later, Dernehl slowed to a stop after the Carousel, promoting Ave to second and Rivera to third. Behind them was Rob Warkocki, in another Mazda RX-7, who was trying to hold off Blake Wilson’s No. 55 Wilson Racing/Appalachian Race Tire Mazda RX-7 that started in the 12^th position.

On lap five, Lewis’ lead was 4.6-seconds over Ave. On lap six, it was 4.2-seconds, then 3.6-seconds on lap seven. By lap 10, the difference was just .567sec as the duo crossed the start-finish line. But as Ave chased Lewis down Kettle Bottoms and into the Kink, his car let loose a plume of smoke and he fell off the pace. That brought Ave’s Runoffs adventure to an end a few laps sooner than planned.

Lewis completed a few more laps unchallenged before crossing the finish line for his 11^th Runoffs gold medal in 47 starts.

“I wanted to win this race against these guys and have it be a battle, which it certainly turned out to be,” an emotional Lewis said as his daughter placed the gold medal around his neck. “Tony (Ave) certainly had the bit between his teeth, and he was coming hard. I’d saved a little bit and thought I could hold him off, but I’m glad I didn’t have to.”

Lewis noted in the post-race interview that his car was experiencing a serious overheating problem, and it looked like he wasn’t the only one. Seems all the colorful fall leaves around Road America may come with a drawback. As much of the GT-3 field circulated around the track, the nose grills of cars became increasingly covered with said leaves, severely hampering fresh, cool air from finding its way to engines — which might have been a problem for the hard-working motors.

As mentioned, racers Rivera, Warkocki, Blake Wilson and Chris Edens where racing to fill out the GT-3 podium. On lap 12, Rivera’s car slowed before he pulled out of the race. Then on the same lap, Warkocki’s car pulled off track in the Kink after an amazing, multi-lap battle with Blake Wilson.

That left the final two podium steps to be filled by Wilson and Edens. But Edens’ Mazda Miata pulled off in the Carousel, and the No. 39 Sport&Specialty/Goodyear Mazda RX-7 driven by George Cichon came across the finish line in third.

Wilson’s work netted him a silver medal and first trip to the victory podium in three Runoffs appearances.

“We just drove as hard as we could,” Blake Wilson said. “We were planning on the car being good for the second half of the race, and it really was. It was a lot of fun.”

Chichon’s ability to care for his machinery resulted in his first bronze medal and first Runoffs podium appearance in seven tries. He also earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award after starting in the 11^th spot.

“I figured there was going to be a lot of attrition, but the way they were falling out was incredible,” Chichon noted afterwards. “Every time I saw a car parked on the side of the track, I just thought ‘that’s one more position.'”

Armen Megregian finished fifth in a Mazda Miata, and Taz Harvey came home sixth in a Honda Civic.

Below are final results for Sunday’s GT-3 race at the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.

1, (3), Michael Lewis, Poway, CA, Mazda RX-7, 13.
2, (13), Blake Wilson, Etowah, TN, Mazda RX-7, 13.
3, (11), George Cichon, Caledonia, IL, Mazda RX-7, 13.
4, (10), Armen Megregian, Naples, FL, Mazda Miata, 13.
5, (4), Taz Harvey, Danville, CA, Honda Civic, 13.
6, (8), Chris Edens, Sherwood, AR, Mazda Miata, 12.
7, (12), Ken Nelson, Novi, MI, Nissan 200SX, 12.
8, (6), Tony Rivera, Oceanside, CA, Mazda RX-3, 11.
9, (5), Rob Warkocki, Frankfort, IL, Mazda RX-7, 11.
10, (1), Tony Ave, Maiden, NC, Honda Civic, 10.
11, (2), Jeff Dernehl, Cumming, GA, Mazda RX-7, 9.
DNF, (9), Paul Young, Commerce Twp, MI, Ford Probe, 2.
DNF, (7), Stacy Wilson, Englewood, TN, Mazda RX-7, 2.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 52.62 miles
Overall Time of Race: 31:54.375 (avg. 98.960 mph)
Margin of Victory: 13.919 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:22.863 (102.005 mph)
Lap Leaders: #65, Lap 1; #32, Laps 2-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #39 George Cichon

Marshall Mast is no stranger to the Runoffs pole or the win, and at this year’s 60th anniversary SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco — taking place Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024 at Road America — the tradition continued.

In his prior eight visits to the Runoffs, Mast had earned the Tire Rack Pole 50% of the time. Now, the Philadelphia Region member’s fastest qualifying time in Touring 3 (T3) driving his No. 31 Phoenix Performance/Hawk/Hoosier Pontiac Solstice GXP upped his record to five for nine.

Mast’s closest T3 competition in qualifying was Nic Hammann, whose time was just 0.294sec off Mast’s. Starting fourth was Chris Hart, who finished on the Runoffs podium once before and was sporting a qualifying time only a half second further back.

T3’s Hagerty Race Day came toward the tail end of the event’s final day, so the grid was already abuzz with anticipation — but this day, the grid was also bustling with strong wind, so drivers would be facing forcible gusts largely coming from the north, but often shifting to the west.

