SCCA: Nissan Captures 81st SCCA National Championship at Valvoline Runoffs
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
September 23, 2001LEXINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 23, 2001) -- Nissan won its 81st Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Championship at the Valvoline Runoffs this weekend, and maintained its status as the auto manufacturer with the most national titles in the 38-year history of the event.
Jeff Winter, of Arvada, Colo., earned the championship for Nissan driving the legendary Datsun 510, a Nissan model that has not won a SCCA National Championship since 1983.
Winter qualified the red No. 30 Datsun 510 third, but dropped back to seventh place at the start of the race because of wet track conditions. As the skies cleared and the track conditions improved, Winter, who anticipated the weather change when selecting his tires, charged through the field and made a daring two-car pass for the lead on lap 18 of 20.
"Those first ten laps were treacherous," said Winter, "I just hung in there, and when the track dried up, it was just a case of who found the dry line first. When I caught the leaders, it turned into a drag race. I knew from practice I had a little more top end, so I was able to pass them on the straight heading into turn one."
Winter earned his invitation to the Valvoline Runoffs by winning the SCCA Rocky Mountain Division Championship with six victories. He has won 18 SCCA Divisional Championships in both road racing and autocross competition -- all with the Datsun 510.
"Old habits die hard," said Winter, "The first time I put this car together was in 1969. I love that little car. I am on my second Datsun 510 race car, which I have raced for the past 10 years or so." A total of 44 Nissan drivers, in eight different classes, battled for a SCCA National Championship at the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this year.
"We want to thank all the Nissan drivers this weekend, especially John Winter who drove a fantastic race with his 510," said Ron Stukenberg, manager of motorsports marketing and operations, Nissan North America, Inc. "It is fitting that the 510 won this year, as Nissan prepares to introduce the 2002 Sentra SE-R sports sedan which has some of the same DNA as the Datsun 510."
In addition to Winter's victory in the G-Production class, Nissan drivers scored three other podium finishes at the 2001 Runoffs: Scott Culbertson, of Portland, Ore., finished second in the GT4 race; Jimmy Burke, of Suwanee, Ga., finished third in the GT5 race; and Grayson Upchurch Jr., of Alpharetta, Ga., finished second in the E-Production race.
Text provided by Heather Handley
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit
The Racing Photo Museum and the
Visions of Speed Art Gallery.