SCCA Front Page News

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 16, 2013) – When Sports Car Club of America launched the U.S. Majors Tour last September, one of the primary goals was to cluster competition amongst the best racers in the SafeRacer National Series. Through the first eight Majors races of 2013, that target has been reached, with car counts up nearly 19 percent from 2012.

Comparing the 2013 Majors Tour races to the equivalent National Races a season ago, four of the early season races – Auto Club Speedway, Road Atlanta, VIRginia International Raceway, and Summit Point –individually increased more than 20 percent. The early May race at Summit Point led the way with an increase of 28.24 percent average attendance per day, well above the 18.96% jump across the board.

Those numbers ignore the March debut at Circuit of the Americas, which hosted a season-high 936 entries during both days of the doubleheader.

“This is a transition year for the U.S. Majors Tour and the entire Club Racing program, but we have been very pleased with the increased car counts thus far,” SCCA President & CEO Jeff Dahnert said. “All of the events thus far have seen an increase from 2012, with all but one increasing more than 16 percent.

“With any new program, there will be some trepidation, and we appreciate the trust instilled in us by our Regions and their partnership in these events. As we work through the remainder of this season and look to 2014, we are excited to focus on enhancing the experience for our participants and growing the Conference Championships to new levels.”

The data includes the opening eight events on the 19-event schedule. Each of the remaining events, with the exception of the WeatherTech June Sprints at Road America, are doubleheaders. The June Sprints offers a bonus race for half of the run groups on the weekend.

The U.S. Majors Tour is divided into four geographic conferences to give SCCA Club Racers a championship experience without cross-country travel. Each of the four Conferences – Eastern, Northern, Mid-States and Western – will crown a champion in all 28 Runoffs-eligible classes. The U.S. Majors Tour is the top level of SCCA’s strong amateur racing program.

More information on the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour is available at www.sccamajors.com.

Founded in 1944, Sports Car Club of America, Inc. is a 45,000-member motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both club and professional levels. It annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 115 regions and professional subsidiary. Landmark events and series for the Club include the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series, which includes the BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Super Tour and the U.S. Majors Tour; the Club Racing National Championship Runoffs® at Road America; and The Tire Rack® SCCA Solo National Championships and ProSolo Championship at Lincoln, Neb. For more information, please visit www.scca.com, like SCCA on Facebook at facebook.com/sccaofficial, or follow the club on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
 

SUMMIT POINT, WV (May 5, 2013) – Temperatures in the high 60s and sunny skies led a chamber of commerce weather day at Summit Point Motorsports Park for Round Eight of the SCCA Eastern Conference Majors Tour, the top level of SCCA Club Racing.

Seven group races and 27 Runoffs-eligible classes were featured in Sunday’s races.

Brian Price grabbed his fifth Touring 4 win in six tries after missing the opening weekend at Sebring, solidifying his series lead in the No. 51 RP Performance/Unlimited Auto Body Mazda Miata. Price battled early with the No. 75 Meathead Racing Mazda Miata of Mike Collins, then opened up a one-second gap that he maintained to the finish.

Danny Steyn worked to create a gap in the No. 39 Adept Studios/Rossini/OPM Mazda Miata, and then ran alone while growing his lead in Spec Miata. The win was Steyn’s third of the season, and his seventh podium finish in eight races this season to increase his class point lead.

Mechanical difficulties kept Sedat Yelkin from a Saturday victory in the No. 74 Everclear Swift 014/Toyota, but there were no such issues on Sunday. Yelkin started on pole and continued to stretch his advantage, which grew even larger as his closest competitors pulled off with mechanical issues of their own.

Paul Schneider stretched his Formula Enterprises point lead with an unexpected win on Sunday in the No. 73 Performance Motorcars of Charlotte/Syvel Images Formula Enterprises/Mazda. Schneider appeared to be locked into the runner-up position when, on lap 20, leader Scott Rettich’s No. 71 OVR/Alliance Autosport/PDI Communication System Formula Enterprises got into a tire wall, ending his day four laps short of the finish.

The Formula Vee field picked up where Saturday’s race left off, with five cars stuck together for the last half of the race and the run to the checker.

With three to go, the odds were just about even that any one of those cars - Jonathan Weiseith in the No. 61 JK Technologies Protoform P3, Roger Siebenaler in the No. 2 Autowerks/Hoosier Tire Mysterian M-2, Stephen Oseth’s No. 72 DBM Racing/Hoosier Tire Vortech, the No. 80 Hoosier/Butler Engines/Roxannes Racer’s Wedge SB-1 of Stephen Davis and the No. 17 Ars Inc/Veesport Racing/Autowerks Vdf-2 of Richard Shields – could have been the first to the checkered flag.

Oseth, Davis and Shields got an advantage as the pack worked through lapped traffic, creating just a small gap over the other two for the final trip around the 2-mile track. Davis got the better of the field, taking his third win and seventh podium of the season in the Eastern Conference. Oseth and Siebenaler filled the podium.

George Winkler’s No. 27 Winkler Automotive Service Center Ford Mustang Boss 302S in Touring 1 and Matthew Pullano’s No. 17 PullanoPT.com/Phoenix Performance Chevrolet Corvette in Touring 2 each swept the weekend with wins on Sunday at Summit Point and extended their point leads.

In a reversal of Saturday, point leader Brian Kleeman’s No. 88 ICS Learning Group/DWW Motorsports Nissan fell behind the No. 4 Nissan/Hoosier/Carbotech/Red Line Nissan 350Z piloted by Rob Hines early in the 23-lap race. The two swapped the lead on lap four, and Kleeman worked to keep Hines behind for the duration to the checkered flag.

The Spec Racer Ford battle came down to three after 11 cars ran in a line for the opening stages of the race - the No. 17 Alliance Autosport/PDI Communications SRF of Scott Rettich, the No. 7 Ayres Racing SRF of Tray Ayres, and the No. 58 Cottage Senior Living of defending National Champion Cliff White.

Running nose to tail, the trio swapped the lead position several times. With four laps to go and trying to pass lapped cars, Ayres fell just enough behind to fall out of the lead threat without help. It didn’t come, relegating him to a third-place finish behind the pair.

With Rettich leading, the stage was set for White to use the draft down the front straight for the final lap and grab the lead in the most popular passing zone for these cars. That plan was thwarted, however, when a car spun into the gravel trap in the corner.

White popped out to make the pass and seemed to have the run, but saw the local yellow being displayed and quickly pulled back into line. With the tight, twisty portion of the track remaining, Rettich held White at bay and took the checkers.

In the big bore group, Russ Snow drove away from the GT-2 field, ripping off a best lap of 1:14.504 to reset his own track record in the No. 20 Carbotech/Hoosier Chevrolet Corvette. Amy Ruman’s No. 23 McNichols & Co/Goodyear/Ruman Racing Chevrolet Corvette swept the weekend in GT-1 with yet another strong performance.

In GT-3, Steven Lustig drove his No. 51 Autosport Auto Group/Luna Sueno Acura Integra to victory, breaking the 19-year old track record in the process, with a time of 1:19.340.

The day ended with a battle in E Production for the overall lead in the group. Kevin Leigh, who won on Saturday in his No. 97 Hoosier Tire/JBS Racing BMW Z3, led early from the pole and appeared poised for another victory.

Steadily, though, Rick Kavitski cut into the gap through the latter stages of the race and with a few laps to go had his No. 2 RDK Engineering Mazda Miata less than a second behind. That lead vacillated as the pair worked through traffic, with Leigh still in the lead.

Leigh was poised for victory anyway, but Kavitski spun in the final corner, still pushing hard. Kavitski stalled in the middle of the track and could only watch as Leigh raced to the checkers.

Rounds Nine and 10 of the Eastern Conference Majors Tour continues to New Jersey Motorsports Park, May 31 – June 2.

More information is available at www.scca.com. Like SCCA on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or follow on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

SUMMIT POINT, WV. - Provisional race winners for Sunday’s SCCA Eastern Conference Majors Tour Round Seven at Summit Point Motorsports Park. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.

American Sedan: Jeffrey Werth, Silver Spring, Md., Chevrolet Camaro
B-Spec: Robbie Davis, Richardson, Texas, Mini Cooper
C Sports Racing: Jacek Mucha, Laval, Quebec, JMS 016cp/Mazda
D Sports Racing: Dennis Hanratty, Mechanicsburg, Pa., West WR1000/Suzuki
Formula 500: Michael Brent, Bethel, Conn., Invader QC-1/Rotax
Formula 1000: Alex Mayer, Harleysville, Pa., Elon DP-04
Formula Atlantic: Sedat Yelkin, Austintown, Ohio, Swift 014/Toyota
Formula Continental: Chuck Moran, Oakton, Va., Van Diemen RF99/Ford
Formula Enterprise: Paul Schneider, Charlotte, N.C., Formula Enterprises/Mazda
Formula F: Mike Kelly, Rosedale, Md., Zink Z10c
Formula Mazda: Sam Ryan, White Haven, Pa., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Stephen Davis, Danielsville, Ga., Racer’s Wedge SB1/VW
E Production: Kevin Leigh, Harrisonburg, Va., BMW Z3
F Production: Jerry Hinkle, Catonsville, Md., Lotus Seven
H Production: Brad Davis, Summerville, S.C., Mini Cooper
GT-1: Amy Ruman, Kent, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette
GT-2: Russ Snow, Eden, N.C., Chevrolet Corvette
GT-3: Steven Lustig, Chester, N.J., Acura Integra
GT-Lite: Robert Lentz II, Chantilly, Va., Nissan Sentra SER
Spec Miata: Danny Steyn, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Scott Rettich, Camden, Ohio, Spec Racer Ford
Super Touring Lite: Sebastian Landy, Great Falls, Va., Mazda MX-5
Super Touring Under: Eric Heinrich, Milton, Mass., BMW M3
Touring 1: George Winkler, Fredrick, Md., Ford Mustang Boss 302S
Touring 2: Matthew Pullano, Endicott, N.Y., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 3: Brian Kleeman, Baltimore, Md. Nissan 350Z
Touring 4: Brian Price, Middletown, Va., Mazda Miata
 

SUMMIT POINT, WV (May 4, 2013) – There were no roses in victory circle, but plenty of horsepower to be found as 27 drivers took wins on Saturday at Summit Point Raceway during Round Seven of the SCCA Eastern Conference Majors Tour.

