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Southern Contenders


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#1
Johnny D

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With one race left in the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Southern Conference, several Mazda drivers are poised to take championships

 

As the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Southern Conference begins to wind down its season, with its final race coming up next weekend at Texas World Speedway, nearly a dozen Mazda drivers are in contention for a Conference title. That includes nine in open competition classes where a variety of marques are represented.

 

One might not know that a lot of different cars are allowed in Street Touring Lite if one didn’t scroll down too far in the point standings, and that’s because the top seven cars are some generation of MX-5. That list is led by John Roberts and his NC MX-5 over Will Snyder, also in a 2006 MX-5. Roberts took both wins in the first SCCA Majors weekend at Texas World Speedway in January, and has been on the podium four times since.

 

STU in the Southern Conference has been dominated by Luis Rivera and his Miata. Rivera has victories in seven of eight races, with the eighth being a second-place finish. Matthew Reynolds has turned in a similar all-conquering performance, having not lost a single E Production race in the conference this year. Ken Baker is leading in F Production in his Miata with three victories, two at Texas World Speedway and one at Motor Speedway Resort Houston.

 

Touring 4 is a hard-fought contest between L. Huston, leading the points in his 2009 MX-5, and James Place in his Acura. The two have traded victories throughout the season, although Huston has finished ahead in more races than not. That includes two victories in the previous weekend at Texas World Speedway. Last year’s Runoffs third-place finisher Ryan Kowaleski is third in the points with his MX-5.

 

The top-three points earners in Formula Atlantic are all in Pro Mazda cars, with David Zavelson leading Wesley Cunningham and Paul Ravaris. The first non-Pro Mazda is Dudley Fleck in fourth, who uses Mazda power in his Swift.

 

Eighty-four drivers have posted points in Southern Conference Spec Miata competition in 2017, with several of them hitting every conference weekend. Despite that, Chris Haldeman has a solid lead in the points, having scored six wins so far this season. Even the races he’s had to drop – only a racer’s best eight finishes count in the final points – are podium finishes. Toby Linder, Reynolds and Lee Thomas take up the next three positions in the points.

 

In the spec formula classes, Nicholas Malone leads Formula Mazda by a slim margin over William Snyder, with Liam Snyder, Brad Yake and Karl Markey all in a very close fight for third. Paul Snyder leads Formula Enterprises, but has competed in only two weekends.

 

In addition to being the final Majors race of the 2017 Southern Conference season, the Memorial Day weekend contest at Texas World Speedway is likely to be the track’s final Majors race, as the venerable speedway is slated to become a housing development. Fortunately for Southern Conference racers, its days as the Lone Star State’s only permanent road racing facility are long past and they now have several other tracks at which to compete.


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#2
Johnny D

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Southern Conference Crowns Champions

 

Eleven Mazda drivers among those who collected the most points in Southern Conference of the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour for 2017

 

While some parts of the country are just getting into their seasons, in others the SCCA U.S. Majors Tour season has wrapped. SCCA’s Southern Conference completed its Majors series with a Memorial Day weekend race at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. At the race’s conclusion, 11 Mazda drivers could claim the title of Conference champion.

 

That includes, of course, the drivers in the spec Mazda classes. Chris Haldeman scored the Spec Miata title with an impressive five wins in 10 starts, and was on the podium every single race – an impressive performance in a tough class. Jarret Voorhies had four wins and two second-place finishes to top the points in Formula Mazda, and Paul Schneider had the highest points total in Formula Enterprises.

 

One of the most popular and competitive in the Southern Conference is Super Touring Lite, and in that part of the country it’s dominated by Mazdas. John “Billy Bob” Roberts of Grapevine, Texas, didn’t win the most races, but a couple of victories and a lot of podium finishes in his 2006 MX-5 left him standing atop the class.

 

“I’m extremely pleased to win the Southern Conference Championship – it was tough going with the competition out here,” says Roberts, who adds, “I would attribute Mazda’s dominance to the factory and the aftermarket’s involvement in this sector of motorsports and, of course, the manufacturing of such fun to race cars.”

 

Luis Rivera dominated Super Touring Under in his Miata, scoring seven wins and one second in eight starts. Matthew Reynolds turned in an even more masterful performance in E Production, winning every single race he entered in his Miata. Reynolds also finished fourth in the Spec Miata standings. Kyle Baker drove a Miata to four victories in F Production to claim the most points in that class.

 

The Pro Formula Mazda took the top four spots in Formula Atlantic, with David Zavelson taking five wins in eight starts to claim the Conference championship. L. Huston won five Majors races in his NC MX-5 to take the Touring 4 title. Other top points earners were Bill McGavic in GT-3 (RX-7) and Jonathan Goodale in GT-Lite (MX-5).

 

The next Conference to wrap up its season will be the Western Conference, which has its final event on June 17-18 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington.

 

SCCA Majors Tour 2017 Southern Conference Champions
Class, Driver, Car
E Production, Matthew Reynolds, Miata
F Production, Kyle Baker, Miata
GT-3, Bill McGavic, RX-7
GTL, Jonathan Goodale, MX-5
Formula Atlantic, David Zavelson, Pro Formula Mazda
Formula Enterprise, Paul Schneider, Van Diemen FE/Mazda
Formula Mazda, Jarret Voorhies, Star Formula Mazda
Spec Miata, Chris Haldeman, Miata
Super Touring Lite, John Roberts, MX-5
Super Touring Under, Luis Rivera, Miata
Touring 4, L. Huston, MX-5


2011 NASA Western Endurance Racing Championship E3 Champ
We have a Winnah! - Won their 1st race... Congratulations! Beta-Tester - Assisted us with beta testing the website. Donor - Made PayPal donation Bona fide - A bonafide Spec Miata driver Novel Approach - When a paragraph simply won't do... Survive the 25, NASA Thunderhill - Survive the 25, NASA Thunderhill Instigator - Made a topic or post that inspired other Make it Rain - Made Paypal donation of $100+

#3
Danica Davison

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Congrats Chris!


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#4
MPR22

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That's my boy!  


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#5
mhiggins10

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Congrats Chris!!


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