SCCA: Native Buckeyes hope to bring home gold in Olympics of Motorsports
19 September 2000
DUBLIN, Ohio (September 18, 2000) - Over 600 of North America's top amateur road racers will converge on the 2.4-mile, 15-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, for the Sports Car Club of America's (SCCA) Valvoline Runoffs®, October 2-8. Of the more than 600 entries, 81 drivers will represent Ohio in the SCCA National Championship event. During the Valvoline Runoffs®, 24 SCCA Club Racing National Championships are on the line in 20-lap races. To qualify for the season-ending event, drivers from 109 total SCCA Club Racing divisions encompassing all 50 states and Canada battle over a nine-month period to accumulate points and earn an invitation to compete in the "Olympics of Motorsports." In this year's "Olympics," Ohio will be one of the top medal favorites, as nearly 13 percent of the huge field is from the Buckeye state. This represents two percent (10 drivers) more than the next most well represented state, California. The Ohio drivers want nothing more than to leave the Valvoline Runoffs® as an SCCA National Champion in their home state. Ohio has several favorites to claim gold at this year's Valvoline Runoffs®. Veteran driver Warren Stilwell, of Hartville, has dominated the Valvoline Runoffs® since 1994, when the event moved to Mid-Ohio from Road Atlanta. Since claiming the 1994 SCCA National Championship in Spec Racer Ford, Stilwell has won six titles in a row. During that streak, he has also won all four SCCA Pro Spec Racer events held at Mid-Ohio. Stilwell's dominant tenure is now at 10 victories in his last 10 races at the track. A win at this year's Valvoline Runoffs® would move him into sole possession of second place all time for the number of consecutive SCCA National Championships in the same class. Another veteran, Dave Weitzenhof of Bath, has won seven SCCA national titles in the Formula category. He is third on the all-time list and second among active drivers for most championships overall. Also, with a win this year, Weitzenhof would become the only driver to win an SCCA National Championship in four different decades. His first win came in the Formula Vee class in 1972. He will be driving for gold this year in the Formula Continental class, where he won titles in 1992 and 1998. "There is pressure in winning the Valvoline Runoffs® because you always want to prove yourself," Weitzenhof said. "You always want to be the best in the country. If you've won a title before, you feel tremendous pressure to keep it going." John Fergus, of Powell, has perhaps the best chance to claim victory when he returns this year to defend his Sports 2000 SCCA National Championship. When Fergus isn't racing in SCCA national events to earn points for the Valvoline Runoffs®, he competes in the American City Racing League (ACRL). The ACRL came to Mid-Ohio twice for three total races this season, and Fergus won two of the battles. If practice makes perfect, Fergus could notch his third win of the season at Mid-Ohio, and his second consecutive SCCA Club Racing National Championship in the Sports 2000 class. "The Valvoline Runoffs are unique," Fergus said. "Most championships, with the exception of the Olympics, rely upon a series of events to determine the winner. At this event, it's a one shot deal - just like the Olympics." Other notable Ohio drivers include Tom Patton of Hamilton, last year's GT-2 champ, and Justin Pritchard of Pickerington, a 1996 Formula Continental champ now racing in Formula Ford. Al Beasley Sr., from Willoughby, has a D Sports Racer championship to his credit. The Valvoline Runoffs® has been part of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course season schedule since 1994, when the SCCA National Championship event came to the historic course after 24 years at Road Atlanta. Mid-Ohio has the second longest tenure as host of the event. The permanent road course will play home to the event through at least 2002. Practice for the Runoffs begins Monday, October 2. Qualifying gets underway Tuesday, October 3, and runs through Thursday, October 5. The 20-lap championship races happen Friday, October 6, through Sunday, October 8. Daily, weekend and weeklong general admission passes are available. Call 1-800-MID-OHIO or (419) 884-4000.