SCCA Front Page News

TOPEKA, Kan. (March 4, 2013) – R. David Jones has resigned from the Sports Car Club of America Board of Directors as its Area 7 representative. The Board voted to approve Dan Helman as his replacement.

A former Chairman and a member of the SCCA Hall of Fame, Jones was re-elected to his second term as the Area 7 representative in November, but has since reconsidered his service for the next three years. Helman was runner-up to Jones in that election, and accepted the Board’s nomination, per the SCCA bylaws.

“Over the last three years spent on the Board of Directors, I haven’t been feeling particularly effective,” Jones said. “I feel that Dan’s background and experience might do a better job at this point than I can.

“I’m 75 years old, and have spent a lot of time with this Club, and I will continue to do that in some capacity. I’ve spent 18 years total on the Board of Directors and another two in an ad-hoc position. I’ve been the Club’s treasurer, vice chairman and the chairman for nine years. The Club has been kind enough to even present me with the Woolf Barnato Award and elect me into its Hall of Fame. But the time has come for me to step aside and allow someone like Dan the opportunity to further contribute to the Club.”

Under Jones’ leadership as its Chairman, SCCA reached some important milestones, including the creation of the Spec Racer® and the purchase of ProSolo®. In 1986, Jones was presented the Woolf Barnato Award, the highest individual honor in the Club. He was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2010. R. David Jones continues as an active racer in the Club, currently campaigning a Formula Mazda and a Formula Vee.

Helman, of Huffman, Texas, is a member of the Houston Region. He recently served as chairman for the SCCA Insurance Committee. Under his direction, the Committee delivered an insurance program for 2013 at a considerable savings to the organization, with a positive financial effect on the Regions and participants.

Helman will serve Area 7 of the Club, which represents the Southwest Division. He will serve a three-year term, through 2015.
 

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 2, 2013) – Motorsports legends Bobby Rahal, Skip Barber, Carroll Shelby, Bill Noble and Andy Porterfield were inducted into the Sports Car Club of America Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Las Vegas at a ceremony presented by Mazda.

The five inductees joined eight previous classes to cap the 2013 SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer at the South Point Hotel and Casino.

Rahal, Barber, and family members of the late Shelby, Noble and Porterfield addressed the nearly 400 event attendees.

Rahal used his 1975 SCCA National Championship as a springboard to a long professional racing career that included a win in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 1982 CART Rookie of the Year award, a 1986 Indianapolis 500 win, and series championships in 1986, 1987, and 1992. Even with those highlights, Saturday night’s honor was special.

“I’ve been inducted to other halls of fame, and that’s great,” Rahal said. “But being inducted into the SCCA Hall means more, because there’s an emotional attachment. I remember growing up, I lived SCCA. My summer times as a kid were made up of Little League baseball and going racing with my dad. What made SCCA so valuable is that it was a family sport. For the most part, it was just regular guys exercising their passion and their interest in racing.

“SCCA was my roots. That’s why coming here tonight was so special, because it’s coming home. I thank you all for this tremendous honor.”

Like Rahal, Barber used SCCA National Championships to launch a career. Barber’s 1969 and 1970 Formula Ford National Championships followed a few years of sports car racing, and preceded the formation of the internationally known Skip Barber Racing School. The school has served as the foundation for thousands of champion racers.

“I had three different careers in our sport,” Barber said in his address. “The first one started with a Bugeye Sprite and ended with a McLaren. It lasted about eight years.

“That’s when Formula Ford started. That was the first time I ever had really good efforts.”

Those efforts landed the national titles for Barber, who discussed his perpetual shyness and the lack of funding early in his driving career.

“The third was the school in Lime Rock, and that one worked,” Barber continued. “It was weird, I never thought I could earn a living that way. I thought I was still racing – but I was the only one that did! Off we went, and it quickly spread through the country.”

Shelby’s name goes hand and hand with the American muscle car industry, but as a driver he won the 1956 SCCA National Championship in Formula Libre. Shelby was an SCCA member from 1952 through his death in 2012.

“My grandfather always thought highly of this organization, and thought it was the epitome of what racing was about,” Shawn Shelby said.” It’s people like those of you in this room that drove him to leave a mark for so many years. For my family, I’d like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing that passion with him.”

In accepting the honor on behalf of his famous grandfather, Shelby dropped a bombshell in a room full of sports car enthusiasts that was nearly the equivalent of telling a kindergarten class that there wasn’t a Santa Claus.

