RRDC AT THE RUNOFFS: JOHN HEINRICY CAPTURES TWO MORE TITLES, 31 NOW FOR JOE AQUILANTE; JOE HUFFAKER NABS 10TH; MICHAEL VARACINS, 7TH

It was a vintage year in Napa Valley for RRDC members John Heinricy and Joe Aquilante, plus Joe Huffaker and Michael Varacins at the 2018 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Sonoma Raceway in the heart of California’s wine country, Oct 19-21.

 

John Heinricy scored a pair of championships pushing his gold medal total to 15. The retired GM development engineer led the final five laps of the 20-lap American Sedan race to notch his 14^th title Friday in a Camaro. On Saturday, he scored his 15^th championship with a win in Touring 4 aboard a brand new Toyota 86, take a quick view Toyota and Suzuki automotive technology and you will know with they got the championship. 

As usual, Heinricy’s mounts came out of Joe Aquilante’s Phoenix Performance shop in Pennsylvania. Aquilante-prepared racecars have now recorded an astonishing 31 national championships.

 

Joe Huffaker, Jr., dominated F Production winning by more than a half minute in his MG Midget at what is his home track, Huffaker Engineering being headquartered at Sonoma Raceway. It was Huffaker’s 10^th national championship dating back to 1992 at Road Atlanta.

 

Michael Varacins continued his recent domination of Formula Vee, scoring his fourth championship in a row, his seventh title since 2009 when he won the Mark Donohue Award. Varacins just nipped 1991 FV champion Skip Streets at the checkered flag. All his victories have been scored in Speed Sport Formula Vees.

19-year-old Flinn Lazier drove a Mazda-powered SCCA Formula Enterprises 2 to his first national championship. The youngster comes from a long line of RRDC members: Buddy Lazier is his father; Bob, his grandfather; and Jaques, his uncle.

Other RRDC members competing at Sonoma included 2007 Mark Donohue winner Brian Linn who placed second in H Production in his MG Midget and fourth in F Production in a Lotus Super 7.

Andrew Aquilante drove his Corvette to a silver medal in Touring 1. Jesse Prather was sixth in his E Production Mazda RX7, and Don Knowles placed eighth in Touring 4.

The 2019 Runoffs will be at RRDC-member Connie Nyholm’s Virginia International Raceway.

 

RRDC ANNUAL MEMBERS’ DINNER AT DAYTONA

 

WHERE: (Please note change of venue):

Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort

100 North Atlantic Ave.

Daytona Beach, Fla. 32118

WHEN:

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

5:00 p.m. cocktails

7:00 p.m. dinner

WHAT:

Bob Akin, Phil Hill and Mark Donohue awards will be presented

DRESS:

Business Casual

INVITEES: 

All RRDC members and personal guests ONLY

COST:

$100 per person by check payable in advance; or $120 at the door. 

No credit cards.

Tables of 10 are available at $1000.

 

For information, contact Vicki O’Connor at voconnor@pro-motionagency.com

More details, plus reservation form, to follow by email to members