Formula F (FF) is known to be one of the most hotly contested classes in SCCA Road Racing, and at the 63rd Mission Foods SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® at Road America, the class lived up to that reputation in so many ways.
Going into the Oct. 4, 2026, Hagerty Race Day, any of the top five qualifiers stood a chance, although the one with the most going for him was Runoffs rookie David Ybarra, putting his No. 06 Mygale SJ14 Honda on the Tire Rack Pole by a margin slightly north of a half second over four-time FF National Champion Jonathan Kotyk. Furthermore, at 14 years, 256 days, Ybarra became the youngest Tire Rack Polesitter in Runoffs history.
Andrew Moran, last year’s third-place FF finisher, was just a few ticks off Kotyk’s time, with Demetrios Constantinidis fourth and Theodore Burns in fifth.
FF took the green second in the race group it shared with Formula 600, with Ybarra showing no nerves as he maintained the lead. Kotyk hooked in behind Ybarra, with the two likely hoping to pull a gap on the field. Cooper Travis, 19, wouldn't let the two go, keeping on Kotyk’s gearbox. It was these three seemingly breaking away, although it wouldn’t be easy with Calvin Kautz, Moran, and more in pursuit.
Travis soon challenged Ybarra, taking the lead, but with that, the pack accordioned and the top eight was once again in the hunt.
Soon after, Kotyk pulled off at Turn 5, but that balked the pack, leaving Travis and Ybarra up front, now followed by Moran, Constantinidis, Kautz, Burns, and Tazio Stefanelli. A lap later, Kautz spun through Turn 3, dropping him from the pack and costing those behind him momentum as they headed onto the long Moraine Sweep.
And then there were four in that pack chasing Ybarra and Travis, who by lap five had accrued an eight-second advantage over the rest of the field that was, by lap six at least, headed by Stefanelli. A lap later, it was Burns ahead of Stefanelli, with those two putting a small margin on fifth place, essentially making it a two-car race for first and a two-car battle for third.
While Nathan Down was catching the second lead pack with two laps to go, he was involved in an incident with two other cars, dropping him from the race and bringing out a full-course caution right as Travis was making a pass for the lead on Ybarra into Turn 5.
Shortly thereafter, black flags flew due to on-track debris, and the race was checkered. The finishing order was set as it stood just before the caution, giving Ybarra the win, with Travis second in his No. 17 Eranova.AI/Emara.TC/Gyraline Spectrum FF1600 Honda and Burns third in his No. 81 Two Dogg/Racing for Children’s Piper DF05 Honda.
“The weekend was a lot of fun – I had a lot of fun with everything,” Ybarra said on the podium after becoming the youngest Runoffs winner in history. He also admitted that he didn’t feel too much pressure during the race because his mind was elsewhere. “Honestly, I was just listening to my crew chief the whole time,” he laughed.
“It’s been a crazy journey into racing, definitely not the normal one,” said Travis, who was doing track days with his dad just over a year ago. “The race was great,” he added. “It was a shame we didn’t get to battle at the end, but it is what it is. I think me and David put on a pretty good show.”
Burns, meanwhile, said his race mostly involved a solitary goal: “We were just trying to catch the top two. We saw them break away, and we got a little bit checked up when Jonathan had an issue in Turn 5, and we were trying to work together. I think it kind of worked out.”
Because only one podium finisher was of legal drinking age, the Mazza sparkling wine traditionally sprayed during Runoffs celebrations was swapped for an alcohol-free version.
In fourth at the race's end was Constantinidis, followed by Moran in fifth and Stefanelli in sixth. Nic Sheppard earned the Sunoco Hard Charger Award by running from 14th on the grid to ninth at the checker.
The 63rd Mission Foods SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® 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 2026, two Hagerty Race Days at Wisconsin’s Road America decide 23 gold-medal winners.
The live, online Runoffs Broadcast presented by Mazda features video 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 provisional results for Sunday's Formula F race at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs; with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.
- 1, (1), David Ybarra, Lewisville, TX, Mygale SJ14 Honda, 10.
2, (6), Cooper Travis, Matthews, NC, Spectrum FF1600 Honda, 10.
3, (5), Theodore Burns, Fitchburg, WI, Piper DF05 Honda, 10.
4, (4), Demetrios Constantinidis, Conroe, TX, Van Diemen RF00 Honda, 10.
5, (3), Andrew Moran, Cincinnati, OH, Van Diemen RF99 Honda, 10.
6, (9), Tazio Stefanelli, Rockford, IL, Spectrum FF1600 Honda, 10.
7, (7), Nathan Down, Thornton, CO, Swift DB6 Honda, 10.
8, (10), Robert Dietz, Auburn Hills, MI, Van Diemen RF00 Honda, 10.
9, (14), Nic Sheppard, Gobles, MI, Swift DB1 Ford, 10.
10, (8), Calvin Kautz, Geneva, IL, Piper DF3D Honda, 10.
11, (12), Andrew MacDougall, Lakewood, CO, Van Diemen RF02 Honda, 10.
12, (13), Russell J Ruedisueli, Rochester, MI, Van Diemen RF99 Ford, 10.
13, (11), Brandon Lavender, Indianapolis, IN, Van Diemen RF95 Honda, 9.
14, (15), Dale Evans, Kittredge, CO, Van Diemen RF98 Honda, 9.
15, (19), James K. Dietz, Medina, OH, Van Diemen RF00 Honda, 9.
16, (17), Megan Ruedisueli Weese, Highland, MI, Van Diemen RF01 Honda, 9.
17, (18), Tom Porter, Milwaukee, WI, Van Diemen Honda, 9.
DNF, (2), Jonathan Kotyk, Atlantic Beach, FL, Swift SE1 Ford, 4.
DNF, (16), Robert Gross, Washington Twp, MI, Piper DF05 Honda, 2.
DNF, (20), Roberto Reina, Brookfield, WI, Van Diemen RF98 Ford, 2.
Race Stats
Length of Race: 40.48 miles
Overall Time of Race: 25:06.662 (avg. 96.722 mph)
Margin of Victory: 0.215 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 2:23.686 (101.421 mph)
Lap Leaders: #06, Lap 1, 4-10; #5, Laps 2-3
Sunoco Hard Charger: #24 Nic Sheppard
Photo by Jay Bonvouloir
