The first of three qualifying days has been completed at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) during the 60th running of SCCA’s National Championship Runoffs® taking place Sept. 23-Oct. 1, 2023, along the central border of Virginia and North Carolina.
It was Sunoco 260 Tuesday, where one driver in each car class whose best qualifying time was nearest to including .260, earns 15 gallons of Sunoco race fuel free for their car. The list of Sunoco 260 Tuesday winners will be posted to SCCA.com on Wednesday morning.
Next, each of the 24 car classes competing at this year’s SCCA® Runoffs will have another 20-minute session on track Wednesday and Thursday to set race grids and discover Tire Rack Pole Award winners.
VIR’s 18-turn, 3.27-mile circuit in Alton, VA, is the playing field once again this year. Developments can be followed online at the Runoffs Live Timing/Scoring webpage where you’ll find an audio-only qualifying broadcast, as well as current and archived Timing/Scoring data from all on-track sessions.
Results, an event schedule, facility map, and much more can be found at the VIR Runoffs Event webpage button linked below.
Allaer “All-In” on Runoffs
Nolan Allaer grabbed last year’s Formula Continental National Championship, and then seemingly disappeared from SCCA competition for most of the 2023 SCCA Road Racing season. As far as we’re concerned, that absence is excused, as Allaer packed his bags and headed to the UK to race in the British Racing & Sports Car Club National Formula Ford Championship.
Despite being an ocean away from home on tracks he’d never visited, on a brand-new tire (or tyre, as he likely spelled it there), the 21-year-old climbed to seventh in the standings with one event to go.
The dilemma? That final event at Silverstone is this weekend, mirroring the Runoffs. That meant decision time for the third-generation racer, who in a perfect world would defend his Formula Continental crown on Saturday and show how much he has improved this season in Formula F on Sunday. Serious consideration was given to qualifying on Tuesday and Wednesday, flying to England for the pro weekend, and catching a late Saturday flight back to rush to VIR for Sunday’s race – skipping Formula Continental entirely.
Ultimately, however, Allaer decided that giving his undivided attention to the Runoffs was most important to him – especially with the pro championship now out of reach. And that decision appears to be a solid one, as Allaer posted the fastest qualifying time Tuesday in both Formula F and Formula Continental.
It doesn’t end his season in the UK, however. Immediately after the Runoffs ends, Allaer will head back to merry old England for testing and two of open-wheel racing’s biggest launchpads: the famed Formula Ford Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy.
Day 1 Qualifying Leaders
The following list contains drivers who are class leaders after the first day of qualifying for the 60th SCCA National Championship Runoffs. The provisional results include driver name, hometown, SCCA Region, car, and fastest lap time.
- American Sedan: Gregory Eaton; Woodbridge, VA; Washington D.C. Region, Ford Mustang, 2:03.848
- B-Spec: Conner Kelleher; Angleton, TX; Houston Region, Mini Cooper, 2:23.852
- E Production: Greg Ira; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Florida Region, BMW Z3, 2:04.469
- F Production: Cliff Ira; Kansas City, MO, Kansas City Region, Honda Civic Del Sol VTEC, 2:08.248
- H Production: Chris Schaafsma; Wheaton, IL; Chicago Region, Volkswagen Golf, 2:14.844
- Formula 600: Calvin Stewart; Novi, MI; Detroit Region, Novakar J10, 1:57.437
- Formula Continental: Nolan Allaer; Grosse Pointe, MI; Detroit Region, Van Diemen RF02, 1:50.281
- Formula Enterprises 2: Charles Russell Turner; Montpelier, VA; Washington D.C. Region, SCCA Mazda FE2, 1:51.284
- Formula F: Nolan Allaer; Grosse Pointe, MI; Detroit Region, Van Diemen RF00 Ford, 1:59.249