“He was never really that sentimental about cars – he was always looking for the newest thing,” Shelby said. “These cars that people now pay millions of dollars for, he would tear down in a second to build something better.”

Noble’s wife and current Chairman of the SCCA Board of Directors, Lisa, and his daughter Jaime Gassmann accepted the honor on behalf of the five-time National Champion whose name has become nearly synonymous with the Formula Vee class.

“This is a wonderful evening for the Noble family,” Noble said. “Bill raced in SCCA and built engines for 40 years. He had a long standing promise to his customers that, anytime they felt he had a better motor, he would trade his personal motor for theirs on the spot. What he really enjoyed was helping others better themselves, giving away insider’s tricks to anyone who wanted to ask.

“I love you all, and I want to thank you all for letting us honor Bill tonight. My family and I thank you very much.”

His daughter summed up her father even more succinctly.

“He didn’t just want to win,” Gassmann said. “He wanted to expand the class, the competition, the drivers. And then he wanted to kick their ass.”

The 1978 and 1979 National Champion in B Production, Porterfield also made an impact behind the scenes of the SCCA as a Region Executive, race organizer, brake manufacturer, and Chairman of the Board of SCCA Enterprises.

“A great many of you knew Andy, so you know that receiving this award would have really humbled him, and embarrassed him as well,” his wife, Judy Porterfield, said. “I sure do miss him, and I’m so grateful to you for appreciating his accomplishments.”

The 2013 SCCA Hall of Fame class shared the stage with some of the Club’s top honorees.

Mary Shiloff, of the Detroit Region, was surprised with the Club’s Member of Excellence award. That honor, chosen by the Board of Directors after nominations from SCCA members, is given to the behind-the-scenes person who goes above and beyond normal service to the Club. The trophy comes with an all-expenses paid trip to any motorsports event, anywhere in the world, endowed by an anonymous SCCA member.

No one was more surprised than Raleigh Boreen, the night’s master of ceremonies who was surprised with the Woolf Barnato Award. The Barnato Award is the Club’s highest honor, presented to the member who has made the most outstanding long-term contribution to the SCCA. Boreen, who has been active in the Solo community for more than 30 years and currently serves on the SCCA Foundation supporting the Tire Rack Street Survival teen driving program, was presented with the honor by last year’s winner, Dick Templeton.

Also taking home hardware on Saturday night were RallyCross Dirty Cup winner Charles Wright, of the Alabama Region; the John McGill Award for outstanding contribution to Club Racing went to Bob Dowie, Northern New Jersey Region; and the President’s Cup to the driver demonstrating ability, competitiveness and success at the National Championship Runoffs to Jim Drago of the Mid South Region.

The night ended with SCCA President and CEO Jeff Dahnert thanking the room for their attendance.

“It was proven again tonight,” Dahnert said. “SCCA is where America’s best amateur drivers race.”

More information on the SCCA, the SCCA Hall of Fame, the SCCA Awards and the SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer can be found at www.SCCA.com, by liking SCCA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, and following the SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
 

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 2, 2013) – The final day of the SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer broke for lunch at the South Point Hotel and Casino, presenting awards to some of the Club’s outstanding members during Saturday’s midday celebration.

Hosted once again by Raleigh Boreen, award presenters Howard Duncan, SCCA VP, Rally/Solo, and Terry Ozment, SCCA VP, Club Racing, stood on stage to distribute trophies for the past year’s top performances.

The Club Racing awards recognized both on-track and off-track excellence. On the track, Jim Taggart was recognized as the Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year, while Spec Racer Ford National Champion Cliff White was recognized for the Road Race Drivers Club Mark Donohue Award. Defending American Sedan National Champion Ed Hosni of the Detroit Region earned the Kimberly Cup as the most improved driver in Club Racing.

Off Track, Dennis Dean, of the Washington DC Region, was recognized by his fellow stewards as the David Morrell Award winner. Wendell Miller earned the Mechanic of the Year award for his work in the the No. 16 Kechi Engergy/Quantum Mechanics Lola 598 driven by Jack Donnellan at last year’s National Championship Runoffs.

While many of the Tire Rack Solo Awards are announced each year at the Tire Rack Solo National Championships, Danny Kao was reintroduced as the Johnson Spirit of the Sport Award and Tristan Littlehale was once again recognized as the Solo Rookie of the Year.

