2010 MiDiv Convention News

GoRacingTV to Broadcast Daily News Show from 2009 Runoffs

SCCA Runoffs to Have Live Flag-To-Flag Broadcast on Internet!

June Membership Meeting will be a Party in the Park!

Street Survival School for teen drivers returns in October 2009

MVRG Racing Season Begins with Double Fun!

DMVR Bus Trip to 2009 Chicago Auto Show

SCCA Announces Dues and Fees Changes for 2009

Runoffs to Road America in 2009

5/12/08 – TOPEKA, Kan. – Sports Car Club of America, Inc. announced today the results of a vote by its Board of Directors that will move the National Championship Runoffs® to Road America (Elkhart Lake, Wis.) in 2009. Road America will become the sixth venue to host the event, dating back to 1964.

The Board directed its staff to move forward to negotiate a three-year agreement with Road America for SCCA Club Racing’s signature event, which has averaged over 650 participants since 2000. The Runoffs is currently in the final year of a three-year agreement at Heartland Park Topeka, in Topeka, Kan.

“Given the deep history the track, the town of Elkhart Lake and SCCA enjoy, it only seems natural for the most prestigious Club Racing event in the world to be hosted by Road America,” SCCA President & CEO Jim Julow said. “The Board had a difficult decision, as we had an unprecedented number of outstanding potential hosts for the event, meaning the long term future of Club Racing’s National Championship is very bright.”

“The SCCA has been an integral part of our 53 year-history,” Road America President and General Manager George Bruggenthies said. “The opportunity to showcase our facility and our community to a nation of SCCA racers and fans is a tremendous honor. On behalf of our board of directors and staff, my thanks to the SCCA for their confidence. We promise to build on the outstanding Runoffs tradition and exceed stakeholder expectations.”

The first-ever “Interdivisional Championship,” later referred to as the “Runoffs,” was held at Riverside Raceway (Riverside, Calif.) in 1964, and alternated coasts with Daytona International Raceway (Daytona Beach, Fla.) through 1969. In 1970, the event began a 24-year run at Road Atlanta (Braselton, Ga.), before moving to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, Ohio) in 1994. After 12 years in Ohio, the Runoffs moved to Heartland Park Topeka in 2006. The move after three years signifies a change in philosophy after such long runs at venues from the 1970s through the turn of the century.

“Club Racing in the United States has evolved in the last decade, and rotating the Runoffs will do nothing but help the event and the Club Racing program, overall,” SCCA Chairman R.J. Gordy said.

“This is by no means a reflection on the job that Raymond Irwin and his staff have done at Heartland Park Topeka,” Julow added. “In the last four years, they have met every challenge and request and built a tremendous facility that is worthy of potentially hosting not only the Runoffs, but other high-profile road racing events in the future. Additionally, the local community and business groups have been outstanding and we thank them for their continued support.”

The event has grown in both size and stature over the years, with approximately 700 of the nation’s best amateur race drivers from across the country making the annual trek for the event that spans an entire week, preceded by additional days of optional testing. The sheer number of competitors makes the Runoffs the largest annual amateur road racing event in the world, and results in an average local economic impact approaching $10 million each year.

The Runoffs annually crown the National Champions of SCCA Club Racing’s National level classes (currently 25) and has been referred to as the “Olympics” of motorsports. Drivers from across North America race locally to earn points, with the top-10 qualifying drivers from the nine SCCA Divisions in each class earning an invitation to compete in the event. The list of past Runoffs Champions is a who’s who in road racing history that includes Skip Barber, Michael Galati, Paul Newman, Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal, Greg Ray, Boris Said and Scott Sharp.

Road America’s history dates back to the early 1950s when public street races in the Elkhart Lake area were a part of the SCCA national championship series. When street racing became illegal in 1952, participants and supporters joined efforts and raised funds to develop Road America. The track held its first event, the SCCA National, on September 10-11, 1955. The inaugural June Sprints® was held the following year, June 23-24, 1956. Today, the 14-turn, 4.048-mile track holds its original configuration and continues to challenge the world’s best two- and four-wheel racers.

The date for the 2009 event has yet to be finalized, although it will move from October to September.

The 45th SCCA National Championship Runoffs will be held at Heartland Park Topeka October 6-12, 2008.

For more information about SCCA and the National Championship Runoffs, please visit www.scca.com/Runoffs.

For more information about Road America, please visit www.roadamerica.com.

For more information about Heartland Park Topeka, please visit www.hpt.com.

DMVR's Chuck Hemmingson Invited Into RRDC

5/01/08 – Des Moines' Chuck Hemmingson is one of twelve honorees to be invited into membership in the prestigious Road Racing Drivers Club as was announced today by RRDC President Bobby Rahal. The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 with a goal to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. The RRDC has more than 150 active members. In addition to members lending their expertise to up-and-coming drivers, the Club presents three annual awards: the Phil Hill Award during the Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend, for rendering outstanding service to road racing; the Mark Donohue Award for personal spirit and performance at the SCCA Runoffs; and the Bob Akin Award for “speed with style” – passion, sportsmanship and contribution to motorsports.

Chuck gave the Subaru Impreza brand its first SCCA Runoffs championships in 2005 and 2006, events sandwiched between two outstanding stints in the professional IMSA International Sedan, Firestone Firehawk and Grand-Am Koni Challenge series. He was the 1987 SCCA VW Cup titlist, ’91-’92 International Sedan Champion, and won six Firehawk races in 61 starts over 13 seasons, has four wins in SCCA World Challenge and was the only non-factory driver to score a win in the former SCCA Racetrucks series, a victory which took place at our inaugural Ruan Greater Des Moines Grand Prix. He’s also raced ARCA and ASA stock cars, too, and in 1992 was part of an Oldsmobile Aurora Aerotech team that set 26 world records. At Bonneville’s Salt Flats in 2001 he drove a Ford Ranger to a record 202.434 mph.  He’s now driving one of the factory Subaru Imprezas in the Koni Challenge where he and co-driver won at Mid-Ohio and Lime Rock in the brand’s rookie season.

SCCA's Top Honor to DMVR's Ron Sharp

2/12/08 – The Woolf Barnato Award is the SCCA’s highest National award, and is presented to the member who has made the most outstanding long-term contribution to the club. Winners are nominated by the last three recipients and approved by the Board of Directors. Previous winners include Briggs Cunningham, General Curtis LeMay, Mark Donahue, Carl Haas, and most recently Pete Hylton. We are very proud to announce that the well deserved 2007 recipient of this award is Des Moines Valley Region's Ron Sharp. Ron and his wife Jean have been key members of our region for over 40 years as workers, racers, rallyists, and board members. Ron's expert job as race director of the Ruan Greater Des Moines Grand Prix led to his taking the same position for the SCCA's annual Runoffs where he again excelled. Ron and Jean now spend much of the season travelling as Ron lends his race management expertise to top events across the country although they still retain their home here in Des Moines, the site of many memorable annual meeting after parties! We are very gratified to have these wonderful people as DMVR members and are very proud that the SCCA has chosen to recognize Ron's contributions with this top award.