Honda, Acura Racers Prepare For SCCA National Championships
• 56 Honda, Acura racers to compete in 12 classes at Sonoma Raceway
• Individual races determine champions in each class
• Event returns to West Coast for first time since 2014
TORRANCE, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2018) – Honda and Acura racers head to Sonoma Raceway, just north of San Francisco, this weekend for the 55th running of the Sports Car Club of America National Championship “Runoffs”, hoping to add to an already impressive total of titles won by Honda Racing Line members.
Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s 24 races is underway at the challenging, 2.52-mile Sonoma road course. A total of 56 Honda and Acura racers will compete in 12 of the classes, an increase of eight over the last time the Runoffs were conducted in California, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2014.
Honda Performance Development will again be onsite throughout the event to provide technical and parts suppor
t for racers, from practice sessions through the final races and tech inspections.
“Our main focus at every Runoffs event is supporting our Honda Racing Line members,” said John Whiteman, Manager, HPD Commercial and Customer Motorsports. “Every year, we try to provide a special experience for competitors who embrace Honda’s Challenging Spirit and reward them for their continued support.
“From our on-site technical support to our ‘tow-fund-for-all,’ we want to show our appreciation, and acknowledge all of the work that they put into getting to the Runoffs.”
Established by Honda Performance Development, the motorsports arm of American Honda, the Honda Racing Line has provided performance parts, technical support and contingency awards to amateur and entry-level professional Honda and Acura racers since 2009. In the nine succeeding seasons, nearly 500 Honda and Acura racers have participated in the Runoffs, claiming 41 national championship titles.
This year at Sonoma Raceway, 22 Honda-powered Formula F drivers will make up the bulk of that open-wheel category, with the Super Touring (15 racers in STU and STL) and Production Classes (nine competitors in F, G and H-Production) also popular for Honda and Acura racers.
Former winners in this year’s field include Honda Formula F racers Tim Kautz and Rick Payne; John Philips III in a B-Spec Honda Fit; and Honda R&D engineer Kevin Boehm, driving a STU Honda Civic.
Other Honda and Acura drivers to watch at this year’s Runoffs include Acura NSX pilots Igor Lyustin and Kris Olson in Touring 1; Armen Megregian in his Prototype-2 Ligier JS51-Honda; Bob Perona in Formula F; Greg Gauper in H Production and Greg Ira in Super Touring Lite.
A “traveling” event in recent years, the SCCA Runoffs were conducted at Daytona International Speedway in 2015, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2016, and on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year. In 2019, the event returns to the eastern USA, and will be held at Virginia International Raceway near Danville, Va.
Racing to determine the 2018 SCCA National Champions gets underway on Friday, October 19 and runs through Sunday, October 21. Live, online video coverage of Runoffs races will be available at SCCA.com/live with veteran broadcaster Greg Creamer anchoring the broadcast. Live timing and scoring will also be available at SCCA.com/live for each National Championship race.