Wayland Joe Claims First SCCA National Championship in GT-2

TOPEKA, Kan. (Oct. 13, 2006) – Wayland Joe, of South Barrington, Ill., claimed his first GT-2 Championship at the 2006 SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Kansas, As Big As You Think. Michael Muren, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and Tom Patton, of Hamilton, Ohio, completed the podium at Heartland Park Topeka.

Joe made quick work of polesitter Muren and put his No. 99 Soak Porsche GT3 Cup into the lead on the opening lap. From there it was a nose-to-tail battle between Joe and the No. 96 Porsche 944S of Muren. After several looks to the inside, outside and everywhere in-between, Muren made his move on Lap Seven in Turn Eight to regain the top spot. Muren’s joy was short-lived, when only two laps later he navigated Turn One wide and headed into the grass, handing the lead back to Joe who seized the opportunity and never looked back.

“Mike was on my butt the whole race,” Joe said. “He was making it tough for me but I realized that if I just maintained it with consistent lap times and consistent driving that I would prevail. But he passed me… so I decided to retake the lead in Turn One. I was going to go deep on the inside and he went deep, we both went deep and I just managed to squeal through there and get ahead of Michael. After that I just kept it pedal to the metal and drove my heart out.”

No. 50 Tom Patton came home third, driving his Tire Discounters/Red Line Oil Sunbeam Tiger, after a last corner drag race to the finish with No. 90 Van Sayler, of St. Petersburg, Fla., driving a NGT Motorsport Porsche GT3 Cup. The No. 04 Hoosier Nissan 300ZX of Gerry Mason, from Fishers, Ind., completed the top five. Tom Gonzales of Santa Fe, N.M., earned the Sunoco Hard Charger award by advancing ten positions in his No. 28 Rocky Mountain Business Porsche GT3 Cup.

Now in its 43rd year, the SCCA National Championship Runoffs Presented by Kansas, As Big As You Think annually crowns the best amateur road racers in North America as Champions. More than 750 competitors have gathered this year to battle for 25 class titles, with nine races on Friday and eight Saturday and Sunday. This marks the first year that the Runoffs is held at Heartland Park Topeka.

Celebrating its 62nd anniversary, Sports Car Club of America is a 55,000 member organization that sanctions and promotes grassroots and professional motorsports events in a variety of disciplines, including road racing, Solo, road rally and rallycross.