The 2026 Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour (HST) “regular season” wrapped Sunday afternoon, Aug. 30, when the final checkered flag flew at Barber Motorsports Park (BMP) in Leeds, AL, during a two-day event co-hosted by SCCA’s Tennessee Valley Region and Alabama Region.
The series’ ninth event of the year, closing out an 18-race season, saw Sunday open with drivers across all seven run groups again attacking the rolling 2.38-mile, 17-turn circuit during 15-minute qualifying sessions. Then it was time for racing, with the first three run groups having 25-minute contests, and the remaining four run groups experiencing 35-minute races in conditions that were warm but standard for late August in Alabama.
Drivers from 25 different car classes competed across the various run groups. The three top finishers in each class then mounted the victory podium to receive applause, as well as trophies and commemorative bottles of Mazza Vineyards sparkling wine. In all, the inaugural HST event at Barber was a success and a fantastic way to close out the series’ 10th season.
Down for Racing Fun
We don’t see Formula F (FF) driver Nathan Down, of SCCA’s Colorado Region, at too many HST weekends. That perhaps explains why he was a tad unknown after crossing the finish line before all others to win FF at last year’s Runoffs®, which was his first SCCA National Championship.
It was 2024 when Nathan last participated in HST events, those being at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit and the Chicago Region June Sprints® at Road America. But he was back in the mix this weekend at Barber, which gave us a chance to learn a bit more about this reigning champ.
Hailing from the tiny village of Eynsford just southeast of London, Nathan grew up only two miles from England’s legendary Brands Hatch circuit.
“It’s a little village of 1,000 people and five pubs, plus a lot of cows,” Nathan joked. “But it’s only 20 miles from central London. If you go up on a hill, you can see the skyscrapers of London.”
The son of former British Leyland employee and Getem Formula Ford designer Martin Down, Nathan actually made his first competitive FF appearance in utero almost 52 years ago. That’s because his mother, Jude, was an FF racer who drove even when pregnant.
Young Nathan, unsurprisingly, spent a lot of time growing up at racetracks. He amassed much firsthand knowledge of FF cars along the way, as well as countless warm stories about experiences at venues most U.S. racers can only dream of visiting. That includes Brands Hatch, Silverstone Circuit, Snetterton Circuit, Donington Park Circuit, Mallory Park Racing Circuit, Oulton Park Circuit, and Lydden Hill Race Circuit.
“We started off as a family race team,” Nathan recalled. “Then dad kind of started getting big-ish in the ‘80s. Then in the ‘90s we transitioned back into a family team where it was dad building the cars, me helping out as a 16 year old … and my older brother was racing the car.
“We’d build our own racecars,” Nathan continued. “I’d build the engines. We’d put the gearboxes together. Dad and I designed and made our own bodywork. We would fabricate our own chassis. We really didn’t have much money; so if you could make it, we made it.
“To just be there racing with my dad again, having fun in the freezing cold, I’d give everything for that again,” Nathan added. “It would be so much fun.”
With such pedigree, it’s obvious Nathan ended up studying mechanical engineering at Coventry University. Caterham was where he did an internship in the mid ‘90s, and they hired him fulltime after graduation. As a perk of that gig, the company put him through racing school to earn what equates to a novice competition license.
Racing license in hand, Nathan asked to wield the family FF car when possible. He did a test session late in 1996 to see how’d it go, then got hooked driving his dad’s Getem straightaway.
“The weekend of the Runoffs this year will be my 30th anniversary of racing Formula Fords, which is kind of cool,” Nathan noted. “All I’ve ever raced is Formula Fords. I’ve had 30 years of continuous Formula Ford racing.”
Circling back to Caterham, Nathan became a Research and Development Engineer for the car builder. He still raced FF when possible and also served as an on-site technical engineer for Caterham-specific racing championships.
“I was also doing a lot of driving and development work for a bunch of different Caterhams at the time as well,” added a humble Nathan. “But yes, I recognize I have got to do some really fun, cool stuff in my life.”
The fun, cool stuff continued when Nathan was asked if he’d assist with development of a new Caterham sales outlet near Denver in North America. So off he went to the Centennial State for a new adventure. Still, he found some time for FF fun back in England.
“In the first few years I’d go home and maybe do the Formula Ford Festival or the Walter Hayes Trophy,” Nathan said about the two biggest FF gatherings in the world. "I never made it into the final because I was getting knocked out in heats.”
Oversimplified story quickly moving forward, FF driver Steve Meyer heard about Nathan and asked if he’d help during race weekends. Since then, a grand time has been had by both through vintage racing and SCCA activities. One of those party scenarios was at last year’s Runoffs, and another happened this weekend at Barber.
“My whole motor racing career for 30 years has always been about having fun,” Nathan said with almost scary conviction. “If I’m not having fun, why am I doing this?”
Sunday at Barber, Nathan nailed an FF victory in the No. 96 Downforce Swift DB-6. Next up: Another appearance at the Runoffs.
Masters in SRF3
Some motorsport fans may think auto racing is a young person’s game. That may be true for drivers seeking fame and fortune in Formula One, INDYCAR or the NASCAR Cup series. That, however, is certainly not the truth at most race tracks across the country, and certainly not the case at Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing events conducted week in and week out.
