Black Named SRF3 Runoffs Winner after Tech Inspection

John Black Named Spec Racer Ford Gen3 Runoffs Winner after Tech Infraction

LEXINGTON, Ohio (September 25, 2016) – While Cliff White from Huntsville, Alabama, crossed the finish line first at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the Spec Racer Ford Gen3 race Sunday at the 2016 SCCA National Championship Runoffs presented by Garmin VIRB, his car was later found to be out of compliance and disqualified due to a technical infraction. John Black, of Olympic Valley, California, in the No. 17 CSR Performance SRF3 was later named the winner of the race. This is Black’s fourth Runoffs championship and first in the SRF3 class.

That also moves Bobby Sak, of Mattawan, Michigan, in the No. 19 Elite Autosport/Revolution10 Breaks car to second, and Tordy Acker, of Santa Clarita, California, in the No. 62 MBI Racing car fills out the podium in third.

After two waved-off starts, the 41-car SRF3 battle started with contact in the first two turns that took out second-place starter Patrick Byrne, of Spokane, Washington, in the No. 02 ProDrive/FlatOut racecar, and sent to the grass favorites Mike Miserendino, of Bakersfield, California, in the No. 11 MBI Racing vehicle and Scott Rettich, of Columbus, Ohio, in the No. 8 Alliance Autosport/pdiarm.com machine.

Emerging from the fray with the lead was Black, the Tire Rack pole sitter, followed by the No. 58 of White who jumped up from seventh.  Those two hooked up and set off as a number of competitors argued for the third spot.  By lap five, Sak managed to secure the position, but was being hounded by Acker.

On lap eight, White was able to slip by Black into Madness after the long back straight.  But two laps later, a full-course yellow bunched up the field behind the pace car.  When the green flew again, only a couple laps remained in what was to become a timed race. Black got back around White, but the positions swapped again on the penultimate lap.  With White leading, Black went into Turn 1 on the last lap and developed a push that placed his right-side wheels into the dirt.  That gave White the advantage he needed to cross the finish line first, but Black was later officially named the victor.

As for Sak, who had two previous Runoffs podium appearances, Acker made life difficult throughout the entire SRF3 battle, but he was able to keep things together for what later became a runner-up finish.

“This is pretty awesome after starting ninth,” Sak said.  “Acker was really fast. If he really wanted to force it, he probably could’ve had the position.  But I was just strong enough through the back portion of the course to keep him off. It was a really good race.”

Claiming fourth was Tray Ayres, of Gainesville, Georgia, in the No. 7 Ayres Racing machine, and Brian Schofield, of Lakeland, Florida, finished fifth in the No. 61 CFR PM Racing machine.

Taking the Sunoco Hard Charger award was Matthew Gray, of Chaska, Minnesota, in the No. 64 Ryan Companies US Inc. SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen3.  He finished 16th after starting back in the 34th position.

The 53rd SCCA National Championship Runoffs presented by Garmin VIRB, the Pinnacle of American Motorsports, crowns Sports Car Club of America’s Club Racing National Champions this year at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, from Friday, September 23 through Sunday, September 25.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available live at SCCA.com, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

LEXINGTON, Ohio -- Provisional results for Sunday’s SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen3 National Championship at the 53rd SCCA National Championship Runoffs presented by Garmin VIRB at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), John Black, Olympic Valley, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

2, (9), Bobby Sak, Mattawan, MI, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

3, (4), Tordy Acker, Santa Clarita, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

4, (10), Tray Ayres, Gainesville, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

5, (5), Brian Schofield, Lakeland, FL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

6, (12), Robeson Russell, Spartanburg, SC, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

7, (11), Umberto Milletti, Hillsborough, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

8, (8), Todd Harris, Portland, OR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

9, (18), Jeff Beck, Ingleside, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

10, (6), Scott Rettich, Columbus, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

11, (24), David Anzalone, Glen Head, NY, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

12, (19), Robert Breton, San Francisco, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

13, (3), Mike Miserendino, Bakersfield, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

14, (28), Robert J Kaminsky, Homer Glen, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

15, (32), Joseph Wolf, East Nassau, NY, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

16, (34), Matthew Gray, Chaska, MN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

17, (29), Scott Monroe, Seabrook, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

18, (27), Chris Current, Silver Spring, MD, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

19, (22), Steven Introne, Oxford, CT, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

20, (21), Scott Peterson, Normandy Park, WA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

21, (17), Whitney Strickland, Houston, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

22, (30), Tom Miserendino, Beverly Hills, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

23, (33), Lee Douglas, Portland, OR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

24, (15), Thomas Burt, Woodway, WA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

25, (39), Steven Kramer, Heath, TX, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

26, (37), Peter Jankovskis, Lisle, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

27, (23), Andre Perra, Portland, OR, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

28, (36), Joel Parris, Fishers, IN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

29, (38), Matias Bonnier, New Albany, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

30, (40), J Wendling, Wharton, NJ, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

31, (41), Timothy Gray, Minneapolis, MN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

32, (31), Mark Hutchins, Lincoln, NE, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

33, (20), Paul Marino, Chatsworth, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 8.

34, (16), Max Grau, Port Byron, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 8.

35, (26), Dave Lancaster, Chardon, OH, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 8.

36, (14), David Schacht, Noblesville, IN, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 6.

37, (13), Jack Willes, Palm Desert, CA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 3.

38, (2), Patrick Byrne, Spokane, WA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 2.

39, (25), Colin Kaminsky, Homer Glen, IL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 0.

DNS, (35), Jean-Luc Liverato, Milton, GA, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3,

DSQ, (7), Cliff White, Huntsville, AL, SCCA Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, 20.

 

Overall Time of Race: 40:47.856

Average Race Speed: 66.416 mph

Margin of Victory: .804 second

Fastest Race Lap: Cliff White, 1:34.947 (85.614 mph)

Sunoco Hard Charger: #64 Matthew Gray

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-8, #17 John Black; 9-14 Cliff White

 

Photo: John Black (#17) took his fourth Runoffs win in SRF3

Credit: Jay Bonvouloir