SCCA Time Trials

The final hurrah in 2023 for the Time Trials National Tour took place Nov. 3-5 in Braselton, GA, during the Tire Rack SCCA® Time Trials National Tour at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Powered by Hagerty.

The seven-event 2023 Time Trials National Tour (TTNT) calendar, plus Tire Rack SCCA Time Trials Nationals Powered by Hagerty, commenced back in March at VIRginia International Raceway. The party continued on to Thunderhill Raceway Park in California, followed by a stop at NCM Motorsports Park in Kentucky. July then saw a first-time trip to Missouri’s Ozarks International Raceway, then an annual visit to GingerMan Raceway in Michigan.

Late August had TTNT drivers taking on Pennsylvania’s Pittsburgh International Race Complex in advance of October’s Time Trials Nationals at NCM Motorsports Park. Then cool morning conditions were chased away by 70-degree temperatures and sunny afternoon skies to wrap things up perfectly in Georgia this past weekend.

Plenty of time was spent on Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile circuit over two days, traveling a winding ribbon of road previously conquered by superstars such as Mario Andretti, David Hobbs, and Hélio Castroneves over the decades. In fact, plenty of SCCA members had the opportunity to enjoy the legendary layout thanks to the “mash-up” event hosted by SCCA’s Atlanta Region that included the annual American Road Race of Champions, a 3.5-hour Enduro, and some Sunday track time for enthusiasts.

You couldn’t ask for a better close to the TTNT season that also got people excited for what 2024 will bring about.

Fast Weekend at Road Atlanta

A couple more than 50 people laid down times at Road Atlanta during the TTNT finale, and a lot of those laps were pretty darn quick. While the overall TTNT lap record at Road Atlanta still stands at 1:23.789, which was set in 2021 by Unlimited 1 driver Eric Fleming in a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette, some other records were shattered by the time the weekend was said and done.

Below are the overall top five TTNT finishers from the Nov. 3-5 Road Atlanta weekend, with name, class, car, and total time produced from two scored segments during competition:

1. Mike Osborn, Unlimited 1, 2016 Nissan GT-R, 3:00.273
2. Andrew Henry, Unlimited 1, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette, 3:04.799
3. Michael Digiorgio, Sport 2, 2004 Chevrolet Corvette, 3:11.015
4. Marshal Moore, Max 1, 1995 Toyota Supra, 3:12.100
   
5. Randy Reeves, Max 3, 1995 Mazda Miata, 3:12.620

Four track records did fall across the 15 car classes that took part in the event. Those provisional new high marks for the circuit are:

- Max 4: Colin Swanger, 1997 BMW Z3, 1:37.041
- Sport 2: Michael Digiorgio, 2004 Chevrolet Corvette, 1:35.370
- Tuner 3: Kevin Batten, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer, 1:38.320
- Tuner 5: Robert McDaniels, 1999 Mazda Miata, 1:46.787

While the four lines above offer a quick glimpse at new achievements, they don’t provide the whole picture. For instance, Swanger managed to cut 1.2sec off the preexisting Max 4 record, and Digiorgio lowered the Sport 2 record by 1.65sec on Saturday before the evening’s Hagerty Social Dinner Party.

Batten and McDaniels both held track records for their respective classes going into the Road Atlanta weekend. But Batten turned up the intensity and cut 0.675sec from his previous best time, and McDaniels skillfully lowered his record by 0.205sec on Saturday, too.

Georgia’s Class Competition

The Max 1 (M1) and Max 2 (M2) classes each had six drivers. Marshal Moore, in a 1995 Toyota Supra, triumphed in M1 by 9.202sec over a 2011 BMW 328i driven by Jake Mueller, and Lori Weber was third in a 2023 Chevrolet Camaro.

In M2 it was Ancel Henry, driving a 2007 Ford Mustang, who earned a 1.459sec victory over Bryan Kelsey in a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro, followed by third-place finisher Raymond Brake in a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro.

The Unlimited 1 (U1) field also consisted of six drivers. Osborn, on his way to overall victory, won the class by being 4.526sec faster than U1 and overall second-place finisher Andrew Henry in a 2003 Chevrolet Corvette. Finishing third was Scott Dobson driving a 2019 Ford Mustang.

Five runners were found in the Sport 2 (S2) class, where Digiorgio claimed the new S2 track record on his way to a 2.411sec margin of victory over Nate Church in a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro. John Li was third in a 2021 Ford Mustang.

Tuner 5 (T5) also had five contestants, with McDaniels grabbing the new T5 lap record while constructing a 7.771sec winning margin over runner-up Cameron Albea in 1994 Mazda Miata. Third place in T5 went to Joe Baker who was co-driving with Albea.

The closest finish of the weekend went to Max 3, where 0.296sec was the difference between winner Randy Reeves, in a 1995 Mazda Miata, and second-place finisher Peter Lier driving a 2022 Porsche Cayman. Mark Thomsen came home third in a 2006 Subaru Impreza.

Check out the full TTNT record book by clicking here. To review results from this weekend’s event at Road Atlanta, click the button below.

Event Results

More Georgia Goodness

KONI Podium Celebrations on Sunday put a beautiful bow on the 2023 TTNT season. Handed out were a few superlative awards, too. That included Top Novice, which went to Lori Weber. Competing in M1, Lori only had a couple previous track experiences under her wing. She came out flying at Road Atlanta, and finished a very impressive third in the six-driver field.

Honors for being Most Improved went to M2 driver Yuze Zhong in a 2020 Toyota Supra. One corner marshal even noted that Zhong showed significant improvement day after day. Specifically, Zhong displayed marked advancement in both his performance driving abilities and situational awareness when working with others on track.

Spirit of Time Trials recognition went to Phillip Glass-Hess. Driving in U1, Glass-Hess had transmission issues Saturday. He took the car home that night, and had a new transmission installed in the vehicle by Sunday morning. Unfortunately, Glass-Hess had to retire the car later Sunday after on-track troubles. But he didn’t sit and sulk in the paddock. Instead, he helped on grid during final run sessions, turning a less-than-optimal outing into a great experience for himself and others in the TTNT community.

Stay tuned to SCCA.com, the SCCA Time Trials webpage, and SCCA Time Trials Nationals on Facebook for upcoming information about the 2024 season.

Photo of Max 1 winner Marshal Moore in a 1995 Toyota Supra by Tradd Slayton