On-track drama began before the green even flew, as Mast and Hart made contact ever so slightly coming up the front straight, although not enough to cause damage. Moments later, the starter showed the green and Mast went to work.

Opening laps showed that Hamann and Hart were determined not to let Mast escape, as the trio began to put space on Sean Lovett in fourth. But when Hammann dipped his left tires in the dirt on the corner exit of 14, Hart popped out for the pass and headed up the pursuit of Mast.

On lap five, Jared Lendrum made contact with the wall at Turn 8, but the incident was covered by local yellows, allowing Mast to retain his two second advantage over Hart and Hammann — only now it was Hammann then Hart, as Hammann had retaken second.

While the leaders were running away, the battle for eighth place between John LoGiudice, Anthony Piselli, Derek Chan, and Derek Wagner waged, as did the fight for 12th with Richard Baldwin, Scotty B. White, James Berlin, and Ross Murray.

Those races were 40-plus seconds behind Mast who, with one lap to go, had amassed a three-second advantage over Hammann, who himself was three seconds ahead of Hart. This was roughly the same gap when the three crossed the finish line 4.048 miles and 14 turns later.

Behind them, Lovett finished fourth, with James Leithauser beating out Hines for fifth with only 0.136sec to spare. The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to Derek Wagner, who started 13th and finished 10th.

“The wind was crazy out there,” Mast said after winning his fifth Runoffs gold medal. “It was pushing us around all over the place and it was different every turn, every lap. So trying to manage that was honestly one of the hardest parts of this race. But … the guys behind me, they didn’t let up at all and made me push pretty much all race.”

As for his car — well, Mast had no complaints. “The car did everything I asked it to do,” he said. “The brakes held up, the Hoosier tires were great, Hawk brake pads got me stopping in every brake zone. [The car] did everything I would have wished it to do.”

Even after 13 laps, Kansas City Region member Hammann said his No. 41 Nissan/Carbotech/ParagonPerformance Nissan 370Z Nismo was still running strong. “The Carbotech brakes were really good throughout the whole race, and the Nissan was just getting faster and faster … and it was handling really good at the end. We just needed like 40 more minutes and we would have had something, but it was a lot of fun.”

Collecting his second-ever Runoffs bronze medal, Hart was happy with his finishing position in the No. 5 FabTek/SCI Spray Coating/The Ridge Nissan 370Z Nismo, though the Northwest Region member was already looking forward to having another shot at the championship. “I learned a lot,” he said. “This is my first time [at Road America], so now that I got to actually race with some people, I know what [the car] needs to be and I think we could probably be better next time.”

Below are final results for Sunday’s Touring 3 race at the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.

1, (1), Marshall Mast, Denver, PA, Pontiac Solstice GXP, 13.
2, (2), Nic Hammann, Elkhart Lake, WI, Nissan 370Z Nismo, 13.
3, (3), Chris Hart, Yakima, WA, Nissan 350Z Nismo, 13.
4, (4), Sean Lovett, Santa Rosa, CA, BMW SpecE46, 13.
5, (5), James Leithauser, Louisville, CO, BMW Z4 M, 13.
6, (8), Rob Hines, Arlington, VA, Nissan 350Z Nismo, 13.
7, (6), Simon Foweather, Birmingham, AL, BMW SpecE46, 13.
8, (10), John LoGiudice, Hartland, WI, Ford Mustang V6, 13.
9, (12), Anthony Piselli, Maurertown, VA, Subaru WRX Sti, 13.
10, (13), Derek Wagner, Jordan, MN, BMW SpecE46, 13.
11, (9), Derek Chan, Rosemount, MN, Nissan 350Z Nismo, 13.
12, (16), Ross Murray, Marina Del Rey, CA, Ford Mustang GT, 13.
13, (18), Richard Baldwin, Covington, LA, Nissan 350Z Touring, 13.
14, (11), Scotty B White, Auburn, WA, Ford Mustang V6, 13.
15, (17), James Berlin, Lakeville, MN, Nissan 370Z Nismo, 13.
16, (15), Christopher DeShong, Valrico, FL, BMW SpecE46, 13.
17, (19), Andrea King, Minneapolis, MN, BMW 330i/ci, 13.
18, (21), Robert Damler, Zionsville, IN, Ford Mustang GT, 13.
19, (20), Randy Johnson, Tacoma, WA, Ford Mustang EcoBoost, 12.
20, (22), Edward Karabec, Scarborough, ME, BMW SpecE46, 12.
DNF, (14), Jared Lendrum, Queensbury, NY, Subaru WRX Sti, 4.
DNF, (7), Gamaliel Aguilar-Gamez, Renton, WA, Nissan 370Z Nismo, 0.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 52.62 Miles
Overall Time of Race: 32:28.644 (avg. 97.220 mph)
Margin of Victory: 02.683 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:29.191 (97.679 mph)
Lap Leaders: #31, Laps 1-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #122 Derek Wagner

Adam Jennerjahn, from the Indianapolis Region, became a third-generation medalist at the SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco when he captured gold on Sunday at Road America, the third of three Hagerty Race Days at the 60^th anniversary of the event.

