The Sports Car Club of America's Board of Directors have decided that the National Runoffs, the largest field of amateur racers, will take place in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for three consecutive years. Road America will host the 2009, '10 and '11 championship club racing event.
"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," said SCCA President and CEO Jim Julow.
The move from the club's home race track, Heartland Park Topeka, was done only due to the fact that the premier SCCA national road racing event takes bids from those tracks who are interested in hosting the premier amateur club racing runoffs.
"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," added Julow.
Heartland Park, located in Topeka, Kansas, the base for SCCA's operations, won the bid for the three year contract in 2006. "This is by no means a reflection on the job that Raymond Irwin and his staff have done at Heartland Park Topeka," commented Julow. "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."
Since the first national runoffs, 44 years ago, Road America is only the sixth venue to showcase the event that can draw over 700 participants challenging for their class championship. They are also the home track for the famous June Sprints, one of the most challenging events on the SCCA National race schedule in the Central Division. Hosted by Chicago Region with Milwaukee Region by their side, the June Sprints sees entries from the other SCCA divisions as one of "the events to win" for many racers.
"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 runoffs were held on in Riverside, California at the track that many in racing still holds fond memories: Riverside International Raceway in 1964. The next year, it moved coasts, from the West to the East, to Daytona International Raceway. The two famous circuits alternated hosting the event until 1970.
Road Atlanta became the home of the National Runoffs for 24 years. The Braselton, Georgia track is deep in the history of amateur racers who not only won the coveted title as a class champion, but went on to make their mark in professional racing.
Both Bobby and Graham Rahal have earned National titles, in fact Graham earned his Formula Atlantic National Championship in 2005, 30 years after his dad Bobby won the crown. It was not an easy victory for the younger Rahal who landed his first IndyCar Series win on the streets of St. Petersburg over a month ago. His car misfired and he had to fight to make up ground and take the victory. It might have helped a bit that the host track was his home circuit, Mid-Ohio.
While many top professional drivers came up the ladder via the SCCA club racing, Randy Pobst came from the Solo section of the club. The 2007 SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series champion currently sits in the points lead as the competition heads to Miller Motorsports Park in Utah this coming weekend. One of his rivals, Michael Galati is a runoff champion. Pobst is not the only World Challenge competitor to move from SCCA Solo to the series, Jim Osborne took the same route.
Jeff Altenburg, the reigning World Challenge Touring Car champion, has won both Solo national titles and two National Runoffs. In fact, Altenburg is the only racer to earn titles in SCCA Solo, SCCA National Cub Racing and SCCA Pro Racing (Neon Challenge) in the same year, a feat he accomplished in 1997.
Boris Said, one of the top road course drivers also earned a runoff title, as did Scott Sharp who moved to Trans-Am, then IndyCar and is now racing an Acura prototype in the American Le Mans Series. The Grand American Rolex Series and Koni Challenge has a long list of past (and some still compete) champions and racers who came from the SCCA amateur ranks, including Larry Rehagan who is now a team owner.
While some racers yearn to move up the ladder, others have full-time careers and enjoy the amateur club racing atmosphere. Their goal is simple: to earn the National Runoff crown. They include those who are passionate about their sport and race in open-wheel to spec racers or the ever popular sportscars.
The cars are vintage in some cases, like the Lotus Super 7, Sunbeam Alpine, Porsches (classic and current models), Austin Healy Sprites and the MGBs. There is, of course, the newer showroom products: Hondas, Toyotas, BMWs, Nissans, Dodges, Fords and Chevrolets.
Twenty-four National champions were crowned last year, some for the first time and others who have stood on the top step of the podium at least twice. It is indeed an event that brings the best out of the amateur racer.
The fourth track to land the rights as the host was the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the home of the Ohio Valley Region. The runoffs ran for 12 years at the Lexington, OH. circuit before the move to Topeka.
It is not a surprise to see the host track change hands, many of the drivers have made the request to move the location from time-to-time. From coast-to-coast, the goal of the national race competitor is to receive an invitation for the Runoffs. Road America will offer yet a new challenge on the 4.048-mile road course.
"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 year's SCCA National Runoffs will be held at Heartland Park Topeka starting October 6th with practice and qualifying prior to the final three days of racing action, October 10-12.