The race day got underway just before lunch, when Todd Lamb pulled away from the pole position and led wire-to-wire for a Spec Miata victory in the No. 81 Cahall/Toddspeed/Cobalt/SafeRacer Mazda Miata. Ahead by three seconds, the No. 39 Adept Studios/Rossini/OPM Mazda Miata of Danny Steyn and the No. 33 WDC/Excitations.com Mazda Miata of Sebastian Landy battled for runner-up. That position swapped twice, with Steyn reclaiming the perch on the final lap.

The group known as wings and things - the fast open-wheel and sports racing machines - kicked off after the lunch break with an adventuresome opening lap. Chaos ensued as the green flag came out, with five cars spinning and making contact on the front straight near the rear of the field. Each driver climbed out of his car under his own power, but the race was black flagged for cleanup before the field was able to complete a single lap.

Restarting doublefile but on lap three, Sedat Yelkin drove his No. 74 Everclear Swift 014/Toyota away from the field and began to open up a gap. His finicky machine let him down on lap 12, when he pulled to pit out. Coming to a complete stop and falling to third, Yelkin was able to refire and rejoin the race, but fell out again just a few corners later.

That left, for the moment, the No. 96 K-Hill/Atlantic Creations Swift 016a/Toyota of Theodoras Zorbas in the lead and behind only overall leader and eventual winner Jacek Mucha’s C Sports Racing Swift JMS016. On lap 17, however, Chris Fahan’s No. 39 Fahan Paving/Hoosier Tire/MAZDASPEED Swift 016/Mazda pulled to the inside of the Zorbas and the two ran side by side through Turns One and Two before Fahan pulled ahead entering Turn Three.

Zorbas closed the gap again on a handful of occasions, but never got back around Fahan as he drove to victory.

The long front straight at Summit Point, along with the twisty back sections of the 2-mile circuit, were seemingly made for the large Formula Vee field on hand. The lead pack of cars began seven deep in the early part of the race and, seemingly every lap, a new driver took the lead into the first turn.

With three laps to go, four cars were ready to settle the three podium positions.

Those four players were Jonathan Weiseith in the No. 61 JK Technologies Protoform P3, Roger Siebenaler in the No. 2 Autowerks/Hoosier Tire Mysterian M-2, Stephen Oseth’s No. 72 DBM Racing/Hoosier Tire Vortech, and the No. 80 Hoosier/Butler Engines/Roxannes Racer’s Wedge SB-1.

Davis had a disadvantage entering the final lap, separated slightly from the group. The trio reappeared on the front stretch with Oseth missing from group after a spin. Seibenaler, Weiseith and Davis crossed the stripe in the win, place and show positions.

The Touring 1 battle was an overall fight for the win between rival Ford and Chevrolet power. Joe Aquilante started on pole in the No. 32 Phoenix/Hawk/Hoosier Chevrolet Corvette, but lost the battle into the first turn to George Winkler’s No. 27 Winkler Automotive Service Center Ford Mustang Boss 302S. The Corvette reclaimed the lead in the same spot to start lap two, but that only lasted for a lap as Winkler went back to the front.

The pair settled in and ran very closely, nose to tail, working through traffic from the other classes. On Lap 17, Aquilante got a run on Winkler up the front straight and moved to the inside going into the sharp double apex that makes up turns one and two. Winkler, ran a defensive line to the inside as well, and Aquilante’s right side dipped into dirt off the track. That killed Aquilante’s momentum, giving Winkler some space.

That was all the distance that Winkler needed, holding the lead to the finish of the 23-lap race.

Rob Hines also battled for his Touring 3 win in the same group, falling behind Brian Kleeman early in a battle of similar Nissan 350Z machines. Hines’ No. 4 Nissan/Hoosier/Carbotech/Red Line Nissan 350Z fell behind Kleeman’s No. 88 ICS Learning Group/DWW Motorsports Nissan on lap three, then reclaimed the point on lap 12. It was never comfortable, but Hines held the lead to the finish and the win.

Like Formula Vee, the Spec Racer Ford contingent used the drafts to their advantage, and again settled on a four horse race. The No. 51 Apple Motorsports machine of Rob Stewart, the No. 17 Alliance Autosport/PDI Communications SRF of Scott Rettich, the No. 7 Ayres Racing SRF of Tray Ayres, and the No. 58 Cottage Senior Living of defending National Champion Cliff White all took a share of the lead during the 23 lap race.

It almost all disappeared when White drove down the inside on lap 13 in an attempt to move to the lead. Some heavy brake smoke was visible and contact feared, but all escaped undeterred and continued.

A struggle to the end, Ayres took the lead into turn one on the final lap, then held on for the final nine turns – fist pumping his way across the finish line for a hard-fought win. Stewart, White and Rettich followed to the finish.

Amy Ruman put in a dominating performance in GT-1 to lead the big bore class drama free after repairing a transmission in the No. 23 McNichols & Co/Goodyear/Ruman Racing Chevrolet Corvette on Friday afternoon. Ruman pulled away at the start, and grew the lead lap by lap for 23 laps to the finish.

A full course caution on lap 12 broke up what had been a terrific three-way battle in H Production to end the day. Bradley Davis’ No. 54 MINIUsa.com/Mini of Charleston Mini Cooper walked away with the lead following the restart to a comfortable win, but it was anything but easy. Prior to the restart, Davis had swapped the top three positions nearly every lap with the No. 9 Blue Crab Racing/Mount Joy’s Autoshop Triumph Spitfire of Tom Broring and the No. 52 Turn One Services/Burk Performance Honda CRX of Martin Burk.

Round Eight of the Eastern Conference Majors Tour takes place on Sunday at Summit Point Raceway, with second qualifying session beginning at 8:00 EDT followed by the seven group races.

More information is available at www.scca.com. Like SCCA on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or follow on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

Live timing and notes are available on Sunday at www.scca.com/SCCALive.

SUMMIT POINT, WV. - Provisional race winners for Saturday’s SCCA Eastern Conference Majors Tour Round Seven at Summit Point Motorsports Park. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.

American Sedan: Jeffrey Werth, Silver Spring, Md., Chevrolet Camaro
B-Spec: Robbie Davis, Richardson, Texas, Mini Cooper
C Sports Racing: Jacek Mucha, Laval, Quebec, JMS 016cp/Mazda
D Sports Racing: David Gomberg, Laurel, Md., Cheetah SR-1/Suzuki
Formula 500: Michael Brent, Bethel, Conn., Invader QC-1/Rotax
Formula 1000: Alex Mayer, Harleysville, Pa., Elon DP-04
Formula Atlantic: Chris Fahan, Redding, Conn., Swift 016/Mazda
Formula Continental: Chuck Moran, Oakton, Va., Van Diemen RF99/Ford
Formula Enterprise: Scott Rettich, Camden, Ohio, Formula Enterprises/Mazda
Formula F: Daniel Oseth, Sterling, Va., Van Diemen FF
Formula Mazda: Sam Ryan, White Haven, Pa., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Roger Siebenaler, North Hero, Vt., Mysterian M2/VW
E Production: Kevin Leigh, Harrisonburg, Va., BMW Z3
F Production: Jerry Hinkle, Catonsville, Md., Lotus Seven
H Production: Brad Davis, Summerville, S.C., Mini Cooper
GT-1: Amy Ruman, Kent, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette
GT-2: Russ Snow, Eden, N.C., Chevrolet Corvette
GT-3: James Ashe, Prospect, Conn., Mazda RX-7
GT-Lite: Robert Lentz II, Chantilly, Va., Nissan Sentra SER
Spec Miata: Todd Lamb, Atlanta, Ga., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Tray Ayres, Woodstock, Ga., Spec Racer Ford
Super Touring Lite: Sebastian Landy, Great Falls, Va., Mazda MX-5
Super Touring Under: Eric Heinrich, Milton, Mass., BMW M3
Touring 1: George Winkler, Fredrick, Md., Ford Mustang Boss 302S
Touring 2: Matthew Pullano, Endicott, N.Y., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 3: Rob Hines, Arlington, Va., Nissan 350Z
Touring 4: Brian Price, Middletown, Va., Mazda Miata
 

SUMMIT POINT, W.V. (May 3, 2013) – With more than 170 cars on the entry list, one of the largest May races Summit Point Motorsports Park history got underway on Friday with 25 minutes each of practice and qualifying. The doubleheader weekend serves as Rounds Seven and Eight of 12 in the SCCA Eastern Conference Majors Tour.

The morning opened with 25 minutes of practice for each of the seven race groups this weekend, followed by a qualifying session of the same length in the afternoon.

Sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60s are expected to continue through the weekend.

The schedule heats up beginning on Saturday morning. Each group will get a 15-minute qualifying session with the best time from either Friday or Saturday used to set the grid. The schedule repeats on Sunday, with the best time from Friday or Sunday’s sessions used to set the second day starting positions.

Each day of races will score points for the Eastern Conference standings.

More information, including results from today's qualifying sessions, and be found on the Summit Point Motorsports Park Double Majors page here.

On both race days, the PA feed from the Summit Point announcers, along with notes and live timing, are available at www.scca.com/SCCALive.
 

Green Flags: Jeffrey Werth missed the VIR rounds and fell out of the American Sedan point lead. He won the opening four rounds, however, and is back again this weekend with an eye on reclaiming the top spot… Robbie Davis also missed VIR, but is undefeated in B-Spec and leads the Championship… Jacek Mucah, in C Sports Racing, is five for six this year and has yet to finish off the podium…Chuck Moran has yet to win in Formula Continental, but a string of podium finishes has him at the top of the point lead…Paul Schneider has moved to the Formula Enterprises lead on the strength of five top-two finishes…Stevan Davis has two wins and three runner-up finishes to climb to the top of the Formula Vee championship…Stevan Lustig has three GT-3 wins and leads his class point standings…Bradley Davis has four podiums, including a win. A strong performance at Summit Point in H Production will move him to the lead… Danny Steyn’s lone finish off the podium was a fifth place at VIR. He’s currently handling the Spec Miata field…George Winkler has two wins and a point lead in Touring 1, driving a Ford Mustang…Matthew Pullano has made the most of the four races he’s entered, winning them all and climbing to the Touring 2 lead…Brian Kleeman will hold the Touring 3 lead this weekend with a strong performance. He has already scored four podiums this season… Brian Price is also three for four in the events that he’s entered, giving him the Touring 4 lead.

