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[Johnny D]

With only the Runoffs remaining, several drivers hold a commanding lead in the SCCA Super Tour points

 

With the final Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour race weekend at Watkins Glen International completed, there are several clear leaders among Mazda racers in the nationwide points chase. While the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this September counts as the seventh race – drivers can accumulate points in up to six events; if they compete in more Super Tour races, they drop their lowest finishes – several racers have a significant enough advantage that the Runoffs isn’t likely to change much.

 

Matt Reynolds in E Production is one of those racers. With the most possible points in six races, 150, the Miata racer has a 55-point lead over fellow Mazda drivers Peter Eels and Glen McCready. The same is true for Ken Kannard in F Production, who has a 47-point margin to the second-place driver in the class. Michael Kamalian has an insurmountable lead in GT-Lite, having a perfect 150 points in his Miata. GT3 is a much closer contest, with RX-7 driver Bill McGavic in a 100-point tie with former SCCA national champion Collin Jackson.

 

In the formula car classes, the battles are tight. In Formula Enterprises, Eliot Finlayson leads Quinten Nelson 146 to 132, which is a good margin when there’s only 25 more points at stake. In Formula Mazda, though, it’s easily a four-way battle, with maybe even a fifth driver having a shot. Brad Yake leads the points with 107, but Nicholas Malone isn’t far behind with 102; hot on his heels are two drivers with 100 points, Jarret Voorhies and Stuart Rettie. This is one points race that the Runoffs will surely determine.

 

Miata drivers lead both Super Touring classes. Luis Rivera has a 25-point lead over second place in STU. Nick Leverone has a seven-point edge in STL, but that edge is over Eric Kutil, who finished second at the 2016 Runoffs; Leverone just missed that podium in fourth.

 

Marc Hoover leads Touring 1 by seven points. In Touring 4, the top seven drivers are Mazda pilots in RX-8s, MX-5s, or Mazda3s. Don Knowles, who just wrapped up the Southeastern Conference championship, leads with his RX-8, but MX-5 racer Ryan Kowaleski, who was third in the 2016 Runoffs, is only 12 points behind in the Super Tour standings, so the Runoffs could play a big part in this one, too.

 

Finally, there’s Spec Miata, and this one is likely to come down to multi-time SCCA national champion Jim Drago (146 points) or relative Spec Miata newcomer Tristan Littlehale (142). With no recent head-to-head competitive history between these two, the results of this one are up in the air, making this contest one to watch at Indy.

 

Hoosier SCCA Super Tour Points leaders
E Production: 1. Matthew Reynolds (Miata), 150; 2. Peter Eells (1989 RX-7), 95; 3. Glen McCready (2006 MX-5), 88
F Production: 1. Ken Kannard (Miata), 150; 3. Paul Kullman (Miata) 98.
Formula Enterprise: 1. Elliot Finlayson, 146; 2. Quinten Nelson, 132; 3. Justin Gordon, 120
Formula Mazda: 1. Brad Yake, 107. 2. Nicholas Malone, 102; 3. (tie) Jarret Voorhies, 100; 3. (tie) Stuart Rettie, 100
GT3: 1. (tie) Bill McGavic (RX-7), 100
GTL: 1. Michael Kamalian (Miata) 150; 3. James Gregorius (RX-7), 81
Spec Miata: 1. Jim Drago, 146; 2. Tristan Littlehale, 142; 3. Chris Haldeman, 134
Super Touring Under: 1. Luis Rivera (Miata), 146
Super Touring Lite: 1. Nick Leverone (2000 Miata), 150; 3. Craig Mchaffie (2008 MX-5), 124
Touring 1: 1. Marc Hoover (Miata), 146
Touring 4: 1. Don Knowles (RX-8), 150; 2. Ryan Kowaleski (MX-5), 138; 3. Jim Daniels (MX-5) 123

[luvin_the_rings]

lol their literally all Mazdas.