Editor's Note: This article was updated Oct. 7, 2025, based on official results and due to post-race penalty assessment.
The 62nd SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® Presented by Sunoco and the last of two Hagerty Race Days wrapped on Oct. 5, 2025, with a spectacular performance from the Super Touring® Lite field.
Defending STL National Champ Jose Peña began the race on the Tire Rack Pole, but his No. 1 La Cremosa/Wave Honda CRX dropped behind fellow front-row starter Mike Taylor on the opening lap under braking in Turn 12, just before the only full-course caution of the race slowed the field.
Puerto Rico Region driver Peña arguably scored his on-track Runoffs win based on the lap four restart, and it was that restart that would ultimately cost him the ability to repeat his National Champion title. Peña got the jump on Taylor’s No. 39 e3 Storage/Just Track It/AMP EFI Acura Integra and turned three laps within a half second of his qualifying time, including the fastest lap of the race on lap seven.
While Peña's laps were barely quicker than Taylor each time around, it allowed Peña to build a gap of over three seconds and ultimately crossed the line 2.090sec in front. The penalty he would be assessed by the Stewards for hitting the gas prior to the acceleration zone on that restart would be five seconds, ultimately relegating him to second in class.
During the race, Taylor kept battling, knocking a full second out of Peña’s lead in the final lap. This gold medal is Taylor’s second career podium, following last year’s third-place finish. Taylor has made 10 career Runoffs starts, and he undoubtedly sees this recent trend a positive one.
“I was going really hard and I thought if I really put it together, I might get him, because I had brakes on him all day long,” Taylor said about his last lap charge. “I overcooked it a little bit. It was really fun. To run with Jose is tough. He’s a hell of a driver and it’s a hell of a car, and I’m happy."
"I feel blessed," Peña said from pit lane after the race, but before the penalty. "My fans from the Dominican Republic, my family, you know how we like to party. Thank you for your support, especially my wife and my kids.”
Past Touring 4 National Champion Nick Leverone was a lonely third, 12.787sec behind the leaders but another 21sec clear of fourth place. The No. 37 Flat Out Racing Mazda Miata earned Leverone his third career podium finish at the Runoffs, his first since 2020 at Road America.
“What a fight,” Leverone said. “I didn’t have much for those Hondas in a straight line, but we gave it everything we had. I was really hoping they were going to be able to fight a little bit longer, but it didn’t turn out that way. I was just watching a chain of the three of us going down the straightaway.”
Craig McHaffie and Jon Sewell met up for a battle for fourth place throughout the race, with McHaffie’s Mazda breaking away from Sewell’s Acura Integra in the final two laps to secure the fourth-place finish. Sewell earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award for most positions gained after starting the race in ninth.
The 62nd SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® Presented by Sunoco is the pinnacle of American amateur motorsports and crowns Sports Car Club of America™ Champions as part of the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing program. In 2025, two Hagerty Race Days at Wisconsin’s Road America decide 23 gold-medal winners.
Live, online video coverage of Runoffs races is available over both competition days at SCCA’s Official YouTube Channel. Live timing and scoring for each race is also available at SCCA.com/live.
Below are final results for Sunday's Super Touring Lite race at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Sunoco; with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, SCCA Region, car, and laps completed.
1, (2), Mike Taylor, Atlanta Region, Acura Integra, 13.
2, (1), Jose Osiris Pena, Puerto Rico Region, Honda CR-X, 13.
3, (3), Nick Leverone, New England Region, Mazda Miata, 13.
4, (6), Craig McHaffie, New England Region, Mazda MX-5, 13.
5, (9), Jon Sewell, Florida Region, Acura Integra Type R, 13.
6, (7), Amy Mills, Northwest Region, Mazda Miata, 13.
7, (8), Deacon Greenfield, Washington DC Region, Honda CR-X, 13.
8, (10), Bill Collins, Land O'Lakes Region, Honda Civic, 13.
9, (13), Carl Young, San Francisco Region, Honda Prelude, 13.
10, (11), Maxwell Kittleson, Milwaukee Region, Ford Focus SVT, 13.
11, (12), John Elder, Land O'Lakes Region, Mazda Miata, 13.
12, (14), Dan Harding, Neohio Region, Mazda Miata, 13.
13, (5), Chuck Hines, North Carolina Region, Mazda MX-5, 10.
DNF, (4), David Palfenier, Chicago Region, Mazda MX-5, 0.
Race Stats
Length of Race: 52.62 miles
Overall Time of Race: 38:27.845 (avg. 82.088 mph)
Margin of Victory: 2.090 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:32.127 (95.794 mph)
Lap Leaders: #39, Laps 1-3; #1, Laps 4-13
Sunoco Hard Charger: #48 Jon Sewell
Photo by: Jay Bonvouloir