Family Fun: Summit Point Motorsports Park is open for spectators at this weekend’s Eastern Conference Majors Tour. Tickets are available at the gate for just $25 for the weekend, and include access to the grandstands and paddock to get up close and personal with the race cars. Children 12 and under are free.

Reaching The Summit: The Eastern Conference Majors Tour has reached the halfway point of the season, and heads north beginning this weekend for the final three events. With each weekend a doubleheader, Summit Point is followed on the schedule by New Jersey Motorsports Park and the BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour at Watkins Glen International.

Nearly 170 cars are on the entry list heading into the weekend. In addition to a host of SCCA Club Racing National Champions, former SCCA Pro Racing Champions Todd Lamb (Spec Miata, Super Touring Lite) and Scott Rettich (Formula Enterprises, Spec Racer Ford) and SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am race winner Amy Ruman (GT-1) are on the entry list.

The Dawn Of An Era: In September 2012, the Sports Car Club of America rolled out the U.S. Majors Tour as the top level of amateur racing in this country. With events coast-to-coast and split into four Conferences, the Eastern Conference season continues this weekend with Rounds Seven and Eight of 12. Drivers are coming from all over the east coast to participate in the weekend, featuring an enhanced race experience for drivers and fans, from pre-race to post-race activities.

SCCA Club Racers – The Best In The Country: There many amateur road racing groups in the United States, but the clear leader of top drivers is with the SCCA. Though most are weekend warriors who take vacations from their full-time jobs to attend races, it’s a craft taken seriously. Bobby Rahal, Mark Donohue, Roger Penske, Michael Andretti, and actor/driver Paul Newman got their start in SCCA Club Racing. More recently, you could have seen current stars Boris Said, Graham Rahal, Sam Hornish or J.R. Hildebrand at an SCCA Club race. This weekend features National Champions, professional race winners and series champions, and up-and-coming stars on the entry list.

Event/Circuit:
U.S. Majors Tour Eastern Conference - Rounds Seven and Eight of 12
Summit Point Motorsports Park
10-turn, 2.0-mile road course

Qualifying:
Seven Race Groups
Friday, May 3 at 1:20 p.m. (25 minutes, times good for both races), Saturday, May 4 at 8:00 a.m. (15 minutes), Sunday May 5 at 8:00 a.m. (15 minutes)

Races:
Seven group races: Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, following qualifying

Race Lengths:
23 Laps

Timing/Scoring: Live Timing & Scoring, lap notes and streaming track PA audio via the SCCA® Pit Board are available for all sessions through www.scca.com/sccalive.

On Thursday, May 2, the first episode of “The Racing Insiders” airs on MAVTV @ 2 and 5 PM EST. and again on Saturday, at noon. So get ready to pull up a chair or set your DVR to record.

“The Racing Insiders” is a weekly “talking heads” 30-minute news show, covering Pro and Club Sports Car racing in North America. The Show is focused on providing passionate fans with behind the scenes, cutting edge information. Each show provides conversation on a variety of topics from the top pro racing series (Grand Am, ALMS, Pirelli World Challenge, Global RallyCross, Rally America, etc.) as well as the Club/Amateur racing community (Sport Car Club of America “SCCA”) giving viewer’s in-depth knowledge.

This Weeks Show Guests:

Katherine Legge – IndyCar and former DTM driver
Katherine talks about her recent test-drive in the Deltawing, which prompted the announcement that she will drive it in the next ALMS race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

John Dagys - International Sportscar Journalist
John tell us that opinions in the Grand Am paddock indicate there may be bumpy roads ahead in the ALMS/GA merger plans.

This Weeks Insider Topics:

The Pirelli World Challenge - GTS class and the future of the Mustang as the base platform.

Global Rallycross Brazil - Former F1 driver Scott Speed takes home the medal.

The Racing Insiders airs weekly on the MAVTV Network with a reach of 43,000,000 households and a target demographic of 25 to 54 year olds. MAVTV's programming includes several Motorsport programs and, is owned by Forest Lucas, of Lucas Oil. Lucas Oil has the naming rights to the Indianapolis Colts' football stadium and now "bookends" the 2013 American racing season with the "ARCA Lucas Oil 200" raced in January at Daytona and October's IndyCar season finale "MAVTV American Real 500" at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California. It is obvious that Lucas Oil and MAVTV doesn't do anything half way and we expect The Racing Insiders on the MAVTV Network to live up to that trend.
 

DOVER, Del. (May 1, 2013) – Last weekend’s Tire Rack SCCA Champions Tour fell in the shadow of Dover Speedway’s Monster Mile, and the action throughout the event was downright beastly.

The Jeff Jacobs-designed course, with assistance from veterans Tony Savino and Sam Strano, stretched across two adjoining speedway parking lots, with the newer east surface much smoother. The technical elements were designed to complement the dips and bumps in the eastern lot pavement, and laid out as a brisk yet challenging course.

Samuel Krauss (IAG Performance/Turnin Concepts Subaru WRX) put in a blistering time on his final run to win E Street Prepared by just 0.002-second on the final clock. Don Slevin (SJFPerformance.com/Stranoparts.com Ford Mustang GT) held the day one lead, and looked poised for victory. Krauss, trying to catch up, had coned each of his first two Sunday runs to stay behind. The third time was the charm, though, laying down a time that was more than a half-second quicker than Slevin’s best to take the top spot in the class.

In addition to assisting with the course layout, Strano (Stranoparts.com Chevrolet Corvette) turned in a final-run performance of his own that secured the win in Super Stock. Strano led after the first runs, but had fallen behind Grant Reeve (Chevrolet Corvette) by the time Strano pulled to the line for his final run of the weekend. Cool and collected, Strano ran the second fastest time of the day in the class (behind eventual third-place finisher Jason Burns) to pull in front of Reeve by 0.332 second.

Super Street Modified was a small class at Dover, but that didn’t dampen the action. Dawn Ammirata (SJF Performance Mazda Miata) led the opening day, but Charles Sudano (Mazda Miata) zipped past on Sunday to take a 0.198-second victory.

Brian Karwan (Karcepts.com Honda S2000) topped Street Touring R, the largest class of the weekend. Karwan took the opening day lead, and then hung on with the second-fastest Sunday time. Only Christopher Lin (Thanks James Mazda MX-5) went quicker, but had to settle for second-place on combined time.

Almost as deep as the STR class was Street Touring Xtreme, where Jeff Hurst (ANZE Suspension Mazda RX-8) led the opening day and then held on for a 0.581-second win. Michael Kuhn (Motion Lap Tuning/MAZDASPEED Mazda RX-8) crept close on the final day of runs, but remained in second place.

The Tire Rack Championship Tour – running the traditional National Tour format – returns to action with at the Lincoln (Neb.) Airpark for the Spring Nationals, May 26-27. The Lincoln Airpark is home to September’s Tire Rack Solo National Championship, with the Memorial Day weekend event doubling up with a Tire Rack ProSolo Championship round. More information on the Tire Rack SCCA Solo Program is available at www.scca.com/Solo.

More information, including results, from the Tire Rack Atlantic Championship Tour in Dover is available at http://www.scca.com/events/index.cfm?eid=5466.

Follow SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial, or like the Club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial.
 

TOPEKA, Kan. (April 30, 2013) – BFGoodrich Tires, the Official Street Tire of the SCCA, is continuing its support of the Sports Car Club of America BFGoodrich Tires Worker of the Year program with a dream trip to the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring for the third season in-a-row. The Grand Prize winner will, once again, be randomly selected from a pool of finalists nominated as Worker of the Year in each of the nine SCCA Divisions. A second finalist will win a lifetime membership to the SCCA.

As the Official Street Tire of SCCA, as well as the title sponsor of the Club Racing Super Tour, BFGoodrich Tires is in its fourth year supporting a program that recognizes volunteers in roles such as Emergency Services, Grid and Pit, Timing and Scoring, Registration, Race Administration, Flagging and Communications, Starter, Steward, Scrutineering and Sound Control since 1985.

Joi Robinson attended this year’s Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring after earning the Southern Pacific Division nominee through her work in Grid and Pit.

One BFGoodrich Tires “Worker of the Year” from each of the nine SCCA divisions, regardless of specialty, will be honored. Each of those nine Divisional winners will win a set of BFGoodrich Tires for their passenger car or light truck and a patch, plaque and jacket to commemorate the achievement. Their names will also be entered into the drawing for the Sebring trip and the lifetime membership.

The Grand Prize, courtesy of BFGoodrich Tires, will include airfare for two, hotel, event credentials, at-track hospitality, rental car and golf cart at the event.

The winners will be announced at the BFGoodrich Tires Worker of the Year party at Road America during the 50th SCCA National Championship Runoffs.

Worker of the Year candidates will be selected by a vote from that division’s Executive Steward and Region Executives. Each Divisional Administrator will nominate an outstanding worker in each of their specialties to be included in the vote. SCCA members can also submit nominations to their Regional Executive, Executive Steward or Divisional Administrator for consideration by August 9, 2013.

By definition, award nominees should support their specialty, events, region, competitors, fellow workers and the SCCA; show dedication and support throughout the year; exhibit strong skills, good leadership, and a willingness to go above and beyond what is expected; and provide excellent customer service to everyone that person encounters.

The nomination form is available on the Runoffs event page here, by clicking on the “BFGoodrich Tires WOY Nomination Form” on the right.

More information on the SCCA and the BFGoodrich Tires Worker of the Year program is available at www.scca.com. Past “Worker of the Year” recipients are listed here.

Like SCCA on Facebook at facebook.com/sccaofficial, or follow the Club on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
 

BUTTONWILLOW, Calif. (April 28, 2013) – The SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour has reached the halfway point of the season after wrapping Round Four of eight from Buttonwillow Raceway on Sunday.

Though mechanical problems plagued his No. 12 Goodyear/Cyclo/Redline Oil Jaguar XKR on both days, Mike Lewis, of Poway, Calif., has topped his class in all four races this season. A weekend sweep in GT-2 by Tom Wickersham, of Oakland, Calif., gives him three out of four in the No. 02 Maine Straight Racing Porsche GT3.

