Feb 7, '08: Special Events During 2008 Road Racing Series Announced 

The San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club of America has scheduled eleven weekends of amateur road racing for 2008. Special events include the popular AIM/Toyo Spec Miata Challenge Series, Feature Class Festival Races, and two vintage events.

The season will run from March through October with races scheduled at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Infineon Raceway, and the club-owned Thunderhill Park.

Kicking off the season, is our annual Gathering of Champions Double National, March 14-16. This year there will be a full three days of racing and Spec Miata will have its own group. All drivers will enjoy two practice, qualifying and race sessions. The Regional Championship Series opens with the traditional regional at Infineon Raceway on March 29-30.

The AIM/Toyo Spec Miata Challenge returns this year, with a three-race series and $10,000 in prize money to be distributed to the top 30 drivers at the end of the series. Dates for the series are: April 12-13 at Laguna Seca during the Vintage Spring Classic; July 26-27 at the Thunderhill Regional #7; and the season-ending regional and RDC Enduro weekend at Thunderhill on October 24-26. All Miatas raced as SM, SMT or SSM may compete.

Also in the Spec Miata program will be a Future Champions Race during the June 27-29 Regional at Laguna Seca. This race gives an opportunity to those who finish out of the top ten in the Group 7 race to compete for the checkered flag, special trophies, and $3500 in SFR Bucks, certificates for entry credits in future SFR regional events.

The popular Feature Class Festivals will offer an additional race for specific classes, giving the drivers a second race with no additional entry fee. Winners receive special trophies and everyone in the class is entered in a drawing for prizes and gifts. The Festival races will be held: May 3-4 for Spec Racer Ford; May 23-25 for ITE; August 30-Sept. 1 for SMT/SSM; October 3-5 for Formula Ford and Club Ford; and October 24-26 for Formula Vee.

The RDC Illgen Enduro moves back to Thunderhill Park, along with the final Double Points Regional on October 24-26. This will also be the Willows Grand Prix, with added community activities such as the Willows High School marching band performing on Saturday and a Willows Rotary Club pancake breakfast.

For the first time ever, San Francisco Region will hold two vintage events in one year. The first will be the Spring Sports Car Festival at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on April 12-13, similar to last year’s event. Added to the schedule is the Vintage Fall Harvest Classic at Infineon Raceway on September 20-21. Both events will offer grids for small and big bore production cars, small bore formula cars and sports racers, and pre-1995 NASCAR. The September event will also feature at Mini Challenge that should bring 40+ Minis out to scurry around the track together.

In addition to the race weekends, two special test days for San Francisco Region members will be held at Thunderhill Park for the feature classes. April 10 will be for Group 4 cars: SRF, FF, CF, and FV. July 2 will be for Spec Miatas and ITE (any car that is eligible for ITE, not just those regularly competing in ITE).

All schedule details, SMC Challenge and listing of Festival prizes will be made available on the Region web page as soon as they are available. Weekend schedules generally are posted four to six weeks before the event.