The SCCA Runoffs, a primer

This week you're going to experience a wealth of SCCA National Championship Runoffs content on RACER.com. If you're not familiar with the Runoffs, it's not a glamorous professional race, nor does it offer the flash and glamour of many a pro weekend. What it does feature, however, is some of the most captivating racing in the world.

Lets start with the basics: The National Championship Runoffs is SCCA's pinnacle amateur Club Racing event. Every year since 1964, grassroots road racers have competed nationwide to qualify for the winner-take-all race. "The Runoffs has an unparalleled history," says SCCA President and CEO Lisa Noble. "The history of the event is recognized through our great alumni who have competed at the Runoffs and gone on to professional racing. This is truly the proving ground for tomorrow's legends."

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• Who Will Win the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, part 2

• Who Will Win the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, Part 1

The list of past Runoffs champions is a who's who of motorsports; there's Skip Barber, John Fitch, Briggs Cunningham, Paul Newman, John Heinricy, and Jimmy Vasser, to name a few. Professional racers like Andrew Aquilante have used SCCA Club Racing and the Runoffs to hone their skills. Also, in 2005 Graham Rahal claimed an SCCA National Championship in Formula Atlantic at the Runoffs before heading to IndyCar, and this past weekend Trent Hindman, who finished second in GT-2 at last year's Runoffs, clinched the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS class championship.

This year, roughly 530 entries spread across 27 classes will compete at the Runoffs, which takes place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Practice starts today, qualifying kicks off tomorrow, and races run from Friday to Sunday, Oct. 10-12.

"There will be everything from the 60hp Formula Vee that is over 50 years old to ultra modern Formula Atlantic cars at the Runoffs," Noble explains. "There will also be great spec racing with Spec Racer Ford and Spec Miata, and wonderful action in Touring, with racing taking place in cars you may drive on the street every day. Taking Touring a step further are our Production classes, where drivers can push the envelope of preparation of their cars. There's also the incredible Prototype classes where some of the most innovative thinking and development in the SCCA can be found."

This is just a hint of what will be racing at the Runoffs, and all of it will be covered here at RACER.com. There will be a live video stream of the races linked from www.scca.com/runoffs, as well as a complete race schedule.

For competitors, the Runoffs is often an addiction that leaves them coming back for more.

"I started going to the Runoffs as a crew member in 1978, and my first drive at the Runoffs was in 1992 in Formula Vee," says Noble. "I've been to the Runoffs every year since as a driver."

New for this year is the way the SCCA is handling the gargantuan event. From 1964-'69 the Runoffs alternated between Riverside International Raceway in Southern California and Daytona. From 1970-'93, the Runoffs was held at Road Atlanta. The Runoffs then spent 12 years at Mid-Ohio, 2006-'08 at Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas, and then it was off to Road America until 2013.

From this point forward, SCCA's plan is to move the event annually. 2014 sees the Runoffs at Mazda Raceway, 2015 it will be at Daytona, and in 2016 it will return to Mid-Ohio.

And lets not forget about the actual racing. "These are 27 races with non-stop action; 40 minutes of racing in a sprint race format," says Noble. "There is no pit crew; everything is driver focused."

RACER.com will bring you trackside reporting all week long leading up to the races. Then, on Friday while you're sitting at your desk at work, head to www.scca.com/runoffs and click on the live video feed. If you log on early enough, you'll witness nearly eight hours of programming, with that coverage continuing on Saturday and Sunday. And check back to RACER.com throughout the entire week for more analysis.