Mike Miserendino, of Bakersfield, used his home track knowledge to pick up his third win of the season in Spec Racer Ford. The No. 11 MBI Racing Spec Racer Ford followed the No. 61 machine of TJ Acker for 12 laps, jumping to the point with two laps to go. Acker went back to the lead through Turn One on the final lap, but was swallowed up by Miserendino through the esses.

Acker fought back valiantly, pulling to the inside at the end of the backstraight on the final lap, but couldn’t make the pass. In a Hail Mary move through the last corner, Acker carried more speed than was possible, sliding eight feet wide of the track. He never lifted, but couldn’t close to Miserendino in the run to the checkers. It was the second runner-up finish of the weekend for Acker.

Elliott Skeer earned his fourth win of the season in Spec Miata, hustling the No. 77 RM Auto Sports/Pelican Windows & Remodeling Mazda Miata around the track in a battle with Clement Lee. Skeer led the opening 10 laps when Lee used the run down the long backstraight to take over the top spot.

On Lap 12, Skeer took a big look to the inside in Turn One, stayed behind Lee, and then mirrored Lee’s pass from two laps earlier to reclaim the lead.

Once in front, Skeer stayed there for the final two laps to take the win.

Chris Farrell earned his fourth win of the season by sweeping D Sports Racing in his No. 58 C&M Mfg/GDR Engines/Hoosier Tires/Red Line Oil Stohr WF1/Suzuki. Farrell took the overall win in his group for the second day in a row.

A very excited Terran Swanson cruised to his second Formula Vee win of the season, driving his No. 86 Toad Hall Enterprises Mysterian M4/VW to an 18.312-second win in the class. He was joined in his group by the overall winner, Stan Townes, who piloted his No. 6 Swift DB-1/Ford around Bill Kephart’s No. 37 Vestal 10F/Honda on lap nine of the 15-lap race.

Each of the eight classes running in Group Six saw repeat winners from Saturday.

Tom Wickersham’s No. 14 Maine Straight Racing Honda S2000 took the Touring 3 and overall win for the second straight day. Wickersham ran second for most of the race until Marc Hoover’s No. 98 Hooverspeed/NRA/Necksgen/Red Line Oil Mazda Miata fell out on unlucky lap 13.

The closest race of the group saw Skeer looking for his second win of the day, chasing down the No. 16 Team Dead Horse Racing/Jackson Racing Honda Civic Si in STL. Skeer, running his No. 77 RM Auto Sports/Pelican Windows & Remodeling Mazda Miata in STL configuration, closed to the bumper of Jackson several times in the closing laps, but couldn’t complete the pass. Jackson stayed in front for his second win of the weekend.

The weekend ended with David Ferguson’s third victory of the season in the No. 75 Veracity Racing Data Van Diemen RFS-03/Ford. Ferguson, who held a big lead on Saturday before a mechanical gremlin cost him the win, sailed away for a 16.814-second win to earn a Majors checkered flag.

The Western Conference Majors Tour visits the Pacific Northwest for Rounds Five and Six, moving to Pacific Raceway May 25-26.

More information on the SCCA Majors Program is available at www.sccamajors.com. Like SCCA on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or follow on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

BUTTONWILLOW, Calif. - Provisional race winners for Sunday’s SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour Round Four at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.

American Sedan: Aaron Bailey, Shasta Lake, Calif., Pontiac Firebird
B-Spec: Roy Richards, Boron, Calif., Honda Fit
C Sports Racing: Lee Alexander, Las Vegas, Nev., Stohr WF1
D Sports Racing: Chris Farrell, Salt Lake City, Utah, Stohr WF1/Suzuki
Formula Atlantic: Parker Nicklin, Henderson, Nev., Elan Pro Mazda
Formula Continental: Michael Manning, Dinuba, Calif., Van Diemen RF01/Ford
Formula F: Stan Townes, Santa Clara, Calif., Swift DB1/Ford
Formula Mazda: TJ Fischer, Portland, Ore., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Terran Swanson, Petaluma, Calif., Mysterian M4/VW
E Production: Aaron Downey, Rossmoor, Calif., Mazda RX-3
F Production: Brian Linn, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Mazda Miata
H Production: Jason Isley, Cota de Caza, Calif., Toyota Yaris
GT-1: Michael Lewis, Poway, Calif., Jaguar XKR
GT-2: Tom Wickersham, Oakland, Calif., Porsche GT3
GT-3: Scott Graham, Irvine, Calif., Mazda RX-7
GT-Lite: John Bower, Granada Hills, Calif., Nissan Sentra
Spec Miata: Elliott Skeer, Vista, Calif., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Mike Miserendino, Bakersfield, Calif., Spec Racer Ford
Sports 2000: David Ferguson, Paso Robles, Calif., Van Diemen RFS-03/Ford
Super Touring Lite: Oscar Jackson, Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif., Honda Civic Si
Super Touring Under: Rylan Hazelton, Santa Cruz, Calif., Honda S2000
Touring 1: Michael Von Quilich, Pahrump, Nev., Dodge Viper ACRX
Touring 3: Tom Wickersham, Oakland, Calif., Honda S2000
Touring 4: Lance Stewart, Miami, Fla., Ford Mustang
 

BUTTONWILLOW, Calif. (April 27, 2013) – Round Three of the SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour crowned a host of winners on Saturday and set the stage for a Sunday showdown in the second half of the doubleheader.

The California desert provided the hottest Majors race in any Conference already in this young season, with temperatures stretching into the low 90s.

The first group played out in a battle of attrition. Mike Lewis’ No. 12 Goodyear/Cyclo/Redline Oil Jaguar XKR led early and in GT-1, but slowed dramatically on lap six of 15 before nursing his machine past the halfway point for a point-scoring finish. That left Tom Wickersham’s No. 02 Maine Straight Racing Porsche GT3 in the GT-2 and overall lead, cruising for a win.

Like the battle up front, the Touring 1 class was a battle at the midpoint that didn’t quite materialize. Michael Von Quilich’s No. 19 Apartments24-7.com/MyFreeLife.com Dodge Viper was being chased by Ken Davis’ No. 64 Davis Stone Inc Chevrolet Corvette until, with four to go, Davis fell out of the race. Von Quilich cruised to the victory.

Attrition also decided the E Production battle. John Longwell chased Aaron Downey’s No. 5 Roundpeg.com Mazda RX-3 while holding off the No. 50 K&G Racing Mazda RX-7 of Gary Gist early on. When both fell victim to mechanicals issues, Longwell’s No. 38 LEDfoot Motorsports BMW 328i was elevated to the lead, just in front of the No. 42 CureSarcoma.org/Electromotive/Fuel Safe/Hoosier Mazda RX-7 of new Western Conference point leader Philip Royle.

Former Spec Racer Ford National Champion John Black posted a noteworthy drive in his class. Starting at the rear of the 18-car field after failing to post a qualifying time in the morning session, Black worked his way through traffic in the No. 17 machine. A boost from a full course caution on lap nine moved him closer to the front, and when the dust settled he had moved into fifth place.

The class win went to Mike Miserendino, who took over the Western Conference point lead in the No. 11 MBI Racing SRF. Miserendino followed the No. 61 SRF of TJ Acker as the two broke away from the field, first from the green flag and then again after the yellow. Left alone, Miserendino moved to the front with two to go and held on for the win.

Elliot Skeer earned his third consecutive Western Conference Spec Miata win to open the season, breaking away from the field in the No. 77 RM Auto Sports/Pelican Windows & Remodeling Mazda Miata for a 1.494 second victory. Clement Lee closed the gap in his No. 33 RM Autosports Miata late in the race, but Skeer got a second wind for the victory.

In Formula Continental, Les Phillips used his local knowledge as the General Manager of Buttonwillow to lead the early laps, and stalked then-leader Michael Manning’s No. 25 Cypress Lane Racing/Dauntless Racing Cars Van Diemen RF01 throughout the race.

Phillips drove his No. 2 Swiss Implants/Porterfield Brakes Van Diemen F2000/Ford around Manning after overall leaders Lee Alexander, in C Sports Racing, and Chris Farrell, in D Sports Racing, got the one to go signal from the starters stand.

Now behind, Manning was robbed of a chance to challenge for the lead when Alexander’s No. 48 Factory 48 Motorsports Stohr WF1/Suzuki split the Continentals on the front straight, bringing out the checkered flag on he and Manning and letting Phillips drive the final lap unchallenged for what appears to be a one-lap win.

Phillips hopped out of the Formula Continental and, in the very next race group, put himself straight into yet another fight. Teammates Bill Kephart (No. 37 Vestial 10F/Honda) and Michael Lewis (No. 77 Red Line Oil/Cyclo Vestial 09F/Honda) pulled away at the start, followed by Stan Townes and Philips. Lewis fell behind the No. 6 Swift DB1 of Stan Townes and Phillips’ No. 89 Swiss Implants/Porterfield Brakes Mygale SJ4, leaving Townes and Phillips to reel in Kephart.

Kephart seemed to be catching traffic at the right time, growing his advantage, but Phillips was in full stalk mode. On lap 10, Phillips moved to the inside of Townes down the long back straight and into braking for the sharp left hander. Townes spun, and three corners later, Phillips pressured Kephart into a spin as well.

Phillips cruised to his second victory of the day, by 14.010 seconds over Lewis. Townes recovered to finish third, followed by Kephart.

Marc Hoover sat on the overall and Super Touring Under pole and immediately ripped away from the field, opening up a gap of more than seven seconds on the opening lap.

Lap two, however, was when the wheels fell off of the No. 98 Hooverspeed/NRA/Necksgen/Red Line Oil Mazda Miata – literally. Hoover’s rear wheel came off through a corner, sending him off track and unfortunately ending his day 14 laps early. Tom Wickersham cruised to the group’s overall win and the Touring 3 gold medal – his second win of the day - driving the No. 14 Maine Straight Racing Honda S2000.

The day ended with a very strong Sports 2000 field, who began the race chasing the No. 75 Veracity Racing Data Vin Diemen RFS-03/Ford of David Ferguson. Ferguson opened up a lead from the start of the race, but heavy smoke coming from his car on lap eight ended his day.

That elevated the No. 2 Swift DB-5/Ford of Edward Guenther to the lead. Guenther was chased hard by the No. 22 That’s My Juice, Inc. Swift DB-5 of Sterling Ellsworth, who was gutting the lead by as much as 1.8-seconds per lap in the latter stages of the race.

