SCCA Announces Runoffs Continuous Participation Rewards Program

TOPEKA, Kan. (June 11, 2008) – Sports Car Club of America, Inc. announced today a new rewards program for drivers who hold active participation streaks at the National Championship Runoffs®. The program benefits will first be awarded at the 2009 event.

Designed to reward Club Racing drivers who have supported the Runoffs continuously throughout the years, SCCA has developed a program of benefits including: early registration and parking spot selection; car number priority; ability to participate in a special test day; priority event registration; and a discounted Runoffs entry fee.

“The Runoffs has been through a transition period since 2004, and it is important to recognize the racers that have supported the event over time and through the transitions,” SCCA Club Racing VP Terry Ozment said. “The program we have developed will reward these drivers without adversely affecting anyone who did not attend the Runoffs in the previous year.”

While specific details of each program will be finalized in 2009, the following components have been confirmed:

Registration

There will be three tiers of the opening of Registration and entry acceptance for the event. Drivers with 10 or more consecutive years of active participation will be able to register first, followed by drivers with one to nine years of consecutive participation. Finally, drivers who did not participate in the event the previous year will be able to register for the event. The final details of the timing of this will be determined at a later date, although it is expected that the early registration periods will not last for more than one week each.

Parking

Like Registration, paddock parking spots at Road America will be first available to the drivers with 10 or more consecutive years of active participation. The group with one to nine consecutive years of active participation will be able to choose next, followed by those drivers who did not participate in the previous year’s event. The timing will likely coincide with registration.

Car Numbers

With registration being a stepped process, so will the assignment of numbers. Any driver remaining in the same class will have the right to the same number the following year during the early registration period. Likewise, any available number may be selected by drivers during this early registration period. Once general registration opens, all numbers will be available. If two drivers had the same number in different classes of a combined race group in 2009, the number will go to the driver with the most seniority first based on consecutive years of active participation.

Special Test Day

For 2009, the SCCA National Championship Runoffs will hold three days of qualifying (Tuesday through Thursday) with one session for each class each day. The Monday between the traditional promoter test week and the start of qualifying will be made an additional test day open to all drivers but with registration preference to drivers based on consecutive years of active participation. Initial invitations will be made based on the driver with the most years of consecutive Runoffs participation to the least. Additionally, all drivers with an active participation streak will run the test day at half price the normal rate of a test day. All remaining slots will be opened up for registration on a first-come, first-served basis at the regular test day price.

Entry Fee Discount

In 2009, any driver who participated in the previous year’s event will receive a $50 discount on their entry fee (limit one class entry per driver).

For any of the programs utilizing a list based on consecutive seniority, car class will not be factored. For instance, Dave Weitzenhof’s current streak is at 33 years. The fact that this streak included four different classes is inconsequential to the list. Participation is defined as having been entered in the event and turned a wheel on track during the official event. Multiple classes campaigned in the same year still only count as one year of participation.

The 2008 SCCA National Championship Runoffs will be held Oct. 6-12 at Heartland Park Topeka. In 2009, the event will move to Road America. For more information about the event, please visit www.scca.com/runoffs.