LEXINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 25, 2004) – John Heinricy, of Holly, Mich., captured his seventh National Championship Saturday, taking the American Sedan class win at the 2004 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® Presented by Kohler at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Matthew Roberts, of Torrington, Conn., and Kristain Smith, of Brighton, Mich., completed the top-three.

Driving the No. 54 Tom Aquilante Racing/Goodyear Pontiac Firebird, Heinricy for the second consecutive year won two National Championship in the same SCCA Runoffs. Caught out at the start, Heinricy fell back to third at the drop of the green flag. Racing nose-to-tail, he moved into second place on lap five. On the following lap, Heinricy, Smith and Andrew McDermid all made contact in the esses, with Heinricy able to continue in second place. Steadily catching Kyle Watkins, he passed for the lead on lap 14 exiting Thunder Valley. Unchallenged, Heinricy crossed the start/finish winning by 7.064 seconds and an average speed of 80.179 mph.

“Kyle [Watkins] got a great start and got the lead,” said Heinricy, who won the T1 National Championship on Friday. “I was afraid of his getting away, but the race actually came back to me. After I took the lead I got tapped in the Carousel. I was sideways and thought that I had lost it. I put it into third gear and the rear tires bit and I was able to get it pointed straight.”

Chris Billings, of Portland, Ore., finished fourth, and McDermid, of Grand Ledge, Mich., completed the top-five.

Now in its 41st year, the SCCA National Championship Runoffs annually crown the best amateur road racers in North America Champions. More than 700 competitors have gathered this year to battle for 24 class titles this year, with eight races being run each day from Friday through Sunday.

Celebrating its 60th Anniversary, Sports Car Club of America is a 60,000 member motorsports organization that sanctions and promotes grassroots and professional motorsports events of a variety of disciplines, including road racing, autocrossing, road rally and performance rally.

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Link to story: http://www.scca.com/News/News.asp?Ref=163