8 replies to this topic

[Johnny D]

TOPEKA, Kan. (Nov. 9, 2016) -- The Mid-States Conference has set its 2017 SCCA U.S. Majors Tour competition calendar.  A total of six weekends, 12 races in all, make up the schedule that runs from April to July.

 

One Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour date is contained within the 2017 Mid-States Conference schedule.  That event will take place at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit.  Also of note on the schedule is a return to Heartland Park Topeka, a former site of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs.

 

As always, calendars are subject to change, but the 2017 U.S. Majors Tour Mid-States Conference calendar consists of the following:

 

- April 8-9: Hallett Motor Racing Circuit; Jennings, Oklahoma
Hoosier Super Tour (Dual Mid-States Conf./Southern Conf. Event)

 

- April 22-23: Circuit of St. Louis (Gateway Motorsports Park); Madison, Illinois

 

- May 13-14: Heartland Park Topeka; Topeka, Kansas

 

- May 27-28: Pueblo Motorsports Park; Pueblo, Colorado

 

- July 1-2: High Plains Raceway; Deer Trail, Colorado

 

- July 22-23: Motorsport Park Hastings; Hastings, Nebraska

 

The Southeast Conference and Western Conference calendars have already been announced.  Schedules for the remaining three SCCA U.S. Majors Tour Conferences will be published as they are finalized.  But drivers competing in the U.S. Majors Tour or Hoosier Super Tour can now apply online for Series Registration at MotorsportReg.com.  Those paying the $50 Series Registration fee can reserve a single or two-digit number in a Conference of their choosing with payment deferred until January 1, 2017.  The same number can also be reserved in other Conferences for an additional $25 per Conference. A Series Registration fee of $100 allows drivers to register a three-digit number, with the leading digit required to be “1,” for all Conferences.

 

Only SCCA Full Competition and SCCA Pro Racing License holders may register for the U.S. Majors Tour or Hoosier Super Tour series.  Series Registration allows drivers to prepare number graphics for their cars that will be good for the season.  Registered participants also receive a special Hoosier SCCA Super Tour hard card and series decals for car placement prior to events.  Where available, Series Registration also provides access to a special registration line for express registration and tech.  Additionally, a $25 coupon will be supplied to registrants for merchandise at www.sccagear.com.

 

Reserved numbers will be honored until two weeks prior to an event.  In-Conference reserved numbers will be given priority over out-of-conference reserved numbers for event registration.  In the case of a dual-conference event, any duplicate reserved number requests will be resolved by earliest event registration.  The word “reserved” does not mean “permanent.” If class run groups for any event differ from a norm, then number assignments for that event will give preference to the in-conference drivers who register first, then further duplicate requests will be resolved by earliest event registration.  The reserved number program does not apply to the SCCA Runoffs.

 

The SCCA U.S. Majors Tour will see some changes next year with a focus on cost containment and providing greater control of non-Super Tour events to Regions and Divisions.  One such change is the expansion of racing conferences from five to six.  The newly-formed Southern Conference, which includes Texas and Louisiana, was created to reduce travel costs in what was the largest geographic area, the Mid-States Conference, and provide more racing opportunities in Texas.

 

For non-Hoosier Super Tour events in the U.S. Majors Tour program, also known as Conference events, Regions will have greater flexibility in planning and event structure to meet local needs. While annual calendaring will be approved by the central office to avoid conflicts wherever possible, host Regions or race groups will have sole management responsibility of events, leading to potentially lower costs for racers due to a reduction in series staffing and services.

 

Hoosier Super Tour dates offer a heightened experience for both competitors and racing fans.  Race weekends include segmented timing and scoring, and have a dedicated “Super Tour Radio presented by Hoosier Racing Tire” team of announcers capable of providing consistent insight and entertainment heard at tracks or online at SCCA.com.  Dedicated staffing with a series race director, administrator and technical inspector working in conjunction with local event personnel is an additional feature of the Hoosier Super Tour.  Up to three static cameras will broadcast races live online at SCCA.com, and onsite SCCA public relations staff will provide weekend media coverage. Hoosier Super Tour dates will also have enhanced weekend social activities.

 

Both the U.S. Majors Tour and Hoosier Super Tour serve as paths to the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs with race days being Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

 

The Sports Car Club of America, Inc., founded in 1944, is a 67,000-member motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both club and professional levels. With headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, the SCCA annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 115 Regions and professional subsidiary. Much of the SCCA’s activities are made possible with support from the following Official Partners: Chevrolet, the Official Truck of the SCCA; Garmin VIRB, the Official Camera of SCCA; Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products of SCCA; Mobil 1, the Official Oil of SCCA; SafeRacer, the Official Safety Provider of SCCA; Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA; and Tire Rack, the Official Tire Retailer of SCCA. To learn more, please visit www.scca.com.

