Often one of the most action-packed classes seen all season during the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA® Road Racing program, Formula F (FF) thrilled again Saturday during its National Championship Runoffs® event on Road America’s 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Over the 13-lap race, up to seven competitors made up the lead pack, and all were in the hunt for a win. Tire Rack Pole Award winner Simon Sikes, in the No. 61 Rice Race/Group6gear.com/Susi Unl Mygale SJ12 Honda, took a turn in the lead, as did defending FF Runoffs champion Jonathan Kotyk in a SJ14 Honda. Tim Kautz, in the No. 88 Breaburn/Home Cut Donuts/Euroquipe Piper DF3D Honda, took his turn leading the pack, too, as well as the No. 33 Pure Energy Racing Van Diemen RF00 Honda of Jeffrey Bartz.
Other drivers who mixed things up in the lead pack during the event included Spectrum 014H Honda drivers Max Mallinen and David H Livingston Jr., SJ11 Honda racer Burton Kyle August, and Robert Perona in the No. 70 Bell/Sparco/BPMS Mygale SJ14 Honda.
Late in the race on lap 12, Kautz had a moment going into Turn 1—kicking the car a little sideways and placing the right-side wheels in the grass. But as is the case so many times in top-shelf FF racing, everything is a game of strategy that leads to the final lap.
When the white flag waved to start that last lap, it was Bartz leading Sikes and Kautz with Kotyk and Perona a little ways back. By the last turn, all five had a shot at the top podium spot. All that was left was a 2,500-foot uphill run to the finish. The margin of victory was only 00.047-seconds, and it was Kautz, of St. Charles, Illinois, who got to the line first. He later received a penalty for passing under caution and was dropped back to seventh finishing position.
Sikes, of Martinez, Georgia, crossed the finish line second, but with results finalized, he takes home his first National Championship in Formula F in his first trip to the Runoffs.
“It very much is a chess game,” Sikes said of FF racing. “For the first 12 laps, things went according to plan. I was just trying to stay in the top three most of the race. It just came down to the last lap once again.”
Perona, of Indianapolis, Indiana, finished second for his second Runoffs podium appearance. He was also named the race’s Sunoco Hard Charger.
“That was a normal Formula F race around Road America. It just kind of came down to what was going to happen at the end,” Perona said. “I was kind of being patient. But at the same time, you don’t want to be at the back of that group. I didn’t think we had enough to get to the lead, but I thought we had an outside chance at a podium. But I was having fun and the car was very good. It was nuts, but that’s just how Formula F racing is, especially around Road America.”
Bartz, of Plymouth, Wisconsin, finished third. Kotyk, of Oviedo, Florida, brought his car home fourth. And August, of Webster, New York, claimed the fifth finishing position.
The 57th SCCA® National Championship Runoffs®, the Pinnacle of American Motorsports, crowns Sports Car Club of America’s Road Racing National Champions this year at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America, Friday, Oct. 9 through Sunday, Oct 11.
Live, online video coverage of Runoffs races, presented by Mazda, is available throughout the three days of competition at SCCA.com/live along with an audio race call—supplied by the Super Tour Radio presented by Hoosier Racing Tire broadcast team—and live timing and scoring for each National Championship race.
Official results for Saturday's Formula F race at the 57th SCCA National Championship Runoffs from Road America, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps completed.
1, (1), Simon Sikes, Martinez, GA, Mygale SJ12 Honda, 13.
2, (6), Robert Perona, Indianapolis, IN, Mygale SJ14 Honda, 13.
3, (4), Jeffrey Bartz, Plymouth, WI, Van Diemen RF00 Honda, 13.
4, (2), Jonathan Kotyk, Oviedo, FL, Mygale SJ14 Honda, 13.
5, (9), Burton Kyle August, Webster, NY, Mygale SJ11 Honda, 13.
6, (8), David H Livingston Jr., Nashville, TN, Spectrum 014H Honda, 13.
7, (3), Tim Kautz, St. Charles, IL, Piper DF3D Honda, 13.
8, (11), Max Mallinen, Ketchum, ID, Spectrum 014H Honda, 13.
9, (7), Bill Kephart, Colorado Springs, CO, Vestial 09F Honda, 13.
10, (12), Bob Reid, Millbrook, NY, Citation FF Honda, 13.
11, (13), Wes Allen, Lexington, KY, Swift DB6 Ford, 13.
12, (10), Russell J Ruedisueli, Rochester, MI, Van Diemen RF99 Ford, 12.
13, (5), Baylor Griffin, Tampa, FL, Mygale SJ14 Honda, 12.
14, (14), Alan Murray, Brainard, MN, Swift DB1 Ford, 9.
Race Stats
Length of Race: 53 miles
Overall Time of Race: 31:40.681 (avg. 99.673 mph)
Margin of Victory: 00.047 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: #33 Bartz, 2:24.268 (101.012 mph)
Lap Leaders: #8 laps 1,4; #88 laps 2-3, 6-8, 10-11, 13; #61 laps 5,9; #33 lap 12
Sunoco Hard Charger: #70 Robert Perona
Photo: Simon Sikes, official first-place finisher for Formula F at the 2020 SCCA Runoffs.
Photo Credit: Jay Bonvouloir
