The second of three qualifying days has wrapped up at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) during the 60th running of SCCA’s National Championship Runoffs® taking place Sept. 23-Oct. 1, 2023, along the central border of Virginia and North Carolina.
Wednesday was Hawk “Brake-Through Performer” day at the Runoffs. As such, drivers displaying the greatest qualifying position improvement within each of the 24 different car classes will receive a set of Hawk brake pads for their race car, tow rig, or street car.
However, track conditions for a portion of the day were not conducive for improvement of qualifying spots. So, in the spirit of fun and inclusion, Hawk Brake-Through Performer winners will be selected via a random raffle from those drivers who took to the circuit during sessions where a clear improvement was not evident. In all other classes, the Brake-Through Performer will be the driver who gained the most qualifying positions, as is normally the case.
In Hawk’s opinion, those out on course Wednesday in “iffy” conditions are all Brake-Through Performers. And while their grid positions may not have improved, they could very well be better positioned for a breakthrough performance on race days if weather becomes a factor.
A list of Hawk Brake-Through Performer winners will be posted to SCCA.com early Thursday morning.
Each of the 23 car classes competing at this year’s SCCA® Runoffs will have one final 20-minute qualifying session on track Thursday. After that, race grids will be set, and we’ll know this year’s Tire Rack Pole Award winners.
VIR’s 18-turn, 3.27-mile circuit in Alton, VA, is the playing field once again this year. Developments can be followed online at the Runoffs Live Timing/Scoring webpage where you’ll find an audio-only qualifying broadcast, as well as current and archived Timing/Scoring data from all on-track sessions.
Results, an event schedule, facility map, and much more can be found at the VIR Runoffs Event webpage button linked below.
Hunting for a Super Sweep
Established in 2009, the SCCA Road Racing Super Sweep is one of the most demanding accomplishments a Club racer can achieve. To merit the award in 2023, drivers must win one Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour race, a U.S. Majors Tour® Conference Championship, a Hoosier Super Tour Nationwide Points Championship, and a National Championship Runoffs race – all within a single class in the same year.
Last year, only two drivers earned Super Sweep honors, which surely proves a that immense skill and commitment are required for the feat. Those two competitors were Andrew Aquilante in GT-2, and Prototype 1 driver Chip Romer.
At VIR this year, 15 of 23 Runoffs races could produce a Super Sweep winner – and upwards of 25 drivers are still in the hunt before Hagerty Race Days begin. Some drivers only require a Runoffs race win; others need a combination of factors to align.
It’s a complicated equation, especially when a Runoffs performance counts toward the Hoosier Super Tour Nationwide Points Championship. The best way to stay atop developments is to tune to SCCA.com for Runoffs Hagerty Race Day video coverage presented by Mazda, or follow along at SCCA’s official YouTube or Facebook social media channels.
Day 2 Qualifying Leaders
The following list contains drivers who are class leaders after the second day of qualifying for the 60th SCCA National Championship Runoffs. The provisional results include driver name, hometown, SCCA Region, car, and fastest lap time. Bolded entries indicate a polesitter change from Tuesday to Wednesday.
