2009 Runoffs at Road America

SCCA announced today the results of a vote by its Board of Directors that will move the National Championship Runoffs® to Road America (Elkhart Lake, Wis.) in 2009. Road America will become the sixth venue to host the event, dating back to 1964.

The Sports Car Club of America, Inc. (SCCA) Board directed its staff to move forward to negotiate a three-year agreement with Road America for SCCA Club Racing’s signature event, which has averaged over 650 participants since 2000. The Runoffs is currently in the final year of a three-year agreement at Heartland Park Topeka, in Topeka, Kan.

“Given the deep history the track, the town of Elkhart Lake and SCCA enjoy, it only seems natural for the most prestigious Club Racing event in the world to be hosted by Road America,” SCCA President & CEO Jim Julow said. “The Board had a difficult decision, as we had an unprecedented number of outstanding potential hosts for the event, meaning the long term future of Club Racing’s National Championship is very bright.”

“The SCCA has been an integral part of our 53 year-history,” Road America President and General Manager George Bruggenthies said. “The opportunity to showcase our facility and our community to a nation of SCCA racers and fans is a tremendous honor. On behalf of our board of directors and staff, my thanks to the SCCA for their confidence. We promise to build on the outstanding Runoffs tradition and exceed stakeholder expectations.”

The first-ever “Interdivisional Championship,” later referred to as the “Runoffs,” was held at Riverside Raceway (Riverside, Calif.) in 1964, and alternated coasts with Daytona International Raceway (Daytona Beach, Fla.) through 1969. In 1970, the event began a 24-year run at Road Atlanta (Braselton, Ga.), before moving to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, Ohio) in 1994. After 12 years in Ohio, the Runoffs moved to Heartland Park Topeka in 2006. The move after three years signifies a change in philosophy after such long runs at venues from the 1970s through the turn of the century.

“Club Racing in the United States has evolved in the last decade, and rotating the Runoffs will do nothing but help the event and the Club Racing program, overall,” SCCA Chairman R.J. Gordy said.

“This is by no means a reflection on the job that Raymond Irwin and his staff have done at Heartland Park Topeka,” Julow added. “In the last four years, they have met every challenge and request and built a tremendous facility that is worthy of potentially hosting not only the Runoffs, but other high-profile road racing events in the future. Additionally, the local community and business groups have been outstanding and we thank them for their continued support.”

The event has grown in both size and stature over the years, with approximately 700 of the nation’s best amateur race drivers from across the country making the annual trek for the event that spans an entire week, preceded by additional days of optional testing. The sheer number of competitors makes the Runoffs the largest annual amateur road racing event in the world, and results in an average local economic impact approaching $10 million each year.

The Runoffs annually crown the National Champions of SCCA Club Racing’s National level classes (currently 25) and has been referred to as the “Olympics” of motorsports. Drivers from across North America race locally to earn points, with the top-10 qualifying drivers from the nine SCCA Divisions in each class earning an invitation to compete in the event. The list of past Runoffs Champions is a who’s who in road racing history that includes Skip Barber, Michael Galati, Paul Newman, Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal, Greg Ray, Boris Said and Scott Sharp.

Road America’s history dates back to the early 1950s when public street races in the Elkhart Lake area were a part of the SCCA national championship series. When street racing became illegal in 1952, participants and supporters joined efforts and raised funds to develop Road America. The track held its first event, the SCCA National, on September 10-11, 1955. The inaugural June Sprints® was held the following year, June 23-24, 1956. Today, the 14-turn, 4.048-mile track holds its original configuration and continues to challenge the world’s best two- and four-wheel racers.

The date for the 2009 event has yet to be finalized, although it will move from October to September.

The 45th SCCA National Championship Runoffs will be held at Heartland Park Topeka October 6-12, 2008.

For more information about SCCA and the National Championship Runoffs, please visit
[ www.scca.com/Runoffs ]

For more information about Road America, please visit
[ www.roadamerica.com ]

For more information about Heartland Park Topeka, please visit
[ www.hpt.com ]


News story from
[ scca.com/newsarticle.aspx?hub=1&news=3334

[ Read more ] ::

Jaremko Claims Fourth DSR Title

Articel by Erin Cechal. Photo provided by Weber.

