Mazda racers clinch numerous wins during the SCCA Super Tour’s first visit to the Georgia track
The first Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour competition at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile, 12-turn circuit saw nearly 300 entries. That made for some interesting competition during eight, 25-minute races on Saturday and 35-minute races on Sunday at the event hosted by SCCA’s Atlanta Region.
Danny Steyn had a perfect Saturday. In Super Touring Lite, Steyn drove his No. 9 Ocean Machinery/Nelson Engines/OPM Autosports/G-Loc Brakes/Hoosier Mazda MX-5 to victory. A few hours later, he was back on track challenging for the Spec Miata win.
At the start of the Spec Miata race, Jared Thomas slipped to the lead followed by Steyn, Preston Pardus and Jim Drago. The four drivers put a gap on the rest of the field and were ticking off laps. Working lap 10, Steyn took the lead after placing a lot of pressure on Thomas. Just then, a full-course yellow was displayed due to an on-track incident and the race was checkered a few laps later with Steyn’s No. 39 Adept Studios/Rossini Engines/OPM Autosports/G-Loc Brakes car claiming the win.
“Jared and I decided to work together,” Steyn said. “Just before we went to the full-course yellow, Jared went a little wide in Turn 10A and … I went underneath him.”
Sunday wasn’t quite so perfect. Although Steyn repeated his STL win, he was reminded that rarely does anyone pull off a double victory in Spec Miata in the Southeast. During that 19-lap race, Pardus, Drago, Steyn, Tyler Kicera, Thomas and Chris Haldeman all ran up front in the lead pack. Thomas led a handful of laps early with the help of Steyn, who also led several laps. Drago took a turn up front before Pardus led the last third of the race and came home the winner, but by only 0.198sec, in the No. 42 Danus Utilities/East Street Racing/5x Racing/ PR Mazda Miata.
In addition to Steyn, several Mazda drivers pulled off double victories at Road Atlanta, including Ken Kannard in F Production (Miata), Bailey Monette in Formula Enterprises, Dario Cangialosi in Formula Atlantic (Swift 016/Mazda) and Todd Slusher in Prototype 1 (Elan DP02/Mazda). Few others were able to win on both Saturday and Sunday. Thomas Green and Scott Rettich split victories in Formula Enterprises 2, while Robert Noelle and Brad Yake did the same in Formula Mazda. Two different generations of RX-7 took wins in GT-3, with Jeff Dernehl winning Saturday in his third-gen-bodied car, and Stacy Wilson taking the Sunday victory in his second-generation car. Rounding out the Mazda winners, Raymond Blethen claimed Touring 4’s checkered flag on Saturday.
The Hoosier Super Tour will now take a weekend off before heading to the rolling Osage Hills of North Eastern Oklahoma for a March 30-31 event at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit. Follow all the action live from the 1.8-mile, 10-turn track at www.scca.com/live.
SCCA Hoosier Super Tour
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Braselton, Ga.; March 15-17, 2019
Saturday Provisional Mazda Winners
GT-3: Jeff Dernehl; Roswell GA; Atlanta Region; Mazda RX-7
F Production: Ken Kannard; Sebring, FL; Atlanta Region; Mazda Miata
Spec Miata: Danny Steyn; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Florida Region; Mazda Miata
Super Touring Lite: Danny Steyn; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Florida Region; Mazda MX-5
Touring 4: Raymond Blethen; Londonderry, NH; New England Region; Mazda RX-8
Prototype 1: Todd Slusher; Las Vegas, NV; Las Vegas Region; Elan DP02
Formula Atlantic: Dario Cangialosi; Chester, NJ; Northern New Jersey Region; Mazda Swift 016
Formula Enterprises: Bailey Monette; Milton, GA; Atlanta Region; SCCA FE Mazda
Formula Enterprises 2: Thomas Green; Lake Mary, FL; Central Florida Region; SCCA FE2 Mazda
Formula Mazda: Robert Noell; Kure Beach, NC; Central Carolinas Region; Star Formula Mazda
Sunday Provisional Mazda Winners
GT-3: Stacy Wilson; Englewood, TN; Atlanta Region; Mazda RX-7
F Production: Ken Kannard; Sebring, FL; Atlanta Region; Mazda Miata
Spec Miata: Preston Pardus; New Smyrna Beach, FL; Central Florida Region; Mazda Miata
Super Touring Lite: Danny Steyn; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Florida Region; Mazda MX-5
Prototype 1: Todd Slusher; Las Vegas, NV; Las Vegas Region; Elan DP02
Formula Atlantic: Dario Cangialosi; Chester, NJ; Northern New Jersey Region; Mazda Swift 016
Formula Enterprises: Bailey Monette; Milton, GA; Atlanta Region; SCCA FE Mazda
Formula Enterprises 2: Scott Rettich; Columbus, OH; Ohio Valley Region; SCCA FE2 Mazda
Formula Mazda: Brad Yake; Fort Worth, TX; Texas Region; Formula Mazda