SCCA National Sports Car Championship

The SCCA National Sports Car Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Sports Car Club of America from 1951 until 1964. It was the first post-World War II sports car series organized in the United States. An amateur championship, it was eventually replaced by the professional United States Road Racing Championship and the amateur American Road Race of Champions, which continues to this day as the SCCA National Championship Runoffs.

History

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The championship was created in 1951 from existing SCCA events. Until 1953, a single championship was awarded, with points paid based on finishing position within each class. From 1954, champions were named in each class.

Following the 1962 season, the professional USAC Road Racing Championship collapsed, leaving many competitors looking for a series. The SCCA created the United States Road Racing Championship as a professional series in 1963, moving focus away from the amateur National Championship. In 1965, the SCCA dropped the national championship series and awarded national championships to champions from each region. Top drivers from the regions were invited to the American Road Race of Champions (today known as the National Championship Runoffs) at the end of the season. For 1966, national championships were awarded only to winners at the ARRC, a system which continues today as the Runoffs has become the most prestigious road racing event for club racers.[1]

Champions

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Overall (1951–1953)

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Year Champion
1951   John Fitch
Cunningham, Jaguar
1952   Sherwood Johnston
Jaguar
1953   Bill Spear
Ferrari

Modified classes (1954–1964)

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Year B Modified C Modified D Modified E Modified F Modified G Modified H Modified I Modified
1954   Jack Ensley
Kurtis Kraft
  Jim Kimberly
Ferrari
  Bill Lloyd
Ferrari
  Fred Wacker
Bristol
  Briggs Cunningham
Osca
  Rees Makins
Osca
  Candy Poole
PBX Special
  Ted Boynton‡
Frazer Nash, Bristol
1955   Charles Moran
Cunningham
  Sherwood Johnston
Ferrari, Jaguar
  Phil Hill
Ferrari
  James Lowe
Frazer Nash, Bristol
  Pete Lovely
Cooper
  Skip Swartley
Osca
  Dolph Vilardi
Bandini
1956   Walt Gray
Allard
  Walt Hansgen
Jaguar
  Bill Lloyd
Maserati
  E. B. Lunken
Ferrari
  Jack McAfee
Porsche
  Frank Baptista
Lotus
  James Orr
Devin Panhard
1957   J. E. Rose
Chevrolet
  Walt Hansgen
Jaguar
  Paul O'Shea
Mercedes-Benz
  Gaston Andrey
Ferrari
  Charles Wallace
Porsche
  Frank Baptista
Lotus
  Melvin Sachs
Bandini
1958   Hal Ullrich
Excalibur
  Walt Hansgen
Lister
  James Johnston
Ferrari
  Gaston Andrey
Ferrari
  Bob Holbert
Porsche
  Frank Baptista
Elva, Lotus
  Martin Tanner
"Martin T" Special[2][3]
  Sam Moses
Berkeley
1959   John Staver
Echidna
  Dick Thompson
Lister, Chevrolet
  Alan Connell
Ferrari, Maserati
  Gaston Andrey
Ferrari
  Don Sesslar
Porsche
  Art Tweedale
Elva
  James Eichenlaub
Osca
1960   Augie Pabst
Scarab
  Dick Thompson
Chevrolet
  Gaston Andrey
Maserati
  Bob Holbert
Porsche
  Roger Penske
Porsche
  Millard Ripley
Lola, Lotus
  Oliver Schmidt
Osca
  Phillips Jeffrey
Berkeley
1961   Harry Heuer
Scarab
  Pete Harrison
Lister
  Roger Penske
Maserati, Cooper
  Bob Holbert
Porsche
  Bob Bucher
Porsche
  Charles Kurtz
Lola
  Oliver Schmidt
Lola, Osca
  Phillips Jeffrey
Berkeley
1962   Harry Heuer
Chaparral, Scarab
  Roger Penske
Maserati, Cooper
  Bob Holbert
Porsche
  Joe Buzzetta
Porsche
  M. R. J. Wyllie
Lola
  Glenn Baldwin
Lotus
1963   Harry Heuer
Chaparral
  Roger Penske
Cooper
  Joe Buzzetta
Porsche
  Peter Sachs
Lotus
  Chuck Dietrich
Bobsy
  Bill Greer
DKW
1964   Ed Lowther
Genie
  Tom O'Brien
Ferrari
  Lee Hall
Elva
  Don Wolf
Elva
  Charles Barns
Merlyn
  Ed Walsh
Lotus