Mark Jaremko, of Spokane, Wash., blew away the rest of the D Sports Racing field at Heartland Park Topeka to claim D Sports Racing crown number four at the 2006 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. John Bender, of Vancouver, Wash., and Dorian Foyil, of Nassau, Bahamas, completed the podium.

Polesitter J.R. Osborne, of Centennial, Colo., looked like the man to beat as his No. 83 Equinox Group/Farcon Stohr WF1 took the lead into Turn One, but Jaremko’s No. 2 Goodyear/Redline Oil Stohr WF1-BPS quickly slid by Osborne on the following corner. Osborne didn’t even have a chance to challenge Jaremko, as he pulled into the pits on lap two with mechanical issues.

After only three laps, Jaremko had more than seven seconds on the No. 11 West Race Cars West WR 1000 of Bender in second-place. That gap was erased when a car stuck off course brought out the full-course yellow on lap five. Nothing could stop the Jaremko show however, and when the green flag waved for the restart, the former DSR champion resumed his dominant pace, averaging 75.551 mph around the 2.5-mile track.

“The race went pretty well obviously,” Jaremko said. “When the weather changed, it changed the whole setup of the car. We struggled with that all day and for the race we had it set up for wet, then for dry, and back and forth. It was hard to make a decision as to which setup to use. The fellows at Stohr Cars made the right choice and the car worked on cold tires, and it was good on both starts. The track was horrible, as bad as I have seen it. There was mud and oil everywhere. It was pretty slippery.”

Behind Jaremko, Bender’s runner-up position came under threat in the closing laps, when traffic came into play and allowed the No. 81 Stohr WF1 of Foyil to get within striking distance. Foyil was unable to capitalize and Bender held on to the second spot.

Steve Shelton, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Mark White, of Waunakee, Wis., finished-out the top five. Michael Reupert, of Hubertus, Wis., won the Sunoco Hard Charger Award for advancing 12 positions during the race, from 20th to eighth.

sourced from
[ Jaremko Claims Fourth D Sports Racing Championship ]

[ Read more ] ::

Mercer Wins S2, DiRenzo's Heartbreak

Articel by Adam Horn. Photo provided by Steflik.

Mark Mercer and his Lola 90/91 captured his first Sports 2000 National Championship in the late stages of the race at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. John Fergus, of Powell, Ohio, and Bart Wolf, of Elkhart Lake, Wis., finished second and third, respectively.

The start of the race was waved off twice by the starter, but when the green flag dropped DiRenzo rocketed his No. 27 Terpsteo/Goodyear JRE SR-71 F to nearly a three-second lead by the end of the first lap. At the time, it appeared that DiRenzo had the race well in hand, opening up a five and a half second lead by lap seven. But, as the laps ticked by, Mercer continued to chase down DiRenzo cutting the lead down to less than a second by lap 13 of the 18-lap race.

By lap 15, Mercer’s No. 06 Hoosier Tires Lola 91/90 was filling DiRenzo’s mirrors at every turn and finally made the pass on DiRenzo coming out of Turn 14 on lap 16. Just prior to the pass, it appeared that DiRenzo’s machine was experiencing mechanical problems and he pulled into pit lane.

Once in the lead, Mercer put it on cruise control for the remaining two laps, winning by 11.873-seconds (at an average speed of 81.983 mph) over the Fergus’ No. 00 Hoosier Tires/The Fergus Companies Carbir CS2.

“I’ve been sick all week,” Mercer said. “I did not run Wednesday or Thursday and I slept until noon today and I felt a lot better this afternoon. I was pretty nervous and I did not know what the start was going to be like. I didn’t know what Matt [DiRenzo] was going to be like and the tires were a big question. We went with the harder tires and Matt went with the softer tires.

He had a pretty good lead on me. I kept slowly working him down and I could see that his tires were going off. Toward the end, I was catching him every lap and then he got sideways in the Carousel and I said, ‘O.K. he’s losing his tires now so I just kept putting the pressure on him.’ I looked over and saw how many laps were left and I just put my head down and was running my fastest times. All I had to do was get around him. I didn’t see anybody behind me so I began to think, ‘I’ve got this race won.’”

