SONOMA, Calif. (Oct. 11, 2018) - The Sports Car Club of America® (SCCA®) will hold its National Championship Runoffs® for the very first time at Sonoma Raceway, Oct. 19-21. More than 500 racers from across the United States and Canada will converge on the 12-turn, 2.52-mile circuit to decide National Champions across 28 different car classes over three action-packed days of racing.
Sometimes referred to as the "Olympics" of amateur road racing, the annual Runoffs was named by Car and Driver magazine as one of the Top-10 racing events in the world. Since 1964, the Runoffs has crowned National Champions through a winner-take-all, single race format for each unique car class. As the venue of the 55th Runoffs, Sonoma Raceway becomes only the third California track to host SCCA's National Championship, joining Riverside International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The most recent Runoffs was held in 2017 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course used by Formula One and IndyCar.
From Porsches to Hondas, Corvettes to Mazdas and sleek open-cockpit racecars, drivers compete in a wide array of colorful, quick, high-performance vehicles. Previous National Champions include the likes of Roger Penske, Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal and Paul Newman. SCCA President/CEO Mike Cobb noted that all the drivers competing at Sonoma Raceway in the Runoffs have worked all year to meet qualification requirements and prepare for the biggest race weekend on the SCCA calendar.
"These drivers come from all walks of life. There are business owners and teachers, retirees and high school students," Cobb said. "But what they all share is a dedication to the sport, incredible skills, a will to win and a passion for having fun with cars. Truly, the Runoffs is one of the most intense U.S. motorsport events of the year and an absolutely amazing three days of racing."
The Runoffs at Sonoma Raceway begins with three days of qualifying, Oct. 16-18, to find Tire Rack Pole Award winners for each car class. Races are then scheduled, Oct. 19-21, from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day, with each race lasting either 20 laps or 40 minutes. Spectators are welcome at qualifying and race days, with tickets starting at $15 per day or $60 for multi-day passes. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.sonomaraceway.com/SCCA.
Steve Page, president and general manager of Sonoma Raceway, noted the facility's first official event in 1968 at then-Sears Point Raceway was an SCCA Enduro race.
"As we prepare to celebrate our 50th anniversary throughout the 2019 season, we are very proud to host the Runoffs, the premier event in amateur road racing, as part of that celebration," Page said. "This is the first time the Runoffs has been back on the West Coast since 2014, and we look forward to welcoming the SCCA community and the nation's best racers to beautiful Sonoma Valley for some fantastic racing."
