INDIANAPOLIS — Four days of qualifying wrapped up Thursday evening at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
As such, there are now 28 Tire Rack Pole Award winners who will lead their respective classes to the green flag over the next three days as nearly 1,000 competitors do their best to claim victory on the 15-turn, 2.592-mile road circuit.
Andrew Aquilante was perhaps the brightest star to shine during qualifying, managing to claim Tire Rack Pole Awards in two different classes.
He led the pack all week in GT-2 driving the Phoenix/Hoosier/Hawk/Varsity Chevrolet Corvette, and did the same in Touring 1 behind the wheel of the Phoenix Performance Ford Mustang. That makes 11 poles for Aquilante in his Runoffs history.
Spec Racer Ford Gen3 had more than 100 competitors turn qualifying laps during the week. A new driver popped to the top of the charts each day. But by Thursday evening it was CSR Performance’s John Black who dug deep and earned the Tire Rack Pole Award, his tenth.
Spec Racer Ford was dominated by Pro Drive Racing/Flatout driver Todd Harris, and Spec Miata was led all week by X-Factor Racing’s Chris Haldeman — both earning their first Tire Rack Pole Award.
Things were interesting throughout the week in F Production as Eric Prill, driving the MaxtonsFight.org/JPM/Hoosier Mazda Miata, had the fastest laps on Monday and Tuesday. But as things cooled a bit Wednesday it was Joe Huffaker who moved to the front in his Huffaker Engineering/Hoosier MG Midget. When Thursday came around, Prill pulled it all together for the fastest lap and his third Tire Rack Pole Award.
In H Production, Jason Isley and his RACER.com/Hoosier/TRD Toyota Yaris established a fast time Tuesday and stayed atop the chart the rest of the way for his second Runoffs pole. And Matt Reynolds led the way all week in his Reynolds Bro Racing/VintageConn/JPM Mazda Miata in E Production, resulting in Reynolds’ second Tire Rack Pole Award.
John LaRue, in his Carbotech/Hyperco Citation Snipe FZ, seemed to have things handled in the Formula Continental® class. But on Thursday it was rookie Austin McCusker, in the Dot Works/Primus Racing Van Diemen RF02, who grabbed the Tire Rack Pole Award.
In Formula 500, Wiley Clinton McMahan had the fastest times the last three days of qualifying and earned a second Tire Rack Pole Award in his Scorpion S1 Suzuki. Gary Hickman, in the Edge Engineering Inc. Phoenix F1K12 Suzuki, also led the Formula 1000 field for three qualifying days to gain his first Runoffs pole.
Michael Varacins, driving the Hoosier/Speed Sport Engineering Speed Sport AM-5, never relinquished the top spot from day one in Formula Vee® qualifying, resulting in his eighth Tire Rack Pole Award. Formula Atlantic® saw Sedat Yelkin, driving his Everclear Swift 016a Mazda, in command all week for his second Runoffs pole. Much the same can be said of the Formula Mazda class where Jarret Voorhies, in his Mitchell Petroleum Star Formula Mazda, was the fastest all week and earned his first Tire Rack Pole Award.
In his rookie Runoffs appearance, Performance AFX Motorsports’ driver Elliot Finlayson was ahead of everyone all week in his Mazda-powered Formula Enterprises racecar, earning his first Tire Rack Pole Award. The same feat was accomplished by rookie Zach Holden who jumped to the top of the Formula F heap Monday in his K Hill Motorsports Mygale FF Honda and never looked back for his first Tire Rack Pole Award.
The GT-1 pole bounced around a bit during qualifying. David Pintaric, driving his Kryderacing Cadillac CTS-V, had the fast time for the first two days. However, on Wednesday it was Cliff Ebben, in the Stumpf Ford/McMahon Grp/Lamers Ford Mustang, who had the fast time. But on Thursday, Pintaric reclaimed the fastest lap to earn the GT-1 Tire Rack Pole Award, only his second.
Source : speedsport.com
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