Mark Hardymon, of Delaware, Ohio, finished fourth in his No. 54 Elite Fab/Hoosier Tires CS2, while Marc Walker, of Oldsmar, Fla., brought his No. 1 Comprent Motorsports Fox-Lola 01-03C home fifth. Darryl Shoff, of Reading, Pa., won the Sunoco Hard Charger of the race award for advancing four positions throughout the race, starting 12th and finishing eighth.

sourced from [ Mercer Wins Late in SCCA Sports 2000 National Championship Race ]

[ Read more ] ::

Hans Peter is CSR Runoffs® Champ

Hans Peters claimed the SCCA's CSR National Championship this morning in his Swift 014 Viking after taking the pole in last chance qualifying yesterday. Under sunny sky and 6 MPH winds, but 36 degree temperature, Peters had a seamingly comfortable win at the Heartland Park Topeka track. He took the lead on lap 5, and later allowed the gap to second place to reduce to 1.8 seconds at the checkered flag. Peters turned a 1:32.449 fastest lap early in the race, compared to his best qualifying time of 1:31.996.

“I thought that I made a good start, but maybe they caught me during a shift,” Peter said of his start. “I don’t quite know what happened, but they just motored away from me. So I just tucked in behind both of them [Wade Carter and Mark Jaremko] and waited for something to happen. Mark went a little wide and just sort of slid off, so I got inside of him. Then I got up to Wade and just got up underneath him. Then I selected an area of the track where I thought I was quicker and just took him.”¹

2nd Place

Mark Jaremko in his "DSR spec" Stohr WF1-BPS followed Peters across the finish line in second, turnig a best lap of 1:33.324 compared to his qual time of 1:33.222. He had started the race in third. Jaremko will now use the same car to lead the DSR race on Sunday from pole position.

3rd Place

After taking the lead in turn one of the start and leading the first three laps, Wade Carter in his Swift 008 Viking dropped back to forth after spinning on lap 4 at the exit of turn nine, going off course. He then recovered to repass Jacobson on lap 12 for the last position on the podium. Carter set the fastest lap of the race 1:33.091, early on lap 2, then later cranked off a few more 1:33s while recaturing the third spot. He finished 28.7 seconds behind the leader.

4th Place

Kerry Jacobsen in a Panoz Elan Dp02 finished in forth, with a best time of 1:35.654 set on lap 8, after starting seventh. Jacobs had set the forth fasted lap time in qualifying, but had times disallowed due to fuel irregularities in Qual 3, and a 3 position grid penalty for passing under a yellow flag. In the race, Jacobs was 14 seconds behind third place at the finish. His best qualifying effort was a 1:34.517 lap.

5th Place

Jim Downing and his Ralt RT41-JMS rounded out the top five, after starting in the sixth spot. Downing turned a 1:39.208 best lap en route to his fifth place finish, bettering his 1:40.850 qualifying time. Downing was down one lap to the race leader Peters.

[ Results via SCCA's Live Timing feed ]

Race Lap Notes

Time / Lap# / Lap Note

8:49:24am / 00 / The weather conditions at Heartland Park Topeka are sunny and 36 degrees, with winds out of the west at 6 mph.

8:56:51am / 01 / #74 Wade Carter takes the lead in turn one.

9:03:37am / 01 / #74 Carter leads, followed by # 2 Jarmeko.

9:04:13am / 02 / The top five are #74 Carter, followed by #2 Mark Jarmeko, #66 Hans Peter, #64 Ken Davis, and #38 Kerry Jacobsen.

9:05:53am / 02 / #64 Davis, who was running fourth is off course at Turn 8, car has some damage.

9:06:44am / 03 / #74 Carter continues to lead.

9:08:00am / 04 / #66 Peter passes #74 Carter in Turn Six for the lead.

9:09:08am / 04 / #74 Carter spins exiting Turn Nine and is off course.

9:09:47am / 05 / #66 Peter has the lead.

9:10:26am / 07 / Top five are #66 Peter, with a 4.677-second lead over #2 Jaremko, followed by #38 Jacobsen, #74 Carter and #6 Downing.

9:16:13am / 09 / #66 Peter has opened up a 7.244-second lead over #2 Jaremko, followed by #38 Jacobsen, #74 Carter and #6 Downing.

9:18:39am / 10 / #66 Peter continues to widen his lead over #2 Jaremko.

9:19:41am / 11 / #66 Peter leads #2 Jaremko by 7.379-seconds, followed by #38 Jacobsen, #74 Carter and #6 Downing.

9:21:51am / 12 / #74 Carter passes #38 Jacobsen for third.

