WAMPUM, Pennsylvania (Aug. 16, 2015) – The 12th, and final, round of the 2015 SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Northeast Conference ran Sunday at the 63rd Annual Cumberland Classic, hosted at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (PittRace) by Steel Cities Region SCCA. Championships not yet clinched were decided on PittRace’s newly-lengthened 2.78-mile circuit.

While Jim Goughary Jr., of Jupiter, Florida, ran away from the Group One field to score his second-straight win in Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, the battle for second would decide the season-long Championship, with Joseph Sammut, of Locust Valley, N.Y., taking the runner-up spot over Greg Obadia, of Bathesda, Maryland, and the title in his Pencils Plus-sponsored machine. Two races later, Sammut would add a win in the Formula Enterprises class, clinching that Championship as well.

Tyler Kicera, of Manheim, Pennsylvania, had already clinched the Spec Miata Northeast Conference Championship, but scored his second win of the weekend in his Rock-It Cargo Mazda Miata. Kicera’s win did put him close to the Nationwide Point Championship with one race remaining at Michigan International Speedway next weekend.

The expected dogfight at the front of the Group Three field, for winged formula and prototype cars, came to grief just two corners in, as Formula 1000 drivers Jeremy Hill and J.R. Osborne made contact, each falling more than one lap behind. That opened the door for Jason Slahor to take the win in his Slahor Racing Citation over a charging, but wounded, Hill. Osborne continued on without the front wing on his RFR Racecars Firman F1000, and retired after 12 laps. His 4th place points were enough to move him past Alex Mayer for the class Championship. Mayer broke his car on the Friday test day, and was then offered a car from fellow competitor David O’Leary to finish the weekend. However, that car also suffered terminal mechanical issues Saturday, and he was not able to finish the weekend, opening the door for Osborne to take the title.

In Group Four, polesitter Kyle Disque and Saturday’s winner Bobby Lentz put on another great show in GT-Lite. By the race’s halfway point, Lentz had moved his FGR/Hoosier Nissan Sentra SE-R to the lead and he gradually pulled away to take his sixth win of the season. While Disque won the Northeast Conference Championship for the class, Lentz earned the Nationwide Point Championship. Newly-minted F Production Northeast Conference Champion Charlie Campbell’s car stalled on the grid, forcing him to start from the back. Campbell made quick work of the field, assisted by a flat tire from early class leader David Strittmatter’s Lancia Scorpion, to take the lead and his seventh win, placing him into a four-way tie atop the Nationwide Point Standings with Ken Kannard, Eric Prill and Joe Huffaker. Kannard will win that title based on the tiebreaker process.

Ron Bartell, of Madbury, New Hampshire, won his second-straight H Production race in his Hoosier Tires MG Midget, despite trailing Eric Vickerman early, but it was third-finishing Johannes Krauss, of Prattsville, New York, who took over the Northeast Conference lead and Championship in his Volkswagen Scirocco.

In Group Five, Saturday’s overall and Formula F winner Chris Horan, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, needed to only go half distance to score points and clinch the Formula F title. After building a comfortable advantage over former National Champion Thomas Schwietz, Horan’s car suffered a mechanical failure on lap seven, leaving him one lap short of halfway, meaning William Atherholt took the title.

With a pair of podium finishes on the weekend, Bobby Lentz’s father, Robert Lentz, of Leesburg, Virginia, moved past Tom Patton to win the GT-2 Northeast Conference Championship in his FGR Consulting/Hoosier Tire Nissan 300ZX. Tim Kezman, of Franksville, Wisconsin, took both class wins on the weekend in his Calypso Lemonade Porsche 997.

Despite a second-straight Group Seven overall and Super Touring® Under win for Eric Heinrich, of Milton, Mass., in his BFGoodrich Tires/Pagid BMW M3, it was John Schmitt, of Sunbury, Ohio, that clinched the STU class title. Schmitt was actually racing in the Super Touring Lite class this weekend, earning a pair of wins in his Red Line Oil/Hoosier Honda Prelude.

Full results are available at the event page at www.scca.com/pittmajors. Final point standings will be available online later this week.

Image: Eric Heinrich take a victory lap at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Credit: Bill Stoler Image

WAMPUM, Pennsylvania – Class winners from Sunday’s 16-lap, 44.48-mile SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Northeast Conference Round 12 races, part of the 63rd Cumberland Classic presented by Steel Cities Region SCCA at Pittsburgh International Race Complex with class, driver, hometown and car. *-Denotes a repeat winner from Saturday.
American Sedan, John Heinricy*, Clarkston, MI, Pontiac Firebird.
B-Spec, John Heinricy*, Clarkston, MI, Chevrolet Sonic.
E Production, Don Walsh, Orrtanna, PA, Mazda RX-7.
F Production, Charlie Campbell*, Corry, PA, Mazda Miata.
Formula 1000, Jason Slahor, Ellicott City, MD, Citation F1000.
Formula 500, Russell Strate Jr.*, Alden, NY, Rocketech.
Formula Atlantic, Denny Sideri*, Uniontown, OH, Griffith GR93.
Formula Enterprises, Joe Sammut*, Locust Valley, NY, SCCA Formula Enterprises.
Formula F, Thomas Schwietz, Winchester, VA, Citation 2015.
Formula Vee, Gary Blanarik*, Baden, PA, Silver Bullet/VW.
GT-2, Tim Kezman*, Franksville, WI, Porsche 997.
GT-3, Paul Young*, Commerce Twp, MI, Ford Probe.
GT-Lite, Bobby Lentz II*, Chantilly, VA, Nissan Sentra SE-R.
H Production, Ron Bartell*, Madbury, NH, MG Midget.
Prototype 1, David Dickerson*, Toms River, NJ, Radical SR3.
Prototype 2, Doug Piner*, Chapel Hill, NC, Dauntless MX-1.
Spec Miata, Tyler Kicera*, Manheim, PA, Mazda Miata.
Spec Racer Ford, Scott Rettich, Columbus, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford.
Spec Racer Ford 3, James Goughary Jr.*, Jupiter, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford.
Super Touring Lite, John Schmitt*, Sunbury, OH, Honda Prelude.
Super Touring Under, Eric Heinrich*, Milton, MA, BMW M3 E30.
Touring 2, William Moore*, Chagrin Falls, OH, Chevrolet Camaro.
Touring 3, Chad Gilsinger*, Marysville, OH, Acura TL SH-AWD.