Take for example 66-year-old Scott Monroe out of SCCA’s Houston Region. The staunch Spec Racer® Ford (SRF3) Gen3 driver was involved in six of HST’s nine events this year. Motorsport is an activity he now loves after joining the Club in 2000, even though he never really expected to be a racecar driver.
“I worked all my life and didn’t really have any hobbies,” Monroe explained. “A friend of mine said, ‘you’re a drone,’ and I didn’t even know what a drone was. He said I just worked and didn’t do anything else. Just worked.”
Monroe’s buddy offered up some suggestions on ways to spice up life. One of those suggestions was auto racing, which piqued Monroe’s interest. Not too much later, Monroe went through a racing school, bought an SRF3 car, and got to “work” on something other than work at the tender age of 41 years old.
“I like the Spec Racer Ford class because it’s very competitive with many good drivers,” Monroe added. “It’s not just the car, it’s the comradery in the pits, on track, and after the race. I think it’s a good combination of everything.”
Of additional interest to Monroe is the fact SRF3 has a Masters Class Championship, which awards trophies at HST events to the top three finishers over the age of 61 years old. Other sporting activities have sub-championships for competitors who have a few more trips around the sun, and Monroe thought SRF3 racing should have the same. So, he pushed the idea and gained support from many others until the concept became a reality.
“Lo and behold, we’re in our fourth year now,” Monroe said. "How can I be disappointed about that?
“I’m very fortunate and have had some great friendships develop because of racing. I’m very thankful for the blessing,” Monroe continued. “I can’t think of another sport I’d rather be doing at this time.”
Over those four years, Monroe has gathered plenty of Masters Class Championship trophies that he displays in a room at his house. He gathered another such trophy Sunday by finishing third in the Masters Class Championship driving the No. 00 Access Companies car, with the sub-class victory going to Todd Vanacore in the No. 119 Vanacore Homes/Comprent Motorsports sled. The overall race winner Sunday, as well as Saturday, was Tyler Stephens in the No. 105 Hallett Race Shop SCCA Enterprises Spec Racer Ford Gen3 car.
Sunday Race Winners
Below are provisional race winners from Sunday’s Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour conducted at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Each entry includes Car Class: Driver Name, SCCA Region, and Car. An asterisk (*) denotes drivers with a weekend sweep in the class.
*American Sedan®: Michael Kamalian, Atlanta Region, Ford Mustang
B-Spec: Josh Schmidt, North Carolina Region, Chevrolet Sonic
E Production: Don Tucker, Mid South Region, Mazda Miata
*F Production: Steven Powers, Arizona Region, Mazda Miata
*H Production: Steve Sargis, Blackhawk Valley Region, Triumph Spitfire
Formula Atlantic®: Dudley Fleck, Iowa Region, Swift 016 Mazda
*Formula Continental®: Brandon Dixon, Alabama Region, Citation F2000
*Formula Enterprises® 2: Steve Whitston, Milwaukee Region, SCCA Enterprises FE2 Mazda
*Formula 600: Steven Jondal, Land O'Lakes Region, Red Devil JS14
Formula F: Nathan Down, Colorado Region, Swift DB-6
Formula Vee®: Zachary Whitston, Lone Star Region, Protoform P2
*GT-1: Adam Romito, Wiregrass Region, Toyota Camry
GT-2: John Atwell, Texas Region, Ford Mustang
*GT-X: Garry Crook, Gulf Coast Region, NORMA M30
Prototype: Darryl Shoff, Philadelphia Region, Elan DP02
Prototype 2: Matt Strand, Florida Region, Stohr WF1
*Spec Miata: John Salerno, New England Region, Mazda Miata
Spec MX-5: Skyler Cottrell, Atlanta Region, Mazda MX-5
*Spec Racer® Ford Gen3: Tyler Stephens, Northeast Oklahoma Region, SCCA Enterprises SRF3
Super Touring® Lite: Jose Osiris Pena, Florida Region, Honda CRX
Super Touring® Under: Raymond Philibert, Florida Region, Mazda Miata
Touring 1: Richard Grant, Atlanta Region, Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport
*Touring 2: Alec King, Buccaneer Region, BMW M2 CSR
*Touring 3: Simon Foweather, Alabama Region, BMW 330ci
Touring 4: Madin Workman, Ohio Valley Region, Mazda MX-5
Runoffs Decides Everything
Focus now shifts to the 2026 Mission Foods SCCA National Championship Runoffs® happening Sept. 28-Oct. 4 in Elkhart Lake, WI, at Road America. That’s where drivers can earn a National Championship and perhaps solidify Hoosier Super Tour Nationwide Points Championships on their way to a coveted SCCA Road Racing Super Sweep award.
Registration is already open for drivers and volunteers looking to be part of another electric Runoffs at America’s National Park of Speed. But before then, feel free to revisit HST excitement from Barber on demand through the SCCA YouTube channel. Additionally, find Barber victory podium celebration videos for 30 days at the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing Facebook page.
Lastly, a giant ‘thank you’ goes out to all the partners that make HST possible. That includes Hagerty, Hawk, Sunoco, Tire Rack, Öhlins, Summit Racing Equipment, Mazza Vineyards – and certainly Hoosier Racing Tire. Learn more about these SCCA official partners here.
Photo: Reigning Formula F National Champion Nathan Down got it done Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama during the final Hoosier Super Tour event of 2026.
Photo by Jeff Loewe
