RACE: Valvoline Runoffs

DID YOU KNOW?

The Valvoline Runoffs®, Sept. 17-23 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, is the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Club Racing National Championship event. Now in its 38th year and eighth at Mid-Ohio, the event is often called the "Olympics of Motorsports" because of the number of competitors, variety of race classes, and prestige of winning an SCCA National Championship. Over 700 of the nation's best amateur drivers race 20-laps in each of the 24 classes to decide the national titles.

The youngest driver in this year's Valvoline Runoffs® at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is 17-year-old Shandelle Leonard of Thonotosassa, Fla., driving the #84 1983 Swift DB-1 in the Formula Ford class.

The oldest competitor is 76-year-old Robert Kirby of Oceanside, Cal., driving the #2 1973 Porsche 914 in F Production. Robert started his racing career in 1954 - eight years before Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was even built!

More than 700 drivers are entered in this year's season-ending Valvoline Runoffs®. Of that large field, eight sets are family members who will compete against each other in the same classes. Brothers Mark and Richard Richardson will battle in Formula Vee and Mark Sandridge will take on son Jordan in Touring 1. Raymond Larue and daughter Nikki will race in Spec Racer Ford, Al Beasley Sr. and son Al Jr. will compete in D Sports Racer, David and Keith Grant will renew their rivalry in Spec Racer Ford, Juan Montalvo Sr. and son Juan Jr. will race in GT-4, and John Salisbury Sr. and Jr. will battle in H Production.

Twin brothers Kevin and Keith Roberts, both now residing in Georgia, have more in common than just looks. Both compete in Formula Mazda where Keith owns the Valvoline Runoffs® qualifying-lap record and Kevin owns the race-lap record.

The Valvoline Runoffs® is the largest amateur road racing event in North America, and features some of the most competitive action on Mid-Ohio's 40th Year of Racing season schedule. For information on the Valvoline Runoffs® or Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, please call Donnie Clark at (614) 793-4620. For information regarding tickets, call 1-800-MID-OHIO or visit the track's web site at www.midohio.com <http://www.midohio.com>.

-MOSCC-