Welcome to the Runoffs from Daytona

Daytona Beach, Fla. (Sept. 21, 2015) – The 52nd annual edition of the SCCA Runoffs Presented by Garmin VIRB is underway from Daytona International Speedway. This marks the event’s first return trip to the World Center of Racing since 1969.

Four days of qualifying begins today as 14 race groups take to the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road/oval race course. This will be the first official day of the Runoffs as provisional starting grids will begin to take form. The culmination will be 28 races over three days to decide a new crop of SCCA National Champions.

Here are some stories to follow:

Friday Night Lights Presented by Mazda: No, this has nothing to do with the book or movie by the same name which talks about high school football in Texas. This year the Spec Miata National Championship will be decided under the lights at Daytona during Friday Night Lights Presented by Mazda. The race, starting at 7:00 pm (EDT) on Sept. 25, will be the first SCCA national title to be decided under artificial light. With 63 drivers on the entry list, it should prove to be a sight worth catching from the green flag to the checkers.

New Cars and a New Class: This year marked the first that the new generation of Spec Racer Ford, the Gen3 version, was considered a National SCCA class. Developments in chassis and engine design have led to more modern racecars. While the points have already been tallied for Majors Conference Championships and Nationwide points titles, this will be the first time that drivers in the new cars will run in hopes of earning a gold medal at the Runoffs. Not only will the winner go down as an SCCA National Champion, but also the class’s inaugural winner – a title many drivers would love to have.

Another Year Down: Jim Downing took part in the first Runoffs, in 1964 at Riverside, and will vie for the chance to take home his first National Championship. His first attempt came at the controls of a Formula Vee, while this year’s attempt will come at the wheel of his familiar Mazda-powered Peach Day. Aside from racing a variety of cars, both as an amateur and professional, Downing is also an innovator in racing safety. His partnership with Dr. Bob Hubbard resulted in one of modern-day racing’s most important piece of safety equipment – the HANS Device. The equipment is designed to protect racers from fatal fractures at the base of the skull, in the case of a collision.

Local Flavor: Local teams and drivers have always been an important part of the Runoffs. As the event has transitioned into a traveling show, it has allowed a greater number of racers to feel the hometown advantage. West Coast drivers were able to take advantage of that local knowledge last year, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, while Florida drivers are on home turf this year.

BSI Racing is a Spec Miata shop that is located just five miles from the gates at Daytona International Raceway. Their drivers are sure to have the prime setup for the world-famous road/oval racetrack. In addition, five drivers from the local area are on the entry list. Sid Collis, of Apopka, will race in GT-2 and F Production while Michael Flynn, of Eustis, will contest GT-2 and Super Touring® Under. John Robinson, of St. Cloud, will race in Formula F, W. Stein, of Oviedo, will be another to run in FP and Andrew Wilkin, of Apopka, will drive in the muscle car class of American Sedan.

Image: This will be the first SCCA Runoffs to take to the high banks of Daytona since 1969.
Credit: Mark Weber