Production classes (1954–1965)

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Year A Production B Production C Production D Production E Production F Production G Production H Production I Production J Production
1954   Charles Wallace
Jaguar
  William Kinchloe
Austin-Healey
  Bob Salzgaber
Triumph
  Dick Thompson
Porsche, MG
  Art Bunker‡
Porsche
1955   Charles Wallace
Jaguar
  Paul O'Shea
Mercedes-Benz
  Gaston Andrey
Morgan
  Bengt Söderström
Porsche
  George Valentine
MG
1956   Harry Carter
Jaguar
  Paul O'Shea
Mercedes-Benz
  Bengt Söderström
Porsche
  Lake Underwood
Porsche
  Emil Pupulidy
Porsche
1957   Dick Thompson
Chevrolet
  Harry Carter
Mercedes-Benz
  Fred Moore
Austin-Healey
  Bob Kuhn
AC
  Lake Underwood
Porsche
  Templeton Briggs
Alfa Romeo
1958   Jim Jeffords
Chevrolet
  George Reed
Ferrari
  Dick Thompson
Austin-Healey
  Harry Carter
AC
  Emil Pupulidy
Porsche
  Bob Grossman
Alfa Romeo
  Howard Hanna
D.B. Panhard
1959   Jim Jeffords
Chevrolet
  Bob Grossman
Ferrari
  Fred Spross
Austin-Healey
  Pierre Mion
AC
  Harry Blanchard
Porsche
  Chuck Stoddard
Alfa Romeo
  Ray Heppenstall
D.B. Panhard
  Paul Richards
Fiat-Abarth
  Ed Wright
Berkeley
1960   Bob Johnson
Chevrolet
  Bruce Jennings
Porsche
  Elliott Pew
AC
  Duncan Black
Daimler
  Douglas Diffenderfer
Siata
  Vince Tamburo
Sunbeam
  Chandler Lawrence
Fiat-Abarth
1961   Bob Hathaway
Ferrari
  Dick Thompson
Chevrolet
  Pierre Mion
AC
  Chuck Stoddard
Alfa Romeo
  Mark Donohue
Elva
  Howard Hanna
D.B. Panhard
  Al Weaver
Alfa Romeo
  Rod Harmon
Austin-Healey
1962   Dick Thompson
Chevrolet
  Don Yenko
Chevrolet
  Dave Clark
Lotus
  Bert Everett
Porsche
  Bob Tullius
Triumph
  Howard Hanna
D.B.
  Lynn Blanchard
Alfa Romeo
  Ed Astri
Fiat-Abarth
1963   Bob Johnson
GT 350 Mustang
  Don Yenko
Chevrolet
  Duncan Black
Daimler
  Bob Tullius
Triumph
  Lake Underwood
Porsche
  Robert Shaw
Alfa Romeo
  Pete Van der Vate
Austin-Healey
  Donna Mae Mims
Austin-Healey
1964   Bob Johnson
Shelby
  Frank Dominianni
Chevrolet
  Bruce Jennings
Porsche
  Bob Tullius
Triumph
  Hans Zereis
Porsche
  Don Sesslar
Sunbeam
  Pete Van der Vate
Morgan
  Carl Truitt
Austin-Healey
1965 Shelby Jerry Titus

Shelby Mustang GT350[4]

‡Tie

References

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  1. ^ Krejčí, Martin. "SCCA National Sports Car Championship". World Sports Racing Prototypes. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  2. ^ Ludvigsen, Karl. "Fabulous Featherweight". Etceterini. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  3. ^ "Tanner Chassis". SportsRacer.net. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  4. ^ Schorr, Martyn L. (2015-09-10). Ford Total Performance: Ford's Legendary High-Performance Street and Race Cars. Motorbooks. ISBN 9781627887953.
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