Jennerjahn watched his grandfather, Brian, earn a third-place finish at Road America in 2009 and his father Chris win a National Championship in 2020, both in Formula Vee, but became the first in his family to win in the Formula Enterprises 2 class with a 0.782sec victory on Sunday afternoon.

His No. 71 Jennjahn Machine Formula Enterprises/Mazda held off Eric Wisniewski on a restart with two laps to go for the final segment of a challenging race. Wisniewski went on the attack but ran wide in the first turn in the No. 25 REMAX Commercial Group/Southside Formula Enterprises/Mazda, coming back next to Jennerjahn but without the momentum he needed on the run to Turn 5 to make a pass.

Each ran identical lap times of 2:13.196 on the final lap of the race, both personal bests, leaving Jennerjahn with the advantage on the run up to the checkered flag.

“It’s a remarkable feeling,” Jennerjahn said. “I love being here. I bet I’ve watched 100 June Sprints races here in my lifetime. I finally got my first Sprints win on a Saturday this year, but my dad says it doesn’t count unless you win a Sunday race. I’d say today’s counts! It feels great.”

Getting into position to lead the race was much more difficult for Jennerjahn. He started third but fell behind Jason Conzo on the first lap before the first of three full course cautions slowed the field. He moved back up to third when Russell Turner pulled off course with a mechanical issue and was in second when he drove back around Conzo at the end of lap seven. When then-leader and Tire Rack polesitter Porter Aiken pulled off with a mechanical issue of his own on lap 10, the full course caution came out for the third — and final — time with Jennerjahn on the point and the final dash to the checkered flag was set.

In addition to the Jennerjahn family connection, the physical car carried memories for many with his team. Jennerjahn’s Alliance Autosport-prepared car was the same one driven by the late Scott Rettich, who founded Alliance Autosport and drove to seven SCCA National Championships.

“When we lost Scott and they asked me to run this 71 car, it was probably the greatest privilege I’ve had in racing outside of racing itself,” Jennerjahn said. “Being able to do this with this car, there’s obviously something special.”

Wisniewski was making his first SCCA Runoffs appearance and followed a similar path as Jennerjahn to the front of the field. He was ready to take the lead on the restart, but mother nature had other plans.

“I tried to give it everything and once I got ahead in Turn 1 the wind blew and I was sliding, trying to keep the car under control and I went off into the curbs,” Wisniewski said. “I think I went airborne for a second there but I was just trying to throw everything at him because he’s such a good driver. This whole field is amazing. We came up one place short but it was so much fun.”

Darryl Wills made his own successful move on the final restart to earn his fifth career podium and first in the class. Wills drove the No. 47 Hillenburg Motorsports Formula Enterprises/Mazda around Dean Opperman at the end of Lap 12 and drove away in Lap 13 for his first podium since his win in the Formula Mazda class in 2013.

“They’re all important. They all feel good. I took about two years off to go ride motorcycles around the country and got back into racing. Lew Hillenburg wanted to get into FEs and I said ‘why not?’ Now we’re Customer Service Reps and we build them. Eric started racing with us this year and it’s been a lot of fun. Youth is everything and it’s contagious.”

Opperman finished fourth, followed by Sunoco Hard Charger Award winner Sam Harrington in fifth. Harrington’s top-five finish came from 14^th on the grid.

Below are final results for Sunday’s Formula Enterprises® 2 race at the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs®, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.

1, (3), Adam Jennerjahn, Los Angeles, CA, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
2, (5), Eric Wisniewski, Mason, MI, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
3, (8), Darryl Wills, League City, TX, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
4, (9), Dean Oppermann, Minooka, IL, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
5, (14), Sam Harrington, Finksburg, MD, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
6, (12), Tom Burt, Shoreline, WA, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
7, (16), James Regan, Longmeadow, MA, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
8, (17), Chris Jennerjahn, Hartford City, IN, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
9, (15), Jonathan Weisheit, Baltimore, MD, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
10, (18), Roy Hillenburg, Friendswood, TX, SCCA Ent FE2, 13.
11, (1), Porter Aiken, Dawsonville, GA, SCCA Ent FE2, 9.
12, (11), Blake Pigeon, Austin, TX, SCCA Ent FE2, 8.
13, (4), Jason Conzo, Great River, NY, SCCA Ent FE2, 8.
14, (6), Caleb Shrader, Tigard, OR, SCCA Ent FE2, 7.
15, (2), Charles Russell Turner, Montpelier, VA, SCCA Ent FE2, 6.
DNF, (7), Bailey Monette, Milton, GA, SCCA Ent FE2, 2.
DNF, (10), Steve Whitston, Georgetown, TX, SCCA Ent FE2, 2.
DNF, (13), John Yeatman, Cave Creek, AZ, SCCA Ent FE2, 0.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 52.62 miles
Overall Time of Race: 39:50.615 (avg. 79.246 mph)
Margin of Victory: 0.782 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:12.748 (109.778 mph)
Lap Leaders: #21, Laps 1-9; #71, Laps 10-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #33 Sam Harrington

The third and final Hagerty Race Day of the 60th anniversary SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco included the always-popular GT-2 race with its 23 entrants. That was one of 26 classes involved in the Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024, winner-take-all event in Wisconsin at America’s National Park of Speed.

