The SCCA® U.S. Majors Tour® exists to foster intriguing, points-based, season-long competition across six different Conferences for talented wheel-to-wheel race car drivers in the United States. There were 30 different venues in 2024 that hosted 37 experiences featuring #funwithcars from Florida to Washington and California to Connecticut as part of the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing schedule.
Within each of the six Conferences, points were awarded to the top 20 finishers per class after each race. Winners earned 25 points per race, and 21 points went to runners-up. Points were then doled out to others starting with 18 and descending to a single point for the 20th finisher. Only the best eight finishes within a Conference count towards a driver’s points total.
The expandable menus below list 2024 U.S. Majors Tour Conference Champions. Entries include the racing class, driver’s name, and SCCA Region of record. Complete points tallies can be found here.
Close Competition Around the Country
Examples of close competition exist throughout the six different Conferences. Lots of classes were decided by fewer than 10 points. In several instances, the difference between Conference Champion and the runner-up came down to only a point or two.
That was the case with GT-2 in the Northern Conference where Justin Elder claimed the title by one point over Daniel Bender. The same Conference also saw Michael Reupert and Richard Colburn match point totals for the season in Prototype 2 (P2), with Reupert getting the title based on more second-place finishes during the year.
The GT-2 chase in the Northeast Conference was close as well. Barry Boes earned the title by a mere two points over Ray Mason, and only five points further back were A. Sterling Cole and Tom Patton who tied for third. The Northeast Conference also had a three-way tie for the top spot in P2 as Pat Wildfire, Paul Omichinski, and Sherman Chao all matched one another in points and victories in the season.
Super Touring® Lite was tight in the Western Conference as Tazio Ottis beat Cameron Wagner by a single point. That Conference’s Touring 2 (T2) contest was even closer, with Roger Eagleton and Scotty B. White sharing the T2 title this year.
Another tie at the top came to be in the Mid-States Conference where Spec MX-5 drivers Denny Stripling and Justin Adakonis matched points to share a title. The Touring 3 battle was close in that Conference, too, as Michael Pettiford eked out a two-point victory over James Leithauser.
Formula 600 drivers in the Southeast Conference put on a show as H. Cory McLeod came out on top by three points over Eric Van Cleef, and Keith Joslyn was only seven points further back in third. The Formula Continental® contest was also tight in that Conference, with Robert Allaer earning the Championship by four points over Paul Douglas.
The theme of close competition carried through the Southern Conference as well, especially in Spec Racer® Ford Gen3 where Nils Musaeus claimed a one-point victory over Richard Stephens. Bettering that battle were Derek Coughlin and Todd Vanacore, who ended up in a tie for the Prototype 1 points Championship in the Conference.
A Few Ones Get Two
Anyone who earns a U.S. Majors Tour Conference Championship has displayed both skill and perseverance throughout a season. A handful of racers even managed to claim two Championships in a single class. Below is a list of those drivers who accomplished that feat in 2024.
Ken De Nault – Formula X (Northern Conf., Southeast Conf.)
Michael Borden – Spec MX-5 (Northern Conf., Southeast Conf.)
Michael McAleenan – GT-1 (Northeast Conf., Southeast Conf.)
Barry Boes – GT-2 (Northeast Conf., Southeast Conf.)
Sherman Chao – Prototype 2 (Northeast Conf., Southeast Conf.)
Justin Adakonis – Spec MX-5 (Mid-States Conf., Southern Conf.)
Darryl Wills – Formula Enterprises®2 (Mid-States Conf., Southern Conf.)
Jack Donnellan – Prototype 2 (Mid-States Conf., Southern Conf.)
Todd Vanacore – Prototype 1 (Southern Conf., Southeast Conf.)
In addition to those who doubled up on a class Championship in two different Conferences, a smaller set of competitors managed two Championships in two different classes. Those drivers are:
Caleb Shrader – Formula Enterprises® 2/Spec Racer® Ford Gen3 (Western Conf.)
Russell Turner – Formula Enterprises® 2/Spec Racer® Ford Gen3 (Southeast Conf.)
Michael Pettiford – Touring 1/Touring 3 (Mid-States Conf.)
Danny Steyn – Spec Miata/Super Touring® Lite (Southeast Conf.)
Photo caption: Michael McAleenan’s season started on a low, but he pushed through for the 2024 GT-1 Southeast Conference U.S. Majors Tour title.
Photo by Dave Green