9:23:01am / 12 / The top five are #66 Peter, followed by #2 Jaremko, #74 Carter, #38 Jacobsen and #6 Downing.

9:23:38am / 13 / #66 Peter leads by #2 Jaremko by 7.490-seconds.

9:24:35am / 14 / #66 Peter leads #2 Jaremko by 5.704-seconds with four laps remaining.

9:25:51am / 14 / #2 Jaremko was more than two seconds faster than #66 Peter on the last lap.

9:26:42am / 15 / The top five are #66 Peter, followed by #2 Jaremko, #74 Carter, #38 Jacobsen and #6 Downing.

9:28:21am / 16 / #2 Jaremko was nearly 3.5-seconds faster on the last lap than the race leader #66 Peter.

9:29:19am / 16 / #0 Miller is in pit lane.

9:30:22am / 16 / #0 Miller has a flat right front.

9:30:46am / 17 / #66 Peter leads #2 Jaremko by 3.173-seconds on the final lap.

9:31:17am / 18 / Checkered Flag for #66 Peter, who wins by 1.826-seconds over #2 Jaremko, followed by #74 Carter, #38 Jacobsen and #6 Downing.

9:33:16am / 18 / This is Hans Peter, of Overland Park, Kan., first SCCA National Championship.

Time is for reference only and is cued from the Central Time Zone


¹ [ Peter Captures First SCCA C Sports Racing National Championship At Heartland Park ]

[ Read more ] ::

Runoffs® Race Grids Set After Qual 4

Last chance qualifying was the order of the day.

CSR

Hans Peters and his Swift 014 Viking was third following Wednesday's Qual session 3, but jumped to the CSR pole position today by being the only driver to break into the 1:31s with a 1:31.996 lap. Wade Carter in his Swift 008 Viking dropped on spot to outside front row, standing on his 1:32.780 time from Wednesday, after only mustering a 1:35.247 out of 3 laps completed today. Mark Jaremko in his "DSR spec" Stohr WF1-BPS likewise dropped to third using his 1:33.222 lap also from Wednesday qualifying. Kerry Jacobsen in a Panoz Elan Dp02 improved his time to a 1:34.517 and retains forth place on the grid. Ken Davis will be on the inside of the third row in fifth with his Lola's after improving his best time to 1:37.597. 17 CSR drivers have posted times for tomorrow morning's race.

S2

Matthew DiRenzo retained the top spot in S2 with his JRE SR-71F car, by being the only S2 driver to crack into the 1:40s with a 1:40.971 lap. After sitting out the final two qualifying session, Mark Mercer and his Lola 91/90 stay in second based on his 1:41.417 lap from Tuesday. John Fergus stays in third after setting a 1:42.282 with his Carbir CS2 also on Tuesday. Mark Hardymon drove his Carbir CS2 quicker today, improving his time to 1:42.562, to maintain his forth place spot. M. Bart Wolf and his Carbir CS2.5 (1:43.238) leap-forgged Micheal Baultz and his Lola T90/90 (1:43.257) by only 19 thousanths of a second to take over fifth with Baultz in sixth.

DSR

With no one able to better his best lap from Wednesday, J.R. Osborne in his Stohr WF1 stayed on top of the charts with his best time in Qual 3 (1:33.340). Mark Jaremko stay on the outside front row base on his best lap from Monday (1:33.377) in his Stohr WF1-BPS. John Bender in the factory West WR 1000 improved his time to a 1:34.756 to retain third spot. David Rigon also improved his time, in the factory Gloria B6S, to a 1:36.126 to keep his forth spot.

[ Read more ] ::

Runoffs® Qual 3 Brings Faster Times

The third of four qualifying days rewarded patient drivers with a cold but dry track. Overcast skies remained until the middle of the CSR/S2 group. While times in eariler sessions of the day seemed to be slower than Monday, the majority of DSR drivers, and more than half of the CSR/S2 drivers, were able to improve their times.

DSR

30 DSR cars posted times in this third qualification session, with J.R. Osborne in his Stohr WF1 topping the charts. His best time in Qual 3 (1:33.340) was only 37 thousandth of a second faster than Mark Jaremko's time (1:33.377) posted in Qual 1 with his Stohr WF1-BPS on Monday. John Bender in a West WR 1000 was again third fastest, improving his time by half a second to a 1:35.014 from his previous 1:35.679 on Monday. David Rigon in the lone factory Gloria B6S was forth quickest and keeps his forth spot set on Monday (1:36.824). Larry Vollum, part of the Stohr WF1 stampede, lowered his time by more than 2 seconds to set the 5th fastest time (1:37.436) of the session, but Steve Shelton in another Stohr WF1 retains that fifth spot in the overall qualification results with his tiem (1:37.209) from Monday. Larry takes the sixth spot overall.

