All Systems Go for Solo National Championships

TOPEKA, Kan. Sept. 16, 2008 – The 2008 Tire RackŪ SCCA Solo National Championships are officially underway at Heartland Park Topeka, as 38 classes made their first runs under sunny skies.

Several drivers are halfway to their very first Solo National Championship, including Colin Fiedler, of Pewaukee, Wis., who leads the 37-car strong Street TouringŪ Ultra field by 0.043-second in a Bridgestone Subaru WRX STi. Christopher Raglin, of Findlay, Ohio, could also be en route to his first Championship. Driving a Cooper/Avon Tires Honda Civic in E Prepared, Raglin will have to be perfect to hold off two-time F Street Prepared Champion Allen Kugler, of Springtown, Pa., who trails by only 0.056-second in the DART/Redshift Motorsports Honda Fester.

Canadians Patrick Smith and JT Letkeman are battling for their first Solo National titles in D Stock. Smith’s Acura Integra currently leads Letkeman’s Pevac America Audi TT Quattro by 0.143-second, but either could easily be leapfrogged on Wednesday by Chang Ho Kim, of Maynard, Mass., in the FunHondas Racing Acura Integra Type R who is a mere 0.001-second behind Letkeman.

Jason Isely, of Ladera Ranch, Calif., is looking for his fourth-consecutive B Stock National Championship, but currently trails Carter Thompson of Murfreesboro, Tenn. Isley will need to make up 0.206-second in his Kumho/SportsCar/Mazdaspeed Mazda RX-8 to catch Thompson’s Vettesport/Koni Mazda RX-8.

In F Stock, 2006 Class Champion Jason Burns, of Red Lion, Pa., and 2007 Class Champion Sam Strano, of Knoxdale, Pa., sandwich Kent Kroll, of Odessa, Texas, with just 0.137-second separating their trio of Ford Mustangs.

Currently leading D Modified, Jeff Cashmore, of New Berlin, Wis., could be on the verge of his fifth Solo National Championship. Cashmore and his Sprinto TC-3 lead the Lotus Elan of defending class Champion Mark Huffman, from Litchfield Park, Ariz., by 0.566-second.

Kansans are dominating G Prepared, with the top six drivers in the class representing the home state. Wichita’s Bo Rader could claim his third-consecutive GP title, ending Saturday’s competition with a 0.238-second lead in his Austin Healey Sprite over Topeka’s Randy Herrick in a USDiscontDrugCard.com Fiat X1/9

Wednesday’s action gets underway at 8 a.m. (CDT) as the classes switch courses from West to East and East to West.