Danny Steyn, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was able to race the entire slate of Southeast Majors events in 2015. In 12 races, Steyn finished no lower than fourth place in 10 of those. In the eight races that counted toward the season-end points, Steyn finished on the podium. That included a single win at Summit Point Motorsports Park.

“Racing in Spec Miata at any Majors event in the Southeast, there are at least 10 drivers that can win,” Steyn said. “So, I feel very fortunate to have won the Southeastern Conference Majors Championship for the second time.”

Steyn experienced both highs and the lows during the 2015 race season. With a rough start at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Steyn was able to finish on the ultimate high note with a win at Summit Point.

“During the season I had some really high highs and some really low lows,” Steyn said. “I was disqualified at the second event at Homestead and lost both podium finishes, but was able to come back and podium in 10 of 12 races. However I was only able to win one Majors race, and that was Summit Point Race two, which I won by the paint on my bumper!

“The highlight of my season was winning the June Sprints for the second time after a race-long scrap with Todd Lamb in trying wet conditions. We exchanged positions several times, ran door to door without ever touching, and I was able to pull away for the win with two laps to go.

“The low point for me was the SCCA Runoffs at Daytona. I had been fast all week and felt that I had as good a shot at the title as anyone else, but on the grid, under the lights, I made a last second decision to change my tires and it was the wrong decision. I got bumped and swamped at the start, and never got to contend at all, finishing a very distant ninth.”

Steyn made a point to highlight some of his most ardent supporters.

“I am fortunate to be supported by some of the most talented and generous individuals and teams in Spec Miata,” Steyn said. “Tom Fowler, and his team at OPM Autosports, build and prepare my cars. Tom’s setup skills are legendary and my cars are always reliable. For my engines I have to thank my engine builder, Mike Rossini at Rossini Racing Engines, who is one of the all-time great guys of the sport. Traqmate helps me with their intuitive and affordable data system, Carbotech supplies me with the best brake pads in the business and Traqgear helps me with the only fire retardant cool shirt in the industry.

“My greatest supporter is my wife, Kim, who absolutely loves racing. Long before I met her she used to work at the SCCA in her youth, and comes to every race with me.

“But, the thing that keeps me coming back year after year is the intense competition and camaraderie that is part of Spec Miata. I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to race with so many talented and competitive drivers that I consider my friends.”

Mac Korince, of Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada, took home his first SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Conference Championship this past season. Korince showed he was a quick study after doing what it took to hold onto his starting position during his first two races at Homestead, to notching a pair of class wins at the end of the season.

“It means the world to have an SCCA Majors Championship,” Korince said. “Being able to compete with some of the best amateur drivers in the country and being able to be competitive against them is a treat. Coming away with a championship after all of that is extra special.”

Like many young racers, Korince had to some other items that trumped racing as a priority.

“The competition was difficult, but that's a good thing,” Korince said. “The true difficulties were balancing my college commitments while focusing on racing in the SCCA. It was tough but it all worked out in the end.”

At Sebring International Raceway, Korince was the polesitter both days of the weekend but was unable to hold that position. His best finish in those two races was a third at Sebring on Sunday. However, Korince said that was one of the defining moments of the season.

“Either my podium at Sebring or winning at VIRginia International Raceway, both really gave me a lot of confidence going forward,” Korince said. “Sebring really made me realize my potential, VIR cemented it.”

Korince called out some people that helped him quite a bit throughout the season.

“A big thank you goes out to my family,” Korince said. “Without them I wouldn't be able to do this, especially on a starving student's budget. They made a lot of sacrifices to allow me to pursue my dream and I'm extremely grateful for that, especially my parents and my brother. Also for this season, thanks to Indian Summer Racing, Travis Washay, Mini USA and Hoosier Tire.”

In 2015, Scott Rettich, of Columbus, Ohio, captured three Majors Conference titles. Concentrating on the second generation of Spec Racer Fords in the beginning of the season, Rettich completed the Southeastern Conference calendar as the top driver in the class. He then went on to capture the SRF Gen3 and Formula Enterprises titles in the Northern Conference.

“It really means a lot to us to win Spec Racer Ford in the Southeast Conference, Formula Enterprises in the Northern Conference, and Spec Racer Ford Gen 3 in the Northern Conference,” Rettich said. “The competition was very strong at each Majors event.”

While earning three titles in two different conferences, it would make sense that Rettich had some stumbling blocks on the way.

“The most difficult part of the season was the Spec Racer Ford Gen 3 Cat Majors,” Rettich said. “We qualified on the pole for the sprint race, but while leading on the first lap a weld broke on our frame and we had to retire from that race. We fixed the car and won the feature race by a couple feet the next day!”

While Rettich spent much many weekends throughout the year behind the wheel of a racecar, there was one race that he said stuck out to him.

“The most exciting race of the season was the final Spec Racer Ford Gen 3 race at Michigan International Speedway,” Rettich said. “If my main competition, Bobby Sak won, I had to finish second to still win the championship. I followed him around the entire race until the beginning of the last lap when I took the lead.

“I led heading onto the oval and he pulled out to pass me on the outside coming to the line, but I held on to the lead by a few inches and came away with the win and the championship!”

On most weekends, Rettich ran in two separate classes. The effort to run two completely different cars in different race groups not only takes planning, but time needed to make sure each car is prepared to a winning level. Rettich made sure to thank those who made the logistics of three championship runs possible.