Kevin Mitz in his Cheetah SR1 (1:39.522) still leads the unoffical non-tunneled DSR sub-class, still followed by Tom Bootz and his Speads RS (1:39.610). They again posted the 11th and 12th quickest times for the Qual 3 session. Bill Johnson in a Swift (1:42.604) turned in the 18th fastest time for Qual 3.

Mark White in a West WR 1000 posted the 7th fastest time in Qual 3, after only finishing one lap and ending at the bottom of Qual 1. Harry Goldman in another Stohr WR1 also got on the board with the 15th best time of the day after posting no tiem on Monday. John Hill still has not set a time, understandably waiting at home with his expectant wife.

[ DSR in Acrobat pdf format ]

CSR

Wade Carter in his Swift 008 Viking again set the top time in CSR, improving his previous best by half a second to 1:32.219. Mark Jaremko in his "DSR spec" Stohr WF1-BPS took second in the session and overall with a 1:33.222 lap. Hans Peters and his Swift 014 Viking were third in the session, dropping him to third overall based on his Monday 1:33.358 time. Kerry Jacobsen in a Panoz Elan Dp02 also did not improve his time, but stays in forth overall with his 1:34.786 Monday time. Ken Davis, who only completed one lap today, retains fifth with his Lola's (1:40.413) Monday time.

[ CSR in Acrobat pdf format ]

S2

Matthew DiRenzo reclaimed the top spot in S2 with his JRE SR-71F car setting a impressive time of 1:41.248. Mark Mercer and his Lola 91/90 were at the top of the chart at the end of Tuesday, but Mercer did not participate in today's session. However, Mercer stays in second overall with his 1:41.417 lap from Tuesday.

[ S2 in Acrobat pdf format ]

[ Read more ] ::

Few Surprises After Runoffs® Qual 1

Photos provided by Lee Stohr.

The results from the first of four qualifying session were viewed, via Live Timing feed, for the SCCA's 2006 Runoffs. Former DSR standout, Mathew DiRenzo, raised a few eyebrows when his top S2 time bettered multiple S2 National champion John Fergus by almost 2 seconds.
Photos provided by Lee Stohr.

DSR

The first DSR Qualification session saw 31 cars post times. John Hill is not at the track yet, understandably waiting at home with his expectant wife. 1.5 second was the separation between the pair of Mark Jaremko in his own Stohr WF1-BPS (1:33.377) and J.R. Osborne in another Stohr WF1 (1:34.003), back to third place John Bender in a West WR 1000 (1:35.679). David Rigon driving the lone factory Gloria B6S posted a 1:36.824 for forth, followed by Steve Shelton in another Stohr WF1 (1:37.209) in fifth.

Leading the unoffical non-tunneled DSR sub-class was Kevin Mitz in his Cheetah SR1 (1:42.534) in 11th position, followed by Tom Bootz and his Speads RS (1:42.581) in 12th, then Bill Johnson in a Swift (1:42.812) in 13th.



[ DSR Qual 1 Results (web page) ]
[ DSR in Acrobat pdf format ]

CSR

The combined CSR and S2000 afternoon Qualification session had the top three spot separated by only tenths of a second. Wade Carter in his Swift 008 Viking set the top time (1:33.219), followed by Hans Peters and his Swift 014 Viking (1.33.358) in seocnd, with Mark Jaremko in his "DSR spec" Stohr WF1-BPS (1:33.573) in third. Kerry Jacobsen in a Panoz Elan Dp02 (1:34.786) claimed the forth spot, follwed by Ken Davis and his Lola (1:40.414) in fifth.

[ CSR Qual 1 Results (web page) ]
[ CSR in Acrobat pdf format ]

S2

Matthew DiRenzo, posted the fasted time for the S2 class (1:41.495) with his unique JRE SR-71F car, 7th fasted time of the combined session with CSR. Multiple National champion John Fergus had the second fasted time in S2, almost 2 seconds behind DiRenzo (1:43.292) in his Carbir CS2. Third fasted was Michael Bautz in a Lola T90/90 with a best lap of 1:43.580. Mark Mercer in his Lola 91/90 (1:44.096) was in forth, then M. Bart Wolf in a Carbir CS2.5 (1:44.158) in fifth.

