The atmosphere at Road America is electric, because Thursday is the third and final day of qualifying for the 60th anniversary SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® presented by Sunoco, taking place Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2024, in Wisconsin.
For the first time since 2020, the venue is again America’s National Park of Speed situated in the state’s Kettle Moraine region. Fall foliage is supplying an eye-catching backdrop for a spectacular event that caps the SCCA Summit Racing Equipment Road Racing program each year.
Drivers across all 26 car classes have one final, 20-minute shot Thursday to turn their best qualifying lap around the legendary 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit. Monitor all developments as they happen at the Runoffs Live Timing/Scoring webpage, which is where you’ll also find an audio-only qualifying broadcast presentation featuring commentary from pro driver Tom O’Gorman, Road America announcer Eric Mueller, and Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour broadcasters Larry “Lefty” MacLeod and Gregg Ginsberg.
Archived results, an event schedule, facility map, and much more can also be accessed via the Road America Runoffs event webpage button linked below.
The Party Keeps Going
The SCCA has been partying all week at Road America during the Runoffs. There was Monday night’s social, Tuesday’s worker dinner, and Wednesday’s Block Party extravaganza.
But we ain’t done yet. The 60th Anniversary Runoffs Party goes down Thursday night at the Road America Center. This all-participant gathering includes food, drinks, and entertainment from the rock and blues band Backroads, fronted by SCCA’s Vice President of Road Racing Eric Prill, with fellow SCCA member Joe Smith on the drums. Dinner will be served beginning at 6 p.m. and the band starts up at 7:30 p.m.
But wait, there’s more!
The annual Worker of the Year celebration, presented by Mazda, has moved to Friday evening. That begins at 6 p.m. local time at the Road America Center and includes food, drink, and tons of cheer for the people who make SCCA Summit Racing Equipment Road Racing events happen all year around the country.
Pivotal Tire Rack Pole Day
The final day of Runoffs qualifying each year is Tire Rack Pole Day. By this evening, we’ll know starting grids for the three upcoming Hagerty Race Days, and we’ll know the 26 Tire Rack Pole Award winners, each of which gets $500 to spend at Tire Rack.
Starting on pole can have both a psychological and competitive advantage as drivers take to the track for 13-lap or 40-minute contests that decide SCCA National Champions this year. Road America’s fast first turn has been known to get a bit hairy on an opening lap, so being out ahead of the fray can certainly be an advantage and make all the difference when the checkered flag waves.
Tire Rack, the Official Tire Retailer of SCCA since 1995, was established more than 40 years ago by an SCCA member with a passion to find the right tires, wheels, and now brakes and suspension products for racers and enthusiasts. Along with the Runoffs Pole Award, Tire Rack also supports SCCA’s National Solo® program, Time Trials Nationals and National Tour, and Track Night in America®.
Tire Rack Pole Award winners will be celebrated at the end of the day in victory circle. First, however, all the SCCA volunteers making the Runoffs happen behind the scenes will be treated to lunch Thursday thanks to Tire Rack.
Enjoy the Runoffs in Person at Road America
The Runoffs broadcast package found online has developed over the years to be an outstanding effort, and it remains free to all motorsports fans anywhere on the planet.
All three Hagerty Race Days will again 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 online in real time at SCCA.com and the SCCA Official YouTube channel. Up-to-the-moment timing and scoring data is also available at the Runoffs Live Timing/Scoring webpage.
A four-man team familiar to fans will again anchor the race video broadcast, splitting duties across Hagerty Race Days. Greg Creamer and John Fippin will share play-by-play responsibilities, and color commentary will be added by MacLeod and 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 at Road America during race days, audio from the Apex Broadcast-produced presentation will air live around the circuit via the public address system.
On top of live race coverage, Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour announcers Brian Bielanski and Gregg Ginsberg return in 2024 with the Inside the SCCA podcast presented by Goodyear, which offers additional insights from Road America prior to the first race of each day, as well as during lunch breaks.
Still, there’s nothing better than being at the Runoffs in person, especially at Road America. The sounds, sights, and smells are simply amazing, and spectator ticket prices are very reasonable for a motorsports event of this magnitude.
An all-race pass, which is good Oct. 4-6, is only $80 at the entry gate, and includes parking and paddock access. Single-day admission is $35 for Friday, or $45 Saturday or Sunday. Anyone 16 years old and younger get in free at the gate with a paying adult, plus SCCA members receive a 20% discount. Learn more at the Runoffs ticket webpage.
Photo: Creativity flourishes, and you never know what you’ll see during the annual Runoffs Charity Golf Cart Parade
Photo by Jon Krolewicz