[wheel]

I was at HPT last weekend and looked at the new pavement.  The paving is complete, although they still need to add many of the curbs.  They paved all configurations with a close-grained material that has far more asphalt and less gravel than the old pavement.  I was told that it is the same composition that NASCAR used at Kansas Speedway, although I don't know if that is true, or not.  The pavement over the drag strip (turn 1) looks to be smooth and not compromised by the drag strip.  It looks like they fixed the low spot in turn 6, that always had water and always seemed to be coming apart.  I think this will be a great venue.  Hastings, High Plains and Hallett are three really fun tracks and Gateway, which is not my favorite, has some of the best people in SCCA running the program.  This should be a great season for the Mid States Conference.

[davew]

Bad timing on the St. Louis event. Cen-div has a driver school/double regional scheduled for the same weekend at Blackhawk. Only  4 hours away.

 

Historicly the d/s weekend has been the following weekend. But SCCA changed this year for the first time. Maybe SCCA can swap back to their traditional school weekend of the last weekend in April.

[Johnny D]

Heartland Park Topeka Announces Road Course Repaving Contractor

 

http://www.heartland...oadcourse/news/

[Johnny D]

Someone's comment online. What do you think ?

 

Thanks for listening to us and interpreting the results of your surveys.  By creating the new Southern Conference and moving those Texas and Louisiana races out of the Mid-States Conference, we now have a series of races that are all just one days drive for the majority of us.  The Mid-States conference points race should prove to be hotly contested. 

However; I'm not so sure about the name "Hoosier Tire Super Tour" and having that "series" replace the old national points championship.  The name implies that there will be a group of racers making a grand tour of the country going to all of these events and I believe that is simply not going to be the case.  Hence the name (Tour) is confusing and inappropriate to all except the home office staff and administrators that will have to attend all of them.  My guess is that there will only be a very small handfull of racers that attend even 4 of these weekends, let alone all of them.   With only one Hoosier Tire Super Tour event within  a 1,000 miles of my home it will be tough for me to make more than a couple of them next summer.

 

I think that you are on the right track in terms of reducing the number of races that the "Home Office" will sanction and administer, but I think that ten weekends is still too many.  I think that maybe 5 weekends, Northeast, Southest, Midwest, Northwest, and Southwest would make more sense.  Don't try to make them part of a "tour" but rather make them stand alone, Marquee events.  Call them Festivals, Extravaganza's, Invitationals, or something else.  Make them even bigger, spread them out at least four to five weeks apart over the course of the entire racing season.  Make them double points and pay some prize money or enhanced contingency $'s if you would like to insure high participation levels.  Make them specatator events run at facilities that can accomodate lots of spectators.  Include companion features such as a pro race, concours car show, and concert to draw in the casual fan. If the SVRA can pull all this off at their weekends so can we.  Instead of moving them around, carefully select five tracks in Regions that will embrace these events and help build them into traditional anual events like the Sprints or the Rose Cup races.  Establish host Region committees that work year round with the help of Topeka to build up these events. 

 

All in all I think that we are moving in the right direction.  All of these events are more fun, and more prestigious than the old split Regional/National weekend of years gone by.   I incourage all racers to make a concerted effort to get out and have some fun this next year and then join us Indy for one hell of a good time in September at the Runoffs.  Let's Make the Club Great Again! 

 

Just my two cents worth, not affiliated with any candidate, campaign, or party!

[mdavis]

I was at HPT last weekend and looked at the new pavement.  The paving is complete, although they still need to add many of the curbs.  They paved all configurations with a close-grained material that has far more asphalt and less gravel than the old pavement.  I was told that it is the same composition that NASCAR used at Kansas Speedway, although I don't know if that is true, or not.  The pavement over the drag strip (turn 1) looks to be smooth and not compromised by the drag strip.  It looks like they fixed the low spot in turn 6, that always had water and always seemed to be coming apart.  I think this will be a great venue.  Hastings, High Plains and Hallett are three really fun tracks and Gateway, which is not my favorite, has some of the best people in SCCA running the program.  This should be a great season for the Mid States Conference.

 

 

Do you know which configuration will be run for the Majors event?

 

Also- to clarify-- can one only score points in one's own Majors Conference?  ie can us Southern Conference guys obtain points in a Southeast or Mid-States Majors event?

[Tom Scheifler]

https://www.scca.com...cation-path-set

Regarding conference points ...

I don't see anything that says you can only earn points in YOUR conference. It does say you can only earn points in the conference that is "overseeing" the weekend. Note, some majors are dual conference so you should earn points in both conferences. It looks like you can qualify for the runoffs in ANY conference regardless of which conference is your conference. And you can try to qualify in more than one conference.

[Tom Scheifler]

http://cdn.growasset....pdf?1478109446

Reevaluating my assessment based on the use of "your" in this chart.

[Tom Scheifler]

Bad timing on the St. Louis event. Cen-div has a driver school/double regional scheduled for the same weekend at Blackhawk. Only 4 hours away.

Historicly the d/s weekend has been the following weekend. But SCCA changed this year for the first time. Maybe SCCA can swap back to their traditional school weekend of the last weekend in April.

Last year we did the regional weekend and the major at Blackhawk. But obviously we'll skip the regional if it conflicts with the Gateway major.