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March 12, 2022

Hoosier Super Tour Road Atlanta: Saturday Notebook

Hoosier Super Tour Road Atlanta: Saturday Notebook

The first of two Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour race days from Road Atlanta took place on Saturday. Event highlights are below:

Let’s cut to the chase: There’s cold, and then there’s whatever was happening at Road Atlanta on Saturday during the Hoosier Super Tour. The thermometer said 34 at its peak, but the sustained 19 mph winds shut down any chance of finding warmth.

There are several effects of this, not the least is the lack of EZ-Up tents in the paddock. The first, obviously, is the lack of grip for cars. That led to the opening race, Spec Racer Ford Gen 3, to get just two green flag laps in its 25-minute opener.

And every car is different. Of course, a hot, closed cockpit car might be mildly comfortable. But the open cockpit cars are going to feel everything – and even that depends on the car itself.

SRF3 winner Russell Turner has two open cockpit cars to deal with at Road Atlanta, his Spec Racer Ford and his Formula Enterprises/Mazda.

“In FE, the open cockpit is not an issue because it hits you at the helmet level,” Turner said. “In (the Spec Racer Ford), it hits you from the chest up and it is cold. Your hands being out in the air, they’re just constantly freezing up on you. You get a lot of wind inside, so even your feet get cold from blowing in the cockpit area.”

First Time Winners: A couple of drivers earned their first Hoosier Super Tour race wins on Saturday. In Formula 500, Jason Martin earned his first win in any U.S. Majors Tour race and got the honor of signing the checkered flag that each winner gets to add their name to.

In Spec Miata, the youth movement continued. Charles Mactutus pushed Conor Zilisch to the front, then slipped around him in Turn 10 just before the race-ending full course yellow came out to earn his win. It was a steady build to the front for Mactutus, who had a third-place finish last year, climbed to second in the season opener at Sebring, and then made the last (and biggest) step forward with a win in a hotly-contested Spec Miata field.

A New Home: Ken Kannard won Saturday’s F Production race, which isn’t unusual. What was unusual was the car that he won it in.

Kannard’s new toy is an Acura Integra, a significant change from the Mazda Miata that he’s piloted for the past several years in the class. This new car comes with some pedigree – most recently a third-place finish for Rick Harris at the 2021 Runoffs at Indianapolis, but before that Mark Carpenter drove the Acura to two National Champioships at Road America – in 2009 and again in 2013.

It comes with some obvious changes for Kannard, the biggest being learning the intricacies of front wheel drive versus rear wheel drive, in addition to the subtle quirks of the Acura.

“I just hope I’m a fast learner,” Kannard said after his win. We’re betting the three-time Runoffs podium finisher is.

Sunshine Equals Records: By group six, the temperatures had only climbed to 36 degrees but the sunshine had added enough grip to the track to lay down some strong runs. That included FE2 winner Paul Schneider and P1 winner Lee Alexander’s track records, right along with race wins.

Sunday’s Schedule: Action continues Sunday morning from Road Atlanta with 35-minute or 19-lap races commencing at 8:25 a.m. Eastern Time. Spector entry is FREE for SCCA members who would love to experience the trackside excitement in person. If you can’t make it out to Road Atlanta, then tune in to SCCA.com for live Timing/Scoring, static video feeds, and the Super Tour Radio presented by Hoosier Racing Tire broadcast.

Saturday Race Winners: Below are provisional race winners from Saturday’s Hoosier Super Tour at Road Atlanta with Class: Name, Hometown, and Car.

American Sedan: Gregory Eaton, Woodbridge, Virginia, Ford Mustang
B-Spec: Conner Kelleher, Sugar Land, Texas, Mini Cooper
E Production: Peter Norton, Pelham, North Carolina, Caterham Seven
F Production: Ken Kannard, Sebring, Florida, Acura Integra
H Production: Will Perry, Sale Creek, Tennessee, Honda CRX
Formula 500: Jason Martin, River Grove, Illinois, Novakar J10
Formula Atlantic: Nathan Byrd, Goodyear, Arizona, JDR F1000
Formula Continental: Tim Minor, Fredricksburg, Virginia, Citation/Ford
Formula Enterprises 2: Paul Schneider, Charlotte, North Carolina, Formula Enterprises/Mazda
Formula X: Trent Walko, Trafford, Pennsylvania, Elan DP08 F2000
Formula F: Bob Perona, Indianapolis, Indiana, Piper DF-3/Honda
Formula Vee: Mitchell Ferguson, Moore, South Carolina, Vorscha GB4
GT-1: Adam Romito, Opelika, Alabama, Dodge Challenger
GT-2: Jorge Nazario, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Chevrolet Corvette
GT-3: Stacy Wilson, Englewood, Tennessee, Mazda RX-7
GT-Lite: Peter Shadowen, West Palm Beach, Florida, Honda CRX
GTX: Jacek Mucha, Highland Beach, Florida, Cadillac Dpi
Prototype 1: Lee Alexander, Springfield, Tennessee, Stohr WF-Zero
Prototype 2: Robert Iversen, Gulf Breeze, Florida, Ligier JS49
Super Touring Lite: Danny Steyn, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Mazda MX-5
Super Touring Under: Johann Schwartz, Huntersville, North Carolina, Porsche 944
Spec Miata: Charles Mactutus, Columbia, South Carolina, Mazda Miata
Spec Racer Ford Gen 3: Russell Turner, Montpelier, Virginia, Spec Racer Ford
Touring 2: Raphael Assuncao, Cumming, Georgia, Porsche Cayman
Touring 3: Simon Asselin, Sammamish, Washington, BMW 330
Touring 4: Richard Astacio, Wilton, Connecticut, Mazda MX-5

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