The second half of Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour’s (HST) 10-stop season for 2023 opened Saturday in Jennings, OK, at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit during an April 22-23 event hosted by Ark Valley Race Group. The 1.8-mile, 10-turn course is a favorite with many Mid-States SCCA racers, and an annual can’t-miss festival on HST’s schedule.

Saturday morning was overcast and chilly, with temperatures starting out in the low 40s, as drivers made their way on to the circuit for 20-minute qualifying sessions across all seven run groups. After that, temperatures warmed only a little bit for the day’s 25-minute races. It all came together nicely to produce fantastic contests, many of which were not decided until the last couple laps.

Falling Flat: The day’s opening run group saw several competitors establish an early lead in their respective car class, then pull away to victory. That certainly appeared to be the path Super Touring Under polesitter David Fiorelli was following in his Ford Mustang. But on the last lap, disaster struck. His left-front tire went flat, and Patrick Lipsinic drove by in the No. 35 BWTuning.com/Black Armour/LMSports Subaru Impreza 2.5RS to claim the win.

“Fiorelli, I didn’t have anything for him today,” Lipsinic admitted afterwards. “I just stayed in there and tried to catch him in case he had any problems. That’s how it ends up sometimes, but it was a great race and great Saturday.”

Touring 3 (T3) racer Michael Pettiford, driving a Pontiac Solstice GXP, also looked to be in control for the win. In fact, he crossed the finish line first. He was later penalized for being under the required weight. So, Saturday’s victory in T3 was awarded to the No. 12 Hoosier Racing Tire Nissan 370Z driven by Robert Schader.

Formulas for Fun: The day’s second run group, made up of Formula F (FF) and Formula 600 (F6) cars, got off to a crazy start. The classes were split into two separate groups to begin the race with polesitter Jay Messenger leading FF in a Van Diemen RF99 Honda, and F6 led by Jeff Jorgenson in the No. 8 Jondal Machine Inc. Red Devil.

Pole wasn’t the optimal starting spot for this race as Messenger soon found himself in third, and the same happened to Jorgenson in his class. In FF, it was Cliff Johnson who emerged as leader after a few opening laps in the No. 4 Alpine Litho-Graphics Piper DF-5, and he never relinquished that spot.

“That race felt longer than 25 minutes,” Johnson joked. “I started third, and I got around Matt (Boian) at around the third lap for the lead. But he was on me the whole time. He beat me here at this race last year, so this was my ‘get even’ race.”

In F6, Jorgenson fought his way back to the lead after three laps, then stretched things out to what became a 17-second margin of victory over Steve Jondal – who actually owns the car Jorgenson drove.

“Mike (Kopecky) got the jump on me,” Jorgenson said about the start. “After we got past Turn 1, some Formula Fs got together and spun. That’s when Steve (Jondal) got by and pulled away, too.

“Eventually, Steve got by Mike; then I got by Mike,” Jorgenson continued. “A couple laps later, I got by Steve going into Turn 2 … then I was able to pull away.”  

No Big Bore Boredom: Sensational racing was contagious Saturday at Hallett as the third run group, which consisted of Big Bore racecars, kept fans watching every lap. In GT-1, it was Dane Smith and his Chevrolet Corvette who led Tom Smith’s Chevrolet Camaro at the race’s halfway point, with David Fershtand further back in third driving the No. 05 Fershtand Race Prepared Chevrolet Corvette. A few laps later, however, Tom exited the race, and Fershtand started closing in on Dane. At the white flag, Fershtand was right behind Dane, and pounced in Turn 2 for the lead. Eight corners later, he won the race.

“I think my competition had troubles,” Fershtand admitted. “You just have to keep going, and this one fell into my lap.”

GT-2 put on an equally enthralling display as Barry Boes, in a Ford Mustang, was leading after a few opening laps. Chasing him was Mike McGinley in a Chevrolet Corvette, and Mark Kirby in the No. 2 Dodge Viper. McGinley had gotten the lead by lap six, but Boes and Kirby stuck right with him. About six laps later, Boes went back by McGinley.

Then things got intense as the thunderous machines traversed the circuit. By lap 16, Kirby was leading the other two. But McGinley ended up dropping back through the field, and Kirby made it home with a 1.942sec victory over Boes.

“Catching them was one thing, but getting by them was a whole lot different,” Kirby said. “I knew I was quicker because I could stay with them fairly easily, and I just knew something was going to happen sooner or later.”

After the race, Kirby was penalized for passing under yellow. That promoted Boes to first place in the No.132 Accio Data Ford Mustang.

Even more close racing occurred in the second run group with American Sedan (AS). It was Andy Schniedermeyer, in a Chevrolet Camaro, who led the bulk of the race and had more than six seconds on the runner-up at one point. But with six laps to go, Tim White was leading in the No. 6 Ford Mustang Cobra.