[ S2 Qual 1 Results (web page) ]
[ S2 in Acrobat pdf format ]

[ Live SCCA Runoffs Time feed ]

[ Read more ] ::

Preview of the SCCA Runoffs®

73 drivers are entered in sports racers at the upcoming Sports Car Club of America's National Runoffs^®. The entry list includes 19 drivers in CSR, 36 drivers in DSR, and 18 drivers in the S2000 class. Practice for the 43rd annual amateur championships begins on Monday, October 9, at Heartland Park Topeka, Kansas. Final races will be Friday-Sunday, October 13-15.

The 19 CSR entries will range from a Mazda rotary engined 1980 March of Michael Vellone (Mesa, AZ), to 2006 models including the Panoz Elan dp02 of Kerry Jacobsen (Deland, FL) and the Kawasaki motorcycle engined Stohr WF1-BPS of Mark Jaremko (Spokane, WA). Other marques in the field will include Beasley, Lola, Radical, Ralt, Swift, Van Dieman SRSCCA, Viking, and Wynnfurst.

After dominating the 2005 Runoffs^® with the debut of the Stohr WF1, Mark Jaremko returns to defend his DSR title along with 9 other WF1 owners who think that's the car to have. 7 drivers with either a West or first generation Stohr chassis fill out the remaining half of the field which will be in a Lee Stohr designs. 4 Omni Fab Cheetahs and 2 Speads RS chassis are the only other marque that will be represented by more than a single entry. The remaining 36 DSR entries care made up of A-Mac, BNCU, Bobsy, Dragon, Gloria, Hentech, Lola, Maloy, Mystery, OMS, Swift, Van Diemen SSR, and Zephrus.

The 18 S2000 entries are made up of Carbir, Lola, Shannon, and Swift.

The early entry deadline cutoff for this year’s SCCA National Championship Runoffs® was Friday night, Sept. 8. Entries received after 11:59 p.m. (CDT) on Friday night will be assessed the $500 late entry fee in addition to the base fee of $300.


CSR Entry list

DSR Entry List

S2000 Entry List

[ Read more ] ::

One Year Until SCCA Runoffs in Kansas

SCCA's announced dates for the 2006 National Championship Runoffs® take a page of its own history and return the 43rd running of the classic to a more traditional October date for the first event at Heartland Park Topeka.

The 24 National Championship Runoffs races will be held Friday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006. As has been tradition, the event officially commences on Monday, Oct. 9 for practice, followed by three days of qualifications Oct. 10-12 to set the starting lineups.

Heartland Park Topeka (Topeka, Kansas) will give Runoffs participants a first look at the Runoffs-only track configuration during the promoter test week, Oct. 1-8.

“Eastern Kansas weather is normally very cooperative during this time of the year, and we’ve got the opportunity to extend the time between the final National events of the season and the Runoffs,” SCCA Club Racing Director Terry Ozment said. “This will give competitors more time to prepare for the Runoffs as well as potentially boost participation in the late-season events.”

In addition to the date announcement, SCCA, with assistance from the Topeka Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, has arranged special “SCCA” rates from Oct. 1-15 with many area hotels. The downtown Ramada Inn has been selected as the Official SCCA Event Host Hotel, offering rooms and a complimentary breakfast for a standard rate of $75 plus tax per night. Executive Rooms ($85) and suites ($135) are also available. Reservations may be made at any time through the hotel (800) 432-2424, and rates are guaranteed through Sept. 1, 2006.

Several other area hotels have locked in an “SCCA” rate, although some offer different packages with each rate. A list follows this release, and hotels should be contacted directly for complete details.

In addition to hotel accommodations, Heartland Park Topeka will also provide racers, workers and spectators ample family-friendly camping opportunities during Runoffs testing and competition.

The SCCA National Championship Runoffs® is the annual championship event for the nation’s top amateur road racing drivers, and is regarded as the “Olympics” of motorsports. Featuring more than 700 participants annually, the weeklong event marks its 42nd running this September, with the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Kohler at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

For more information about the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, please visit www.scca.com. For more information on Heartland Park Topeka, log on to the track’s website at www.hpt.com.

