LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 30, 2013) – One week after making its debut at a new track, the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour’s Northern Conference heads to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the BFGoodrich Tires Mid-Ohio Super Tour double race weekend, May 31-June 2.
Nearly 250 drivers are expected to be on hand at the famed 2.4-mile road course, the highest entry for an SCCA National event at Mid-Ohio since the days it hosted the National Championship Runoffs® from 1994-2005.
The third-consecutive year as a BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour, the Ohio Valley Region SCCA-hosted event also serves as the Third and Fourth Rounds of the new U.S. Majors Tour, which opened Memorial Day weekend at the new Michigan International Speedway road course.
With a big event at a driver-favorite course like Mid-Ohio come big entries, and Spec Racer® Ford and Spec Miata each expect more than 30 cars on the grid.
Scott Rettich, of Camden, Ohio, comes “home” to Mid-Ohio after sweeping the MIS Spec Racer Ford races in his No. 17 Alliance Autosport/Springboro Car Wash/PDI Spec Racer Ford as well as taking a win at the Summit Point Raceway U.S. Majors Tour in May. In addition to his Spec Racer effort, the two-time Formula Enterprises National Champion will enter that class, already having scored seven FE class wins in U.S. Majors Tour events.
Spec Miata boasts at least two former National Champions. Defending class Champion Jim Drago (No. 4 East Street Auto Mazda Miata) and two-time Formula 500 Champion Jason Knuteson (No. 05 East Street Auto/Mitchell Racing Mazda Miata) have the credentials, but they will have a tough field to battle that includes 2011 BFGoodrich Tires Mid-Ohio Super Tour winner David Bednarz, in his No. 68 Dynomax Exhaust Mazda Miata.
Rettich, Drago and Knuteson are three of at least 26 former SCCA National Champions entered for the weekend, making it a veritable who’s who of top amateur racing in North America.
Group One for smaller Touring and Super Touring class cars includes the Touring 3 entries of Chad Gilsinger (No. 07 BFG/HPD/H&R/Recaro/BRM Acura TL SH-AWD) and Luke Wilwert (No. 79 BFGoodrich/HPD/Team Honda Research Honda S2000 CR); the Touring 4 entries of Mark McCaughey (No. 18 Hoosier Tire/Carbotech/TRD/McCaughey Racing Toyota Celica GTS) and Michael Scornavacchi (No. 24 Hoosier/Phoenix/Carbotech/Lawrence Chevrolet Pontiac Solstice); and the B-Spec entry of Joel Lipperini (RaceLabz/Honda/HPD/BESTBrakes Honda Fit).
Group Three features defending American Sedan Champion Ed Hosni (No. 17 Lasco Ford/Hoosier Tire/Steeda/Edelbrock Ford Mustang); former GT-2 Champions Mark Boden (No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) and Tom Patton (No. 50 RedLine Oil/Hoosier Tire Sunbeam Tiger); two-time GT-3 titlist Mike Cyphert (No. 76 Toyota Mtsprts/TRD/RedLine/Goodyear Toyota Celica); and two-time, defending Touring 1 Champion John Buttermore (No. 52 Hoosier/Carbotech Chevrolet Corvette).
Group Five boasts two former Production category National Champions – 2009 E Production Champion Sam Halkias (No. 83 Catawba Island Marina/Halkias Performance Triumph TR6) and 2010 F Production Champion Kevin Ruck (No. 73 Hoosier/Honda/Cobalt Acura Integra).
Group Six for winged formula cars and sports racing cars includes half a dozen drivers that have earned gold at the Runoffs. Seven-time National Champion John Fergus (No. 00 Hoosier Tires/Carbotech Brakes Carbir CS2) is joined by 1995 titlist David Doran (No. 77 Doran JE-1) in Sports 2000. C Sports Racing driver Brian French (No. 45 Motorsports Enterprises Ltd. Ralt RT-41) won in Formula Atlantic when the Runoffs were at Mid-Ohio. A D Sports Racing Champion two years ago, Tom Bootz (No. 36 Hoosier/Havoc Motorsports/Bootz Industries Stohr WF-1) makes the trip from Evansville, Ind. Former Formula Mazda Champion Juan Marchand (No. 01 JRM@GingerMan/Hoosier Tire/Pro-Shift NovaDiemen F1K) and two-time National Champion Brian Novak (No. 72 Hoosier Tire/AiM Data Nova-Piper F1000) compete in Formula 1000.
Group Seven includes Champions in all three classes. Michael Mueller (No. 24 MJ Mfg/Fibeco/Hoosier/HRP/Speed Seat Factory Red Devil) has captured the last two Formula 500 gold medals. Tim Kautz (No. 83 Braeburn/Two Dogg/Hoosier/Euroquipe Piper DF3D Honda) has won two of the last three Formula F titles. In Formula Vee, Jeff Loughead (No. 8 Hoosier Tire/L.L. Loughead, DDS Vortech CR04), Steve Oseth (No. 72 Hoosier Tire/Quicksilver Racengines Vortech) and Michael Varacins (No. 65 Speed Sport/Veetech/Hoosier Speed Sport AM-5) are all former Champions entered this weekend.
Live notes and timing begin Friday at 8 a.m. (EDT) at www.scca.com/sccalive. Live streaming audio will begin at the same link on Saturday for the first of two races for each of the seven groups. All races Saturday and Sunday are scheduled for 19 laps, 45.6 miles. Full event information is available at www.scca.com/midohiost.
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BFGoodrich Tires Mid-Ohio Super Tour/Majors 2013 U.S. Majors Tour