Scott Frasier, Solo Driver of the Year, and Tire Rack ProSolo JCJ Cup Champion Andy Hollis were recognized again for their spectacular seasons.

Warren Elliot, Jan Gerber and Will McDonald were called to the stage for RallyCross TripleCross awards.

The luncheon ended with the names of each of the Solo Triad award winners from 2012 tossed into a hat, with Clemens Berger’s name being pulled from the 12 finalists. As the drawing winner, Berger earned a lifetime membership to the SCCA.

The announced award winners on Saturday were:

Club Racing
David Morrell Award: Dennis Dean, Washington DC Region
Mechanic of the Year Award: Wendell Miller, Oklahoma Region
Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year Award: Jim Taggart, North Carolina Region
Mark Donohue Award: Cliff White, Alabama Region
Rich Shaffer Time Trial Participant of the Year Award: Dean Benz, Reno Region, NorPac Division
Kimberly Cup (most improved): Ed Hosni, Detroit Region

Solo
Johnson Spirit of the Sport Award: Danny Kao
Solo Driver of the Year: Scott Frasier
Solo Rookie of the Year: Tristan Littlehale
Tire Rack ProSolo JCJ Cup Champion: Andy Hollis

The SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer continues Friday afternoon and Saturday at the South Point Hotel and Casino, culminating with the SCCA Hall of Fame Banquet induction ceremony on Saturday evening.

Follow the news and notes from the convention on Facebook at www.scca.com/SCCAOfficial, or on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
 

The SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer is past its halfway point following the Happy Hour Region Leadership Awards that capped Friday’s activities.

The open reception recognized Region Achievement Awards, the Tom Burke Award for percentage growth in the past year, and the prestigious Region of the Year. Colin Arnold, VP of Region and Member Services, presented each of the award winners.

This year, the Detroit Region took home the prestigious Region of the Year. Assistant Regional Executive Pat Barber accepted the award on behalf of the Region.

The Region Leadership Awards:

Tom Burke Awards
Small Regions: South Texas Border, Andrew McMillan, RE
Medium Regions: Glen Region, Lawrence Emery, Jr., RE
Large Regions: Finger Lakes Region, Michael Toombs, RE
Jumbo Regions: Oregon Region, Andrew Foley, RE

Region Achievement Awards
Small Regions: Arizona Border Region (winner), West Texas Region (Honorable Mention)
Medium Regions: Continental Divide Regions (winner), South Bend Region (Honorable Mention)
Large Regions: Land O’ Lakes Region (winner), St. Louis Region (Honorable Mention)
Jumbo Regions: Detroit Region (winner), Milwaukee Region (Honorable Mention)

Region of the Year
Detroit Region, Dr. Jennifer M. Glass, RE
Honorable Mention: Arizona Border Region; Central Carolinas Region

The SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer continues Friday afternoon and Saturday at the South Point Hotel and Casino, culminating with the SCCA Hall of Fame Banquet induction ceremony on Saturday evening.

Follow the news and notes from the convention on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
 

 LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 1, 2013) – The first of two weekend awards luncheon were held on Friday at the SCCA National Convention presented by SafeRacer, recognizing some of the year’s best efforts at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

With Raleigh Boreen hosting the awards portion of the luncheon, outgoing program board members were recognized and incoming board members were introduced to the attendees.

Howard Duncan, SCCA VP, Rally/Solo, and Terry Ozment, SCCA VP, Club Racing, came to the stage to present the day’s awards.

Among the honors is the long-recognized Road Rally award. The Arthur J. Gervais award is presented annually to year’s outstanding National Course Rally. The winner is chosen via a vote of the top 20 competitors in each class who have competed in at least four events. Prior to 1989, this award encompassed all National Rallies each year. This year’s Gervais Award was given to the Arizona Border Region’s Desert Sands Rally, chaired and accepted by John Sears.

