INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Sept. 28, 2017) -- Four days of qualifying wrapped up Thursday evening at the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As such, there are now 28 Tire Rack Pole Award winners who will lead their respective classes to the green flag over the next three days as nearly 1,000 competitors do their best to claim victory on the 15-turn, 2.592-mile road circuit. Racing begins Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time with a live video broadcast available online via SCCA.com and Motor Trend OnDemand. But before then, below is a rundown of 2017 Tire Rack Pole Winners.
Andrew Aquilante was perhaps the brightest star to shine during qualifying, managing to claim Tire Rack Pole Awards in two different classes. He led the pack all week in GT-2 driving the Phoenix/Hoosier/Hawk/Varsity Chevrolet Corvette, and did the same in Touring 1 behind the wheel of the Phoenix Performance Ford Mustang. That makes 11 poles for Aquilante in his Runoffs history.
Spec Classes
Spec Racer Ford Gen3 had more than 100 competitors turn qualifying laps during the week. A new driver popped to the top of the charts each day. But by Thursday evening it was CSR Performance’s John Black who dug deep and earned the Tire Rack Pole Award, his tenth.
Spec Racer Ford was dominated by Pro Drive Racing/Flatout driver Todd Harris, and Spec Miata was led all week by X-Factor Racing’s Chris Haldeman -- both earning their first Tire Rack Pole Award.
Production Cars
Things were interesting throughout the week in F Production as Eric Prill, driving the MaxtonsFight.org/JPM/Hoosier Mazda Miata, had the fastest laps on Monday and Tuesday. But as things cooled a bit Wednesday it was Joe Huffaker who moved to the front in his Huffaker Engineering/Hoosier MG Midget. When Thursday came around, Prill pulled it all together for the fastest lap and his third Tire Rack Pole Award.
In H Production, Jason Isley and his RACER.com/Hoosier/TRD Toyota Yaris established a fast time Tuesday and stayed atop the chart the rest of the way for his second Runoffs pole. And Matt Reynolds led the way all week in his Reynolds Bro Racing/VintageConn/JPM Mazda Miata in E Production, resulting in Reynolds’ second Tire Rack Pole Award.
Formula Cars
John LaRue, in his Carbotech/Hyperco Citation Snipe FZ, seemed to have things handled in the Formula Continental® class. But on Thursday it was rookie Austin McCusker, in the Dot Works/Primus Racing Van Diemen RF02, who grabbed the Tire Rack Pole Award.
In Formula 500, Wiley Clinton McMahan had the fastest times the last three days of qualifying and earned a second Tire Rack Pole Award in his Scorpion S1 Suzuki. Gary Hickman, in the Edge Engineering Inc. Phoenix F1K12 Suzuki, also led the Formula 1000 field for three qualifying days to gain his first Runoffs pole.
Michael Varacins, driving the Hoosier/Speed Sport Engineering Speed Sport AM-5, never relinquished the top spot from day one in Formula Vee® qualifying, resulting in his eighth Tire Rack Pole Award. Formula Atlantic® saw Sedat Yelkin, driving his Everclear Swift 016a Mazda, in command all week for his second Runoffs pole. Much the same can be said of the Formula Mazda class where Jarret Voorhies, in his Mitchell Petroleum Star Formula Mazda, was the fastest all week and earned his first Tire Rack Pole Award.
In his rookie Runoffs appearance, Performance AFX Motorsports’ driver Elliot Finlayson was ahead of everyone all week in his Mazda-powered Formula Enterprises racecar, earning his first Tire Rack Pole Award. The same feat was accomplished by rookie Zach Holden who jumped to the top of the Formula F heap Monday in his K Hill Motorsports Mygale FF Honda and never looked back for his first Tire Rack Pole Award.
GT Cars
The GT-1 pole bounced around a bit during qualifying. David Pintaric, driving his Kryderacing Cadillac CTS-V, had the fast time for the first two days. However, on Wednesday it was Cliff Ebben, in the Stumpf Ford/McMahon Grp/Lamers Ford Mustang, who had the fast time. But on Thursday, Pintaric reclaimed the fastest lap to earn the GT-1 Tire Rack Pole Award, only his second.
A surprise emerged on Thursday as Peter Shadowen, driver of the Road N Race Automotive Honda CRX, relinquished his hold on the GT-Lite fast time. Instead, the Tire Rack Pole Award in GTL went to Christopher Bovis, his first, in the Goodyear Tires/JDM Motorsports Honda CRX.
A couple different drivers took turns at the top of the American Sedan class. Philip Smith, driving the Illmor/RideTech/PRS Racing Chevrolet Camaro, took his turn Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday it was Drew Cattell who had the fastest time in his Space Monkey Racing Cadillac CTS-V. But by Thursday night the Tire Rack Pole Award winner was Bryan Long in the Hoerr Racing Prod/Roux/Pagid/Alcon Ford Mustang. This was Long’s first Runoffs pole.
And in GT-3, Collin Jackson was in command the entire time and claimed his fourth Runoffs pole driving the Specialty Engineering Nissan 240SX.
Touring Cars
Super Touring® Lite saw a battle over the week for the fastest qualifying lap. Danny Steyn, in the Adept/Nelson/OPM/G-Loc Mazda MX-5, was top dog the first two days. Eric Kutil, driving the Carbotech/Auto Assets/Gridlife Honda Civic Si, then found the quickest lap by day three. He, however, was supplanted Thursday by another Honda CRX Si ace, Adam Roberts of the Honest Speed Shop/Myers Motorsports outfit for his very first Tire Rack Pole Award.