On lap 14, Ellsworth had closed to the rear of Guenther, but ran off track in the closing corners of the lap. Guenther finished the final lap to win by 10.267-seconds, with Ellsworth hanging on to the runner-up slot.

The Western Conference Majors Tour Round Four rolls off the grid with qualifying at 8:00 a.m. PDT Sunday morning at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Live timing, notes and streaming audio from the track’s PA feed is available at www.scca.com/SCCALive.

More information on the SCCA Majors Program is available at www.sccamajors.com. Like SCCA on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or follow on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

BUTTONWILLOW, Calif. - Provisional race winners for Saturday’s SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour Round Three at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.

American Sedan: Aaron Bailey, Shasta Lake, Calif., Pontiac Firebird
B-Spec: Roy Richards, Boron, Calif., Honda Fit
C Sports Racing: Lee Alexander, Las Vegas, Nev., Stohr WF1
D Sports Racing: Chris Farrell, Salt Lake City, Utah, Stohr WF1/Suzuki
Formula Atlantic: Vince Gaddini, Auburn, Calif., Mazda PFM
Formula Continental: Les Phillips, Bakersfield, Calif., Van Diemen F2000/Ford
Formula F: Les Phillips, Bakersfield, Calif., Mygale SJ4/Ford
Formula Mazda: TJ Fischer, Portland, Ore., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Dennis Andrade, Brush Prairie, Wash., Vortech 05/VW
E Production: John Longwell, Kittredge, Colo., BMW 328iS
F Production: Brian Linn, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Mazda Miata
H Production: Jason Isley, Cota de Caza, Calif., Toyota Yaris
GT-1: Michael Lewis, Poway, Calif., Jaguar XKR
GT-2: Tom Wickersham, Oakland, Calif., Porsche GT3
GT-3: Mike Henderson, El Cajon, Calif., Mazda RX-7
GT-Lite: John Bower, Granada Hills, Calif., Nissan Sentra
Spec Miata: Elliott Skeer, Vista, Calif., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Mike Miserendino, Bakersfield, Calif., Spec Racer Ford
Sports 2000: Edard Guenther, Paradise Valley, Ariz., Swift DB-5
Super Touring Lite: Oscar Jackson, Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif., Honda Civic Si
Super Touring Under: Rylan Hazelton, Santa Cruz, Calif., Honda S2000
Touring 1: Michael Von Quilich, Pahrump, Nev., Dodge Viper ACRX
Touring 3: Tom Wickersham, Oakland, Calif., Honda S2000
Touring 4: Lance Stewart, Miami, Fla., Ford Mustang
 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (April 25, 2013) – Nick Barbato, of Wethersfield, Conn., and Learic Cramer, of Columbia, Md., took home the big prizes at last weekend’s Tire Rack SCCA New Jersey ProSolo in the Meadowlands. Barbato earned his first career Super Challenge win, with Cramer taking home gold in the Ladies Challenge.

With the Manhattan skyline in clear view of the course, the Saturday weather made for a cold, windy qualifying day in the parking lots of MetLife Stadium. Adding to the difficultly on the Dave Newman-designed layout is that it looked deceivingly simple during the course walk, but proved to be difficult to do correctly at the brisk pace during the runs.

Barbato got the qualifying times correct, though, topping the B Stock class in his GT Academy Got It Wrong Honda S2000 by 1.166-seconds to advance to the 32-car Super Challenge bracket.

Under the slightly warmer and less windy Sunday skies, Barbato knocked off Jeff Hurst (Street Touring X-class Anze Suspension Mazda RX-8) and Mark Labbancz (Nissan 370Z) in the opening two rounds to advance to the quarterfinals.

Round three was Barbato’s second visit to a Street Touring X competitor – this time versus the top-qualifying Andrew Pallotta (Stranoparts.com Scion FR-S). Like the opening round, Barbato advanced, and found himself in the semifinals.

Opposite Barbato’s bracket, the semifinal featured Jake Namer (ANZE/Tripoint/ParkItNY/Hamfist Racing Mazda RX-7), who qualified on top of the Super Street Modified class, and Eric Campbell (SoloRacer.com/MonoBalls.com BMW330Ci), who advanced out of the Stock/Street Index 2 grouping in qualifying.

Campbell advanced, and when Barbato topped Ryan Leach (JSCSpeed.com Mini Cooper)from H Stock, the final round was set.

Barbato continued his hot streak to claim the overall victory. Leach bested Namer in the consolation bracket for third place.

Learic Cramer earned her spot in the Ladies bracket by advancing through the Ladies Class 2 in her Nissan 370Z as the second qualifier. Cramer then topped Holly Schwedler (stranoparts.com/Automation Tool & Die Scion FR-S) and Shelly Monfort (StranoParts.com/Shameless Iced Tea Scion FR-S) in the quarter and semifinals – both from her qualifying group.

Once in the finals, Cramer topped Olga Bogdanova (SoloRacer.com/MonoBalls.com BMW 330Ci) - the fastest overall in Ladies Class qualifications – for her first career Ladies Challenge ProSolo victory.

Ted Descovich, of Chester, N.Y., earned the top spot in the Bonus Challenge.

Information on the New Jersey Round Three of the Tire Rack ProSolo Series can be found at http://www.scca.com/events/index.cfm?eid=5465. More information on the entire Tire Rack SCCA Solo program is available at www.scca.com/Solo.

Follow the SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial, or like the Club on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial.
 

ALTON, Va. (April 21, 2013) – Sunday’s BFGoodrich Tires VIR Super Tour, doubling as Round Six on the Eastern Conference Majors Tour schedule, wrapped Sunday with the conclusion of the doubleheader weekend at VIRginia International Raceway.

The day started when the only driver who has been perfect so far this season extending his streak to six race wins. Glenn Cooper, of Roswell, Ga., drove his No. 43 Ralf Firman Racing/Hoosier Tires RFR F1000 to a dominating win in Formula 1000, stretching his Eastern Conference point lead.

The Group 1 race was shortened to just 13 of the scheduled 14 laps when it bumped up against the 40-minute time limit following a car that got into the tires and briefly caught fire. Emergency workers were immediately on the scene to squelch any trouble, but the field was black-flagged to pit lane on lap six with the time clock still running.

The Formula Atlantic race, running in the same group, was a repeat of yesterday’s race-long battle. Once again, Sadat Yelkin’s No. 75 Everclear Swift/Toyota started up front, and kept Keith Grant’s No. 40 Hoosier/Hasselgren/Polestar Swift 014a/Toyota just behind for the race distance. Today, however, they were behind the No. 01 GDRE/NJMP/Hardshell Motorsports Stohr WF-1/Suzuki of Garrett Kletjian, the overall winner in D Sports Racing.

Like Saturday, the fast, flowing corners and long straights meant that the drafting battle in Spec Miata packed the front-runners together until the final laps. The initial start was waved off, starting the race under yellow, but on lap two the action began.

By lap 10 of 14, the lead battle was six cars deep for the lead. Saturday podium finishers Andrew Charbonneau (No. 67 Auto Tecknick/Not East Street Miata), Danny Steyn (No. 39 ADEPT Studios/Rossini/OPM/Traqmate Miata) and Dan Tiley (No. 33 Ti-Speed Engineering Mazda Miata) had all taken their turns at the front of the pack.

With two to go, the No. 01 Talley Land Development/US Marines Miata of Cliff Brown moved to the front of the line, and held the pace across the stripe with one to go.

Alex Bolanos moved his No. 57 Autotechnik/Momo Motorsport Miata to the lead through lap 14 on the final lap and led the field out of the final corner.

From there, it was a drag race to the checkered flag. Brown, moving up the outside of the track, edged his fender in front of Bolanos to take the win. Charbonneau finished third.

The American Sedan race was nose to tail for most of the race between Daniel Richardson’s No. 15 Performance Auto Works/Hayworth Chevrolet Camaro and the No. 42 Auto Re-Nu-It Auto Body/Hoosier Tire Ford Mustang of Michael Lavigne.

Lavigne chased Richardson, with the two running just a few car lengths apart for the race. The Mustang kept the Camaro in his sites, but Richardson had enough to rush to the finish for the win.

For the second consecutive day, Simon Gregg’s No. 1 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette led the opening laps as he and Dillon Machavern’s No. 29 Heritage Automotive Group/Riggins Engineering Ford Falcon pulled away from the field. Also for the second consecutive day, Machavern stalked the defending SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am champion and pulled off a pass on lap five to move into the lead. Once in front, the 17-year-old kept the pace to the checkered flag and an impressive weekend sweep.

Spec Racer Ford went according to plan for eventual winner Brian Schofield, who worked his strategy to perfection and his first Eastern Conference Majors win of the season. Schofield’s No. 61 PM Racing Spec Racer pushed Franklin Futrelle’s No. 17 Meco Inc. of Augusta/Comprent Motorsports/Skip Barber Racing School machine ahead of the field, creating a gap over the early stages of the race that left them all alone.

With one to go, Schofield finally made his move, passing Futrelle and extending his Eastern Conference point lead.

The afternoon formula car groups had some clear cut winners, but a handful of close battles to pair with them. Scott Rettich’s No. 71 Alliance Autosport/PDI Communications Formula Enterprises/Mazda held off Paul Schneider’s No. 73 Performance MotorCars of Charlotte machine for a 0.499-second win in a race that was slowed to 11 laps for two separate incidents. A spinning, stalled car caused a black flag on the opening lap, and then a later full course caution further slowed the pace and left it outside the 40-minute time limit.

The Formula Vee battle was a four-car fight for the lead for 12-lap race’s entirety. Eastern Conference class point leader Stevan Davis’ No. 80 Hoosier/Butler Engines/Roxannes Headers Racer’s Wedge/VW, Gary Blanarik’s No. 3 Sewickley Car Store/Silver Bullet Silver Bullet/VW, Dale Rader’s No. 8 Total Automotive/Goodyear/Quicksilver Volkswagen Vortech and Donnie Isley’s No. 30 Agitator by Brookshire Agitator 016/VW ran nose to tail and side by side across the southern Virginia hills.

Blanarik led the quartet across the stripe to begin the final lap, but Davis moved to the front in the final 3.27 miles. Davis led out of the final corner, but Blanarik used the draft and the long front straight to pull in front just before the checkered flag.

