SCCA (TOPEKA, KS.) - SCCA Board of Directors Votes For Club Racing National Program Changes
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For the third-straight year, 25 classes will race at the National Championships Runoffs(r) at Heartland Park Topeka in October. The decision to increase from the previously-announced 24 class format means that GT-3, the 25th strongest class in 2007 National participation, will race at the Runoffs for the 29th-straight year, dating back to 1980.
Additionally, the Board of Directors approved a motion to direct its Club Racing Board to develop a plan in the coming months that would include all National classes in the 2008 National Championship Runoffs event within existing class races. The motion includes cars in the Formula 1000 (FB), B Prepared (BP), D Prepared (DP) and ST classes-each of which was created in 2007 and none of which are currently Runoffs eligible based on participation levels.
"We are a group that is obviously sensitive to member input, and much of that input has driven these strategic changes," SCCA Board of Directors Chairman-elect R.J. Gordy said. "The Club Racing climate has changed over the last several years, and it is important to the SCCA that its National Club Racing program remains viable to both its current and future participants.
"G Production fell below the minimum participation level and the cars from that class have been classified elsewhere. We want to make sure that the new classes have the best opportunity to grow, and inclusion in the Runoffs is an important step. Whether the cars that make up these classes race within another class, like Formula SCCA did in Formula Atlantic for years, or they have individual class races within a group, remains to be seen based on CRB and member input."
The formal request for member input for the four classes not currently eligible for the Runoffs will be made in Fastrack News. However, members can send letters to the SCCA office to the attention of the Club Racing Board or via e-mail (preferred) to crb@scca.com.
The 2008 SCCA Club Racing National racing program begins January 5-6 in the Southeast Division at Sebring International Raceway. More than 70 events are planned nationwide across nine divisions, with the National racing schedule culminating with the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Heartland Park Topeka from Oct. 6-12.