There is plenty of information to be found at SCCA.com/Runoffs all week long, but here are a few things to keep in mind this week as we crown another 27 National Champions:
Go West!: For the first time since 1968, the SCCA National Championship Runoffs treks west of the Rocky Mountains, visiting Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The week-long event to crown the best in amateur road racing culminates with victory laps on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The SCCA Runoffs has been crowning National Champions for 50 years, and some of racing’s greats have used an SCCA title to springboard their careers. Jimmy Vasser, Bobby Rahal, Mark Donohue, Roger Penske, actor/driver Paul Newman, Graham Rahal, Scott Sharp and Randy Pobst all made their name at the Runoffs.
The last time the SCCA was on the west coast was at Riverside International Raceway, 46 years ago. Beginning this year, the Runoffs begin an annual rotation for the event, stopping at a new track in a different region of the country each year.
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Feats: The racers at this week’s SCCA National Championship Runoffs are a unique mix of talented drivers. Most are “weekend warriors,” mixing it up on the track on the weekends before heading home to their day-to-day jobs through the week. Some are youngsters with an eye on a professional driving career, honing their craft while looking to the future. The common theme to an SCCA competition is that these are seemingly ordinary people doing extraordinary things with racecars.
Lucky Number 7: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is the seventh track in the history of the Runoffs to host the event. Others include Riverside International Raceway (1964, 1966, & 1968), the road course at Daytona International Speedway (1965, 1967 & 1969), Road Atlanta (1970-1993), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (1994-2005), Heartland Park Topeka (2006-2008) and Road America (2009-2013).
California Love: The Central California Coast is well represented on the entry list for their home race. Dave Zurlinden (Formula F), Bob Corliss (Formula Atlantic), Don Pepperdene (Formula Vee), John Olsen (GT-3) and Tim Auger (Spec Miata) call Monterey home, while Joe Rombi (Spec Miata) of Pebble Beach and Carl Young (Super Touring Under) of Salinas are within shouting distance of the track as well. Jim Mali (Formula Atlantic), Bob Negron (Formula Continental), and Ali Naimi (Touring 4) are just up the road in Morgan Hill, with Steven Hussey (H Production) of Capitola and Rylan Hazeton (Super Touring Under) and Timothy Wise (Touring 4) of Santa Cruz probably sleeping in their own beds all week as well.
Broadcast Worthy Of Champions: This year’s edition of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs will be broadcast live through SpeedCastTV, with veteran motorsports broadcasters Rick Benjamin and Greg Creamer joined by SCCA Champion Randy Pobst and Pirelli World Challenge broadcaster Jeff Lepper for the on-air call. Heyward Wagner will man pit lane throughout the weekend. Information can be found at SCCA.com/Runoffs.
Testing, Testing: Monday was a test day for the event, prior to qualifying for the following three days. No official times were kept, but drivers got a head start on Tuesday’s first qualifying.
Final Countdown: A very successful 525 cars remain on the entry list as qualifying gets underway on Tuesday morning.
2014 SCCA National Championship Runoffs
