SCCA Runoffs At Road America 2011 Race Recap And Gallery

It’s a good time to be a Mustang road racer. It’s been a while since Mustangs have been this competitive in multiple classes of amateur and professional road racing. A brief look at the qualifying results at the Sports Car Club of America’s national championship Runoffs had Mustangs in strong positions in several classes.

The Runoffs is the SCCA’s week-long national championship event, where four days of qualifying sessions precede three days of racing. Drivers in each of the twenty-nine classes raced for approximately a dozen laps for the championship. 2011 was the third consecutive year that Road America hosted the Runoffs, which usually travel to a different track every few years. Late September in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin brought comfortable temperatures and a hint of color to the foliage surrounding the scenic four-mile track. But along with the cool weather came occasional rain showers, which played a pivotal role in the weekend’s races.

The popular American Sedan (AS) class was a curious animal. Late-model Mustangs were common, though the rules specified that all were powered by carbureted pushrod engines. Though somewhat archaic, the stability of the rules meant a car can be competitive for many years, and not “obsolete” in a season or two. Fox, SN95, and S197 Mustangs battled third- and fourth-generation Camaros in American Sedan. The competition was fierce, and the drivers weren’t afraid to “lean” on each other in the corners.

Andy McDermid muscles his American Sedan-class Mustang around Road America's turn eight, scraping the exhaust pipes in the process.

Five-time American Sedan champion Andy McDermid, of Williamston, Michigan dominated all four sessions of qualifying in his S197-chassis Mustang. His high-revving engine and “take no prisoners” driving style put a 1.6-second gap on second-place qualifier Tom Sloe, also driving a Mustang. The track on Sunday morning was damp for the race. In the challenging conditions, the race was expected to be an action-packed battle. At the race start, eleven-time American Sedan champion John Heinricy, third on the grid in his Pontiac Firebird, got a great start coming down the front straight and took the lead in the first turn. Unfortunately, McDermid passed Heinricy in turn two, and never looked back. McDermid accumulated a 25.838-second victory over Heindricy. McDermid was able to power out of the turns impressively, while the rest of the field slid, spun and struggled for traction. The win was McDermid’s sixth American Sedan championship, and second in a row.

Michael Scornavacchi leads another Mustang early in the SSB race through "Canada Corner."

Showroom Stock B (SSB) featured V-6 Mustangs against cars like the Honda Civic Si, BMW z4, Mini Cooper S, Pontiac Solstice, and Acura RSX. Michael Scornavacchi, of Manheim, Pennsylvania charged his 2011 Mustang from third on the grid to take the title over Lee Niffenegger’s Honda Civic Si. The conditions were dry, which played to the Mustang’s strength. Cars built to SSB specifications are surprisingly simple: only a suspension kit from Ford Racing, safety modifications, and a cat-back exhaust are allowed. From the looks of it, the fun-to-dollar ratio is high!

Cheyne Daggett of Iowa City, Iowa entered his V-6 Mustang in Touring 3 (T3), but seemed a bit outclassed. Kevin Fandozzi took the checkered in a wet race with his Chevrolet Cobalt SS.

Andrew Aquilante in his T2-class Mustang GT crests the hill before turn six during Thursday's late-afternoon qualifying session.

Qualifying for the Touring 2 (T2) class was dominated all week by Andrew Aquilante and his 2011 Mustang GT. Setting a fast time of 2:27.093, Aquilante was almost a second clear of the rest of the field which included BMW M3s, Porsche 996s, Nissan 350Zs, fourth-generation Camaros, and last year’s champion: Marty Grand and his Mitsubishi Evo IX. At the start of the race, the track was damp but drying. Most competitors chose slicks, but some gambled (including Grand) and went out on wets. Rain was coming, but the question was when. At the start, Aquilante and Grand battled for the lead before the straight-line speed of Aquilante’s Mustang helped him pull a gap on Grand’s all-wheel-drive Evo IX. Grand’s wet tires were on borrowed time in the dry conditions, until the skies opened up on lap seven. Aquilante, who had built up a twelve-second lead, slid off track and bumped the wall in turn twelve when his slick tires slid on the flooded track. He and nine other competitors had to pit with crash damage one lap from the end. Grand’s tire gamble paid off, and he crossed the line 1:35.754 over his nearest survivor.

Andrew Aquilante (Mustang) and Marty Grand (Evo IX) battle for the lead on the second lap of the T2-class race. A downpour a few laps later would see Aquilante crash and Grand use his rain tires and all-wheel-drive to take the win.

With the strong showing they made in many of the classes, expect to see more Mustangs in the club racing ranks that are usually dominated by European and Asian makes. Those that have the club racing itch should check out what the SCCA has to offer at www.scca.org.