Charlie Peter — who already won Friday’s Touring 2 race around Road America’s 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit — was on pole for GT-2 after resetting the class qualifying record to claim a Tire Rack Pole Award in the No. 166 Charlie Peter/KCR Phenix Label/Yokohama Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup car. Alongside him to start the race was John Atwell in a Ford Mustang.

Peter, from SCCA’s Kansas City Region, managed the start expertly and shot out ahead of the field. Over the next 13 laps, he extended his lead slowly but surely until he reached the checkered flag with a 12-second margin of victory. However, that doesn’t mean Peter’s GT-2 Runoffs experience was stress-free.

Just two weeks ago, Peter’s Porsche was a shell — no fenders, no nothing. His friend Mirl Swan, however, was able to put the entire car back together in only 48 hours. Then, during qualifying on Tuesday, his car’s transmission blew up, so they had to swap in a new one.

“This is very exciting,” a grinning Peter said after the contest. “At half-race distance, I had an alarm come on my dash that said, ‘Check Belts.’ So I figured my battery was going to run out at any time. But I think it was a false alarm, thank God.”

The real fun happened behind Peter. Atwell took hold of second place early with Brad McAllister’s Ford Mustang in tow. Jared Odrick, the 2023 GT-2 Runoffs Champion, was third in the No. 30 Ford Mustang, Austin Jurs fourth in a Chevrolet Camaro, Jonathan Start fifth in the No. 51 Hoosier/Kalin Construction/G-Loc Dodge Viper ACR-X, and Tony Ave’s Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup sat sixth.

On the second lap, Jurs moved in front of Odrick for the fourth position. Four laps later, Jurs moved up to third after passing McAllister. Then just past the race’s halfway point, Jurs was in second followed by Atwell, McAllister and Odrick. A bit further back, Start was leading Ave around the circuit for the sixth and seventh positions.

As laps ticked away, Start looked to be out of the hunt even though he shook Ave off his bumper. Jurs and McAllister were mixing it up for second and third, and McAllister was a bit further back dealing with Odrick for fourth and fifth positions.

That was the order when the white flagged fluttered in the wind, but that wasn’t the order when the checkered flag fell. After the uphill climb into Turn 6 on the last lap, Atwell got by Jurs. As Atwell and Jurs approached Turn 8, they encountered some traffic. Atwell tried to dive inside a car in Turn 8 but made contact with the competitor. Atwell spun, then Jurs and McAllister went into the grass to avoid the shemozzle. Odrick drove by unharmed, as did Start.

Odrick and Start were able to complete the lap without incident to claim the final two steps on the victory podium. For Odrick, that’s his first silver medal at the Runoffs, and second podium appearance in only three tries.

“I had a really good start but couldn’t find a gap at the beginning. Then it was like the heavens opened up,” said Odrick, who is former pro football player. “This has been about focus and switching into a total lifestyle. There’s a lot I have grafted on from a previous life and previous athletic pursuit.”

Start’s effort resulted in his third bronze medal in 13 Runoffs appearances.

“I knew I had to be there at the end because you never know what those guys up front are going to do,” Start said. “I wanted to make sure I kept the tires under my car.”

McAllister was able to complete the final lap for fourth, Jurs came home fifth, and Ave finished sixth. A. Sterling Cole, in the No. 13 Mazda RX-7, earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award for starting 17^th and finishing in the 10^th position.

Below are final results for Sunday’s GT-2 race at the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.

