It’s the third of four qualifying days at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2017 SCCA® National Championship Runoffs®. But this third day is a little unique for the Spec Miata and Spec Racer Ford Gen3 classes. The length of Indianapolis’ road course for the Runoffs, 2.592 miles, means only 72 cars can compete in each race. However, SRF3 currently has 101 drivers who have registered a qualifying time, and 86 drivers in SM have logged qualifying laps.
So, how do you whittle a field down to 72 competitors? Well, everyone in both SRF3 and SM have a chance today to improve on their best qualifying time, and all the action -- with live timing, audio commentary and a static camera -- can be followed right here!
On Thursday, only the top 60 drivers in each of those classes have another chance to take the pole for their respective Runoffs races. Competitors who fall outside the top 60 as of Wednesday evening must qualify for the Runoffs through a Last Chance Race at the end of Thursday.
The top 12 finishers in the SM and SRF3 Last Chance Race claim the final starting positions for their Runoffs National Championship races. It is going to be exciting, and will be broadcast online Thursday afternoon Eastern Time at SCCA.com.
Qualifying Times
Temperatures soared into the 90s Tuesday, which many drivers believed impacted qualifying times. Of the 28 car classes competing at the Runoffs, 24 classes saw no change as far as leading drivers -- and only a handful of those drivers improved on their Monday qualifying times. However, there were a few changes. In H Production, Jason Isley grabbed the top spot in his Toyota Yaris. Alex Mayer, driving a JDR in Formula 1000, moved to the top of that class. Formula 500 racer Wiley Clinton McMahan found a way to put down the best time in his Scorpion S1 Suzuki, and Todd Lamb snagged the Spec Racer Ford Gen3 lead.
Temperatures Wednesday are expected to be much lower, and there is cloud cover. How will that impact qualifying times? Follow along here and see with live timing, audio commentary and a static camera from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Photo: SCCA Runoffs racers weave their way around Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Photo Credit: Jay Bonvouloir
