FONTANA, Calif. (January 30, 2016) – Moving from two events in early January in Florida to the opposite coast, the SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour opened up with Round One at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday in Fontana, Calif.
Following a Friday afternoon and Saturday morning qualifying session to set the grids, each of the 28 Runoffs eligible classes raced in 25-minute timed races on Saturday on the combination high banked oval and infield road course in the Southern California facility.
The track was fast, especially early in the day. Five drivers in the opening group reset their class track records, with Jason Isley (H Production), Oscar Jackson, Jr. (Super Touring Lite), John Bower (GT-Lite), Jeff Barrow (B-Spec) and Tom Wickersham (Touring 4) taking home the honors. All but Bower also took a race win.
The Formula F class used the high banks of the speedway to even out their battle, and settle it in the infield. Though Chuck Horn started on pole in the No. 54 Hotel California/Porter Racing Swift DB6/Honda and led most of the way after being swallowed up at the start, he found Denny Renfrow on his gearbox with just a couple of laps remaining in the race. With two to go, Renfrow’s No. 11 Wheely Open Racing Piper DL7/Honda turned a track record lap to catch up to Horn.
On the white flag, Renfrow moved to the lead in Turn Three, but Horn overtook the top spot by the next corner and held on to the checkered flag, winning by a nose and just 0.168-second.
Spec Miata took advantage of the same drafting situation, with three cars remaining out front in the final half of the race, with all three taking turns in the lead. The official leader on lap five was the No. 80 RM Autosports/Oakley/Crow Enterprizes Spec Miata, but Steven Powers used the draft to move his No. 45 Amerifirst Financial/miatacage.com/East Street Racing Miata into the lead a lap later. With Powers in front of the field, he and Clement Lee’s No. 33 RM Autosports Miata made side to side contact in a racing incident, with Powers holding the top spot.
Dean Busk’s No. 7 Commercial Brokers, Inc. Miata made the fight a four way battle at the white flag, with Lee now in front after making the pass stick with two to go. Lee led the way on the final lap, followed closely by Powers and Dickerson.
Round 2 of the Western Conference Majors Tour continues on Sunday with 18-lap races beginning at 9:05 a.m. PST.
FONTANA, Calif. – Provisional race winners from Saturday’s Round One of the SCCA Western Conference Majors Tour at Auto Club Speedway, with Class: Name, hometown and car.
American Sedan: Christopher Qualls, W. Los Angeles, Calif., Ford Mustang
B-Spec: Jeff Barrow, Acton, Calif., Honda Fit
E Production: John Longwell, Fallbrook, Calif., BMW 320i
F Production: Brian Linn, Hermosa Beach, Calif., MG Midget
H Production: Jason Isley, Cota de Caza, Calif., Toyota Yaris
Formula 500: Joe Rozelle, Modesto, Calif., Novacar J10/Rotax
Formula 1000: Gary Hickman, Santee, Calif., Phoenix F1000
Formula Atlantic: Howard Sklar, Sonoma, Calif., Formula Speed/Mazda
Formula Continental: Robert Armington, El Dorado Hills, Calif., Van Diemen RF00/Ford
Formula Enterprises: John Yeatman, Newcastle, Calif., Formula Enterprises/Ford
Formula F: Chuck Horn, Los Gatos, Calif., Swift DB6/Honda
Formula Mazda: Mike Anderson, Anza, Calif., Formula Mazda
Formula Vee: Dennis Andrade, Buckeye, Calif., Vortech/Volkswagen
GT-1: Michael Lewis, Poway, Calif., Jaguar XKR
GT-2: Robert Kahn, Las Vegas, Nev., Chevrolet Corvette
GT-3: Mike Henderson, Alpine, Calif., Mazda RX-7
GT-Lite: Joe Huffaker, Petaluma, Calif., MG Midget
Prototype 1: Jim Devenport, Modesto, Calif., Norma M20FC
Prototype 2: Jeff Shafer, Las Vegas, Nev., Radical SR3
Spec Miata: Clement Lee, San Diego, Calif., Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford Gen 3: Mike Miserendino, Bakersfield, Calif., Spec Racer Ford
Spec Racer Ford: Douglas Stewart, Northridge, Calif., Spec Racer Ford
Super Touring Lite: Oscar Jackson, Jr., Chino, Calif., Honda CRX
Super Touring Under: Michelle Abbate, Henderson, Nev., Scion FR-S
Touring 1: Ross Murray, Marina Del Ray, Calif., Dodge Viper
Touring 2: Christopher Qualls, W. Los Angeles, Calif., Ford Mustang
Touring 3: Tom Wickersham, Piedmont, Calif., Ford Mustang
Touring 4: Tom Wickersham, Piedmont, Calif., Mazda RX-8