“I think his tires started going away, and I reeled him back in,” said AS winner White about Schniedermeyer. “Traffic was horrible for us out there. I think he got caught on the outside in Turn 2 at the bottom of the hill, and his car kind of bogged down. I got a run on him at that point. But it was a great race, and he ran a great race.”

Logan’s Run: As polesitter, Logan Stretch led the 21-car Spec Miata field to the green flag Saturday afternoon. However, he did not lead the field over the start line as he was immediately overtaken by several drivers.

“I missed third gear coming up to the line,” Stretch said while shaking his head. “I got swamped by the other cars, and then spent the first couple laps getting around one or two cars.”

Meanwhile, Matt Reynolds went to the front and led the first half of the race. Behind him, and after a full-course yellow, Stretch had made up ground and was closing in. Then just past the race’s halfway point, Stretch got by for the lead.

Reynolds didn’t give up, instead sticking tight to Stretch’s bumper. He even made a few attempts to regain the top spot. But after a very shaky start, Stretch held on for a win in the No. 98 Wheels America Racing/Pleasant Ridge Internal Medicine/G-LOC Brakes Mazda Miata.

“You got to stay cool, you got to stay collected, and just look at what’s in front of you,” Stretch said about his mindset. “You can’t think back to what happened because that’s not going to change. Your only way is forward.

“I had no real plan,” Stretch continued. “I was just driving, and I could see I was closing the gap a little bit. Once I got to Matt, it took everything I had to get around him. I spent three or four laps trying everything. Finally, I just snuck down the inside into Turn 2, all the way down as far as I could go, and it worked.”

Don’t feel too bad for Reynolds, however. Later in the afternoon he drove the No. 71 Reynolds Bros. Racing/Hoosier/JPM/Vintage Connection/G-LOC Brakes Mazda Miata to victory in the E Production contest.

Sunday’s Schedule: A second day of Hoosier Super Tour activity is slated to begin at 8 a.m. Central Time from Hallett Motor Racing Circuit with 15-minute qualifying for each of the seven run groups. That will be followed by 35-minute or 27-lap races for each group.

All the action from Hallett can be followed live, online and free with the new Hoosier Super Tour enhanced video and audio broadcast. Brian Bielanski and Larry MacLeod are providing the play-by-play call, and DriversEye Live delivers live video from upwards of 12 perfectly positioned cameras around the circuit.

Catching the HST Hallett broadcast online is really easy. Coverage is streamed at the SCCA YouTube channel and SCCA Facebook page. Post-race video interviews with many winners from Saturday, and Sunday victory podium celebration videos, will be viewable at the SCCA Road Racing Facebook page. And as always, live Timing and Scoring is also available throughout the weekend at www.scca.com/live.

Saturday Race Winners: Below are provisional race winners from Saturday’s Hoosier Super Tour at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit with Class: Name, Hometown and Car.
American Sedan: Tim White; Omaha, NE; Ford Mustang Cobra
B-Spec: John Phillips; Sealy, TX; Toyota Yaris S
E Production: Matt Reynolds; Fair Oaks, TX; Mazda Miata
F Production: Sam Henry; Republic, MO; Mazda Miata
H Production: Ralf Lindow; Bellevue, NE; Volkswagen Golf
Formula 600: Jeff Jorgenson; Manitowoc, WI; Red Devil
Formula Atlantic: Paul Ravaris; Aledo, TX; Formula Mazda
Formula Continental®: Robert Henson; Lee's Summit, MO; Van Diemen RF-93
Formula Enterprises® 2: Gray Fowler; Sun Lakes, AZ ; SCCA Enterprises FE2 Mazda
Formula F: Cliff Johnson; Stilwell, KS; Piper DF-5
Formula X: Broch Evans; Austin, TX; Formula Mazda
GT-1: David Fershtand; Fort Worth, TX; Chevrolet Corvette
GT-2: Barry Boes; Austin, TX; Ford Mustang
GT-3: Chris Edens; Sherwood, AR; Mazda MX-5
GT-Lite: Jonathan Goodale; Conifer, CO; Mazda MX-5
GT-X: William Coffey; Carrollton, TX; Maserati MC GT4
Spec Miata: Logan Stretch; Arlington TX; Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford Gen3: Denny Stripling; McKinney, TX; Spec Racer Ford Gen3
Prototype 2: Jack Donnellan; Chickasha, OK; Lola B07/90
Super Touring Lite: William Knight; Tulsa, OK; Mazda MX-5
Super Touring Under: Patrick Lipsinic; Yukon, OK; Subaru Impreza 2.5RS
Touring 1: Michael Pettiford; Louisville, CO; Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Touring 2: Judson Holt; Houston, TX; BMW M2
Touring 3: Robert Schader; Longmont, CO; Nissan 370Z
Touring 4: Sergio Zlobin; Houston, TX; Mazda MX-5

Photo: Patrick Lipsinic got a surprise victory Saturday in Super Touring Under driving the No. 35 BWTuning.com/Black Armour/LMSports Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Photo by Tim Turner/Hallett Foto Shop