SCCA National Championship Runoffs Mixed Bag on SPEED This Weekend

TOPEKA, Kan. (Dec. 6, 2005) – What do two first-time SCCA National Championship Runoffs® winners, a driver looking for two titles in a row and another looking to reclaim his class’ throne have in common?

They are all on SPEED Channel this weekend as four very different classes make their way to the Runoffs coverage forefront.

As has been the case for the past two weekends, two races, shown back-to-back, are slated for both Saturday and Sunday, with Formula Continental and D Sports Racing on Saturday, Dec. 10, followed Dec. 11 by E Production and Grand Touring 1.

Each day’s coverage begins at 1 p.m. (EST).

Things to watch:

• Niki Coello, of East Troy, Wis., is looking for his first Runoffs Championship, and if he gets it, it would complete his quest for the Chicago Region “Triple Crown.” However, the deck is stacked against him as he will start third on the grid behind both Cole Morgan, of Lighthouse Point, Fla., and polesitter Ricardo Vassmer, of Coral Springs, Fla., who was impressive all week long prior to the FC race. With former FC Champions Justin Pritchard (1996) and Brian Tomasi (2004) starting right behind him, Coello will have to be at his best to earn his first title.

• Before John Hill stepped into 2002-03 D Sports Racing Champion Mark Jaremko’s car and won a DSR title last year, Jaremko, of Spokane, Wash., owned the class. After taking a hiatus and running CSR in 2004, Jaremko’s DSR focus appears to be in order once again, however, as he has his Stohr WF1 on the pole after setting a new DSR qualifying record with a 1:21.577 – the only competitor to post a sub 1:22 lap time. 2004 Runoffs DSR runner-up Steve Ott, of Brighton, Colo., and 2005 June Sprints DSR winner Jason Miller, of Elkhart Lake, Wis., will start second and third, respectively.

• With 49 cars, E Production boasts the largest Runoffs field in 2005. Tom Thrash, of Houston, Texas, is on the pole for the EP race after earning the top spot on the final day of qualifying. Action will be tight from top to bottom as Thrash must take on the likes of Buddy Norton III, of Pelham, N.C., Lawrence Loshak, of Milwaukee, Wis. (who was solid all season long in SCCA Club Racing) and Kim Knapp, of Avon, Colo., all of whom are hungry for their first Runoffs victory.

• A year removed from winning the first GT-1 Runoffs Championship of his career, Lew Larimer, of Hayward, Calif., appears to be in good shape to win his second as he will start from the pole in Sunday’s GT-1 show. Trevor Hopwood, of Lee, N.H., will start on the front row with Larimer, and Amy Ruman, of Kent, Ohio, will begin the race third as she attempts to become just the third woman in Runoffs history to earn a Championship. Also watch for former champion Mike Lewis, of Poway, Calif., who will start from the back of the field in his Jaguar.

Previously aired replay schedule (all times Eastern):

Formula Atlantic: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 4 a.m.
Formula 500: Thursday, Dec. 8, 4 a.m.

For a complete, first-airing broadcast schedule for the remaining 11 races, visit www.scca.com.