A class dating back to nearly the beginning of SCCA’s racing history, few classes encapsulate racing as a community better than H Production. To prove that, in recent years, H Production racers have banded together to promote and grow their class.
In 2021, this community began the H Production Nationwide Points Championship (HPNPC) to promote competition, camaraderie, and commitment to the H Production class across the country. Drivers enter the series to accumulate points for their SCCA Road Racing events, based on event level (Majors, Regional, Runoffs) and the number of starters in HP that they beat. Bonus points are awarded for new car builds and track records.
This "every race matters" approach to a points championship was devised to bring H Production drivers of all levels together, and to help grow the class at the Regional and National level.
The group has reached out to several companies to support the HPNPC, including the Ignition Speed Festival, Goodyear Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, Red Line Synthetic Oil, LINNspeed, and the Indy Racing Experience, and have provided cash and prizes for both performance and non-performance-based awards. In the first year, there were 63 drivers entered. Currently in year two, the HPNPC has grown to 78 entrants, and the H Production class remains one of the strongest non-spec classes in SCCA Road Racing.
In 2022, the HPNPC is going to the next level and is hosting the inaugural Mike Cummings H Production Invitational at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, to be held July 30-31. Named after longtime H Production racer, Prod Ad Hoc Committee member, and friend to the community Mike Cummings, the Invitational is being run in conjunction with the IT SPEC*tacular Regional event hosted by SCCA’s Cincinnati Region.
There are currently 30 H Prod cars entered in the Mike Cummings H Production Invitational, including past National Champions, new drivers, and perennial Mid-Ohio experts, making this likely the largest non-Runoffs H Production field in decades.
Working closely with Cincy Region, H Production is getting its own run group for the invitational, and the drivers will receive double points for the HPNPC – just as they will at the Runoffs.
“It’s amazing to see what our group of people can do through their shared passion for H Production racing,” group lead Jason Stine says. “This invitational, and the entire HPNPC series, has been a real pleasure to run, and I am honored to represent such a great group of people in the H Production class.”
There is fun to be had off track, too. The event features a dedicated paddock block in the south grass, event t-shirts, social parties on Friday and Saturday evenings, a "Runoffs-style" start on the back straight for Sunday's feature, and live video coverage of the event. In-car cameras and static cameras placed around the facility will capture the on-track racing action for the Sunday race on the HPNPC YouTube channel.
A promotional video for the event can be viewed here.
For more information – and to enter the July 30-31 event – click the link below.
Photo by Mark Weber
