Founded in 1944, the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) has served as the sanctioning body for countless amateur road racing, autocross, and rally events. Every year, the SCCA collects the best racers in each racing class across all regions of the U.S. for a national championship, known as the Runoffs. The SCCA has upped its game in terms of venues for its end-of-the-season finale. This year’s races were held at the Daytona International Speedway. But the 2017 Runoffs could go one step further when it goes to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).
“As a racer, I know that the American dream of being a racecar driver starts with the Indianapolis 500,” said Lisa Noble, SCCA chief executive and Formula Vee racer. “IMS is an integral part of our history as we are a part of theirs. Many of the Speedway’s crew, workers, drivers, and Indy 500 winners have their roots in the SCCA. Drivers such as Bobby and Graham Rahal, Jimmy Vasser, Mark Donohue, Buddy Rice, Michael Andretti and Lyn St. James are just a few that raced in the SCCA Runoffs before reaching the Indy 500.”
Scenes from the 2015 Runoffs at Daytona.
It’s an unprecedented event for both the Club and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—holding the amateur national championship event on the 14-turn 2.4-mile road course that hosted the F1 World Championship and the Verizon IndyCar Series’ Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. The road course, of course, utilizes part of the famed oval that hosts the Indianapolis 500—one of the longest-running races in the history of motorsport.
“In 2013, we announced that the Runoffs would go on an annual rotation, moving around the country with the goal of hitting bucket list tracks,” said Eric Prill, SCCA chief operating officer. “We’ve done that, having gone from Road America to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to Daytona International Speedway, and will be at Mid-Ohio in 2016. But the visit to Indianapolis in 2017, a track that no other Club racer will have a chance to compete on prior to the Runoffs, is truly unique and a dream come true for many of our racers.”
Built in 1909, Indianapolis Motor Speedway—also known as the Brickyard due to its original surface of hand-laid brick—is the first speedway ever built.
The SCCA National Championship Runoffs have crowned Club Racing National Champions in a winner-take-all, single race format since 1964. Through 27 separate races over three days, the 2015 edition, held at Daytona International Speedway, crowned champions in 27 classes.
Prior to Indianapolis, the 2016 SCCA National Championship Runoffs will be held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, September 19 to 25, 2016. Though a venue has not yet been announced, SCCA plans to hold the Runoffs at a west coast venue in 2018.