The complete list of RallyCross®, the Tire Rack Solo program, and Time Trials awards presented on Friday were:

Road Rally
Manufacturer’s Championship: Subaru
Regional Achievement Award: Detroit Region
Divisional Achievement Award: Great Lakes Division
National Tour Rally of the Year: Badgers Trail Rally, Land O’Lakes Region, chaired by John Emmons
Arthur J. Gervais Award: Desert Sands Rally, Arizona Border Region, chaired by John Sears

RallyCross
Regional Achievement Award: Delta Region
Divisional Achievement Award: Southern Pacific Division

Solo
Region Cup Awards: Cal Club Region (Jumbo Region category), Texas Region (Large Region category), Northwestern Ohio Region (Medium Region category), Lone Star Region (Small Region category)

Time Trials
Event of the Year: Cincinnati Region

The SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer continues Friday afternoon and Saturday at the South Point Hotel and Casino, culminating with the SCCA Hall of Fame Banquet induction ceremony on Saturday evening.

Follow the news and notes from the convention on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 1, 2013) – A year ago at the Convention, president Jeff Dahnert introduced Trozzolo Communications Group to those in attendance, with the promise of a branding and marketing initiative to move the club forward.

On Friday morning, Angelo Trozzolo and Jeff Madden reintroduced themselves to convention attendees, and passed along their findings.

Members in the session were given a message to take back to their home regions, including the convention wide tag line – that SCCA is where America’s best amateur drivers race.

To support that, everyone was given a wallet-sized card to carry with them as a reminder. That card states the truths of SCCA.

The card reads:

Our drive is unmatched.
• With 70 years of tradition, the country’s best racers drive here.
• We build strong relationships with professional racing organizations, corporate sponsors and leading manufacturers.
• We are a national voice for safety in motorsports.

We perform at the highest levels.
• We offer the broadest range of competition nationwide, and take on all comers – any surface, any track, any time.
• We host more national events, with the most cars, classes and opportunities to compete. From your first time to a national championship.
• We measure everything. Competition runs deep.

Success is in our DNA.
• As America’s largest amateur motorsports club, we continue to innovate to serve our members.
• With 40,000+ members, including a strong volunteer base, you’ll find your place.
• Our national championship events such as the Runoffs and Solo Nationals, along with more than 2,000 other events, are the best in the nation.

SCCA. Where America’s Best Amateur Drivers Race.

Drive Here.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 1, 2013) - The SCCA Foundation is the not-for-profit 501(c)(3) arm of the SCCA that supports select automotive educational and safety programs. Currently, the major efforts are directed towards several youth educational and safety initiatives including the Tire Rack Street Survival® Program, Formula SAE, the Carroll Smith’s Mentor Cup and the Bob Woods Cup.

On Thursday at the convention, the Foundation announced the opening of a fund-raising raffle that will allow one winner to walk away with their choice of a Mazda MX-5, MAZDASPEED3 or $18,000 in cash.

Tickets for the raffle are $20 per ticket, with a discount for the more tickets that are purchased. Because the funds benefit the SCCA Foundation, all donations are tax deductible.

The winner will be drawn during the 58th WeatherTech Chicago Region June Sprints on June 15, 2013.

All tickets may be purchased online at www.sccaraffle.org. The raffle is open to both SCCA members and non-members.

SCCA Chairman of the Board of Directors Lisa Noble celebrated the announcement by purchasing the raffle’s first ticket from the convention.
 

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (February 28, 2013) – Sports Car Club of America Chairman Lisa Noble and the Club’s leadership addressed those in attendance Thursday on the SCCA Convention’s opening day at the South Point Hotel and Casino. The annual meeting and town hall reviewed 2012 and gave a preview of the expected future growth.

In her opening address, Noble spoke on behalf of the 12-person elected Board of Directors, issuing a reminder to those in attendance.

“This is a new day in SCCA. It starts with us, it starts with you,” Noble said. “We are the best amateur motorsports organization in the country – it’s time we act like it.”

Noble handed off to SCCA President and CEO Jeff Dahnert, for the overall state of the SCCA address. Dahnert spoke on the Club’s current financial stability, citing an increase in membership in 2012 and an influx of new programs in the Club Racing and Solo departments.

Dahnert announced the renewal of Tire Rack, an 18-year official partner of the SCCA, to a deal that will continue through 2017.

Heads of SCCA’s three active subsidiaries - SCCA Pro Racing, SCCA Enterprises, and the SCCA Foundation – also addressed the gathering.

Tom Campbell, SCCA Pro Racing President and CEO, spoke of the current state of the company.

“Professional road racing is a challenging business, but an important one to SCCA’s heritage and to many of our members,” Campbell said.

Campbell reported that SCCA Pro Racing-sanctioned events took place on 38 weekends, featuring 350 pro licensed drivers totaling more than 1900 race entries for the year.