Greg Ira capped the day with a flag-to-flag win in E Production behind the wheel of the No. 2 First Coast Auto Sales Datsun 260Z.

The Eastern Conference Majors Tour schedule moves to Summit Point Raceway in just two weeks for Rounds Seven and Eight of the championship, held within the SCCA’s Northeast and Southeast Divisions.

More information on the SCCA Majors Program is available at www.sccamajors.com. Like SCCA on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or follow on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

ALTON, Va. - Provisional race winners for Sunday’s BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour, the SCCA Eastern Conference Majors Tour Round Six at Virginia International Raceway. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.

American Sedan: Daniel Richardson, Derwood, Md., Chevrolet Camaro
C Sports Racing: Jacek Mucha, Laval, Quebec, JMS 016cp/Mazda
D Sports Racing: Garrett Kletjian, Hingham, Mass., Stohr WF1/Suzuki
Formula 500: Michael Brent, Bethel, Conn., Invader QC-1/Rotax
Formula 1000: Glenn Cooper, Roswell, Ga., RFR F1000
Formula Atlantic: Sedat Yelkin, Austintown, Ohio, Swift/Toyota
Formula Continental: Kem Lall, Ringwood, N.J., Van Diemen F2000
Formula Enterprise: Scott Rettich, Camden, Ohio, Formula Enterprises/Mazda
Formula F: Lewis Cooper III, Grosse Pointe, Mich., Van Diemen RF00/Ford
Formula Mazda: Robert Noell, Cary, N.C., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Gary Blanarik, Baden, Pa., Silver Bullet/VW
E Production: Greg Ira, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Datsun 260Z
F Production: David Bryson, Clemons, N.C., Mazda Miata
H Production: Tim Pitts, Louisville, Tenn., Volkswagen Golf
GT-1: Dillon Machavern, Charlotte, Vt., Ford Falcon
GT-2: Trent Hindman, Asbury Park, N.J., Porsche 911 GT3
GT-Lite: Robert Lentz II, Chantilly, Va., Nissan Sentra SER
Spec Miata: Cliff Brown, Hoschton, Ga., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Brian Schofield, Lakeland, Fla., Spec Racer Ford
Sports 2000: Hawley Chester, Atlanta, Ga., Royale RP 38/42/Ford
Super Touring Lite: Michael Van Steenburg, Winter Haven, Fla., Mazda Miata
Super Touring Under: Michael Flynn, Eustis, Fla., BMW E46
Touring 1: Jerry Onks, Murfreesboro, Tenn., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 2: Matthew Pullano, Endicott, N.Y., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 3: Rob Hines, Arlington, Va., Nissan 350Z
Touring 4: Brian Price, Middletown, Va., Mazda MX-5
 

 ALTON, Va. (April 20, 2013) – With Friday evening’s foul weather clear, it was nothing but blue skies at the BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Super Tour at Virginia International Raceway, Round Five of the Eastern Conference Majors Tour schedule.

The quickest group of the doubleheader weekend opened with a thrilling race, as Sadat Yelkin ran wire-to-wire for a Formula Atlantic win that was anything but easy.

Each time Yelkin’s No. 75 Everclear Swift/Toyota began a new lap, Keith Grant’s No. 40 Hoosier/Hasselgren/Polestar Swift 014a/Toyota followed less than a half second behind. Fourteen times, Yelkin’s machine popped up over the hill and down the front straight, counting off the laps until the checkered flag flew.

In the same race group, Glenn Cooper extended the longest active streak in the Eastern Conference to a perfect five wins on the season. Cooper’s No. 43 Ralf Firman Racing/Hoosier Tires RFR F1000 finished with a comfortable margin in front of Alastair McEwan.

VIR’s fast, flowing corners and long straightaways means that it always produces a good race with cars that draft well. The 45 cars that started Saturday’s Spec Miata race fit that bill, and lived up to the hype.

The lead pack in the race stretched up to nine cars deep through the midpoint of the race, with the No. 67 Auto Tecknick/Not East Street Miata of Andrew Charbonneau, the polesitting No. 01 Talley Land Development/US Marines Miata of Cliff Brown, and the No. 33 Ti-Speed Engineering Mazda Miata of Dan Tiley taking their turns at the point.

The lead group slowly shed one car at a time, until Charbonneau and Tiley were joined by Eastern Conference point leader Danny Steyn’s No. 39 ADEPT Studios/Rossini/OPM/Traqmate Miata – who had started the race 16th - for the final two laps. Charbonneau led the trio to begin the final lap, but Steyn drafted pass down the long back straight and into the lead.

Charbonneau and Tiley had one last shot at the lead, coming out of the final corner trying to move around Steyn. Charbonneau pulled event, but Steyn crossed the stripe about one foot in front for a 0.021-second victory. The win is Steyn’s second of the season, to go with three runner-up finishes.

The big bore group featured two different races with the second-place runner desperately chasing the leader from the green flag. In Touring 1, Jerry Onks’ No. 96 Wilwood Brakes/VetteSport/Hoosier Tire Chevrolet Corvette caught the lead, turning lap after lap with George Winkler’s No. 27 Winkler Automotive Service Center Ford Mustang Boss 302S filling his mirrors.

Onks was able to hold the lead to the finish and the win – which was the opposite of Simon Gregg’s race. The overall polesitter pulled away at the green flag in the No. 1 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette with Dillon Machavern’s No. 29 Heritage Automotive Group/Riggins Engineering Ford Falcon in tow for the GT-1 class battle. Gregg, unable to get away, finally fell victim to Machavern on lap 11.

Instead of trailing by two car lengths, Machavern reversed the position and held that gap instead to the checkered flag.

In Spec Racer Ford, three former National Champions pulled away from the field in a line, content to ride together until the closing laps.

The strategy worked, as Franklin Futrelle’s No. 17 Meco Inc. of Augusta/Comprent Motorsports/Skip Barber Racing School SRF led Brian Schofield’s No. 61 PM Racing SRF and Cliff White’s No. 58 Thompson White Racing machine away from the field just as soon as the green flag flew. The trio followed each other’s tracks, stretching their gap over a six-car battle for fourth brewing behind them.

White, the defending National Champion, was able to move from third to the lead for one lap – but Futrelle was back in front the next time around. Despite the constant challenges and the one lap exception, the running order stayed at Futrelle, Schofield and White to the finish.

Formula cars filled two of the last three groups. Scott Rettich’s No. 71 Alliance Autosport/PDI Communications Formula Enterprises/Mazda, Robert Noell’s No. 27 Guest Concepts Star Mazda, and Michael Hummel’s No. 41 H2 Companies Van Diemen RF02/Ford machines ran away with the Formula Enterprises, Formula Mazda, and Formula Continental races, respectively, but the following group’s Formula F and Formula Vee races stayed tight.

Lewis Cooper III won his fourth consecutive Formula F race in the Eastern Conference, swapping the lead twice with Jason Generotti’s No. 13 Dangerous Cargo/Florida Fixtures Swift DB-1. Cooper, the polesitter, regained the lead in his No. 0 Polestar/Martini Van Diemen and kept pushing, holding the point as the pair worked through lapped traffic. The class point leader in the Eastern Conference finished with a 1.248-second margin of victory.

The Formula Vee battle was between three cars from the time the green flag flew. Eastern Conference class point leader Stevan Davis’ No. 80 Hoosier/Butler Engines/Roxannes Headers Racer’s Wedge/VW led early, but swapped the podium positions with Gary Blanarik’s No. 3 Sewickley Car Store/Silver Bullet Silver Bullet/VW and Donnie Isley’s No. 30 Agitator by Brookshire Agitator 016/VW.

Isley had been content to run in third place while Davis and Blanarik swapped the lead. With one to go, Davis led Blanarik and Isley across the stripe. Isley took advantage of the draft and the long straights on the final 3.27-mile loop, moving to the front in time to take the checkered flag and the win. Davis and Blanarik completed the podium.

Mike Flynn took over the Eastern Conference point lead with a win in Super Touring Under on Saturday, running away from the rest of his class in the No. 26 Irish Mike’s/BFGoodrich Tires BMW E46.

Round Six of the Eastern Conference Majors Tour takes place on Sunday, with second qualifying session beginning at 8:05 EDT followed by the seven group races.

More information is available at www.scca.com. Like SCCA on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or follow on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

Live timing and notes, and streaming audio from the track’s PA feed are available on Sunday at www.scca.com/SCCALive.

ALTON, Va. - Provisional race winners for Saturday’s BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour, the SCCA Eastern Conference Majors Tour Round Five at Virginia International Raceway. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.

American Sedan: Michael Lavigne, Hooksett, N.H., Ford Mustang
C Sports Racing: Jacek Mucha, Laval, Quebec, JMS 016cp/Mazda
D Sports Racing: Garrett Kletjian, Hingham, Mass., Stohr WF1/Suzuki
Formula 500: Michael Brent, Bethel, Conn., Invader QC-1/Rotax
Formula 1000: Glenn Cooper, Roswell, Ga., RFR F1000
Formula Atlantic: Sedat Yelkin, Austintown, Ohio, Swift/Toyota
Formula Continental: Michael Hummel, Round Hill, Va., Van Diemen RF02/Ford
Formula Enterprise: Scott Rettich, Camden, Ohio, Formula Enterprises/Mazda
Formula F: Lewis Cooper III, Grosse Pointe, Mich., Van Diemen RF00/Ford
Formula Mazda: Robert Noell, Cary, N.C., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Donnie Isley, Fletcher, N.C., Agitator 016/Volkswagen
E Production: Greg Ira, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Datsun 260Z
F Production: David Bryson, Clemons, N.C., Mazda Miata
H Production: Tim Pitts, Louisville, Tenn., Volkswagen Golf
GT-1: Dillon Machavern, Charlotte, Vt., Ford Falcon
GT-2: Trent Hindman, Asbury Park, N.J., Porsche 911 GT3
GT-Lite: Robert Lentz II, Chantilly, Va., Nissan Sentra SER
Spec Miata: Danny Steyn, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Franklin Futrelle, Augusta, Ga., Spec Racer Ford
Sports 2000: Hawley Chester, Atlanta, Ga., Royale RP 38/42/Ford
Super Touring Lite: Michael Van Steenburg, Winter Haven, Fla., Mazda Miata
Super Touring Under: Michael Flynn, Eustis, Fla., BMW E46
Touring 1: Jerry Onks, Murfreesboro, Tenn., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 2: Matthew Pullano, Endicott, N.Y., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 3: Rob Hines, Arlington, Va., Nissan 350Z
Touring 4: Michael Scornavacchi, Matthews, N.C., Ford Mustang

 ALTON, Va. (April 19, 2013) – A full day of qualifying for Rounds Five and Six of the Eastern Conference Majors Tour ended prematurely on Friday when a band of thunderstorms rolled through southern Virginia, forcing a red flag on the opening day of the BFGoodrich Tires VIR Super Tour at Virginia International Raceway.