1, (1), Charlie Peter, Olathe, KS, Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup, 13.
2, (4), Jared Odrick, Hilliard, OH, Ford Mustang, 13.
3, (8), Jonathan Start, Caledonia, MI, Dodge Viper ACR-X, 13.
4, (3), Brad McAllister, Sherwood, OR, Ford Mustang, 13.
5, (5), Austin Jurs, Union, IL, Chevrolet Camaro, 13.
6, (7), Tony Ave, Maiden, NC, Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup, 13.
7, (10), Tom Patton, Fairfield Twp, OH, Sunbeam Tiger, 13.
8, (11), Justin Elder, Lakeville, MN, Chevrolet Camaro, 13.
9, (13), Ray Mason, Blacklick, OH, Ford Mustang, 13.
10, (17), A. Sterling Cole, Salem, NH, Mazda RX-7, 13.
11, (15), Brian Garcia, Saint Charles, IL, Dodge Challenger, 13.
12, (14), Patrick Utt, Riverview, FL, Chevrolet Camaro, 13.
13, (9), Michael Quattlebaum, Houston, TX, Chevrolet Corvette, 13.
14, (16), William Moore, Chagrin Falls, OH, Chevrolet Camaro, 13.
15, (18), Chuck Hurley, Monroe, WA, Porsche 997.1 GT3 Cup, 13.
16, (2), John Atwell, Azle, TX, Ford Mustang, 12.
17, (19), Kevin Rich, Lexington, TX, Ford Mustang, 12.
18, (21), Gary Johnson, Knoxville, TN, Sunbeam Tiger, 12.
19, (23), R Paul Evans, Wolfe City, TX, Panoz Esperante GTS, 12.
20, (12), Dominic Starkweather, Cave Creek, AZ, Chevrolet Corvette, 11.
21, (20), Timothy Gray, Minneapolis, MN, Ford Mustang, 11.
22, (22), Paul Ruth, Parker, TX, Chevrolet Camaro, 8.
23, (6), Jack Stanford, Commerce, GA, Ford Mustang, 7.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 52.62 miles
Overall Time of Race: 29:11.831 (avg. 108.142 mph)
Margin of Victory: 12.077 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:13.311 (109.314 mph)
Lap Leaders: #166, Laps 1-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #13 A. Sterling Cole

Family once again defined the Formula Vee® (FV) race at the SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco — taking place Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024, at Road America — but this time with a different brother standing atop the podium. In his sixth Runoffs attempt — and at the 60^th Anniversary event — Steve Whitston drove a smart race, earning his first Runoffs gold. While he finally got to stand on the podium with his brother, this win fulfilled a dream for another reason.

“When I was a little kid, we had birthday candles for birthdays, and my wish every single year was for my dad [Ron] to win the Runoffs, so to be able to finally get into a race car, which is a treat itself, to finally win the Runoffs, it’s just a dream come true.”

Steve’s brother, Milwaukee Region member Andrew Whitston, ultimately finished second, but he started the race on the Tire Rack Pole driving his No. 12 Rocket Motors/LOA Roofing/Milio’s Protoform 2. His qualifying performance came as little surprise since the Whitstons have long been a force to be reckoned with in Formula Vee, not to mention Andrew Whitston was the defending National Champ.

Steve Whitston had earned the outside pole, driving a similar Protoform P2 to brother Andrew. On the second row was Jonathan Weisheit and Brandon Abbott, followed by Alex Scaler and Andrew Abbott, with Zachary and Ron Whitston rounding out the first four rows of the 27-car field.

The Formula Vee racers took to Road America’s 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit on the last of three Hagerty Race Days on Sunday morning under clear skies and cool conditions — perfect weather for a Vee race.

The green flag flew and the field spread four to five wide, with Steve Whitston grabbing the lead, followed by the Abbots and Weisheit. Into the Carousel, Andrew Whitston took to the front, quickly followed by Weisheit, Steve Whitston, and Brandon Abbott.

The early race shuffle wasn’t over, as the lead pack fanned out once more into Turn 5 on the second lap, and by the time the group made it to Canada Corner, it was Steve Whitston leading Andrew Abbott, with the two beginning to break away from Weisheit, Brandon Abbott, Andrew Whitston, and more.

The battle ensued, with the pack challenging for the lead nearly every time into Turns 1, 5, and 12. Sometimes Weisheit was on point, but other times it was Andrew Whitston or Andrew Abbott.

By the halfway point, the lead pack — where anyone could challenge for the top spot — was eight strong. Then on lap eight, Brandon Abbott got into a small tangle with Weisheit heading into Turn 5, reducing the lead pack to seven.

A heart stopping moment came on lap nine when Weisheit performed a single-car 360 into Turn 5 under braking. That only cost him two spots in the lead pack, but he spun once more exiting Turn 1, dropping him from the frontrunners.

In a drafting class, it all comes down to the final lap, and in this race, it was Andrew Whitston leading brother Steve, with Andrew Abbott third in the breakaway pack. But, of course, the order changed into Turn 1, with Steve emerging at the front. Come Turn 5, Andrew Whitston had the point.

Up the front straight to the checker, they spanned three wide, with Steve Whitston earning the win in his No. 18 LOA Construction Protoform P2 over his brother Andrew Whitston by 0.036sec. Detroit Region’s Andrew Abbott was a scant 0.023sec back in his No. 25 Vector Racecars/Hoosier/TJS Gears Vector AM-1. Fourth went to Farnham more than 6.5sec back, with Zachary Whitston rounding out the top five.

“I figured coming into [Turn] 14, I had it,” said Steve Whitston of the last lap. “There was a lot of oil, and I saw Andy get a little bit loose and I thought that if I could just keep my foot down, go through it, it’ll be OK, and it worked out.

“I have to thank my dad for putting our cars together,” the Milwaukee Region member said. “There’s no way that we’d be here without him — there’s not a chance. And, obviously, my entire family, my wife, my kids, letting me do this, be gone constantly. And just everyone who’s involved with us.”