- American Sedan: Gregory Eaton; Woodbridge, VA; Washington D.C. Region, Ford Mustang, 2:03.848
- B-Spec: Richard Hromin; Stroudsburg, PA; Washington D.C. Region, Mini Cooper, 2:23.635
- E Production: Greg Ira; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Florida Region, BMW Z3, 2:04.469
- F Production: Cliff Ira; Kansas City, MO, Kansas City Region, Honda Civic Del Sol VTEC, 2:08.248
- H Production: Steve Sargis; Hartford, WI; Blackhawk Valley Region, Triumph Spitfire, 2:14.565
- Formula 600: Calvin Stewart; Novi, MI; Detroit Region, Novakar J10, 1:57.437
- Formula Continental: Nolan Allaer; Grosse Pointe, MI; Detroit Region, Van Diemen RF02, 1:50.281
- Formula Enterprises 2: Charles Russell Turner; Montpelier, VA; Washington D.C. Region, SCCA Mazda FE2, 1:51.284
- Formula F: Nolan Allaer; Grosse Pointe, MI; Detroit Region, Van Diemen RF00 Ford, 1:59.249
- Formula Vee: Andrew Whitston; Neenah, WI; Milwaukee Region, Protoform P3, 2:15.639
- GT-1: David Pintaric; Canfield, OH; Mahoning Valley Region, Ford Mustang, 1:48.203
- GT-2: Barry Boes; Austin, TX; Lone Star Region, Ford Mustang, 1:52.849
- GT-3: Tony Ave; Maiden, NC; Central Carolinas Region, Acura RSX, 1:58.065
- GT-Lite: Peter Shadowen; West Palm Beach, FL; Florida Region, Honda CRX, 2:10.137
- Prototype 1: Chip Romer; Lake Havasu City, AZ; San Francisco Region, Elan DP02 Mazda, 1:42.783
- Prototype 2: Tim Day Jr.; Scottsdale, AZ; San Francisco Region, Stohr WF1 Suzuki, 1:48.808
- Spec Miata: Danny Steyn; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Florida Region, Mazda Miata, 2:14.986
- Spec Racer Ford Gen3: Charles Russell Turner; Montpelier, VA; Washington D.C. Region, SCCA SRF Gen 3, 2:03.890
- Super Touring Lite: Danny Steyn; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Florida Region, Mazda MX-5, 2:05.779
- Super Touring Under: Johan Schwartz; Huntersville, NC; North Carolina Region, Porsche 944, 2:00.389
- Touring 1: Andrew Aquilante; Chester Springs, PA; Philadelphia Region, Ford Mustang, 1:54.520
- Touring 2: Kurt Rezzetano; Phoenixville, PA; Philadelphia Region, Ford Mustang GT, 1:59.504
- Touring 3: Steve Ott; Houston, TX; Houston Region, BMW Z4 M, 2:04.520
- Touring 4: Devin Anderson; Mooresville, NC; North Carolina Region, Subaru BRZ, 2:10.514
Tire Rack Pole Day Ahead, So Track It
If you’re reading this Wednesday evening from somewhere other than VIR, stop what you’re doing and make plans now to be in Alton, VA, first thing Thursday morning to enjoy Tire Rack Pole Day in person. In fact, think about hanging out through Sunday for all three Hagerty Race Days, too.
Tickets are fairly inexpensive for a motorsports event of this size. An all-event pass, which includes entry to Hagerty Race Days, is only $70 at the gate, and includes parking and paddock access. Or if you’re an SCCA member, go to your Member Account Portal (MAP) at my.scca.com and purchase an all-event pass online through member benefits that includes a 20-percent discount.
Single-day admission is only $20 for Thursday’s Tire Rack Pole Day. Hagerty Race Day tickets start at $35 per day, and military veterans receive a 50-percent discount. Active members of the military will receive free entry with valid documentation, and children 12 years old or younger are also admitted free with a paying adult.
Learn more at the VIR Runoffs ticket webpage.
Simply can’t make it to VIR? Follow all the action online at the Runoffs Live Timing/Scoring webpage where you’ll find an audio-only qualifying broadcast, as well as current and archived Timing/Scoring data from all on-track sessions. That’s the same audio broadcast that will be heard around VIR on the public address system.
Hagerty Race Days will include a multi-camera video broadcast, presented by Mazda, delivered directly to smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, or desktops and laptops around the globe. Catch all the Runoffs racing action anywhere with internet access as it happens live. Find the live race action Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in real time at SCCA.com, or at the SCCA Inc. Facebook page and the SCCA Official YouTube channel.
A four-man team familiar to fans will anchor the video broadcast, and split duties across Hagerty Race Days. Greg Creamer and John Fippin will share play-by-play responsibilities, and color commentary will be added by Larry “Lefty” MacLeod and Tom O’Gorman. Heyward Wagner will add insight from grid and pit lane, as well as capture the emotion from competitors immediately after races. For those attending the VIR Runoffs in person, audio from the broadcast will air live around the circuit via the public address system.
In addition to the live event coverage, Brian Bielanski and Gregg Ginsberg will be joined in 2023 by driver Laurin Brallier for a return of the Runoffs “Inside the SCCA" video podcast presented by Goodyear. On Hagerty Race Days, the trio will get things cranking with a live “Breakfast at the Runoffs” video presentation starting around 7 a.m. Eastern Time before cars head on course. Their coverage then picks up again during daily lunch breaks with the “Halftime Show.” Those presentations will later be archived at The Racing Network YouTube page.
Photo: Mike Taylor’s Super Touring Lite Acura Integra on track at VIRginia International Raceway Wednesday during qualifying for the 2023 Runoffs.
Photo by Jay Bonvouloir