The schedule originally called for each of the seven race groups to run a 25-minute qualifying session in the morning for Saturday’s races, and a 25-minute session in the afternoon with times going toward Sunday’s races.

The storm cell moved through the area 10 minutes into the afternoon session for Group Six containing Formula F, Formula Vee and Formula 500. That session was checkered, and the Group Seven session for Production, GT-Lite, STL, STU, T3, T4 and B-Spec was moved to 8:05 a.m. on Saturday morning.

The original schedule, which includes an additional 15 minutes of qualifying to set the grid for Saturday’s races, followed by 14 lap races for each group, will run in order following the delay.

The remaining forecast for the weekend calls for temperatures in the mid-60s and mostly sunny skies.

Follow along with live notes, timing, and audio from the circuit at www.scca.com/SCCALive. More information on the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour is available at www.sccamajors.com. Follow SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial, or like the Club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial.

Virginia is certainly for SCCA drivers who love this facility, as more than 250 of them are on the entry list for this weekend’s doubleheader. For almost 70 years, the SCCA has laid the foundation for a successful career in racing, which means that these racers are the best that amateur motorsports has to offer.

That long list of top drivers includes a host of SCCA National Champions, all of whom have won titles at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in the single-race shootout. It also includes past champions of various pro racing series, including IMSA Champion Jim Downing in C Sports Racing, SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion Todd Lamb in Spec Miata, the defending SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Champion Simon Gregg in GT-1, and SCCA Pro Racing Spec Racer Ford and Formula Enterprises champion Scott Rettich, running those same Club Racing classes this weekend.

Green Flags: Glen Cooper, of Roswell, Ga., is the only Eastern Conference driver on the entry list racing for his fifth and sixth wins of the season. He’ll do so in Formula 1000…Jacek Mucha has three wins in C Sports Racing to lead the class point standings…Four finishes of second or better, including a win at Road Atlanta, has Jack Walbran atop Formula 500… Keith Grant leads Formula Atlantic after winning all three races that he’s started this season…Lewis Cooper’s lone Formula F defeat in four tries was a second-place finish in the opener at Sebring…Curt Zitza leads F Production with a win and three runner-up finishes…A sweep at Sebring and a Round Three runner-up have made up for Stevan Davis’ DNF in Round Four at Road Atlanta in Formula Vee…Three podiums have 17-year-old Dillon Machavern and his Ford Falcon atop the GT-1 standings…Steven Lustig has three GT-3 wins, including a sweep at Road Atlanta, to lead GT-3…Hawley Chester picked up the points for a pair of wins at Road Atlanta to move into a tie for the Sports 2000 lead…A win and three hard-fought runner-ups for Danny Steyn in Spec Miata has shot him to the top of a very deep class…Four podiums, despite no wins, has Brian Schofield just four points ahead of two-time winner Tray Ayres in Spec Racer Ford…George Winkler is looking for two more wins in Touring 1 after a Road Atlanta sweep…Brian Price has a very small lead in T4 after sweeping Road Atlanta.

Family Fun: Virginia International Raceway is open to spectators throughout the BFGoodrich Tires VIR Super Tour Weekend. Tickets are available at the gate, and include access to the paddock to get up close and personal with the race cars. Children 12 and under are free.

The Dawn Of An Era: In September 2012, the Sports Car Club of America rolled out the U.S. Majors Tour as the top level of amateur racing in this country. With events coast-to-coast and split into four Conferences, the Eastern Conference season continues this weekend with Rounds Five and Six of 12. Drivers are coming from all over the country to participate in the weekend, featuring an enhanced race experience for drivers and fans, from pre-race to post-race activities.

BFGoodrich Tires, Back Again: The official street tire of the SCCA, BFGoodrich Tires returns for its third season as sponsor of the BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour events. The 2013 schedule features six weekends that are part of the Super Tour and feature some of the best-known tracks in the United States. Including the January rounds at Sebring International Raceway and Auto Club Speedway and a March debut at Circuit of the Americas, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Watkins Glen International also host a BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour weekend this season. Each of those events are a part of the U.S. Majors Tour and the robust SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series.

SCCA Club Racers – The Best In The Country: There many amateur road racing groups in the United States, but the clear leader of top drivers is with the SCCA. Though most are weekend warriors who take vacations from their full-time jobs to attend races, it’s a craft taken seriously. Bobby Rahal, Mark Donohue, Roger Penske, Michael Andretti, and actor/driver Paul Newman got their start in SCCA Club Racing. More recently, you could have seen current stars Boris Said, Graham Rahal, Sam Hornish or J.R. Hildebrand at an SCCA Club race. This weekend features National Champions, professional race winners and series champions, and up-and-coming stars on the entry list.

Event/Circuit:
BFGoodrich Tires SCCA VIR Super Tour
U.S. Majors Tour Eastern Conference - Rounds Five and Six of 12
Virginia International Raceway
17-turn, 3.27-mile road course

Qualifying:
Seven Race Groups
For Saturday races: Friday, April 19 beginning at 8:05 a.m. (25 minutes), Saturday April 20 beginning at 8:05 a.m. (15 minutes)
For Sunday races: Friday, April 19 beginning at 1:10 p.m. (25 minutes), Sunday April 21 beginning at 8:05 a.m. (15 minutes)

BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour Races:
Seven group races: Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, following qualifying

Race Lengths:
14 laps or 40-minutes for each race

Timing/Scoring: Live Timing & Scoring and lap notes via the SCCA® Pit Board are available for all sessions through www.scca.com/sccalive.

Entry lists, full event schedules, and more information is available at www.sccamajors.com.

 

MINERAL WELLS, Texas (April 17, 2013) – Mark Wortham, of McKinney, Texas, grabbed his first career Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Super Challenge victory last weekend in Mineral Wells, Texas, site of Round Two of the ProSolo season. Meredith Brown, of Los Alamos, N.M., captured the Ladies Challenge.

Wortham qualified for the Super Challenge round of 32 behind the wheel of his The Auto Counsel/Thanks Mark! Chevrolet Corvette as the top qualifier in the Super Stock class, knocking off Francisco Reynoso’s Street Touring Compact Honda Civic Si in the opening round.

With sunny skies shining down, Wortham had his first obstacle to overcome – in four previous visits to the Super Challenge, the second round had been his deepest venture. Wortham got that monkey off his back when he disposed of Road Tire 2WD qualifier Brad McCann’s Thanks Aaron! Hyundai Genesis to advance to the quarterfinal round.

Beginning with McCann, Wortham had to best three consecutive drivers from his area – drivers who he competes with on a regular basis, knowing that they’re highly skilled competitors. Wortham cleared that bar with wins over Jeremy Foley, who made the field in the Evolution Dynamics/AST/Recaro Mitsubishi Evo from Stock/Street Index 1, and Mark Sipe, Street Touring X’s top qualifier in the Cobb Tuning/KONI/Racing Brake Mazda RX-8.

The run through the Texas contingent slid him into the finals against Denver’s Kinch Reindl. Reindl’s Street Touring Compact YourFreedomPodcast.com Honda Civic topped Street Touring Sport’s David Whitener in his semifinal match up to meet Wortham.

Wortham, of course, topped Reindl for his first Super Challenge victory. Sipe bested Whitener’s Texas Track Works/Motion Control Suspensions Honda CRX in the consolation runoff for third place.

Meredith Brown won three Ladies Challenges in a row a season ago, and was the top qualifier in the season-opener in El Toro. A red light in the final round cost Brown the victory, and was still on her mind lining up in the semifinal round against Kim Whitener’s Texas Track Works/Motion Control Suspension Honda CRX. Brown’s Plastic PP Racing/MidAtlantic Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette topped the round, however, advancing to the finals.

Beth McClure-Strelnieks’ Hoosier/JC AutoSpec/Jungle Cat Racing Porsche Boxster was up next for Brown, and with a victory in the final, her first win of the year.

Whitener topped Rachel Saunders’ Hoosier LeGrand Mk25 Dragon in the consolation bracket for third.

The Tire Rack ProSolo season three-week trek across the country continues this weekend at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, New Jersey, April 20-21.

Information on the Mineral Wells round two of the Tire Rack ProSolo Series can be found at http://www.scca.com/events/index.cfm?eid=5464. More information on the entire Tire Rack SCCA Solo program is available at www.scca.com/Solo.

Follow the SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial, or like the Club on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial.
 

TOPEKA, Kan. (April 16, 2013) – Sports Car Club of America and Mazda North American Operations have announced a multi-year partnership that names Mazda the Official Car of SCCA through 2015.

Mazda Director of Motorsports John Doonan and SCCA Vice President, Marketing and Communications Eric Prill made the announcement on Tuesday morning during the Mazda Motorsports pre-season media day at the company’s headquarters in Irvine.

Mazda will be utilized as the official pace car at key SCCA events, including the SCCA National Championship Runoffs®, through the 2015 season. The annual SCCA Hall of Fame Hall of Fame Banquet will now be “presented by Mazda.”

“In the minds of many, Mazda and the SCCA were already partners,” Doonan said. “At the SCCA Runoffs, the Mazda contingent has been the largest of any car company. We love that our small organization is more popular on the race track than the combined efforts of many of our much larger competitors. We look forward to working with the SCCA to grow the sport for the next generation.”

“Mazda has been a long-time supporter of the SCCA and our competitors, so formalizing our relationship was a natural next step,” SCCA President/CEO Jeff Dahnert said. “On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas being raced than any other marque. We’re looking forward to expanding our relationship with Mazda and the new opportunities that come with it.”