“Our goal is really to get three cars on the podium and this is about as close as we can get but not do it,” Andrew Whitston said. “I’m so excited for Steve, it’s just awesome. He earned that race all by himself. I mean, we were working together a little bit, but he was in the right place at the right time. He drove a really smart race [and] kept his nose clean.”

Finishing third was an emotional Andrew Abbott: “I’ve got to thank my family. My wife, my daughter’s here, it’s the first time that she gets to experience the podium. Pat and Jason for coming in. My mom, of course. Losing my dad in February has been a big toll on us, so it’s nice to get back on the podium for him here.”

The Sunoco Hard Charger award went to William Styczynski, who started 25th and finished 15th.

Below are final results for Sunday’s Formula Vee race at the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.

1, (2), Steve Whitston, Georgetown, TX, Protoform P2, 13.
2, (1), Andrew Whitston, Neenah, WI, Protoform P2, 13.
3, (6), Andrew Abbott, Livonia, MI, Vector AM-1, 13.
4, (11), Brian Farnham, Medina, OH, Silver Bullet FR-S, 13.
5, (7), Zachary Whitston, Austin, TX, Protoform P2, 13.
6, (13), Mitchell Ferguson, Moore, SC, Vorscha GB4, 13.
7, (3), Jonathan Weisheit, Baltimore, MD, JK Technologies XP-1, 13.
8, (15), Rick Shields, Bridgeville, PA, VDF , 13.
9, (9), Graham Loughead, Carmel, IN, Vortech , 13.
10, (4), Brandon Abbott, Farmington Hills, MI, Vector AM-1, 13.
11, (12), Donnie Isley, Fletcher, NC, Agitator 016, 13.
12, (18), Jon S Adams, Whitmore Lake, MI, Adams V-2, 13.
13, (16), Raymond Carmody, Horseheads, NY, Mysterian M3, 13.
14, (17), Connor Loughead, Columbus, OH, Vortech , 13.
15, (25), William Styczynski, Downers Grove, IL, Vortech , 13.
16, (23), Stuart Delaney, Plymouth, MI, Caracal C, 13.
17, (24), Mark Richardson, Washington, IL, Vortech , 13.
18, (20), Jeffrey Valeo, Brooklyn, NY, Speedsport AM-5, 13.
19, (19), Alexander Bertolucci, Mount Prospect, IL, Citation XTC-41, 13.
20, (27), Marjorie Lundberg, Beaverton, OR, Caracal C, 13.
21, (26), Michael Nitz, Menomonee Falls, WI, Mysterian M3, 13.
22, (10), Mike Lawrence, Charlotte, NC, Protoform P2, 11.
23, (22), Stevan Davis, Danielsville, GA, Vortech , 10.
24, (8), Ron Whitston, Neenah, WI, Protoform P2, 9.
DNF, (5), Alex Scaler, Asbury, NJ, Scaler Mk1, 4.
DNF, (21), Rich Richardson, South Pekin, IL, Protoform P3, 4.
DNF, (14), Quinn Posner, Camas, WA, Protoform P3, 2.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 52.62 Miles
Overall Time of Race: 36:14.298 (avg. 87.130 mph)
Margin of Victory: 00.036 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:44.834 (88.409 mph)
Lap Leaders: #25, Laps 1,7; #18, Laps 2,13; #61, Lap 3; #12, Laps 4-6, 8-12
Sunoco Hard Charger: #24 William Styczynski

Tyler Ladd had big shoes to fill when he stepped into the No. 51 BMW Z3 this season and handled the pressure like a pro, capturing the E Production championship on Sunday at Road America during the 60^th anniversary SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco.

Ladd qualified on the Tire Rack pole and led the field to the green with John Hainsworth’s No. 95 Turf Trade/Hoosier/Carbotech Mazda RX-7 to his outside. The two checked out from the rest of the field, running together through the caution-free race and pulling a lead of 30 seconds on the rest of the field.

The gap between the two was never more than two seconds and just 1.730sec when the duo came to the white flag to start the final lap. Heading into Turn 5, Hainsworth stepped on the brake pedal as his front right suspension broke, ending his race nine corners early as he safely pulled off track.

That left Ladd all alone up front and he cruised to the checkered flag for his first win in just his second Runoffs start.

“I’m absolutely stunned,” Ladd said. “I came from mid pack in Spec Miata and now I’m standing on the top at the Runoffs. Some of the gap was managing it. He would catch back up and I would bottle it, and I’d have to tell myself to calm down, relax, concentrate on the braking points, concentrate on powering out and you’ll be fine. I wish I could have raced him right to the end. That sucks for him because he gave me such a good race. He didn’t let me have this one.”

Ladd’s BMW has now won five consecutive E Production races — three in a row from Jesse Prather, followed by Greg Ira in 2023 before landing in the Wichita Region driver’s hands for the 2024 season. That season was an unequivocal success as the Runoffs victory also clenched an SCCA Super Sweep for Ladd, which also requires a Hoosier Super Tour point victory and a Majors Conference champion all in the same class.

“There was a lot of weight,” Ladd said. “When I bought this from Jesse, it took a couple of races to stop calling it his. I just wanted to keep the pedigree going. I couldn’t sleep last night.”

