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The Callahan Report: SCCA Racing in Full Swing at Mid Ohio

10 October 1997

LEXINGTON, OH: The Valvoline Runoffs are underway at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The event started earlier this week with practice (Monday) and qualifying on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The racing in 23 SCCA classes began today. The races will continue through Sunday at the scenic facility.

What is the SCCA exactly? The Sports Car Club of America, Inc, was founded 53 years ago by a group of amateur motorsports enthusiasts and today boasts over 53,000 members. SCCA now sanctions over 2,000 amateur and professional motorsports events each year. With 110 regional chapters covering the entire United States, the SCCA provides true grassroots participation. Local events and nearby circuits remain the backbone of club activities. SCCA's volunteer staff provides everything from course marshaling to timing and scoring, at both club and professional events.

The SCCA Valvoline Runoffs, the United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC), has evolved into what is now commonly agreed to be the Super Bowl of amateur road racing. The Runoffs were named by Car and Driver Magazine as one of the top 10 racing events in motorsports. This event brings a long history to the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course with 1997 being the 34th edition of the National Championships.

In early racing today, Philip Lasco drove to victory in the T1 (Touring) class. Lasco's Ford Mustang left the pack with a winning margin of 8.2 seconds.

Phillip Lasco

Douglas Gamble of Escondido, CA finished second in a BMW M3. Bob Endicott came across the line in third place.

Complete results of the T1 race are (finishing position, (starting position), driver, hometown, car make and model:

1. (4) Philip Lasco, Fenton, Mich., Ford Mustang
2. (6) Douglas Gamble,Escondido, Calif.,BMW M3
3. (1) Bob Endicott,San Pedro, Calif.,Honda Prelude
4. (2) Thomas Oates,Chester Springs, Pa.,Chevrolet Camaro Z28
5. (9) Michael Pettiford,Louisville, Colo.,PontiacFirebird
6. (3) Brian Kelm,Northville, Mich.,Ford Mustang
7. (5) Mike Dougherty,Navarre, Ohio,Chevrolet Camaro Z28
8. (12) Derek Hagen,Cadillac, Mich.,Ford Mustang
9. (15) David Daughtery,Noblesville, Ind.,Nissan SX
10. (7) Mark Mills,Bellevue, Wash,Chevrolet Camaro Z28
11. (11) Segundo Quinones,Silver Spring, Md.,Honda Prelude
12. (10) John Schmitt,Sunbury, Ohio,Honda Prelude
13. (16) Alex Long,Seattle, Wash.,BMW M3
14. (13) David Fisher,Santa Barbara, Calif.,BMW M3
15. (17) Tom Brecht,Escondido, Calif.,BMW Z3
16. (18) Kent Gittings,Mt Airy, Mo.,Ford Mustang
17. (14) Steve Alexander,Indianpolis, Ind,Chevrolet Camaro Z28
18. (8) Steve Zink,Farmington, Utah,Ford Mustang
19. (19) Terry Johnson,Germantown, Tenn.,Chevrolet Camaro

Terry Callahan -- The Auto Channel