Enterprises President Erik Skirmants acknowledged a down year for the Spec Racer Ford and Formula Enterprises presenters, but excitedly announced the plans for the Gen3 Spec Racer Ford to come in 2015.

The updated Spec Racer Ford is expected to produce 25% more horsepower, and, with additional improvements, may cut three to five seconds per lap off the existing class. The new car will be unveiled at next weekend’s BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour at Circuit of the Americas, with a total of 13 cars running throughout the country this summer for research and development.

The meeting ended with a report from Bev Heilicher, of the SCCA Foundation Board. In the report, the Foundation revealed their latest fundraiser – a raffle to support the foundation.

For a $20 ticket, someone will win their choice of a Mazda MX-5, a MAZDASPEED3 or $18,000 in cash. The winner will be drawn during the 58th WeatherTech Chicago Region June Sprints on June 15, 2013. All tickets may be purchased online at www.sccaraffle.org.

Chairman Noble celebrated the announcement by purchasing the raffle’s first ticket.

The SCCA Convention continues at the South Point Hotel and Casino through Saturday Night’s SCCA Hall of Fame induction of the 2013 class, presented by Mazda, that features Skip Barber, Bobby Rahal, Carroll Shelby, Bill Noble and Andy Porterfield.

For news and updates from the Convention, follow SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial, like SCCA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, and on the Club’s website at www.scca.com.
 

TOPEKA, Kan. (February 26, 2013 ) – On Feb. 26, 1944, 69 years ago, a group of sports car enthusiasts met at the Boston, Mass. home of Chapin Wallour to form a club dedicated to the preservation of sports cars. Today, the Sports Car Club of America annually boasts 60,000 members and hosts motorsports events around the country.

While the vintage market was covered by existing car clubs focused on the “preservation of veteran motor cars, a worthy objective,” the seven founding members gathered that night with an eye on the then-current generation of sports cars. It was specifically identified in the minutes from that first meeting – the SCCA was to concentrate on cars made after 1914.

First, though, the question arose – what was the definition of sports car? It was decided that evening to include “any quality car which was built primarily for sports motoring as opposed to mere transportation. In other words, any car which rates higher than average in construction and engineering, and which, preferably, has open body work.”

The first meeting of the SCCA was a bit more exclusive than today’s members would recognize. The list of cars owned by founding members Everett Dickinson, John Duby, Arnold Engborg, Theodore Robertson, George Schulz, Robert Townsend, and Chapin Wallour sound like museum pieces today: a Duesenberg “J” double cowl Phaeton, a Lancia Lambda 5th Series Roadster, a Kissel Speedster, Stutz DV 32 Sports Tourer, Mercer series 4 Raceabout, Isotte Fraschini type 8A Castagna Convertible Coupe, a Rolls Royce Phantom I Ascot Phaeton, and on. Not a single BMW, Ford or Mazda in the bunch!

This wasn’t by coincidence. The constitution drawn up by Ted Robertson stated that membership in the Club shall be restricted to owners of sports cars, sponsored by one current member, seconded by another, and elected by unanimous vote of the officers. Then, that new member must pay the yearly dues within 30 days – three dollars.

These gentlemen took the “sports car” in Sports Car Club of America very seriously. Of the 592 words in the first constitution, more than one-third dealt with dismissal from the club! Some of the apparently treasonous actions included selling a sports car without first advertising the car for sale with the Club, or buying a sports car that another member, essentially, called “dibs” on first. Being “obviously at fault” in an accident involving another member was grounds for dismissal, as was voluntarily disposing of your last remaining sports car. Of course it was bad if you broke up your own sports car – but equally as punishable was permitting someone else to destroy a sports car, or even having knowledge of someone just possibly breaking up a sports car without telling an officer.

The founding members were true fanatics when it came to their cars.

Clearly, a lot has changed in the 69 years of the SCCA. The founders wouldn’t have recognized our thousands of female members – and the notion of Lisa Noble as the Chairman of the Board of Directors would have most certainly blown the mind of original President Robertson. Today, SCCA accepts all members, regardless of whether or not they own a sports car.

Not everything has changed, of course. The passion shines through in each member today, as it did 69 years ago. The care that SCCA members take for each other remains. The pride that today’s members have in the Club lives on.

