SCCA: Majors Mid-States Conference Rewind

The 2016 MidStates Conference SCCA U.S. Majors Tour has reached its conclusion. Upward of 400 drivers competed in MidStates events this season, but only 29 get to claim a Conference Championship.

The MidStates Conference began its 12round calendar late in February. Round One and Round Two took place at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, La. April then saw two Conference events, the first being Round Three and Round Four at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Jennings, Okla.; followed by Round Five and Round Six at MSRHouston in Angleton, Texas. An additional two events also landed in May, with Round Seven and Round Eight at Circuit of St. Louis in Madison, Ill.; and Round Nine and Round 10at Pueblo Motorsports Park. The Conference then took a month off before wrapping up in early July with Round Eleven and Round Twelve at High Plains Raceway in Deer Trail, Colo.

Points are awarded to the top 20 finishers in each class. Winners earn 25 points, and 21 points go to second. Points are then doled out to others starting with 18 and descending to a single point for the 20th finisher. Only the best eight races count toward a driver's point total.Michael Pettiford managed to claim two MidStates Conference Champion trophies this year driving two different cars. Pettiford grabbed the top spot in Touring 1 with a Chevrolet Corvette, and then drove a Pontiac Solstice GXP to the Touring 2 championship. And in a unique occurrence, two Corvette drivers, Dane Smith and David Fershtand, each scored exactly 50 points during the course of the MidStates Conference schedule to become cochampions in the GT1 Class.The Prototype 2 Class champion was decided by just five points and went to Jay Messenger who drove a Carbir/Mazda MX1 to double wins at the MidStates Conference finale at High Plains Raceway. And the Touring 4 championship was an all Acura RSX affair won by only 3 points by Stanislas Czacki over Jeff Jensen.MidStates Conference Champions with Class: Name, Hometown and Car:

American Sedan: B. Thomas Himes; Slidell, LA; Ford MustangBSpec: John Phillips; Sealy, TX; Toyota YarisE Production: Matt Reynolds; Fair Oaks, TX; Mazda MiataF Production: Randy Wagner; Tulsa, OK; Mazda MiataH Production: Chris Albin; Maryland Heights, MO, Volkswagen GTIFormula 1000: Kevin Roggenbuck; Woodinville, WA; Firman RFR 1000Formula Atlantic: Dwight Rider; Aurora, CO; Ralt RT41Formula Continental: Barry Gilbert; Englewood, CO; Van Dieman RF03Formula 500: John W. Walbran; Saint Louis, MO; Scorpion 2006Formula Enterprises: Clifford Maxwell; Leander, TX; Formula Enterprises/Van DiemenFormula F: Stephen Meyer; Longmont, CO; Piper DF5Formula Mazda: Larry Howard; Kansas City, MO; Formula MazdaFormula Vee: Charles Hearn; Houston, TX; Vortech/VWGT1 (CoChampion): David Fershtand; Fort Worth, TX; Chevrolet CorvetteGT1 (CoChampion): Dane Smith; Springdale, AR; Chevrolet CorvetteGT2: Jim Valdez; Denver, CO; BMW E46GT3: George Walker; Tulsa, OK; Mazda MiataGTLite: Larry Svaton; Alvin, TX; Fiat X1/9Prototype 1: Kirk Kindsfater; Eaton, CO; Speads RS11Prototype 2: Jay Messenger; Mulshoe, TX; Carbir/Mazda MX1Spec Miata: Max Nufer, Glencoe, MO; Mazda MiataSpec Racer Ford: Jim Tibor Jr., Silver Plume, CO; Enterprise SRFSpec Racer Ford 3: Grayson Strathman; Jennings OK; SCCA Enterprises SRF3Super Touring Lite: Scott Bettinger, Haysville, KS; Mazda MiataSuper Touring Under: Anthony Simmers; Boulder, Colorado; Volkswagen GTITouring 1: Michael Pettiford; Louisville, CO; Chevrolet Corvette Z06Touring 2: Michael Pettiford; Louisville, CO; Pontiac Solstice GXPTouring 3: Robert Schader; Lafayette, CO; Nissan 350ZTouring 4: Stan Czacki; Truth or Consequences, NM; Acura RSXThe SCCA Majors Tour is a gateway to the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Garmin VIRB being held September 1925 at the MidOhio Sports Car Course. Drivers earn an invite to the annual event by participating in a minimum of three separate U.S. Majors Tour events and have a minimum of three individual race finishes, all in the same Class. Competitors must either finish in the top 10 of a Conference Class with 20 or fewer participants, or be in the top 50 percent of a Class with more than 20 drivers. Another route to the Runoffs is to score points in the top 50 percent of the Nationwide point standings within a Class.