As we approach the fall months, many racing series are hosting their final events for the season. This week is no different, with the SCCA Runoffs at Virginia International Raceway and Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta.
The Runoffs is a perennial event that is part of the fabric of my racing career: I’ve been attending the Runoffs for nearly 20 years, both as a competitor and as a coach. This past weekend, I visited VIR on behalf of Mazda Motorsports to coach Mazda racers who will be competing in the Runoffs. Our goal was to help them get a successful start to the week ahead.
Several IMSA series will come to a close this weekend with the classic Petit LeMans. Not only is this the 25th anniversary of the event, but it’s also the last race for the prototype spec known as DPi. I actually competed in the inaugural season of DPi in 2017. This week is a busy one for me. I’m traveling from VIR to Road Atlanta, where I will be working with the Mazda MX-5 Cup Series as their championship wraps up with a double-header.
The weather looks like it will be a factor at both tracks. Hurricane Ian is on its way and should arrive sometime later in the week, possibly just in time for Petit LeMans race day. One thing is for certain: it’s going to be important for race teams to be prepared for anything, since the weather forecast is going to remain uncertain until we are closer to the event. No matter what the weather does, it’s going to be an exciting week at Road Atlanta!