Additional hotels offering SCCA rates for the 2006 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. All listed prices are per night and do not include tax. Links to all area hotels are available through the TCVB Web site at www.topekacvb.org.

Amerisuites ($99)
Best Western Candlelight Inn ($79)
Best Western Topeka Inn ($79)
Club House Inn and Suites ($79)
Holiday Inn ($74)
Holiday Inn Express ($74)
Regency Inn ($45)
Senate Luxury Suites ($72)

[Story pulled from SCCA news page.]

[ Read more ] ::

Jaremko Takes Third DSR National Title

By Curtis Kitchen

Mark Jaremko, of Spokane, Washington, opened a huge lead early in his Lee Stohr Cars/Goodyear/Red Line Stohr WF1 and went on to win the D Sports Racing portion of the 2005 National Championship Runoffs® Presented by Kohler by over 30 seconds. Rod Morley, of Provo, Utah, finished second, and Matthew DiRenzo, of Medford, N.J., was third.

Dashing away from the very start in his pole position, Jaremko opened an 11-second lead over the rest of the field by Lap 3, utilizing a new DSR race lap record time of 1:21.606 (100.581 mph) to bolt from the other drivers and eventually take the win by 34.880 seconds. The record mark was almost two seconds faster than the previous best set by 2004 DSR Champion John Hill.

The 2005 Championship gave Jaremko, who was the fastest car in DSR all week, his third title in the past four years. And even though he made his third win look easy, Jaremko said things were far from it.

“After about five laps I lost my clutch,” Jaremko said. “That made it cumbersome to downshift. I drove hard for the first five laps and built a lead. Then I looked in my mirrors, backed off and conserved my tires. This is a brand new car, the latest from Stohr. It turned its first wheel here this week. It made life easier for me."

Steve Shelton, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., finished fourth, and Matthew DiRenzo, of Medford, N.J., completed the top five.

No. 40 James Boehm, of St. Louis, Mo., won the Sunoco Hard Charger Award for advancing nine positions to finish 12th after starting 21st.

[The story above was written by Curtis Kitchen and was pulled from the related SCCA news page.]

[ Read more ] ::

Loyning Claims CSR National Championship

Arnie Loyning, of Portland, Oregon, captured his first National Championship today, taking the C Sports Racing class win at the 2005 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Eric Vassian, of Atlanta, Georgia, claimed the silver medal after starting forth, and Bill Goldkind, of Holbrook, New York, completed the top-three after starting in the eigth place slot.

Driving the No. 27 Loyning Engine Service Swift Viking, Loyning and polesitter Jacek Mucha went side-by-side into the opening turn. The two made contact in the esses resulting in Mucha off course, with third place starter Rennie Clayton also caught up in the incident.

After making contact, Loyning continued, holding the lead ahead of Jeremy Treadway, who moved up from his seventh place starting position. Battling for the lead with Loyning, the duo ran nose-to-tail for several laps, before Treadway took the lead on lap four. After briefly falling back, Loyning closed the gap and began looking for a way past Treadway.

Entering the esses on lap 10, Loyning got alongside Treadway and retook the lead. Immediately after relinquishing the lead, Treadway slowed and pulled off-course. With a lead of over the 20 seconds, the best battle on course was for second between Mike McGinley and Richard Cottrill. Having secured the position, McGinley spun off-course on lap 17 and making contact with the tire barrier. Unchallenged to the checkered flag, Loyning crossed the start/finish winning by 37.969.

“I think that I left enough room for him [Mucha] and then I looked in my mirrors and saw cars all over the place,” said Loyning discussing the first turn incident. “[Later,]I was chasing Jeremy Treadway and I knew I could get past him. He was all over the track. He was strong on the straightaway, but I was faster in the corners. He was using all the road. My engine cut out a couple times during the race, but it always restarted. I don't know what was wrong. There were some lights on my dash, but I don't know what they meant! I hoped that my engine would not blow up into a ball of fire ---- I would have to say that my gearbox broke! It would not have been good for business.” (Note: Loyning builds and sells race engines.)

Thirteenth place starter Richard Cottrill, of Longmont, Colorado, finished fourth, and tenth place starter Jim Downing, of Atlanta, Georgia, completed the top-five.

[Editted from a story sourced from SCCA's news.]

[ Read more ] ::