March 18, 2021
When we last checked in on the Hoosier Racing Tire Super Tour, SCCA’s premier road racing series was holding court in California at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. After nearly a month’s respite, the Hoosier Super Tour is back in action March 19-21 on the other side of the continent at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, during an event hosted by SCCA’s Atlanta Region.
This will be the fourth of 10 race weekends on the 2021 Hoosier Super Tour schedule. A glorious 2.54-mile, 12-turn circuit dripping with motorsport lore will be the battleground starting 8 a.m. Friday with 20-minute practice sessions for all eight race groups. The back half of Friday then sees 25-minute qualifying for each of those groups.
Saturday morning delivers a second qualifying opportunity of 15 minutes for challengers before racing starts at 10:50 a.m. local time. Then it’s 25-minute races for each group right through the day’s end. On Sunday, 35-minute or 17-lap races again face drivers with action starting at 8:25 a.m. and rolling right through the late afternoon.
The entry list for Hoosier Super Tour’s stop this year at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta looks to include upwards of 370 competitors across 27 different car classes! That is a fantastic turnout which will likely produce tremendous battles throughout the eight race groups on Saturday and Sunday.
With 70 entries each, be sure to keep an eye on the Spec Racer Ford Gen3 (SRF3) and Spec Miata (SM) classes. The SRF3 field includes top talent from east of the Rockies, including a handful of former SCCA National Championship Runoffs winners. The exact same can be said of the SM field, which will also include current SM Runoffs champion Preston Pardus in the No. 12 Mazda Miata.
Super Touring Lite (STL), contained within Race Group 1, has 25 entries and will be another class likely to generate excitement over the weekend. Two-time STL Runoffs champion Danny Steyn will be one to watch in the No. 9 Mazda MX-5 car, but he’ll have plenty of competitors gunning for him.
Another fun field will be B-Spec in Race Group 7 with 21 entries. Always willing to rub fenders a bit, the tenacious group includes a couple former Runoffs winners, as well as defending B-Spec national champion Riley Salyer in the No. 22 Chevrolet Sonic. Don’t lose track of this battle on both race days as the fight will likely come right down to the finish line.
There will certainly be some wonderful racing found in the open-wheel classes, too. Formula 500, Formula Vee and Formula F are almost always likely to produce some action. And with 19 cars entered, Formula Enterprises 2 could produce fireworks in the final race group of each day.
The second competition weekend of the 2021 GT-3 Challenge presented by MPI is part of the Hoosier Super Tour at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The series, which is boosting participation in the GT-3 class, is supported by Mazda, Max Papis Innovations, Penske Racing Shocks, Hoosier Racing Tire, Goodyear Tire and Ave Motorsports.
Included in the GT-3 field this weekend is former GT-3 Challenge champion Jeff Dernehl driving his No. 62 Mazda RX-7 racecar. It’s possible defending GT-3 Challenge champion Paul Young might be in the mix, too, but running a borrowed No. 44 Honda Civic instead of his Challenge-winning Ford Probe. Of course, also keep an eye on the No. 47 Mazda RX-7 of Stacy Wilson who won both GT-3 races last year during the Hoosier Super Tour weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Indeed, the Hoosier Super Tour weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is open to spectators! There’s lots of space to keep socially distanced while watching on-track excitement, but be sure to bring and wear facial covering — especially when visiting the paddock and food vendors where facial coverings are required for SCCA events.
Spectator tickets may be purchased from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for $30 each for the 3-day event; $25 for Saturday and Sunday; $20 for either Saturday or Sunday; $15 for Friday only. The prices for participating car club members, or those with valid student ID are $25, $20, $15, and $10 respectively. SCCA members, retired military (including family), and active military (including family) will be admitted free of charge with appropriate identification.
Oh, and don’t forget that SCCA Atlanta Region weekends conducted at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta also offer track tours for the general public during Saturday’s lunch break. Drive your street car on the circuit, but everyone in the car must sign an insurance waiver, and speeds are controlled by a pace car leading the group. The cost is a mere $20 per car and offers a completely different perspective on Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Can’t make it out this weekend? Hoosier Super Tour fans can still follow the action live, online at SCCA.com/Live or click the banner on the front of SCCA.com to access live timing and scoring, live video and qualifying/race calls supplied by Hoosier Super Tour Radio.
For all the event information, including schedule, entry list, results and more, visit the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Hoosier Super Tour event page here.
Photo by Clark McInnis