From the humble origins of seven enthusiasts gathered on a cold Boston evening to today’s international contingent who feel the same, the original spirit of the club continues.

Happy Birthday, Sports Car Club of America – here’s to the next 69 years!

And, happy birthday to SCCA’s current President Jeff Dahnert. Coincidence?
 

TOPEKA, Kan. (Feb. 20, 2013) – Sports Car Club of America, Inc. and SCCA Pro Racing have named Chris Berg to the newly-created Public Relations Coordinator position, serving roles in both organizations.

Berg will provide detailed event coverage and serve as the main point of contact for on-site media on behalf of SCCA Pro Racing at each Mazda MX-5 Cup and Pirelli World Challenge Championship race. Berg will also handle other assignments for SCCA’s Club Racing, Solo and Rally divisions.

“Working for a racing organization with the history of the SCCA is an absolute dream come true,” Berg said. “I look forward to working with the staff, drivers and team owners to help SCCA Pro Racing become a destination for racers and fans, alike.”

Berg comes to SCCA with two years of motorsports public relations experience with a Kansas City-based karting organization. In addition to his public relations experience, Berg has also worked as a freelance journalist since 2004, covering a variety of subjects, including higher education and college sports. The vast majority of that time was spent covering motorsports for a variety of media outlets.

Aside from just writing about racing, Berg has been an active racer for the past 14 years and was an SCCA member prior to being hired into the organization. He earned his undergraduate degree from University of Missouri-Columbia, and has an MBA from Baker University.

“The combination of Chris’ skill set and passion for sports car racing make him a perfect candidate for this position,” SCCA VP of Marketing & Communications Eric Prill said. “We are excited to have Chris join our team, and know that he will make immediate contributions to SCCA, SCCA Pro Racing and its series.”

Berg resides in Overland Park, Kan., with his wife Anne. He can be reached in the office at 785-862-7147 or at cberg@scca.com.

SCCA
Founded in 1944, Sports Car Club of America, Inc. is a 40,000-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 SCCA Pro
A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Inc. is a leading sanctioning body for motorsports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing sanctions and provides a variety of operational services for the Pirelli World Challenge Championships, the Trans Am Series, the Mazda MX-5 Cup,the Formula 1600 and 2000 Championship Series and the Global Rallycross Championship. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.

 LOS ANGELES (February 19, 2013) - Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) is pleased to announce the signing of a sanctioning agreement with SCCA Pro Racing.

SCCA Pro Racing, a subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., will provide sanctioning for all nine rounds of the 2013 GRC Championship, working in conjunction with local sporting authorities for three international rounds planned in Brazil, Spain and Germany.

“SCCA was a logical choice for us and we look forward to working together with them as we expand our series,” Colin Dyne, CEO of GRC said. “Through our relationship with SCCA Pro Racing, GRC will now be an FIA recognized series which is an important step for international growth.”

SCCA is a member of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS), the National Sporting Authority for the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in the USA.

“SCCA Pro Racing is very pleased to work with Global Rallycross on this exciting project,” SCCA Pro Racing President & CEO Tom Campbell said. “We will be able to provide them with excellent sanction and support services, and assist in the growth of the series and the rallycross sport in the U.S. and internationally.”

"This is a logical partnership given both GRC's and SCCA's interest in the growing sport of rallycross on both professional and amateur levels, and we're excited about the potential this has for our members," SCCA, Inc. President and CEO Jeff Dahnert said.

SCCA Pro Racing will license all GRC drivers and also provide FIA licenses for drivers competing in international events. SCCA Pro will further provide, via ACCUS, listing of all GRC events on the FIA International Calendar.

About GRC
The Global Rallycross Championship combines the best aspects of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition to deliver intense action in a variety of fan-friendly environments. Action sport stars including Travis Pastrana and Brian Deegan have described the sport as “motocross – with a roll cage.”

About SCCA Pro
A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Inc. is a leading sanctioning body for motorsports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing sanctions and provides a variety of operational services for the Pirelli World Challenge Championships, the Trans Am Series, the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup, the Formula 1600 and 2000 Championship Series and, now, Global Rallycross. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.

