Thursday is the last of four qualifying days at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs®. By day’s end, the Tire Rack Pole Award winners will be named in each of 28 car classes competing over the next three days. Keep track of all the action -- with live timing, audio commentary and a static camera -- right here!
But it’s not just pole position at stake today. For two classes, Spec Miata and Spec Racer Ford Gen3, today is the last chance for some drivers to make the field. There are currently 101 SRF3 drivers wanting to compete in their Runoffs race, and SM has 86 drivers. However, only 72 cars can be allowed on track for any Runoffs race. So, drivers currently outside the top 60 in their class will take part in a Last Chance Race late Thursday, which will be broadcast online at SCCA.com.
In each class, the top 12 finishers move on to their Runoffs event taking place in the next couple days. For those that don’t make the cut, well, they’ve still had a chance to compete at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and can now enjoy what will be fantastic racing Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Rookie Experience
There are plenty of competitors in Indianapolis who are taking part in their first-ever Runoffs, including Spec Miata racer Justin Lautz of the SCCA St. Louis Region. However, Lautz comes to Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a ton of experience. Racing experience? No, not really. He’s only been racing for about four years. But the folks he’s sharing paddock space with have a lot of racing experience.
Lautz, 36, is easily the youngest driver in that specific paddock spot. The other four racers are all over 50 years old, and one of them, Mark Weber, has 55 Runoffs starts under his belt. So how does that benefit Lautz?
“It’s very sobering to be around people with so much experience,” Lautz said. “It’s really easy, being at your first Runoffs, to get bugged about stuff -- especially in the first couple qualifying sessions when you see you’re way behind the top guys. But Mark does a really good job of just taking it slow, and I can’t help but just absorb that. He’s just so calm and cool. He just knows what to do, he doesn’t get in a rush, and that’s rubbing off on me.”
No matter what happens this year, Lautz has learned a lot -- and had some fantastic mentors.
Photo: Justin Lautz pounds around Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Runoffs qualifying
Photo Credit: Mark Weber
