Numbers play a significant role across all aspects of motorsport. From car settings to corner designations, segment times to laps remaining, digits are important. The 2026 Mission Foods SCCA® National Championship Runoffs®, taking place Sept. 28-Oct. 4 at Road America in Wisconsin, certainly has some behind-the-scenes numbers Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing fans might find intriguing.
80: That’s the number of Runoffs rookies on this year’s entry list. The last rookie to win? Ethan Lampe two years ago driving in Spec MX-5. All he’s done since is win it again last year, going two-for-two in Runoffs wins vs. appearances.
71: On the other end of that spectrum is Mark Weber, who has a Runoffs record 71 starts under his belt. The SCCA Hall of Famer should get to 73 this weekend with an E and F Production race. Second place on the “starts” list is interesting as it is currently a tie between Richard Colburn and Michael Pettiford with 51 each, and they’ll both make one start this year. Then there’s Michael Lewis, currently with 50 starts, who has two races on tap for the weekend. If all goes to plan, we’ll have Weber with his 73 starts and Colburn, Pettiford, and Lewis all at 52 by Sunday evening. Not much further back is Scotty B. White with 47 coming into the weekend. He’ll likely add three races this year, so he’s closing in fast!
45: Speaking of Colburn, he has made starts in 45 consecutive years. However, Weber showed up to race for the first time one season after Colburn’s inaugural visit. Technically, that means Weber’s multiple entries have pushed him over the top for consecutive Runoffs appearances.
76: Individual drivers on this year’s the entry list who have previously captured a National Championship. Those drivers represent 185 total titles.
24: The number of different drivers at this year’s Runoffs who have earned a silver medal, but never a gold. Another 30 have a bronze medal as their best finish.
10: One National Championship is impressive, but hitting double digits for your career is a Hall of Fame number. Michael Lewis (11) and Steve Sargis (10) have both done it and have a chance to add to that tally this weekend. The only other driver with a crack at leaving Road America with 10 championships is Tony Ave, who currently has five. Doing the math, that means Ave is entered in five classes this weekend!
3: The number of drivers who have won two championships in one year. Besting that mark is Jerry Hansen, who won three in 1971. If Ave were to sweep his races, that would absolutely shatter Hansen’s record and put Ave’s trophy-laden suitcase over the weight limit for the flight home.
57: Perhaps not a surprise, but SCCA’s Milwaukee Region leads the way in individual entries this year. A total of 57 drivers from the local Region are entered. Kudos also goes to the 17 drivers from SCCA’s San Francisco Region who have made the trip to Wisconsin.
Tracking Numbers Over the Next Few Days
Race fans can easily follow the numbers online thanks to a free video broadcast of qualifying available at the SCCA Official YouTube channel thanks to DriversEye Live. A couple Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour announcers will provide the “call” during qualifying, with Gregg Ginsberg and Brendan Kaczmarek offering insight along with the voice of Road America, Eric Mueller. Live Timing/Scoring during qualifying can also be monitored here.
Of course, contests during Hagerty Race Days will also be broadcast live at the SCCA Official YouTube channel. John Fippin, Brendan Kaczmarek, Larry MacLeod and Tom O’Gorman will provide the color and play-by-play during Championship events, with Heyward Wagner returning to his role in pit lane for race insight as well as immediate reactions from the podium finishers. Live Timing/Scoring during Hagerty Race Days can also be accessed here.
Perhaps the best way to follow the fun is in person at America’s National Park of Speed. A full-event pass, which includes gate admission and general parking for Thursday through Sunday, is well worth the investment. A full rundown of pricing and ways to get tickets can be found by clicking the link below.
Photo by Philip Royle