More information
To find out more, including ticket sales, competitor information and registration details, visit www.global-rallycross.com Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GlobalRallycross and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GlobalRallyX

TOPEKA, Kan. (February 13, 2013) – SCCA Members making plans to attend the Sports Car Club of America Convention presented by SafeRacer and Hall of Fame Banquet, February 28-March 2, should register before Friday, February 15 to take advantage of the discounted early registration pricing. For the fifth consecutive year, the convention will be held at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The three-day convention costs $275 through Friday, jumping to $335 after that date. That entry fee begins with Thursday afternoon’s Annual Meeting and Town Hall at 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday consist of meetings, training sessions and informative seminars on a variety of SCCA topics ranging from member recruitment and retention to autocross course design.

The convention ends with the SCCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday evening. Bobby Rahal and Skip Barber will be in attendance, as well as representatives from Carroll Shelby, Bill Noble, and Andy Porterfield.

Registration for the SCCA Convention presented by SafeRacer is available online. Also on that page is the event schedule, attendees list, and other information.

Like SCCA on Facebook at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or follow SCCA on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
 

TOPEKA, Kan. (February 12, 2013) – With a past-champion’s provisional extended to all former winners at the 50th SCCA National Championship Runoffs®, SCCA Enterprises is instituting a program that will help those drivers get behind the wheel at Road America, September 16-22.

Because the former champions are not required to race in the same class they earned their gold medals, SCCA Enterprises is helping those who are interested find rides in Spec Racer® Ford.

"SCCA Enterprises and our Customer Service Representatives are very excited for the 50th Runoffs,” Erik Skirmants, SCCA Enterprises President & CEO, said. “We want to make it as easy as possible for former Champions who do not have the opportunity to run their original classes, or the equipment to do so, to participate in this milestone event.

“We are reaching out to Champions that have had involvement in the Spec Racer history, as well as local and national heroes in our Club Racing communities. We know the SRF race at the 50th Runoffs will be as fierce as last year, and by adding some of the most talented drivers in the SCCA's history we expect to set the stage for an event worthy of 49 years of buildup."

SCCA’s Spec Racer class has been crowning national champions in its identically prepared sports racers since 1985, first under the Sports Renault name, and as Spec Racer Ford since 1993. The class annually produces some of the biggest and closest fields in the SafeRacer National Series, with margins of victory at the Runoffs less than two-tenths of a second each of the past two years.

Former Champions, no matter the class, interested in a return to the Runoffs in a Spec Racer Ford should contact their local Customer Service Representatives. Some CSR’s may be able to offer Formula Enterprises opportunities for those interested in the company’s open wheel machines. Contact information for local CSR’s is available here.

The SCCA will crown 28 National Champions at Road America in the week-long SCCA National Championship Runoffs, September 16-22. The event is highlighted by the final three days of racing, including the Spec Racer Ford battle scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. CDT.

More information on the SCCA Runoffs is available at www.scca.com/Runoffs. For more information on the Sports Car Club of America, please visit www.scca.com, like SCCA on Facebook at facebook.com/sccaofficial, or follow the club on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
 

AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 7, 2013) – In response to tremendous input from competitors and the progression of a new relationship with a new venue, Lone Star Region and the U.S. Majors Tour have announced a number of changes for the upcoming BFGoodrich Tires SCCA Super Tour event at Circuit of the Americas, March 8-10.

Following a meeting that included the event Race Chairman, event and series Chief Stewards and the U.S. Majors Tour Director, the following changes have been made to the event schedule:

- Group 1 (Spec Miata) and Group 4 (F5, FF, FV) will switch, with the small formula cars becoming Group 1 and Spec Miata becoming Group 4. This is done to accommodate drivers entered in multiple run groups.

- Saturday’s qualifying will be gridded based on Friday afternoon’s practice times. Sunday’s qualifying will be gridded based on a driver’s fast lap from Saturday’s race. This will provide a more orderly beginning to each session and quell the desire to be on grid long before a session begins to secure a particular position.

- Both qualifying sessions (Saturday and Sunday) have been lengthened to 20 minutes. This may cause an overtime situation with applicable charges to the track, which the organizers recognize and accept as a possibility.

- Tech will open up on Thursday evening. Details to follow.

- Split starts for multi-class groups are being considered. Any split starts will be announced prior to the event.

- The Friday morning track walk has been cancelled by COTA. Track management needs time to sweep the circuit and there is not enough daylight to do this and the track walk.

In addition to the schedule changes, the following information has been released:

- Load-in for Wednesday test participants will occur at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5. Load-in for Thursday test participants will occur at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6. It is possible that a Thursday test participant may be parked on Tuesday, but only after the Wednesday testers have been parked and only if time permits.

