Contact: John Ewert
Communications Director
O: (920) 893-4206
jewert@roadamerica.com
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., Sept. 12, 2013 – Road racing champions will be crowned next week at Road America as drivers from around the country participate in the 50th running of the pinnacle amateur road-racing event in the U.S., the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Championship Runoffs® September 19-22. The event determines the best drivers of the season within each of the 28 classes of competition and this year over 700 entries are expected, making the Runoffs the largest annual amateur road-racing event in the world.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Runoffs, it is an iconic winner-take-all championship for SCCA’s Club racers, and is open to any of the club’s competition drivers who qualified for the event. Although contingency prize money is up for grabs, in reality, to win the SCCA National Championship Runoffs is a chance for bragging rights in the highly competitive world of sports car racing. For many drivers, winning the Runoffs is the peak of their racing career, but for some, it is a steppingstone to a profession behind the wheel. Some notable past Runoffs winners include Skip Barber, Paul Newman, Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal, Roger Penske and Jimmy Vasser.
The fan-friendly paddock will be loaded with local racers fielding a huge variety of cars including American muscle Corvettes and Mustangs; open-wheel formula cars; historic Triumphs and Austin Healeys; even Toyotas, Mazdas and BMWs. Each race is 13 laps or 40 minutes, whichever elapses first. A lap around Road America’s 4.048-mile circuit offers the ultimate for any sports car racer due to its 14 turns, three high-speed straights and 170′ of elevation changes. For many of the competitors, it’s an opportunity to earn a championship where their racing heroes did the same.
$10 tickets for practice are available Monday through Wednesday. Event tickets will be available Thursday through Sunday at the main gate. Gates open at 7 a.m. daily and races run rain or shine. Kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Parking, paddock access and grandstand seating are also free with ticket purchase. As part of its commitment to honoring America’s heroes, all active, reserve-duty military and veterans receive free admission regardless of their state of residency. To receive the free admission, veterans must either have a retired military identification card or a standard discharge form known as a DD214. Active duty personnel must have their photo identification card issued by the Department of Defense.
2013 also marks the fifth and final year for the Runoffs at Road America before it moves on to other venues, so don’t miss out on the action. For more information and tickets, visit www.roadamerica.com or call 800-365-7223.
For more information about the SCCA and the National Championship Runoffs, please visit www.scca.com/Runoffs.
About Road America: Established in 1955 as the first permanent road racing course in the United States, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The world’s best racers have competed at this legendary four-mile, 14-turn circuit for over 55 years. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers a variety of group event programs, the Blain’s Farm & Fleet Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving schools. For more information, visit www.roadamerica.com Follow Road America on www.facebook.com/RoadAmerica and on Twitter: @roadamerica or call 800-365-7223.
