An annual trip to California’s Central Valley is next for the 2025 Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour (HST), part of the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing program. It will be the second of 10 weekends on this year’s HST schedule, but the Buttonwillow Raceway Park (BRP) visit holds something very different this time around.
For starters, this will be a two-day soirée running Feb. 22-23, 2025, midway between San Diego and San Francisco. More importantly, the meetup will be held on The Circuit – a brand-new, 2.56-mile, 10-turn course now in place at the sprawling 500-acre BRP facility.
California Sports Car Club, better known as SCCA’s Cal Club Region (now celebrating its 75th anniversary), plans the HST party once again out West. Several track records will likely be set because few have driven The Circuit before. So, get registered now and be part of a momentous occasion. Then take a look at those Hawk Brakes before loading racecars onto Bravo Trailers, and don’t forget the Sunoco race fuel. It’s probably a good idea to make sure your Hagerty insurance is in place as well before cruising to BRP – California dreamin’ of victory podiums and bottles of Mazza Vineyards sparkling wine all the way. (In other words, supporting SCCA partners is very much appreciated.)
Driver Registration Volunteer Registration
Unique Weekend with Award Winners
HST days on The Circuit at Buttonwillow will be jam-packed with on-track action. It all begins 8 a.m. Pacific Time Saturday, Feb. 22, with drivers getting 20-minute practice sessions, followed by 15-minute qualifying rounds for each of the seven run groups. After lunch, each of those run groups see 25-minute races to crown first-ever HST winners at The Circuit.
The fun continues 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, with another round of 15-minute qualifying sessions for drivers, followed by 19-lap or 35-minute contests for each run group to decide a second set of victory podium honorees.
Ethan Lampe, the reigning National Championship Runoffs® Spec MX-5 (SMX) champion, is scheduled to make his first HST appearance of 2025 on The Circuit at Buttonwillow. Recently crowned a Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year award winner, Lampe’s name is now amongst other former honorees such as Connor Zilisch, Trent Hindman, Morgan Burkhard, and Neil Verhagen. The Buttonwillow weekend almost certainly marks Lampe’s effort to repeat as SMX National Champion and perhaps claim the 2025 HST Nationwide Points Championship in SMX as well.
Something else unique about HST’s stop at The Circuit is a run group for Formula F (FF), Formula Vee® (FV) and Formula 600 (F6) vehicles. That cadre of cars can’t be included during certain HST weekends this year, but during these two days in California, FF, FV, and F6 will be the seventh run group.
It wouldn’t be an HST Buttonwillow event without an appearance from Michael Lewis, who claimed the Runoffs GT-3 victory last year. Also the 2024 GT-3 HST Nationwide Points Champion, Lewis will be a triple-threat on The Circuit at Buttonwillow as he’s entered the GT-1 and F Production races, as well as GT3U – that being a new classification for 2025 as former GT-3 cars begin transitioning to an adapted Super Touring® Under (STU) ruleset.
The GT3U class will only be around for one season as SCCA’s Club Racing Board works to assimilate former GT-3 cars into the STU field so competition is equalized moving forward. Nonetheless, it’s hard not to believe 11-time National Champion Lewis won’t find a way to grow his Runoffs victory tally.
Speaking of big names appearing at The Circuit during the HST weekend, there’s the husband-wife duo of Mark and Ceci Smith. Each has earned major accolades previously, but just a few weeks ago the two were honored with the John McGill Award in recognition for significant contributions to the SCCA Road Racing program.
Mark will be roving The Circuit at Buttonwillow as Race Chair during the HST event, ready to solve any issue that pops up. Ceci will seemingly be doing everything else, including distribution of Mazza Vineyards sparkling wine during victory podium celebrations – an effort she has overseen for many years at the Runoffs.
Check the schedule below to learn when various run groups are on The Circuit at Buttonwillow Saturday and Sunday.
See The Circuit Racing Online
Race fans are invited to enjoy an in-person experience at The Circuit during HST’s Buttonwillow weekend, especially since spectator entry is free. Those unable to visit Buttonwillow that weekend can still enjoy the action from anywhere on the planet thanks to HST’s free online video broadcast produced by DriversEye Live.
Coverage begins with qualifying on Saturday, so be sure to tune in and catch all the excitement through SCCA’s YouTube page, with commentary provided by Brian Bielanski and Gregg Ginsberg.
An entry list, access to live timing, and additional information about the Buttonwillow Hoosier Super Tour can be found at the event webpage linked below.
Buttonwillow Super Tour Event Page
Photo by Wedrick Campbell/First Place Visuals