- Teams testing will be parked once for the entire week, meaning test paddock spots will also be the event paddock spot.

- Teams testing that have rented a garage will be able to also rent the garage for the test through COTA for $250 (cash or check). For test days, the garages will only be rented to those that have them rented for the weekend.

- Teams parked in the front (main) paddock will park on a North/South axis. Back paddock parking will be at the direction of the Chief Paddock Marshal.

- The Chief Paddock Marshal has full authority on load-in and parking spots. Teams desiring to paddock together are encouraged to stage together for load-in.

- Fuel will be available at the circuit’s gas station between the main and back paddock Wednesday through Sunday. Available fuel is VP MS101 Unleaded, VP 100 Leaded, VP 114 Leaded. All VP race fuels are $9.50/gallon (cash or check only). 93 Octane Unleaded will be available for purchase from COTA for approximately $6/gallon. Location of the 93 Octane is TBD.

- Golf cart rentals are available from Golf Cars of Austin (16150 IH 35, Buda, TX 78610 - Phone 512-312-4115, www.golfcarsofaustin.com). Two-seat electric carts are available for the weekend for $250, which includes delivery.

- Vick Racing Outfitters will be on site with racing supplies. (800-377-0944, www.vro.com)

The race chairman and the entire race organizing staff thank everyone for their feedback and patience as we prepare for this historic event!

For all of the latest information on the BFGoodrich Tires SCCA COTA Super Tour, the opening round of the SCCA Majors Mid-States Conference and a part of the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series, please visit www.scca.com/cota.
 

TOPEKA, Kan. (February 5, 2013) – Sports Car Club of America, Inc. and Hawk Performance are proud to announce the continuation of their partnership which names Hawk Performance the Official Brake Products of the SCCA for the 12th-straight year.

“Hawk Performance has been one of the most consistent supporters of amateur motorsports in the United States, and we are proud to begin our 12th year as an official partner,” SCCA VP of Marketing & Communications Eric Prill said. “In addition to being a corporate strategic partner, Hawk Performance continues to develop products and provide member support through technical assistance and contingency programs that grow the relationship each year.”

In 2013, Hawk Performance will expand its Runoffs Hawk Performance Hot Lap award into every SCCA SafeRacer National Racing Series event in addition to its finishing award certificates. Eligible drivers will earn a $50 product credit for each Hawk Hot Lap, with the first, third and fifth-place finishers also earning $75, $50 and $25 certificates, respectively.

“Hawk Performance strongly believes in supporting amateur motorsports and with all of the different events that SCCA facilitates, we believe it to be the leading organization in the field,” Cody Currie, Hawk Performance Marketing Manager, said “We look forward to another year of being the Official Brake Products of the SCCA.”

In 2012, Hawk Performance awarded SCCA racers more than $22,500 in product certificates and 139 individual axle sets through its contingency prize program.

SCCA
Founded in 1944, Sports Car Club of America, Inc. is a 40,000-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.

HAWK PERFORMANCE
Hawk Performance is a leading supplier of severe duty and high-performance products manufactured in ISO-certified facilities for the motorsports and performance automotive aftermarket. Hawk Performance products are engineered to allow users to control command and conquer the terrain for which their vehicles are designed. Decades of experience in developing friction materials for aerospace, industrial, military, automotive and motorsports applications give Hawk an advantage over the competition. In the past decade, Hawk friction products have won more motorsports championships than any other friction manufacturer. Additional information on Hawk Performance can be found at, http://www.hawkperformance.com/ or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/hawkperformance
 

TOPEKA, Kan. (Feb. 1, 2013) – SCCA has posted the 50th National Championship Runoffs schedule to the Runoffs home page at www.scca.com/runoffs.

The 2013 edition of the famed event will take place Sept. 16-22 at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The historic 50th running will feature a special celebration Thursday, Sept. 19 beginning at 3 p.m., including a retrospective on the first 49 events, featuring some of the great names from the past, and a party that will be sure to go down in history as well.

The event will return to its tradition of three days of racing (Friday through Sunday) to accommodate the celebration activities. The official week will begin with practice on Monday, Sept. 16, followed by three-straight days of qualifying, in which each class will make one appearance on track per day.

The schedule is subject to revision by the Chief Steward for any reason up until Aug. 26, 2013.

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