In Touring 2, Kurt Rezzetano looked to have things under control most of the week in his Phoenix/Hoosier/Hawk/Penske Ford Mustang GT. However, John M. Buttermore and his Hoosier/Carbotech/Stoptech Chevrolet Corvette C5 came out Thursday with a magnificent lap to claim his third Runoffs pole.
It was a battle of Nissan 350Zs in Touring 2 as Derek Kulach, driving for Fiesta Auto/G-Loc/Nissan, and Rob Hines, driving for Nissan/Hoosier/G-Loc, each held the fastest time in the class at one point. But finally, it was Hines who claimed the Tire Rack Pole Award, his second.
And Oscar Jackson, piloting a Jackson Racing/BFGoodrich Toyota 86, had the fastest times all week in Touring 4, claiming his second Tire Rack Pole Award. Rob Huffmaster in his Super Touring® Under BlueForceStaffing.com/Hoosier Honda S2000 also swept qualifying all four days for his third Tire Rack Pole Award. And David Daughtery in the Carbotech/Hoosier Mini Cooper did the same in B-Spec for his seventh Runoffs pole.
Prototype Cars
Jeff Shafer, in the One Motorsports Stohr WF1 Suzuki, easily claimed the Prototype 2 Tire Rack Pole Award. Shafer went out and set a fast lap on Monday, then took Tuesday and Wednesday off. He then hit the track Thursday to lower his lap time and grab his second-ever Runoffs pole.
Prototype 1 ace Jim Devenport also made things look easy in his Cranbrook Group/Inc. Norma Auto Concept M20 F Honda. He held the top spot in the class all four days for his second Runoffs pole.
Below are provisional results from Runoffs qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Class: Name, Hometown, Car and Lap Time.
-American Sedan®: Bryan Long; Peoria, IL; Ford Mustang; 1:50.588
-B-Spec: David Daughtery; Fortville, IN; Mini Cooper; 2:03.166
-E Production: Matt Reynolds; Fair Oaks, TX; Mazda Miata; 1:49.597
-F Production: Eric Prill; Topeka, KS; Mazda Miata; 1:52.091
-H Production: Jason Isley; Coto de Caza, CA; Toyota Yaris; 1:57.421
-Formula 1000: Gary Hickman; Santee, CA; Phoenix F1K 12 Suzuki; 1:33.746
-Formula 500: Wiley Clinton McMahan; Covington, GA; Scorpion S1 Suzuki; 1:43.136
-Formula Atlantic®: Sedat Yelkin; Austintown, OH; Swift 016a Mazda; 1:29.957
-Formula Continental®: Austin McCusker; Glen Head, NY; Van Diemen RF02; 1:36.336
-Formula Enterprise: Elliot Finlayson; Yorkville, IL; Mazda FE; 1:39.177
-Formula F: Zach Holden; Abbottstown, PA; Mygale FF Honda; 1:43.136
-Formula Mazda: Jarret Voorhies; Kissimmee, FL; Star Formula Mazda; 1:41.231
-Formula Vee®: Michael Varacins; Burlington, WI; Speed Sport AM-5; 1:55.759
-GT-1: David Pintaric; Canfield, OH; Cadillac CTS-V; 1:36.008
-GT-2: Andrew Aquilante; Chester Springs, PA; Chevrolet Corvette; 1:39.919
-GT-3: Collin Jackson; Langley, BC; Nissan 240-SX; 1:44.579
-GT-Lite: Christopher Bovis; Lawrence, KS; Honda CRX; 1:50.331
-Prototype 1: Jim Devenport; Modesto, CA; Norma Auto Concept M20 F Honda; 1:30.794
-Prototype 2: Jeff Shafer; Las Vegas, NV; Stohr WF1 Suzuki; 1:31.826
-Spec Miata: Chris Haldeman; McKinney, TX; Mazda Miata; 1:58.306
-Spec Racer Ford 3: John Black; Olympic Valley, CA; SRF Gen3; 1:49.824
-Spec Racer Ford: Todd Harris; Portland, OR; Spec Racer Ford; 1:53.837
-Super Touring® Lite: Adam Roberts; Hilliard, OH; Honda CRX Si; 1:52.647
-Super Touring® Under: Rob Huffmaster; Clarkston, MI; Honda S2000; 1:48.921
-Touring 1: Andrew Aquilante; Chester Springs, PA; Ford Mustang; 1:41.793
-Touring 2: John M. Buttermore; South Lyon, MI; Chevrolet Corvette; 1:48.618
-Touring 3: Rob Hines; Arlington, VA; Nissan 350Z; 1:52.214
-Touring 4: Oscar Jackson; Chino, CA; Toyota 86; 1:56.566
The Sports Car Club of America, Inc., founded in 1944, is a 67,000-member motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both club and professional levels. With headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, the SCCA annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 115 Regions and professional subsidiary. Much of the SCCA’s activities are made possible with support from the following Official Partners: Chevrolet, the Official Truck of the SCCA; Garmin VIRB, the Official Camera of SCCA; Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products of SCCA; Mobil 1, the Official Oil of SCCA; SafeRacer, the Official Safety Provider of SCCA; Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA; and Tire Rack, the Official Tire Retailer of SCCA. To learn more, please visit www.scca.com.
Photo: 2017 Runoffs Tire Rack Pole Award Winners
Photo Credit: Jay Bonvouloir
