SCCA: Steyn weathers storm to win Spec Miata at June Sprints

The WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints at Road America is an annual summer tradition in SCCA Majors competition. Apparently, those in charge of the Wisconsin weather didn't get the "summer" message.

Cool temperatures and a mixture of fog, mist and rain - more reminiscent of the coast of Northern California than the coast of Lake Michigan - added to the strategy for the two races run on Saturday.The rain was falling just before the Spec Miata race, and tire selection was immediately evident. The front row of Danny Steyn's No. 39 ADEPT Studios/Rossini/OPM Mazda Miata, and Todd Lamb's No. 84 Atlanta Speedwerks/East Street/AIM Mazda Miata chose a rain tire, while Jim Drago's No. 2 East Street Racing Miata and Craig Berry's No. 29 Berry Marble and Granite/East Street Racing Miata were shod with the dry weather Hoosiers. The first time by the stripe, Steyn and Lamb were 10 seconds up on the field, and Drago had fallen to 12th place.Clear of the field, Steyn and Lamb swapped the lead on several occasions, with Steyn leading at the white flag. Despite looking hard for an opening, Lamb couldn't get around Steyn, who won by just 0.691-second.Though the only Formula 1000 in the field, Tyler Thielman, of nearby Kiel, had long dreamed of winning the June Sprints. Rather than simply rest on the lack of competition, Thielman drove his No. 6 SO Bright LLC/Moons Super Cycle JDR 012/Suzuki to the overall win, laying down lap after lap as quickly as possible.17-year old Joseph Burton-Harris, a native Australian now living in the States, went out on slicks in the No. 132 GMG Mobility/Sydney Sports Formula Mazda and absolutely pummeled the field, finishing second overall and 1:47.669 ahead of second place in class.Greg Gyann and Kelly Toombs both spun out of the Prototype 2 lead, but Gyann's No. 83 Gycor International Stohr WF1 was the first to do it, allowing him to move back into the lead when Toombs No. 36 KC Racing Van Diemen CSR did the same in a nearly identical location exiting turn six.Six race groups will run on Sunday to complete the June Sprints, with action beginning at 9:15 a.m. CDT.Interviews from each of the Saturday's race winners can be found at SCCA.com. Results, and more information, can be found at SCCA.com/JuneSprints.More information on the U.S. Majors Tour, and all of the SafeRacer SCCA Club Racing program, can be found on SCCA.com.Provisional winners from Saturday's races at the WeatherTech Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints, with Class, name, hometown, and car.Formula 1000: Tyler Thielmann, Kiel, Wis., JDR-012/SuzukiFormula Mazda: Joseph Burton-Harris, Sydney, Australia, Formula MazdaPrototype 2: Greg Gyann, Willowbrook, Ill., Stohr WF1/SuzukiSpec Miata: Danny Steyn, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Mazda Miata

Image: Danny Steyn crosses just in front of Todd Lamb in Spec Miata.

Credit: SCCA