Contingency Sponsors Offer More Than $1.3 Million for Runoffs Competitors

TOPEKA, Kan. Sept. 12, 2008 – Though money is not what motivates Club Racers to attend the Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs®, plenty of it will be available in October. This year, Runoffs entrants have 39 programs to choose from, with more than $1.3 million in cash and prizes up for grabs.

Manufacturer contingency support is strong with American Honda, BMW of North America, GM Performance Division, Mazda North American Operations, Subaru, Toyota/TRD and Volkswagen of America, the Official Pace Vehicle of SCCA and SCCA Pro Racing, posting programs. Eligible Volkswagen and Subaru drivers will take home $5,000 for a win, plus a bonus $1,000 for qualifying on pole. GM and Toyota offer similar payouts. Mazda, too, will pay $5,000 to their National Champions and will post a tow fund for eligible competitors. For the third-consecutive year, Mazda will also invite their SCCA National Champions to a shootout for a chance to win an SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup car and corresponding MAZDASPEED parts kit. BMW plans to pay $4,000 to eligible winners, while Honda offers $1,500 in addition to $500 just for starting the race. All of the manufacturer programs pay through third place.

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Hoosier Racing Tire, Kumho Tires and Toyo Tires are all back on board for 2008. This year’s SCCA Spec Miata National Champion is in for a big payday to the tune of $7,500 from Toyo. Payouts continue to fifth place with two additional drivers outside the top five selected at random to win $500. Win on Kumho Tires in any of the Touring, Showroom Stock or American Sedan classes and you’ll be collecting $5,000. Eligible Goodyear drivers could walk away with a Goodyear Certificate for as much as $3,000, while Hoosier participants who capture a National Championship will receive four free tires, plus an additional four tires for each 2009 Club National event they enter.

New programs have been posted by iRacing.com, ChaseCam, DataToys.com, M&R Products and Holliday Canopies for the 45th SCCA Runoffs.

All drivers registered for the iRacing.com program (all classes are eligible) will be entered in a drawing to win one professional simulation equipment package, valued at $5,000, which includes a chassis, seat, professional grade wheel and pedals. Registered competitors will also earn Runoffs points toward the season-long iRacing.com Cup.

Posting in all classes, ChaseCam, maker of in-car video equipment, will award all eligible National Champions with $150. M&R Products has cash payouts available too, paying up to $100 to racers who use its racing harness or up to $75 for using an M&R window net.

DataToys.com and Holliday Canopies will issue product certificates to their program participants. Those registered for the Holiday Canopies program need only start the Championship race to earn a $300 product certificate to use toward a custom canopy. DataToys.com program participants can earn a product certificate for up to $75 depending on finishing position.

Pace American, the Official Trailer of SCCA, brings back it’s popular Pace Lap Challenge. Following qualifying, the first eligible driver in each class with the least time variance between their fastest three qualifying laps throughout the week will be entered into a drawing for a new Pace Pursuit® trailer, valued at more than $14,000. The drawing, which also includes eligible National Solo drivers, will take place following the final qualifying session on Thursday, Oct. 9. As the title sponsors of the Spec Miata race, SM drivers are also eligible for additional contingency money from Pace American based on finishing position.

Many programs don’t require a win or even a top-three finish to take home cash and prizes. AdvantageWheelAlignment.com is awarding discounts to fifth through ninth-place finishers. Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies will award product certificates to fourth through sixth-place finishers, with an additional certificate going to the driver who gains the most positions from grid to finish. Williams Racing Developments and Competition Data Systems will grant product credits or discounts to eligible first, fifth and 10th-place finishers, while Taylor Race Engineering has designated their $300 prize the “Almost on the Podium” award for all eligible fourth-place finishers.

One need not even finish a race to win Racer Wholesale’s $300 G-Force product certificate, which will go to the driver who starts the race, but completes the least number of laps.

Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA, continues its “Hard Charger” award for the driver who advances the most positions during a race, in addition to $100 for National Champions. As the title sponsor for the GT-3 race, Sunoco will post additional prize money for the top six in that class, including $1,000 for the win. Hawk Performance, The Official Brake Product of SCCA, will do the same in Touring 1 as the title sponsor for that class. Hawk also offers a $200 product certificate for eligible National Champions and a $100 certificate for second-place finishers.

Keeping with tradition, Red Line Oil will still award a custom-made Simpson Red Line Oil driver’s suit, in addition to $500, to eligible National Champions. Carbotech Performance Brakes also has a custom drivers’ suit on offer to National Champions registered for its program.

Forgeline Motorsports, Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, Hyperco, KFP Magnum Brake Pads, Panasport Racing Wheels, Race Technology USA, Racer Parts Wholesale, SCCA Enterprises, Summit Racing Equipment and Tilton Engineering are all back with contingency programs in 2008 as well.

Club racers can register for contingency programs online until Runoffs registration closes on Sept. 15 or register on site at Driver Information. All competitors will need to pick-up their contingency decals at Driver Information. When registering for a contingency program, review the program information carefully, be sure you have your decals placed properly and be aware that each program may have limitations on class and product eligibility. All programs require that competitors be registered before competing. Contingency program information is printed in the Runoffs Driver Information Manual and on the Runoffs event page at www.scca.com/runoffs.

The 45th SCCA National Championship Runoffs will begin Monday, Oct. 6, at Heartland Park Topeka with four days of qualifying. Three days of National Championship racing will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 12. Live timing and lap notes will be available on the Runoffs event page and each race will get its own one-hour program on SPEED, with a broadcast schedule to be announced later.