Northeast Conference U.S. Majors Tour Point Champions
The SCCA® U.S. Majors Tour® Northeast Conference conducted a 14-race season across seven circuits during its 2017 calendar. More than 800 drivers came out for the Northeast Conference challenge this year, but only a handful would earn a Northeast Conference Championship.
The E Production conference championship came down to Chris Dryden, in a BMW Z3, and Greg Kasprzyk, in a BMW 325i, both with 121 points. However, Dryden managed four wins in the conference as compared to Kasprzyk’s two wins, which gave Dryden the tie breaker advantage and the championship. The GT-2 class also came down to a tie between Andrew Aquilante, in a Ford Mustang, and Preston Calvert piloting a Chevrolet Corvette. Both earned 125 points on five race wins to share the class conference championship. And Andrew wasn’t the only Aquilante to lay claim to a Northeast Conference Championship. Amy Aquilante, driving a Pontiac Firebird, scooped up a conference championship this year in American Sedan.
There were a few other tight class battles during the Northeast Conference season. In Touring 1, Chris Durbin drove his Ford Boss 302R to six wins, 168 points and the conference championship, besting Hugh Stewart, in a BMW M3, by only three points. The Touring 2 group put on a show, too, with Kurt Rezzetano besting Michael Lavigne by only four points for the conference championship. Rezzetano managed seven wins as compared to six wins claimed by Lavigne, with both driving Ford Mustang GTs.
Six points was the margin of victory for Prototype 1 driver Bryan Putt, in an Elan DP02, to claim the conference championship over Greg Bell’s Carbair CS-2. And six points was the difference between H Production racers Stephanie Funk and Jack Banha. Funk, with 138 points, took the championship driving a Honda CRX over Banha’s Volkswagen Cabriolet.
The conference began its racing season in April with Round One and Round Two at VIRginia International Racewayduring a Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour weekend. Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia was next, followed by a weekend at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Pennsylvania. The Northeast Conference then conducted Round Seven and Round Eight in Pennsylvania at Pocono Raceway before another fantastic Hoosier Super Tour weekend at Watkins Glen International in New York during June. July events at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, in Connecticut, and New Jersey Motorsports Park then wrapped up the season.
Conference points are awarded to the top 20 finishers in each class. Winners earn 25 points, and 21 points go to second. Points are then doled out to others starting with 18 and descending to a single point for the 20th finisher. Only the best eight races count towards a driver’s point total. Below are Northeast Conference Champions with Class: Name, Hometown and Car.
-American Sedan®: Amy Aquilante; Phoenixville, PA; Pontiac Firebird
-B-Spec: Andrew Wickline; Brewerton, NY; Mini Cooper
-E Production: Chris Dryden; New Freedom, PA; BMW Z3
-F Production: Charlie Campbell; Corry, PA; Mazda Miata
-H Production: Stephanie Funk; Greenfield, MA; Honda CRX
-Formula 1000: Alex Mayer; Harleysville, PA; JDR
-Formula Atlantic®: Matthew Gendron; Monson, MA; Mazda Pro Mazda
-Formula Continental®: Douglas Rocco; Sandisfield, MA; Van Diemen DPO2-8
-Formula 500: Jay Beckley; Marlton, NJ; Invader QC-1
-Formula Enterprise: Alex Scaler; Flemington, NJ; Van Diemen FE
-Formula F: David James; Getzville, NY; Piper DF5
-Formula Mazda: Stuart Rettie; Houston, TX; Star Formula Mazda
-Formula Vee®: Roger Siebenaler; North Hero, VT; Mysterian M2
-GT-1: Scott Quaile; Copake Falls, NY; Chevrolet Camaro
-GT-2: Andrew Aquilante; Chester Springs, PA; Ford Mustang
Preston Calvert; Potomac, MD; Chevrolet Corvette
-GT-3: James Ashe; Prospect, CT; Mazda RX-7
-GT-Lite: Graham Fuller; Martinsburg, WV; Honda CRX
-Prototype 1: Bryan Putt; Venetia, PA; Elan DP02
-Prototype 2: David William O’Leary; Cranberry Township, PA; Mygale SJ04-GSXR
-Spec Miata: Tyler Kicera; Manheim, PA; Mazda Miata
-Spec Racer Ford: Frank Vultaggio; Apalachin, NY; Spec Racer Ford
-Spec Racer Ford 3: Scott Rettich; Columbus, OH; Spec Racer Ford Gen3
-Super Touring® Lite: Darin Treakle; Marshall, VA; Honda Civic Si
-Super Touring® Under: Greg Goss; East Greenbush, NY; Honda S2000
-Touring 1: Chris Durbin; South Park, PA; Ford Boss 302R
-Touring 2: Kurt Rezzetano; Phoenixville, PA; Ford Mustang GT
-Touring 3: Marshall Mast; Narvon, PA; Ford Mustang
-Touring 4: Jared Lendrum; Queensbury, NY; Subaru BRZ
The U.S. Majors Tour is one pathway to the 2017 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® being held September 25 through October 1 on a road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. U.S. Majors Tour drivers qualify for the Runoffs by participating in three U.S. Majors Tour weekends and starting at least three U.S. Majors Tour races in the same car class over the course of the season.
The Sports Car Club of America®, Inc., founded in 1944, is a 67,500-member motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both club and professional levels. With headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, the SCCA annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 116 Regions and subsidiary divisions. Much of the SCCA’s activities are made possible with support from the following Official Partners: Chevrolet, the Official Truck of the SCCA; Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products of SCCA; Mobil 1, the Official Oil of SCCA; Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA; and Tire Rack, the Official Tire Retailer of SCCA. To learn more, please visit www.scca.com.
https://www.scca.com/articles/2007764-northeast-conference-u-s-majors-tour-point-champions