With Hainsworth dropping out, the battle between Austin Bradshaw and Bill Miller was now for second place. Bradshaw’s No. 41 Sunoco/T3/Mazda/Goodyear Mazda RX-7 started fourth on the grid and moved around Peter Norton’s Caterham 7 on the opening lap to slot into third place. Miller moved his No. 47 JPM/W-Interactive/Miller95 BMW 328i to fourth two laps later and spent the rest of the race in a battle that looked nearly identical to the one taking place at the front of the field.

Bradshaw crossed the line with a second-place finish that fulfilled a childhood dream for the 24-year-old second generation racer, who grew up watching the television broadcast of the Runoffs each year. That finish also earned him the Sunoco Hard Charger Award for most positions gained during the race.

“I grew up watching the SCCA Runoffs as a child. To now be here feels like a complete dream come true,” Bradshaw said. “To be here with an RX-7 and to be here with my family, I couldn’t ask for a more memorable way to finish out the week. A second place to me is a win for my family. We wrench on the car ourselves. To be able to all do it together is the coolest thing. That’s what makes SCCA racing so fun.”

Miller backed down on the final lap after beginning to drop some oil, content to take home a career-best fourth-place finish. He didn’t learn that he had finished on the podium until the pit lane crew pointed him to parc ferme.

“I thought I was fourth,” Miller said. “I got waived over at the last second coming in. I just wanted to keep the car going, get a good finish, and end the day with the car on the trailer. I was a little more dominant until Turn 5, and then he had me in the rest of the track. It’s pretty neat to have two styles of cars, where they are good in different spots. I was setting him up for a corner one, last lap pass, and the last four laps my axle popped out and started oiling down my right rear tire. So I went right to survival mode and didn’t need to be a hero. I stayed with him as best I could and brought it home.”

Norton finished fourth, followed by Tim Anastopoulos in fifth.

Below are final results for Sunday’s E Production race at the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.

1, (1), Tyler Ladd, Clearwater, KS, BMW Z3, 13.
2, (4), Austin Bradshaw, Dundee, OR, Mazda RX-7, 13.
3, (5), Bill Miller, Weston, MO, BMW 328i/is E36, 13.
4, (3), Peter Norton, Pelham, NC, Lotus/Caterham 7 America, 13.
5, (6), Tim Anastopoulos, Kenosha, WI, BMW 325i/is, 13.
6, (7), Doug Piner, Hampstead, NC, BMW Z3, 13.
7, (9), Lance Loughman, Bath, MI, Nissan 240Z, 13.
8, (10), Heikki Silegren, Stouffville, ON, Nissan 240Z, 13.
9, (8), Aaron Johnson, Lodi, OH, Honda S2000, 13.
10, (11), Joe Carr, Petaluma, CA, Mazda Miata, 13.
11, (12), Don Tucker, Memphis, TN, Mazda Miata, 13.
12, (15), John Collins, Albuquerque, NM, BMW 325i/is, 13.
13, (13), Anthony Parker, New Ipswich, NH, Triumph GT6, 13.
14, (2), John Hainsworth, Vineland, NJ, Mazda RX-7, 12.
DNF, (14), John Baucom, Monroe, NC, Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto, 1.
DNF, (16), Mark Weber, Saint Louis, MO, Mazda Miata, 1.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 52.62 miles
Overall Time of Race: 32:19.718 (avg. 97.667 mph)
Margin of Victory: 34.020 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:27.869 (98.552 mph)
Lap Leaders: #51, Laps 1-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #41 Austin Bradshaw

There was no sleeping in on Sunday morning for anyone near Elkhart Lake, WI, as screaming engines of Formula 600 (F6) racecars fired up early to commence the third and final Hagerty Race Day of the 60th anniversary SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco. This season, the annual event takes place Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024, at Road America.

Reigning F6 National Champion Calvin Stewart earned a Tire Rack Pole Award in the No. 07 SabbathTruth.com/Hoosier Novakar J10 Suzuki after posting a record-breaking qualifying lap Wednesday around the 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit known as America’s National Park of Speed. Sharing the front row with Stewart was Sven de Vries in the No. 27 Novakar J9 Suzuki.

To start the 13-lap race that had 22 entries, Stewart jumped into the lead followed by de Vries and Ethan Alexander in a Red Devil Suzuki. By the end of the opening lap, James Weida and his No. 22 Weida Apartments Scorpion S1 Rotax had moved from the sixth starting spot to fourth. Behind him were Aaron Ellis in the No. 43 Hawk/CFF/Hoosier Ellis AE13 Suzuki, Eric McRee in a NovaRace Blade Suzuki, Jason Martin in a Novakar J10 Suzuki, David Lapham in a Novakar J10 Suzuki, and Keith Joslyn in a Scorpion S1 Rotax.

By the third lap, Weida had passed Alexander for the third spot. Then Weida went under de Vries in Turn 1 on lap four to take the second spot before going around Stewart in the Carousal to claim the lead. Stewart, however, was unfazed and was back at the front before the Kink.