“I have to thank my parents, my wife, Rebecca Rettich, and our sponsors: PDI Communication Systems, Red Line Oil, Hoosier Racing Tire, and Goodyear Race Tires,” Rettich said. “I would also like to thank the entire Alliance Autosport team including Suren Tchobanian, Al Hostettler, Donny Nuckles, Joe Heretta, Ron Dick, Jonathan Dick, Ned Morrell, Jim Shoemaker, Jerry Cabe, Quinten Nelson, Rick Nelson, Rick Carter, Ray Rivard, Zach Rivard and all of our customers.”

Sherman Chao, of Palm Beach, Florida, began and ended the 2015 Majors Southeastern Conference strong. He opened the season with a second- and first-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway, then closed the season with a pair of second-place finishes at Road Atlanta.

Chao sees his successes this season as one of the crowing achievements of his racing career.

“Winning a Majors Championship is the ultimate,” Chao said. “It means that all the help I received from my crew chiefs (current and past), crew members (family and friends), and vendors (Stohr cars, George Dean Racing Engines, Hoosier and Hawk), and fellow competitors have not been in vain. If I achieve nothing more in racing, I can be satisfied my time and resources devoted to racing gave me great fun and introduced me to friends I would have never met otherwise.”

Chao had a great run throughout the season, but had to overcome a couple tough finishes at Sebring.

“The most difficult part of season was poor finishes at the Sebring Majors,” Chao said. “I was forced to pull out of Saturday’s race as bodywork came loose due to a broken latch. My race on Sunday ended early as I suffered damage from contact with another car.”

Chao said that his fortunes regarding the season hinged on his two races at Road Atlanta.

“The turning point in season was the Road Atlanta Majors race in March,” Chao said. “My main challenger was faster, but finished behind me due to his own misfortunes. That allowed for the points gap to widen by eight rather than to narrow by six. It ended up being a swing of 14 points.”

Chao made sure to thank those to made the season possible for him.

“A special thanks to James Lee, my current crew chief, and Mike Agnifilo, my former crew chief, for their ideas, encouragement, and wrenching skills,” Chao said. “Also, the obligatory, but heartfelt, thanks to my family - Vivian, John, Kevin, Warren, and Mariette - for allowing me to be away to purse my passion.”

Tim Kezman, of Fanksville, Wisconsin, bookended his Northern Conference-winning season with a pair of podiums in the first and last doubleheader race weekends of the season. That record included two wins at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, in the season opener, and a second-place finish and win at Michigan International Speedway. In addition, he also finished as the Southeast Conference T2 champion. Kezman said this season was the highlight of his racing career.

“As a racer, anytime that you have enough success to be crowned a champion it’s rewarding,” Kezman said. “As a true road racing rookie, to win races, Majors titles and then the Nationwide Points Championship in two classes is just unbelievable. I hadn’t been in a racecar for just about 20 years, and that was a short track stock car not a road race car.

“I started the 2015 season with a goal of finishing races, trying to earn the respect of the other racers and not embarrassing myself. To have the type of year that we have had is personally rewarding and a true testament to the people around me. This season is definitely the highlight of my racing activities.”

Kezman said he had a handful of rather sizable hurdles to overcome throughout the season.

“For me there were three challenging elements this season,” Kezman said. “First was the fact that I had never driven a Porsche before, not even on the street. Second was the fact that, with the exception of Blackhawk Farms and Road America, I had never been to any of the other tracks. Every track was a new experience and learning them was very challenging. Third was racing in the rain. Where I come from we didn’t do that. This year we happened to do a lot of it and it was certainly an eye-opening experience.”

Kezman said his focus was not on points for most of the season. But, the possibility of a championship came into focus at Road America.

“I really wasn’t focused on points or championships,” Kezman said. “I needed seat time and we tried to run every chance we got. I think one of the defining moments of the season for me was running second to Andrew Longe at Road America during the June Sprints. It was a full field T2 class competitors. I think we qualified and were running second by the end of the first lap. I was able to hang right with Andrew for the better part of the race. Although we finished second to the kid that won the Runoffs the previous year I thought, maybe we can compete with these guys. That was a real confidence builder.”

Kezman made certain to thank some very important people who allowed him to claim the 2015 title.

“All that we have done in 2015 would absolutely not have been possible without the support of Calypso Lemonade and all the guys at Fall-Line Motorsports,” Kezman said. “From their car prep and setup to their coaching techniques, each and every factor that it takes to build a winning program they possess. Although every individual at Fall-Line is top-notch, I want to specifically thank Mark Boden, for taking me under his wing, Rob May, for his road racing insight and coaching methods, JP Novelli, for his ongoing support, Mike Grady and Kenny Tomczyk, for their efforts on both of the cars, and especially Tom Burek. As a racer, in order to be able to give it your all you need to be able to trust what you are told and that your car is first and foremost safe.

“As my primary Car Chief, Tom’s support, advice and meticulous attention to detail when it came to setups and the maintenance of both our GT-2 and T2 cars proved to be invaluable. I never had any concerns trusting what I was told and believing that my car was as safe and as well-prepped as it possibly could be. All of these guys and all the others unnamed within the organization are certainly one of the primary reasons that we had the type of season we did. I can’t thank them enough.”