SCCA: Who Will Win the Runoffs, Pt 4

Just days away is the start of the most prestigious amateur road racing championship in North America: the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. This year taking place Sept. 21-27 at Daytona International Speedway, 2015 marks the first time the Runoffs has been at Daytona since 1969. The Sports Car Club of America's annual winner-take-all competition sees in excess of 500 road racers take to the track in the hopes of claiming gold – or at least make the winners earn their prize.

What follows is a listing prepared by SportsCar magazine, SCCA's official member magazine and sister publication to RACER magazine and RACER.com, containing the racers SportsCar's editors believe will stand atop the podium come the Sept. 21-27 race weekend.

To keep up on the action during Runoffs week, keep an eye on RACER.com. Also, head to www.scca.com/runoffs where you'll find a Runoffs race schedule and a link to the free, live video stream of all the races.

• Who Will Win the Runoffs, Pt 2

• Who Will Win the Runoffs, Pt 3

Spec Racer Ford, Spec Racer Ford 3, Formula Enterprises
WORDS Jeff Zurschmeide
IMAGE Clark McInnis

2015 will mark the first National Championship for the new SRF3 class, and a total of three classes supported by SCCA Enterprises. This also marks the beginning of the end for the older SRF racecars, as the plan is to faze those out in exchange for the faster GEN3 cars over the course of three competition seasons. But that doesn't mean the racing in SRF will be any less exciting this year, where Denny Stripling is our pick to win.

"This race promises to be a real barnburner," he tells us. "The combination of numerous strong drivers and the dynamics of racing at Daytona all but ensure a nail biter to the checkered flag, potentially with a seven- or eight-car photo finish in the offing."

What Stripling is talking about could be the key to many race wins this year. With the long run to the finish line around Daytona's big sweeping super speedway oval, a big draft is likely to form, with the actual winners decided by inches.

The other wild card factor in SRF is who's not in the race. "The introduction of SRF3 this year has changed the look of the field a bit," says Stripling, "with several perennial top SRF drivers running only in that class – but the SRF field will still be very, very deep on talent. We have super-talented National Champions Scott Rettich and Cliff White running in SRF as well as SRF3, plus a gaggle of local Southeast Division hot shoes at their home track."

Stripling also understands that strategy will be critical. "I think the key in the race will be to stay in the lead pack until the end and then see how it all plays out at the Bus Stop," he says. "The SRF leader out of the Bus Stop on the last lap may well not end up on the podium at the end of the day."

As Stripling mentioned, Scott Rettich, Cliff White, Derek Schofield, or Grayson Strathman could all take the win or make the podium. The only way to know is to be there at the end.

In the new SRF3 class, our pick for the top step is Brian Schofield, who has twice won SRF National Championships in 2010 and 2013. Schofield races out of Lakeland, Fla., so Daytona is a home track for him, and he has an unusually candid take on the race. "I love racing at Daytona because of the strategy it takes to win there," he tells us. "You can totally miss the setup but still be in the hunt for a win with a draft. This year the best car or driver will not win the race – the race will be won by the person who has a drafting partner who is willing to finish second."

Our pick this year for that second-place finish is four-time National Champ Mike Miserendino, who agrees about the race strategy at Daytona. "There will probably be six to eight guys – or more – in the lead pack who will all have a shot to win coming to the flag," Miserendino explains. "Schofield has proven to be the best drafter probably ever in our class, so that is a strong pick. Tray Ayers seems to be really in the mix. I know Cliff 'Boom Boom' White will be strong, and I would not count out John Black either."

Other drivers who could be there for the last lap madness include Kerry Jacobsen, Todd Harris, T.J. Acker, and Scott Rettich.

Did we mention Scott Rettich? Multi-time National Champ Scott Rettich is our pick to win the hotly contested Formula Enterprises class. "The Formula Enterprises field will be even bigger and stronger at this year's Runoffs," says Rettich. "Ryan Norman and Reece Everard will be very strong competitors, as will Brandon Kennedy, Brandon Aleckson, and Paul Schneider. Many new drivers have entered Formula Enterprises this year including Hanna Zellers and Ray Mason, who may surprise everyone with their speed."

Like all potential winners, Rettich is thinking ahead about how to win on the new track. "Daytona presents some unique challenges and it requires a very different race strategy than Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, but the race strategy will be similar to Road America; a track where we have a very strong setup and win record," says Rettich. "We have experience at Daytona from running the Rolex 24 Hour a few times and we plan to run multiple test days to dial in our setup. I am confident we have what it takes to win."

Prototype 1, Prototype 2
WORDS Tom Schultz
IMAGE Ken Brown

The closed wheel sports racers likely will be the fastest cars on the Daytona high banks, with their slippery bodies cleaving the air better than the open-wheel machines. In Prototype 1, the faster of the Prototype classes, the win may well come down to whom has the strongest engine with the lowest drag.

Jacek Mucha has been a Runoffs bridesmaid six times, but we think this is his year. Mucha has a very strong car, a Swift 016.a Atlantic with a slick shell. The Mazda four puts out gobs of power. Chris Farrell, last year's P1 champ (who's running P2 this year), flatly states that this year belongs to Mucha. "Jacek has the car," says Farrell. "Daytona suits both his car and his driving style. He should be able to pull away once he gets into the lead."

Kirk Kindsfater in a Speads RS11 has been fast, too. At the time of this writing, he is undefeated this season, but the question is whether he has the engine to stay up front. Timothy Day has the fastest Stohr and has had a good season himself; and there are others who we think will figure into the race. Jim Downing has age and experience on his side, and he's driving his own car, a Ralt-based Peach Day 02, and then there's James Davenport in his Norma M20FC. Jason Miller hasn't had a spectacular year, but has what is arguably the fastest car; he drives a West powered by a flat six cylinder Kohler engine. The car is a rocket, but also fragile.

In Prototype 2, Chris Farrell has stepped over from P1, where he claimed the win in 2014. We expect him to win in P2 at Daytona. "My motor for P1 was not up to my satisfaction," he says. "It didn't have enough horsepower for Daytona, so I put my efforts into P2. I changed the Stohr body and floor and have concentrated on making this car as good and as advanced as the P1 car was."

Farrell does expect stiff competition. "Jeff Shafer, in his Radical, is very fast," Farrell tells us. "I think he will give me a run for it." Greg Gyann has been winning in the Northern Conference in his Stohr while Michael Reupert has been struggling. Reupert, in a Nostendo powered by his own homebuilt flat four engine, has shown speed, but reliability has not been there. The same is true of his stablemate, Richard Colburn, also in a Nostendo but powered by a motorcycle engine.

Last year's runner-up, David Ferguson, is not making the long tow from California, but he does have an opinion about the outcome: "Farrell will win. He will crush them."