Just as well, Heartland Park was a horrible track. In fact, they should've stayed at Mid-Ohio, IMHO, but the SCCA historically has a way of messing up a good thing.
...but the SCCA historically has a way of messing up a good thing.
I have to agree with you on that one. It was a wonderful organization when I first got into it, but then the politics came and things stopped being fun.
Road Atlanta was (is) also a great track, although not terribly centrally located in the country. Didn't seem to slow attendance for 24 years, though.
Not meaning to have a chamber of commerce sort of response... but Road America has made some significant facility improvements in the last few years.
If you haven't visited in a while, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Yes, and like many other tracks, many of the really good spectator viewing areas are now 'reserved' for corporate sponsor tents, a trend that has been going on for decades. For those of us who remember the older times before this phenomenon started, many tracks were a real joy to visit and I have many fond memories and photos from those times. I first noticed this 'club members only' sort of thing in the early 1980s at Riverside when my favorite viewing spot for a Camel GT event was blocked to my entry, and it has grown considerably since. My last trip to Road America a few years back, was quite a let-down in this regard as it had been the mid-1980s since my last visit and the changes were considerable.
I suppose that like many things, if you didn't know how it was then you have nothing by which you can compare. If you have never visited Road America, it is still an impressive venue.
In fact, they should've stayed at Mid-Ohio, IMHO, but the SCCA historically has a way of messing up a good thing.
Actually, they should have stayed at Road Atlanta! The fact that I live ten minutes away from Road Atlanta has in no way influenced that opinion.
I was at Heartland Park two years ago for the Runoffs, and it threatened to snow during the week. As I recall, it also snowed at least one year when the Runoffs were at Mid-Ohio. I also remember going to races at Elkhart Lake where I thought it might snow in September, let alone late October when the Runoffs typically occur. Due to their timing, the Runoffs need to be run at a warm-weather venue, and Road Atlanta is one of the best. The weather in Atlanta in October is fantastic. Besides, Elkhart Lake already has the June Sprints, so now will monopolize the best of SCCA racing.
Now, let's talk about SCCA messing up a good thing. They've added so many classes now that in a typical National race everyone gets a trophy. The joke around here is that for some race groups, the trophy ceremony takes longer than the race! Nice that everyone gets a trophy, but they mean next to nothing now, and it's impossible for a spectator to tell what's going on during a race. I remember going to SCCA Nationals in the '60s where there were tens of thousands of spectators, now they're lucky to get just tens.
Last edited by Zoom Beedo; 05-13-2008 at 01:55 PM.
Especially SCCA decisions. If they pull this off it'll prove to me that global warming is real! Part of this is the desparation RA has in it's calendar without a major open wheel race now that Champ Car no longer exists and IRL has taken to ignore them for a while.
On another note For Road America, try to get there this year for the Kohler weekend of historic races in July. It is the 50th anniversary of the Scarab sports car, and all 4 of them including the new "replica" will be there as well as those great drivers. Maybe even the open wheeled versions too. The Scarab Mk 1 was the biggest deal in sports car racing at it's time. And still one of the most beautiful designs that ever hit the track.
Living just down the road from Heartland Park it has been nice to get to the runoffs whenever we wanted, but I agree that track is terrible. Very poor for viewing - I dare say the F1 course at Indy may have been (slightly) better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by svanaken
Yes, and like many other tracks, many of the really good spectator viewing areas are now 'reserved' for corporate sponsor tents, a trend that has been going on for decades. For those of us who remember the older times before this phenomenon started, many tracks were a real joy to visit and I have many fond memories and photos from those times. I first noticed this 'club members only' sort of thing in the early 1980s at Riverside when my favorite viewing spot for a Camel GT event was blocked to my entry, and it has grown considerably since. My last trip to Road America a few years back, was quite a let-down in this regard as it had been the mid-1980s since my last visit and the changes were considerable.
I suppose that like many things, if you didn't know how it was then you have nothing by which you can compare. If you have never visited Road America, it is still an impressive venue.
Scott
I wonder what turn and event was this? I've been to most of the big ones the last 4-5 years and have had access at every corner/viewpoint.
News from the SCCA
Linear Mode
