An auspicious start to the Formula Enterprises® 2 race at the 60th running of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® came back to Tire Rack Pole Award winner Russell Turner, of Montpelier, VA, who claimed his first gold medal on Friday during the Hagerty Race Days at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR).
Turner’s No. 32 Formula Enterprises/Mazda and Franklin Futrelle’s No. 97 Comprent Motorsports/Meco Inc Formula Enterprises/Mazda had a gap on the field of nearly a second in the spec class following qualifying, and the duo were set to battle from the drop of the green flag.
Running side-by-side through the opening three corners on cold tires, Turner slid wide in the right-handed Turn 4 and dropped back to fourth. A spin from a driver in the middle of the field caused a chain reaction incident that involved eight cars in the second half of the 26-car field, bringing out the opening lap full course caution. That caution period became a 14-minute stop in pit lane for a black flag to clear the track.
Now a 40-minute timed race, Futrelle led Adam Jennerjahn, Caleb Shrader, and Turner to the green flag, in order, for the restart. But Turner, admittedly angry from a belief in the moment that he was forced off the track, had the famed “red mist” turned up and immediately moved forward. A good run out of the Oak Tree turn saw Turner in front of Futrelle and back in the lead by the end of that first lap.
“I laid off Caleb a little bit to give myself a little bit of a run, and timed it just perfect,” Turner said. “It could not have worked out better for me. That’s how I was able to get a monster run past him and Adam into Turn 1. The next three or four corners I was able to reel in Franklin. I was worried if he got out I wouldn’t be able to get back to him so I was intent on catching him. I got around him on the restart lap.”
When a second full course caution came out on lap 10 with three minutes remaining in the race, Turner had his first National Championship in hand. Even better, he had earned the SCCA Super Sweep after claiming the Runoffs title, the Hoosier Racing Tire point championship, a U.S. Majors Tour point championship, and a Super Tour race win, all in the same class this season.
“It feels awesome,” Turner said. “At the end, everything worked out. I’ve calmed down now and feel much better. After that first lap, I was on tilt, let’s put it that way. I just paced myself from there.”
Futrelle, a two-time National Champion in his own right, knew he had his work cut out of him to keep Turner in his mirrors. Instead, he earned his third career podium, and the first that wasn’t a win.
“All week, Russ has had a little bit of pace on us,” Futrelle said. “I knew it was going to be important to get the lead on the start, and I talked to my team and I had a feeling whoever could lead out of Turn 5 and into the Esses might could win the race that way. We tried to do it, drove Russ hard, and he dropped two off. I raced him hard and he was able to make an amazing come back.
“I’m really proud of Russ. He’s been trying really hard for this win for a while, and he deserves it.”
Just behind the lead battle was Shrader, who spent the early stage of the restart battling with Jennerjahn. He got his No. 99 Liquid Death Formula Enterprises/Mazda clear and into the bronze medal position on lap 10, with seven minutes remaining, and when the final caution came out he had earned his first podium finish.
“Once I got past Jennerjahn, I just wanted to have a nice, calm race,” Shrader said. “I just wanted to keep third place, because if it stayed green the whole time the front two might have got a little dicey and I could grab the win. Obviously, that didn’t happen, but I had a phenomenal race and a good end to the year.”
Jennerjahn finished fourth, while Paul Schneider – one of the cars who got caught up in the opening lap incident – came back to complete the top five. Craig Haltom, who started the race 25th and climbed to 17th at the finish, earned the Sunoco Hard Charger for most positions gained in the race.
The 60th running of SCCA’s National Championship Runoffs®, the Pinnacle of American Amateur Motorsports, crowns Sports Car Club of America’s Road Racing National Champions this year at VIRginia International Raceway — in Alton, VA — during Hagerty Race Days, Friday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 1.
Live, online video coverage of Runoffs races, presented by Mazda, is available throughout the three days of competition at SCCA.com/live, and at SCCA’s official YouTube and Facebook social media channels. Live timing and scoring for each race is also available at SCCA.com, along with an audio-only feed from the Super Tour Radio presented by Hoosier Racing Tire broadcast team.
Below are official results for Friday's Formula Enterprises 2 race at the 2023 SCCA National Championship Runoffs, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, and laps completed.
1, (1), Charles Russell Turner, Montpelier, VA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
2, (2), Franklin Futrelle, Augusta, GA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
3, (3), Caleb Shrader, Tigard, OR, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
4, (4), Adam Jennerjahn, Valencia, CA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
5, (6), Paul Schneider, Charlotte, NC, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
6, (5), Justin Huffman, Herndon, VA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
7, (10), John Yeatman, Cave Creek, AZ, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
8, (13), Bryan Yates, Kernersville, NC, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
9, (12), Sam Harrington, Finksburg, MD, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
10, (8), Bailey Monette, Milton, GA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
11, (15), Steve Whitston, Georgetown, TX, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
12, (9), Darryl Wills, League City, TX, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
13, (19), Thomas Green, Sorrento, FL, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
14, (20), James Regan, Longmeadow, MA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
15, (22), Alastair McEwan, Miami, FL, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
16, (21), Tom Burt, Woodway, WA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
17, (25), Craig Haltom, Blountville, TN, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
18, (26), Marc Stern, Hilton Head Island, SC, SCCA Mazda FE2, 11.
19, (23), James Brookshire, Saluda, NC, SCCA Mazda FE2, 8.
DNF, (7), Jamison Huffman, Herndon, VA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 0.
DNF, (11), Kelton Jago, Midland, MI, SCCA Mazda FE2, 0.
DNF, (14), Matthew Romer, Lake Havasu City, AZ, SCCA Mazda FE2, 0.
DNF, (16), Eric Cruz, Williamsburg, VA, SCCA Mazda FE2, 0.
DNF, (17), Todd Vanacore, Ormond Beach, FL, SCCA Mazda FE2, 0.
DNF, (18), Dean Oppermann, Minooka, IL, SCCA Mazda FE2, 0.
DNF, (24), Jonathan Weisheit, Baltimore, MD, SCCA Mazda FE2, 0.
Race Stats
Length of Race: 35.97 miles
Overall Time of Race: 42:40.543 (50.572 mph)
Margin of Victory: 00.434 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: 1:51.098 (105.961 mph)
Lap Leaders: #97, Laps 1-3; #32, Laps 4-11
Sunoco Hard Charger: #43 Craig Haltom
Photo caption: Russell Turner earned his first SCCA National Championship in Formula Enterprises 2
Photo by: Jeff Loewe
