Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (HMRC) is observing its 50th birthday this year, and the Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour (HST) helped celebrate that milestone April 25-26, 2026, with an exciting weekend of fun and action hosted by SCCA’s Ark Valley Race Group.
Sunday morning was cloudy and cool for 15-minute qualifying sessions that got things rolling. Later, the cloud cover broke and temperatures rose to the lower 80-degree mark for 35-minute or 27-lap contests around the challenging 1.8-mile, 10-turn course located in Oklahoma.
By Sunday evening, winners had been crowned, trophies distributed, and commemorative bottles of Mazza Vineyards sparkling wine awarded to those who managed a podium appearance. All in all it was another fantastic Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing event conducted in the rolling Osage Hills about an hour west of Tulsa.
Genetic Predisposition for #FunWithCars
Is “automotive enthusiast” a genetic predisposition akin to a voracious sweet tooth or dislike of cilantro? You might think so after talking with Nick Heinig, 52, of SCCA’s Northeast Oklahoma Region. His great-great-great grandpa was a coachbuilder back in the day. His two grandfathers worked for automotive manufacturers, one a suspension engineer at Buick and the other doing bodywork for Ford. And to top it off, his father raced motorcycles at an amateur level.
“I come from a long line of automotive enthusiasts,” Nick admitted. “I’ve always loved motorsports but couldn’t afford to do it until later in life. I finally got a chance to go do a track day and really liked it. Then it was all downhill from there.”
Nick could be found this weekend at Hallett driving the No. 73 Fibertech Composites/Slip Clean Marine Spec Racer® Ford Gen3 (SRF3) car while living his best life and learning a ton.
“I really like the competition,” Nick said about SRF3. “There are just so many cars throughout the country. I enjoy that competition nationwide in my second year doing Hoosier Super Tours. It’s definitely a learning curve with some fast drivers out there and some scary tracks that I’m trying to learn.
“I’ve picked up a lot of little things these two years, a lot of technical racecraft,” Nick said about his continuing education. “Driving is one thing, but there’s a whole other level of chess you’re playing out there on the track, too. Just picking up that racecraft and situational awareness is a big eyeopener for me and a big learning experience.”
Circling back to the genetics theme of this story segment, Nick was joined on track this weekend by his son Grant, 26, who is also a member of SCCA’s Northeast Oklahoma Region in his second year of HST competition. Grant wielded the No. 127 Fibertech Composites car at HMRC, a venue only 45 minutes away from where they both live.
“I actually worked at the track after I graduated high school and moved off to college, working on Spec Racer Fords for Hallett Race Shop,” Grant said, also noting his vehicle this weekend was the same one he drove eight years ago during his first-ever time in a racecar.
“Everything down to the gas that goes into these cars is spec. The brake pads, everything about the cars has to be the same,” Grant added about the level playing field. “There’s no way to buy yourself an advantage. That’s something I really enjoy about SRF3.”
Competition during HST weekends in SRF3 can get pretty intense. Once Hoosier tires warm up, and the field is lined up, genealogy holds no sway when the green flag unfurls.
“We have a great relationship off the track,” Grant said about his father. “As soon as we get on the track, we’ll hit each other. If we’re in each other’s way, we’ll let the other know we’re there.”
Nick, with a chuckle, confirmed Grant’s analysis of on-track family values. Still, having the opportunity to race with and watch the development of his son as a driver is a pretty strange and wonderful experience.
“I see the back of his car quite a bit,” Nick said with a smile about Grant. “I was faster than him for about a month this year, and that was it. Then he put the wood to me … but I’m proud to see him go.
“I’m having the most fun I can legally have,” Nick continued. “We have a great time, and it’s fun to travel. We’ve enjoyed making some memories together as he races with his ‘old man’ for a few years.”
The two SRF3 races at HMRC were won by Tyler Stephens in the No. 105 Hallett Race Shop machine. Grant had a solid weekend, too, finishing just off the podium in fourth both days. Nick didn’t have a great run on Saturday but redeemed himself by finishing 11th on Sunday.
Too Much Fun for One Weekend?
How much fun can you pack into a two-day HST weekend at HMRC? You’ve already got two qualifying sessions, two races, a fantastic Saturday evening BBQ meal, plus lots of social time with family and friends. That would send most people home happy by Sunday evening.