The fifth lap saw de Vries take second away from Weida on the straight, but Weida was around de Vries again after the fifth corner. The order just short of the race’s midway point was Stewart and Weida in a fight at the front, but de Vries and Alexander were very much in the hunt as well. Ellis and Martin were still in the picture, too.

Not long after, Weida went around the outside of Stewart in Turn 5 to take the lead. From there, the driver from SCCA’s Indianapolis Region stretched his advantage to three seconds enroute to victory and his second Runoffs gold medal and National Championship.

“Once I got through traffic, I just kept my head down and kept hitting my marks,” Weida said while standing on the victory podium. “The car was great from the get-go last Monday when we tested. We didn’t have very good lap times, per se. But handling wise, I could put the car anywhere.”

The battle for the last two podium spots was intense in the remaining laps. Stewart, de Vries, Alexander, Ellis and Martin seemingly all had a shot. On lap 10, de Vries grabbed second from Stewart into Turn 1, but Stewart reclaimed the spot by Turn 5 only to give it up again in the following corner.

The penultimate lap had de Vries and Stewart still mixing it up, and Ellis was not far behind. The final trip around the circuit was fantastic as those three drivers tried to position their vehicles to the best of their ability. Stewart — with his tire performance declining — went by de Vries while the two traveled down Road America’s 4,405-foot front stretch. In Canada Corner, de Vries made another stab at Stewart, but it wasn’t quite enough. He lined up another try in Turn 14, but his focus on Stewart allowed Ellis to get a great run out of the last corner and ultimately take away the third position from de Vries before the three-car pack crossed the finish line.

Stewart’s runner-up finish nabs him a second silver medal in 14 Runoffs appearances.

“What a riot,” a smiling Stewart said about the race. “I had so much fun with Sven (de Vries), (James) Weida and Aaron (Ellis). It was fun, it was great racing, it was clean, and a wonderful time.

“I shouldn’t have let Weida get that far away,” Stewart added. “I got to hand it to Weida, he turned in some really fast times.”

The strategic move through Turn 14 netted Ellis his second bronze medal in 26 Runoffs races.

“I stayed back a bit in the beginning so I could have a run at the end,” Ellis said afterwards. “But I was a little too far back to catch James (Weida) or Calvin (Stewart) at the end.”

Finishing fourth was de Vries, with Martin in fifth. Joslyn won the Sunoco Hard Charger award for finishing in eighth position after starting 22^nd.

Below are final results for Sunday’s F600 race at the 2024 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.

1, (6), James Weida, West Lafayette, IN, Scorpion S1 Rotax, 13.
2, (1), Calvin Stewart, Novi, MI, Novakar J10 Suzuki, 13.
3, (3), Aaron Ellis, Farmington, MN, Ellis AE13 Suzuki, 13.
4, (2), Sven de Vries, Holt, MI, Novakar J9 Suzuki, 13.
5, (5), Jason Martin, River Grove, IL, Novakar J10 Suzuki, 13.
6, (4), Ethan Alexander, Grafton, WI, Red Devil Suzuki, 13.
7, (7), Eric McRee, Lapeer, MI, NovaRace Blade Suzuki, 13.
8, (17), Steven Jondal, Rushford, MN, Red Devil Rotax, 13.
9, (11), George Bugg, Toney, AL, Scorpion S1 Suzuki, 13.
10, (10), H Cory McLeod, Charlotte, NC, Red Devil Aero Rotax, 13.
11, (9), Rick Eskola, Tomahawk, WI, Quadrini Invader QC1 Rotax, 13.
12, (14), Eric Van Cleef, Huntsville, AL, Novakar J10 Suzuki, 13.
13, (15), Robert Gray, Yorktown Hts, NY, Novakar J9 Suzuki, 13.
14, (16), Glen Thielke, Rubicon, WI, Red Devil JS 15 Rotax, 12.
15, (18), Jack Walbran, Saint Louis, MO, Scorpion S1 Suzuki, 12.
16, (8), David Lapham, Commerce Twp, MI, Novakar J10 Suzuki, 8.
17, (19), Timothy Friest, Leavenworth, KS, KBS Mk VII Rotax, 7.
18, (22), Keith Joslyn, Grand Island, NY, Scorpion S1 Rotax, 13.
DNF, (13), Jeff Jorgenson, Manitowoc, WI, Novakar J10 Rotax, 5.
DNF, (12), Jay Beckley, Marlton, NJ, Ellis AE13 Suzuki, 4.
DNF, (20), Paul McBride, South Bend, IN, Stinger TR-1 Rotax, 4.
DNF, (21), Richard Jones, Hilliard, OH, Stinger TR-1 Rotax, 3.

Race Stats

Length of Race: 52.62 miles
Overall Time of Race: 30:37.232 (avg. 103.115 mph)
Margin of Victory: 01.829 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:18.840 (104.961 mph)
Lap Leaders: #07, Laps 1-5; #22, Laps 6-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #38 Steven Jondal