- Formula Vee: Alex Scaler; Asbury, NJ; South Jersey Region, Scaler Mk1, 2:15.702
- GT-1: David Pintaric; Canfield, OH; Mahoning Valley Region, Ford Mustang, 1:48.203
- GT-2: Barry Boes; Austin, TX; Lone Star Region, Ford Mustang, 1:52.849
- GT-3: Jeff Dernehl; Roswell, GA; Atlanta Region, Mazda RX-7, 1:59.008
- GT-Lite: Peter Shadowen; West Palm Beach, FL; Florida Region, Honda CRX, 2:11.224
- Prototype 1: Chip Romer; Lake Havasu City, AZ; San Francisco Region, Elan DP02 Mazda, 1:42.783
- Prototype 2: Tim Day Jr.; Scottsdale, AZ; San Francisco Region, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 1:48.808
- Spec Miata: Raiden Nicol; Hoschton, GA; Atlanta Region, Mazda Miata, 2:15.763
- Spec Racer Ford Gen3: Charles Russell Turner; Montpelier, VA; Washington D.C. Region, SCCA SRF Gen 3, 2:03.890
- Super Touring Lite: Danny Steyn; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Florida Region, Mazda MX-5, 2:05.779
- Super Touring Under: Chip Herr; Lititz, PA; Susquehanna Region, Audi A4, 2:01.456
- Touring 1: Andrew Aquilante; Chester Springs, PA; Philadelphia Region, Ford Mustang, 1:54.520
- Touring 2: Kurt Rezzetano; Phoenixville, PA; Philadelphia Region, Ford Mustang GT, 1:59.961
- Touring 3: Jason Ott; Seminole, FL; Colorado Region, BMW Z4 M, 2:04.740
- Touring 4: Marshall Mast; Denver, PA; Philadelphia Region, Pontiac Solstice, 2:11.044
Follow Wednesday Qualifying Online Like a Hawk
Wednesday’s qualifying is Hawk “Brake-Through Performer” day at the Runoffs. Thanks to Hawk Performance, the driver who shows the biggest qualifying position improvement within each of the 24 different car classes is awarded a set of Hawk brake pads for their race car, tow rig, or street vehicle.
Follow qualifying developments live, online each day at the Runoffs Live Timing/Scoring webpage where you’ll find an audio-only broadcast, as well as current and archived Timing/Scoring data for all on-track sessions. That same audio broadcast will be heard around VIR on the public address system.
On Hagerty Race Days – which are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – a multi-camera video broadcast presented by Mazda will be delivered directly to smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, or desktops and laptops around the globe. Catch all the Runoffs racing action anywhere with internet access as it happens – live. Access the real time feed at SCCA.com, or at the SCCA Inc. Facebook page and the SCCA Official YouTube channel – links for which you’ll find below.
A four-man team familiar to fans will again anchor the video broadcast, and split duties across Hagerty Race Days. Greg Creamer and John Fippin will share play-by-play responsibilities, and color commentary will be added by Larry “Lefty” MacLeod and Tom O’Gorman. Heyward Wagner will add insight from grid and pit lane, as well as capture the emotion from competitors immediately after the races. For those attending the VIR Runoffs in person, audio from the broadcast will air live around the circuit via the public address system.
Qualifying results data, an event schedule, VIR Runoffs facility map and much more can be found at the VIR Runoffs Event webpage. And don’t forget that Brian Bielanski and Gregg Ginsberg will be joined in 2023 by driver Laurin Brallier for a return of the Runoffs “Inside the SCCA" video podcast presented by Goodyear. On Hagerty Race Days, the trio will get things cranking with a live “Breakfast at the Runoffs” video presentation starting around 7 a.m. Eastern Time before cars head on course. Their coverage then picks up again during daily lunch breaks with the “Halftime Show.” Those presentations will later be archived at The Racing Network YouTube page.
SCCA Inc. Facebook SCCA Official YouTube
Photo: Driver Nolan Allaer skipped some UK competition to instead race at the Runoffs in Formula F and Formula Continental.
Photo by Jon Krolewicz/SCCA Staff