Austin Roland, 18, of SCCA’s Texas Region, chose to stuff one more activity into his weekend. After qualifying on pole in Touring 4 (T4) for Saturday afternoon’s contest, Roland opted to miss that race which was won by James Ebben in the No. 66 Hoosier/Hawk Mazda MX-5 car. Instead, he made a four-hour drive back to Keller, TX, so he could attend his senior prom. And to make that adventure even more exciting, he had to brave some inclement weather on the drive home.
“Hallett will be here next year. It’s been here for 50 years … but I’m not going to get another senior prom. So, I picked prom this year,” Roland said about the decision to skip his first-ever HST race.
Roland made it home in time to suit up for prom, take mandatory pictures to please parents, and partied until 1 a.m. with friends. He then tucked into bed for a few hours before heading to DFW airport bright and early for a flight to Tulsa. After landing, he immediately drove an hour west to HMRC and was strapped in his racecar for the second qualifying session that rolled away at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
With a quicker time than his Saturday effort, Roland managed to put his No. 10 Porsche Boxster prepared by Quirt Racing on pole again for Sunday’s contest. He then went on to claim T3 victory in his first HST race and inaugural visit to HMRC.
“Racing cars is pretty fun,” Roland said. “It’s new to me, getting into racing. So, it’s always fun to have the adrenaline going to wake me up.”
That’s a pretty busy 48 hours for a young man who just joined SCCA in 2025 and did his very first auto race earlier this year in January. Kudos must also be awarded to his parents, Mark and Tracey, who made the hectic roundtrip with their son this weekend.
Sunday Race Winners
Below are provisional race winners from Sunday’s Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit. Each entry includes Car Class: Driver Name, SCCA Region, and Car. An asterisk (*) denotes drivers with a weekend sweep in the class.
*American Sedan®: Ross Murray, Cal Club, Ford Mustang
B-Spec: Kent Carter, Houston Region, Mazda 2
*E Production: Tyler Ladd, Wichita Region, BMW Z3
F Production: Steven Powers, Arizona Region, Mazda Miata
*H Production: Jesse Prather, Kansas Region, Mazda 2
*Formula Atlantic®: Hans Peter, Kansas City Region, Swift 16
*Formula Continental®: Bill Johnson, Kansas City Region, Van Diemen RF01 2
*Formula Enterprises® 2: Darryl Wills, Houston Region, SCCA Enterprises FE2 Mazda
Formula 600: Timothy Friest, Kansas City Region, KBS mk VII
*Formula F: Cliff Johnson, Kansas City Region, Piper DF-5
*Formula Vee®: Zachary Whitston, Lone Star Region, Protoform P2
GT-1: Dane Smith, Mid South Region, Chevrolet Corvette
*GT-2: Charlie Peter, Kansas City Region, Porsche 9912 Cup
GT-X: Eric Presbrey, Texas Region, Ligier LMP3
*Spec Miata: John Salerno, New England Region, Mazda Miata
Spec MX-5: William Wallis, San Francisco Region, Mazda MX-5
*Spec Racer® Ford Gen3: Tyler Stephens, Northeast Oklahoma Region, SCCA Enterprises SRF3
Super Touring® Lite: Ryan Gutile, San Francisco Region, Mazda MX-5
*Super Touring® Under: David Fiorelli, Texas Region, Ford Mustang
*Touring 1: Michael Pettiford, Colorado Region, Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Touring 2: Tim Moser, Cal Club, Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 3: Michael Pettiford, Colorado Region, Pontiac Solstice GXP
Touring 4: Austin Roland, Texas Region, Porsche Boxster
On to Where the Oregon Trail Ends
The Hoosier Super Tour next heads to the Northwest and Portland International Raceway (PIR) for a May 9-10, 2026, event put on by SCCA’s Oregon Region. It will be the final West Coast HST gathering of the season and the only stop in a major metropolitan area. That means there are plenty of lodging options and lots of great food to be found. Registration is already open to Drivers and Volunteers for this two-day party, so sign up today and come play next to the majestic Columbia River.
As always, action from PIR will be broadcast live, online and for free thanks to the popular HST video broadcast. But before then, the fun at Hallett can be revisited with on-demand video playback at the SCCA YouTube channel. Also find Sunday victory podium celebration videos from HMRC at the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing Facebook page.
Photo: Tyler Stephens swept victories in Spec Racer Ford Gen3 during Hoosier Super Tour’s visit to Hallett Motor Racing Circuit.
Photo by Tim Turner/Hallett Foto Shoppe
