SCCA: Firecracker of a day at High Plains Raceway

Hot, loud and fast. The SCCA Mid-States Majors Tour races on Saturday at High Plains Raceway were everything an Independence Day should be.

Twenty-three race winners were handed trophies during the 25-minute timed races at the track just east of Denver, following morning practice and qualifying sessions for the six race groups.Three drivers claimed a pair of wins on Saturday.Tyler Hunter, of Denver, pulled double duty in open wheel classes. Hunter's No. 22 Swan Racing Swift 014a sliced around for a 38-second win in Formula Atlantic. That performance followed a group one Formula Vee runaway in the No. 22 Swan Racing Vortech/Volkswagen.Matt Reynolds, of Fair Oaks, Texas, built on his E Production season with a group two overall win in the No. 71 Reynolds Bros. Racing/JPM/Vintage Connection Mazda Miata. Reynolds followed that up later in the afternoon by sneaking away from the Spec Miata field for a win in the No. 74 Reynolds Bros. Racing/Vintage Connection/JPM Mazda Miata.Michael Pettiford wheeled two cars to one of his favorite home state tracks, and walked away with two first place trophies. Pettiford took a win in the Touring 2 "red car", his No. 41 GO 4 IT Racing Schools/Hoosier Tires/Hawk Brakes/Purifoy Chevrolet Pontiac Solstice. In the final group of the day, Pettiford's No. 41 GO 4 IT Racing Schools/Hoosier Tires/Hawk Brakes/Purifoy Chevrolet Chevrolet Corvette led overall early, before being passed by faster class cars. Pettiford hung on for the Touring one class win, however.The Mid-States Conference gets back to action at High Plains Raceway on Sunday, with 18 lap races beginning at 10:40 a.m. MDT for Round 10 of the championship. Live timing and notes can be found at SCCA.com/Live.Interviews with race winning drivers can be found at SCCA.com. A complete list of winners, with class, name, hometown, and car, follow:American Sedan: Jim Wheeler, Lenexa, Kan., Pontiac Trans-AmE Production: Matt Reynolds, Fair Oaks, Texas, Mazda MiataF Production: Eric Prill, Topeka, Kan., Mazda MiataFormula 500: Timothy Friest, Leavenworth, Kan., KBS Mk 7Formula 1000: Jose Gerardo, El Paso, Texas, Galmer F1000Formula Atlantic: Tyler Hunter, Denver, Colo., Swift 014aFormula Enterprises: Henry Donohoo, Arvada, Colo., Formula Enterprises/FordFormula F: Max Mallinen, Liberty Lake, Wash., Spectrum 016/HondaFormula Mazda: Larry Howard, Kansas City, Mo., Formula MazdaFormula Vee: Tyler Hunter, Denver, Colo., Vortech/VolkswagenGT-2: Jim Valdez, Denver, Colo., BMW E46GT-3: Alan Marshall, Bulverde, Texas, Mazda RX-7Prototype 1: Kirk Kindsfater, Eaton, Colo., Speads RS11Prototype 2: Bruce Gurney, Honolulu, Hawaii, Carbir CS-2Spec Miata: Matt Reynolds, Fair Oaks, Texas, Mazda MiataSpec Racer Ford: Mike Cameron, Highland Ranch, Colo., Spec Racer FordSpec Racer Ford Gen 3: Keith Verges, Dallas, Texas, Spec Racer FordSuper Touring Lite: Rick Schader, Longmont, Colo., Mazda MX-5Super Touring Under: Anthony Simmers, Boulder, Colo., Volkswagen GTITouring 1: Michael Pettiford, Louisville, Colo., Chevrolet CorvetteTouring 2: Michael Pettiford, Louisville, Colo., Pontiac SolsticeTouring 3: Bob Schader, Lafayette, Colo., Nissan 350ZTouring 4: Stan Czacki, Truth or Consequences, N.M., Acura RSX Type SImage: Michael Pettiford at High Plains Raceway.Credit: SCCA Images