Several Mid-States Majors titles wrapped up in Kansas.
The final Majors race of the 2014 season is in the books. The culmination of the Mid-States Conference season wrapped up those championships that were still undecided and let others complete qualifications for the National Championship Runoffs at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Competitors were met by hot, humid conditions at Heartland Park Topeka for 25-minute timed races on Saturday and 21-lap contests around the 2.2-mile track on Sunday.
Matt Reynolds had already clinched two championships, Spec Miata and E Production, when he set a new SM track record on the way to his flag-to-flag win in the No. 73 Reynolds Bros. Racing/JPM/Vintage Connection Mazda Miata. He repeated the flag-to-flag victory on Sunday to cap off his title.
Michael Mallinen drove his No. 71 Swan Motorsports Swift 016/Mazda to a flag-to-flag victory in Formula Atlantic, ticking off lap after lap to the finish. In a mirror image of Saturday’s race, Mallinen started in front of the field on Sunday and pulled away to lap the entire field and take the win. Mallinen came from Washington, though, and didn’t threaten Connor Kearby’s Mazda-powered FA title.
Darryl Wills set a new track record in the No. 1 Hillenburg Motorsports/Hoosier Tire/Hawk Performance Formula Mazda early, but was forced to pit lane late in the race. He came back on the track just behind Stuart Rettie’s No. 21 Hillenburg Motorsports Formula Mazda, and stayed in that order to the finish. Rettie swept the weekend, moving around Wills late in the race. Wills’ second-place finish clinched the Mid-States Majors Tour class championship.
Saturday ended with Jesse Prather running away from the E Production field in the No. 34 Jesse Prather Motorsports/MAZDASPEED/Carbotech/Hoosier Mazda MX-5 to an overall victory, setting a new track record in the process. His overall margin of victory closed to just 0.028-second when teammate and F Production winner Eric Prill pulled his No. 7 MaxtonsFight.org/JPM/Hoosier Tire Mazda Miata alongside up the front straight to the finish. Prill’s race win came after he shook free of Rick Harris’ No. 8 Jesse Prather Motorsports/Hoosier/V8 Roadsters/MAZDASPEED Mazda Miata.
Other Mazda Mid-States Majors champs include James Speights, who took GT-3 in an RX-7, GT Lite winner Jonathan Goodale in an MX-5 and Brian Laughlin, who won the Super Touring Lite title in a Miata.
SCCA Mid-States Conference Majors
Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kan.
Aug. 30-31, 2014
Round 11 Mazda Winners
| Class | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| E Production | Jesse Prather | Topeka Kan. | Mazda MX-5 |
| F Production | Eric Prill | Topeka Kan. | Mazda Miata |
| Formula Atlantic | Michael Mallinen | Liberty Lake Wash. | Swift 016/Mazda |
| Formula Mazda | Stuart Rettie | Houston Texas | Formula Mazda |
| Spec Miata | Matt Reynolds | Fair Oaks Texas | Mazda Miata |
| Super Touring Lite | Bob Schader | Longmont Colo. | Mazda MX-5 |
Round 12 Mazda Winners
| Class | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| E Production | Jesse Prather | Topeka Kan. | Mazda MX-5 |
| Formula Atlantic | Michael Mallinen | Liberty Lake Wash. | Swift 016/Mazda |
| Formula Mazda | Stuart Rettie | Houston Texas | Formula Mazda |
| Spec Miata | Matt Reynolds | Fair Oaks Texas | Mazda Miata |