BROOKLYN, Mich. (August 23, 2015) – Sunday’s SCCA U.S. Majors Tour races at Michigan International Speedway put a period on the 2015 regular season. All that remains on the national Club Racing docket is the National Championship Runoffs Presented by Garmin VIRB at Daytona International Speedway, in late September.
Saturday proved to be a day all about speed at the 2.00-mile, eight-turn road/oval course. With conditions very similar to that of Daytona, the high-banked Michigan speedway allowed competitors to perfect their Runoffs setups. The race results and lap times supported that fact as all but two races were decided by more than two seconds. Meanwhile, 24 lap records were reset for the 27 classes represented.
On Sunday, focus seemed to have shifted from outright speed to winning the final race of the 2015 Majors season. The day started off with a pair of great finishes in race group one. Driving the No. 6 So Bright LLC/Moons Super Cycle JDR JDR-012,Tyler Thielmann, of Kiel, Wis., made his last-lap pass pay off as he was able to get around then-leader Nicho Vardis, No. 00 JDR F1000 for the win. Thielmann made his pass heading into the first turn of the final lap and was able to hold Vardis off, crossing the line first by 0.155-second.
Formula Atlantic was also decided on the last of 24 laps. David Bleke, of Franklin, Ind., did what he needed to do to get in front of class rival Charles Duncan. In the No. 70 Bleke’s Tire Swift 014, Bleke finished just 0.073-second ahead of Duncan.
Spec Racer Ford Gen3 saw a Northern Conference Champion Scott Rettich, of Columbus, Ohio, take the win, however it was anything but a foregone conclusion. Bobby Sak, in his No. 19 The Pita Pit/The Grotto at Capone’s SRFG3, was in the catbird seat for most of the race. It wasn’t until the penultimate lap that Rettich, in his No. 17 Alliance Autosport/PDI Communication SRFG3, got around Sak for the top spot. During the last two laps, the drivers traded positions back-and-forth. As the two leaders approached the finish line, Rettich went side-by-side with Sak and got the edge at the stripe. The margin at the finish was 0.002-second.
Weather was a non-issue for all but two of the 14 races held throughout the weekend. Just as race group six was completing their final laps, light rain began to fall. Just past the halfway point of the final race on Sunday, the rain began to pick up. As the track became more damp, the grip started to go away causing several spins.
In the end, the race was called two laps early as stranded cars littered the course as the racing surface became increasingly wet.
The next stop for the SCCA Club Racing program, will the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Garmin VIRB, Sept. 21-27.
More information on the SCCA U.S. Majors program can be found at SCCAMajors.com.
BROKLYN, Mich. - Provisional race winners for Saturday’s SCCA Northern Conference Majors Tour Round 11 race at Michigan International Speedway. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car.
American Sedan: Andy McDermid, Howell, Mich., Ford Mustang
B-Spec: David Daughtery, Fortville, Ind., Honda Fit
Formula 500: Don Napier, Greenwood, Ind., F500 Scorpion
Formula 1000: Nicho Vardis, Sylvan Lake, Mich., JDR F1000
Formula Atlantic: David Bleke, Franklin, Wis., Swift 014
Formula Continental: Thomas Gaffney, Birmingham, Mich., Van Diemen RF00
Formula Enterprises: Scott Rettich, Columbus, Ohio, Formula Enterprises
Formula F: Max Mallinen, Liberty Lake, Wash., Spectrum 014H
Formula Vee: Brandon Abbott, Livonia, Mich., Vector AM-1
E Production: Joe Moser, Wilmette, Ill., Honda Prelude
F Production: David Bednarz, Ann Arbor, Mich., Mazda Miata
H Production: Matt Brannon, Columbus, Ohio, Fiat X1/9
GT-1: Michael Lewis, Poway, Calif., Jaguar XKR
GT-2: Mark Kirby, Shawnee Mission, Kan., Dodge Viper
GT-3: Joe Kristensen, London, Ont., Canada, Acura RSX
GT-Lite: Joel Hipp, Norwalk, Ohio, Austin Mini
Prototype 1: John Gyann, Darien, Ill., Stohr WF1
Prototype 2: Anders Graff, Kohler, Wis., Prince LSR
Spec Miata: Tyler Kicera, Manheim, Pa., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Adam Gottlieb, Wilmette, Ill., SRF
Spec Racer Ford Gen3: Bobby Sak, Mattawan, Mich., SRFG3
Super Touring Lite: Mark Wajda, Cement City, Mich., Honda Civic
Super Touring Under: Charles Tobel, New Hudson, Mich., Pontiac Solstice
Touring 1: Mark Boden, Buffalo Grove, Ill., BMW M3
Touring 2: John Buttermore, South Lyon, Mich., Chevrolet Corvette
Touring 3: Patrick Womack, Burr Ridge, Ill., BMW Z4 M Coupe
Touring 4: Voytek Burdzy, Algonquin, Ill., Mazda MX-5
BROKLYN, Mich. - Provisional race winners for Sunday’s SCCA Northern Conference Majors Tour Round 12 race at Michigan International Speedway. Drivers are listed by Class: name, hometown, and car. (*) – Denotes Saturday winner.
American Sedan: Andy McDermid, Howell, Mich., Ford Mustang*
B-Spec: David Daughtery, Fortville, Ind., Honda Fit
Formula 500: Jack Walbran, St. Louis, Mo., Novakar J10
Formula 1000: Tyler Thielmann, Kiel, Wis. , JDR JDR-012
Formula Atlantic: David Bleke, Franklin, Wis., Swift 014*
Formula Continental: Thomas Gaffney, Birmingham, Mich., Van Diemen RF00*
Formula Enterprises: Scott Rettich, Columbus, Ohio, Formula Enterprises*
Formula F: Max Mallinen, Liberty Lake, Wash., Spectrum 014H*
Formula Vee: Andrew Abbott, Livonia, Mich., Vector AM-1
E Production: Rob Hummel, McHenry, Ill., Mazda RX-7
F Production: David Bednarz, Ann Arbor, Mich., Mazda Miata*
H Production: Matt Brannon, Columbus, Ohio, Fiat X1/9*
GT-1: Michael Lewis, Poway, Calif., Jaguar XKR*
GT-2: Tim Kezman, Franksville, Wis., Porsche 997
GT-3: Joe Kristensen, London, Ont., Canada, Acura RSX*
GT-Lite: Joel Hipp, Norwalk, Ohio, Austin Mini*
Prototype 1: John Gyann, Darien, Ill., Stohr WF1*
Prototype 2: Anders Graff, Kohler, Wis., Prince LSR*
Spec Miata: Michael Novak, Highland, Mich., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford: Adam Gottlieb, Wilmette, Ill., SRF*
Spec Racer Ford Gen3: Scott Rettich, Colubus, Ohio, SRFG3
Super Touring Lite: Garret Dunn, Commerce Township, Mich., Honda CRX si
Super Touring Under: Charles Tobel, New Hudson, Mich., Pontiac Solstice*
Touring 1: Mark Boden, Buffalo Grove, Ill., BMW M3*
Touring 2: John Buttermore, South Lyon, Mich., Chevrolet Corvette*
Touring 3: Patrick Womack, Burr Ridge, Ill., BMW Z4 M Coupe*
Touring 4: Voytek Burdzy, Algonquin, Ill., Mazda MX-5*
Image: John Buttermore, 52, makes the outside pass around Maxwell Kittleson on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.
Credit: SCCA
