Winning the SCCA National Championship Runoffs is an astronomical feat. Despite being a winner-take-all event, the road to this year’s Sept. 24-Oct. 2 Runoffs at VIRginia International Raceway actually began in January at Sebring International Raceway with the kickoff of the 2022 U.S. Majors Tour and Hoosier Racing Tire Super Tour. Now, with those races complete and Runoffs invitations earned, hundreds of racers are heading to VIR for a chance to call themselves SCCA National Champions.
That’s not to say that winning is everything. For most, the Runoffs is a giant party – an opportunity to gather with your best friends from around the nation, then race against them on track. Regardless, the Runoffs is the pinnacle of the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing season, and not one to be taken lightly.
The Runoffs officially kicks off on Sept. 24 with three days of practice. Qualifying on Sunoco 260 Tuesday, Hawk Brake-Through Performer Wednesday, and Tire Rack Pole Day Thursday follow, with Hagerty Race Days taking place Sept. 30-Oct. 2. And it’s those days that we’re going to center on this week.
Each year, many try to guess who will win each of the 26 races – a feat few can get right, so we’re not going to try. Instead, you’re going to do the work for us! Over the course of the this week, we’re going to organize the races by day per the official race schedule, pick five or so drivers to watch per class, and give you the opportunity to vote.
Is this official? Of course not. Will you win a prize for guessing correctly? Nope. Did we inadvertently overlook some drivers who will undoubtedly do exceptionally well in the race? You betcha! Did we spell all of the driver’s names correctly? Hopefully!
If you can’t attend this year’s Runoffs, you can watch the races live for free on SCCA.com! Just download the schedule linked to above, remember that the race times are all listed as Eastern Daylight Time, grab a bag of popcorn, and prepare to spend the rest of the day watching the best amateur racing around.
Let’s get started with Friday’s races:
Photo by Jay Bonvouloir