About Sports Car Club of America
Founded in 1944, Sports Car Club of America, Inc. is a 45,000-member motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both club and professional levels. It annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 115 regions and professional subsidiary. Landmark events and series for the Club include the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series, which includes the BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Super Tour and the U.S. Majors Tour; the Club Racing National Championship Runoffs® at Road America; and The Tire Rack® SCCA Solo National Championships and ProSolo Championship at Lincoln, Neb. For more information, please visit www.scca.com, like SCCA on Facebook at facebook.com/sccaofficial, or follow the club on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

About Mazda, Mazda Motorsports, and MAZDASPEED
Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America. Thousands of Mazda powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world's largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. In 2006 Mazda Motorsports established the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder to assist racers in moving up through the ranks. In 2010 this was expanded to include the Mazda Road to Indy. Key to Mazda's success is strategic partnerships with the Skip Barber Racing School and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

MAZDASPEED Motorsports is managed by Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). MNAO is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

Consumer information can be found at www.mazdausa.com with press information at www.mazdausamedia.com racers and fans can follow the action on facebook (Mazdaspeed Motorsports).
 

TOPEKA, Kan. (April 11, 2013) - Race Monitor and Sports Car Club of America have entered an agreement to make the smart phone app the "Official Live Timing Application of SCCA Club Racing," the Club announced today.

In the past two seasons, SCCA Club Racers have become accustomed to the service broadcasting results at top level events, including BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour events, U.S. Majors Tour races, and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, as well as a growing number of Region-hosted events. The latest version of the app, released today on iPhone, iPad and Android devices, includes new features that are SCCA specific.

Through the new "menu" button available on the latest update, users will have a choice of categories to choose events from, with just one - SCCA - dedicated to a specific organization. Users who select that menu will see all available SCCA races, including SCCA Pro Racing series, with an enhanced color scheme and display area.

“Race Monitor has really been on the cutting edge of delivering useful timing data to participants and fans over the last couple of seasons,” SCCA Vice President, Marketing & Communications Eric Prill said. “We are proud to partner with the developers on enhancements to the app, both overall and for events specific to SCCA.

“With more Regions coming on board with the service, I believe that we will soon be able to watch the race data from every SCCA Club Racing event across the country.”

New features also allow users to follow a race or series, which pins it to the top of the directory so they can easily return to the event all weekend, or have the races in a series appear at the top all season.

"We're excited to be partnering with the SCCA to bring new enhancements to the Race Monitor apps, and to be able to offer live timing in more SCCA regions, so racers and their friends and family can follow the events live," said Mark Lubischer, developer of Race Monitor.

A limited version of Race Monitor is also used for the SCCA Pit Board, used to display live timing, notes and audio from the US Majors Tour, BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour and National Championship Runoffs events.

Race Monitor is available in the App Store of your device for $4.99, with an in-app upgrade to Race Monitor Plus available. The upgrade offers a heads-up display for an additional $4.99.

The latest version of Race Monitor, including the SCCA enhanced functionality, will be released for additional platforms shortly.

The Race Monitor event management relay software is available to all SCCA Club Racing Regions to use free of charge. More information is available at www.race-monitor.com.

Founded in 1944, Sports Car Club of America, Inc. is a motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both club and professional levels. It annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 115 Regions and professional subsidiary. Landmark events and series for the Club include the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series, which includes the BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Super Tour and the U.S. Majors Tour; the Club Racing National Championship Runoffs® at Road America; and The Tire Rack® SCCA National Solo program including the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships at Lincoln, Neb. For more information, please visit www.scca.com, like SCCA on Facebook at facebook.com/sccaofficial, or follow the club on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

First released in 2010, Race Monitor gives racers and spectators alike, the ability to view live timing of races from hundreds of organizations around the world. The Race Monitor application is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows 8/RT, and Windows Phone. Race Monitor is a product of Karting Coach, Inc. For more product information, please visit www.race-monitor.com.

BLOOMINGDALE, Ga. (April 10, 2013) - Roads lined with blooming azaleas welcomed hundreds of drivers, family members and friends to the Formula Vee 50th Festival at Savannah’s Roebling Road Raceway for a celebration weekend that included both current Sports Car Club of America racers and vintage machines.

Despite pouring rain and winter-like conditions at Friday’s Hoosier Test Day, the excitement at this gathering was unparalleled. With a pace car from Volkswagen of America, the original Nardi on display and 26 other sponsors, the stage was set for a superb program.

The once quiet paddock at Roebling was filled with the rumbling engines of 112 Formula Vees entered in the celebration. Held every five years, the event draws drivers from all over the United States, Canada and even overseas – with SCCA National Champions Brad Stout, Roger Siebenhaler, Stevan Davis, Steve Oseth, Rick Shields, Ray Caldwell, Jim Brookshire, George Fizell, Dave Weitzenhof, and Rollin Butler in attendance. Everyone was looking forward to a competitive race and much camaraderie – seeing old friends and making new ones. VIP’s R. David Jones, Bob Lybarger, Jan Brundage, Don Pereboom, Frank Schultheis, current Board Chair of SCCA Lisa Noble, and SCCA President Jeff Dahnert joined the celebration.

“I haven’t seen some of these people in 30 years,” remarked Andy Schupack, Porsche Motorsports PR and author of Formula Vee/Super Vee Racing, History and Chassis/Engine Prep, who came to sign reprints of his original classic, published in 1980.

Saturday’s intense qualifying sessions and feverish car repairs were just par for the course. In the run to the Brundage Cup, the premier trophy for the weekend, the SCCA-class cars were split into two groups, with 20 cars coming out of each. An additional driver was selected by a committee, including Dahnert and Noble, as a hard luck entry – bringing the total cars in the 10-lap dash to the Cup to 42.

Sunday greeted drivers with abundant sunshine – a picture-perfect day for the Brundage Cup. The race did not disappoint – Roger Siebenhaler, Jeremy Grenier, Stevan Davis and Brad Stout leading the pack, with Stout eking out a second Brundage Cup win after taking 3 years off from racing.

“To win the 50th anniversary race feels absolutely fantastic and an honor,” Stout said. “It was a challenging field, great drivers, and beyond expectations to come out on top. The organizers, workers and volunteers who made this event possible deserve our thanks and appreciation – it was wonderful to be here.”

Banquet headliner and former Indy Car driver, Steve Knapp was there to remind the Formula Vee community why drivers do what they do – fanatically pursuing those perfect moments on the track. Even after sustaining life-threatening injuries, Knapp described the triumph of “threading the needle” at Indianapolis. He entertained the crowd with humorous stories from his early racing days.

Event principals Fred Clark and Nancy Deloatch, from the Buccaneer Region, were similarly pleased with the festival.

“I was very energized by the entire weekend,” Clark said. “Everyone had a wonderful time and we continue to receive positive feedback from people. We were glad to have had people from VDCA, CVAR, VSDCA, VARA, VRG, Canada and other distant places.”

Formula Vee has, for 50 years, been able to manage that important balance between community and competition. This was repeated in many corners – from the paddock to the banquet and the grid.

“It isn’t just the cars but the people who drive them, that makes Formula Vee what it is,” said Chris Quinteros, a young driver from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., who at 21, is less than half the age of the class.

To learn more about 50th Formula Vee Festival and the Brundage Cup, visit www.formulaveeracing.org/FV50th. More information on the Sports Car Club of America and the Club Racing programs are available at www.scca.com. Follow SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial, or like the Club of Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial.
 

IRVINE, Calif. (April 9, 2013) – The Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo season opened last weekend with the first of three consecutive events, and for the fifth time in six seasons got the season underway at El Toro Airfield. Jonathan Lugod, of Oceanside, Calif., escaped the weekend with his first ProSolo Super Challenge victory.

The popular Southern California site uses the abandoned runways of the decommissioned Marine Corp Air Station, combined with the taxiways, for flowing, fast courses. That continued in 2013, with many classes running laps comfortably under the 45-second target.

Lugod, fresh off a narrow defeat in the Tire Rack Championship Tour event a week prior, rebounded for a Street Touring R top qualifying effort, and slid into the Super Challenge as the 12th of 32 qualifiers in his OS Giken/Ankeny Racing Enterprises Honda S2000.

Lugod toppled Gary Thomason’s ProParts USA Dodge Viper in the opening round, marking the first time the defending STR-class Tire Rack National Champion had advanced into the second round in his limited ProSolo experience.

The challenge monkey off his back, Lugod dispatched Scott Fraser’s C Street Prepared 949 Racing/Ankeny Racing Enterprises Mazda Miata and Steve O’Blenes Ankeny Racing/Tripoint/Hankook Mazda RX-8 in back to back rounds to advance to the semi-finals.

The toughest test would come in that round of four against Ryan Otis’ Super Stock Chevrolet Corvette. Lugod made mistakes on the right side of the two-run elimination, falling behind by 0.7-second. Knowing now that a perfect, hard run was going to be a must, Lugod pulled off the comeback and advanced to the final.

The 25-year-old Lugod squared off in the final against a wily ProSolo veteran, the 19-year-old Jon Clements. Clements, of Alta Loma, California, became the youngest Super Challenge winner in ProSolo history with a win at 16 years old, and was back in the finals three years later. Clements C Modified Mondiale Formula Ford couldn’t keep the pace with Lugod, and Lugod captured his first Super Challenge title.

Morgan Trotter, who fell to Clements in the semi-final round, drove his Street Touring Compact C2 Motorsports/The RacersStore.com Honda Civic Si to a third-place finish over Otis in the consolation round.

Joining Lugod on the top of the podium was Ladies Challenge winner Nicole Nagler, of Moorpark, Calif. Nagler drove her Street Touring Compact Toyo Tires/ProParts USA Honda Civic Si to a final round win over Meredith Brown’s Plastic PP Racing/Mid-Atlantic Motorsport Chevrolet Corvette.

The win was the first for Nagler, a two-time runner-up – including at the same event a year ago.

The Tire Rack ProSolo season continues this weekend in the middle of the country at the Mineral Wells ProSolo, deep in the heart of Texas, April 13-14. From there, the series continues on to MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, New Jersey, April 20-21.

Information on the season-opening round of the Tire Rack ProSolo Series can be found here. More information on the entire Tire Rack SCCA Solo program is available at www.scca.com/Solo.

Follow the SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial, or like the Club on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial.