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

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

Overall (1951–1953)

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

Modified classes (1954–1964)

Year	B Modified	C Modified	D Modified	E Modified	F Modified	G Modified	H Modified	I Modified
1954	Jack EnsleyKurtis Kraft	Jim KimberlyFerrari	Bill LloydFerrari	Fred Wacker‡Bristol	Briggs Cunningham Osca	Rees MakinsOsca	Candy PoolePBX Special	–
1954	Jack EnsleyKurtis Kraft	Jim KimberlyFerrari	Bill LloydFerrari	Ted Boynton‡Frazer Nash, Bristol	Briggs Cunningham Osca	Rees MakinsOsca	Candy PoolePBX Special	–
1955	Charles Moran Cunningham	Sherwood Johnston Ferrari, Jaguar	Phil Hill Ferrari	James LoweFrazer Nash, Bristol	Pete Lovely Cooper	Skip SwartleyOsca	Dolph VilardiBandini	–
1956	Walt GrayAllard	Walt Hansgen Jaguar	Bill LloydMaserati	E. B. LunkenFerrari	Jack McAfeePorsche	Frank BaptistaLotus	James OrrDevin Panhard	–
1957	J. E. RoseChevrolet	Walt Hansgen Jaguar	Paul O'SheaMercedes-Benz	Gaston Andrey Ferrari	Charles WallacePorsche	Frank BaptistaLotus	Melvin SachsBandini	–
1958	Hal UllrichExcalibur	Walt Hansgen Lister	James JohnstonFerrari	Gaston Andrey Ferrari	Bob Holbert Porsche	Frank BaptistaElva, Lotus	Martin Tanner"Martin T" Special[2][3]	Sam MosesBerkeley
1959	John StaverEchidna	Dick Thompson Lister, Chevrolet	Alan ConnellFerrari, Maserati	Gaston Andrey Ferrari	Don SesslarPorsche	Art TweedaleElva	James EichenlaubOsca	–
1960	Augie Pabst Scarab	Dick Thompson Chevrolet	Gaston Andrey Maserati	Bob Holbert Porsche	Roger Penske Porsche	Millard RipleyLola, Lotus	Oliver SchmidtOsca	Phillips JeffreyBerkeley
1961	Harry HeuerScarab	Pete HarrisonLister	Roger Penske Maserati, Cooper	Bob Holbert Porsche	Bob BucherPorsche	Charles KurtzLola	Oliver SchmidtLola, Osca	Phillips JeffreyBerkeley
1962	–	Harry HeuerChaparral, Scarab	Roger Penske Maserati, Cooper	Bob Holbert Porsche	Joe BuzzettaPorsche	M. R. J. WyllieLola	Glenn BaldwinLotus	–
1963	–	Harry HeuerChaparral	Roger Penske Cooper	Joe BuzzettaPorsche	Peter SachsLotus	Chuck DietrichBobsy	Bill GreerDKW	–
1964	–	Ed LowtherGenie	Tom O'BrienFerrari	Lee HallElva	Don WolfElva	Charles BarnsMerlyn	Ed WalshLotus	–

Production classes (1954–1965)

Year	A Production	B Production	C Production	D Production	E Production	F Production	G Production	H Production	I Production	J Production
1954	–	–	Charles WallaceJaguar	William KinchloeAustin-Healey	Bob SalzgaberTriumph	Dick Thompson‡Porsche, MG	–	–	–	–
1954	–	–	Charles WallaceJaguar	William KinchloeAustin-Healey	Bob SalzgaberTriumph	Art Bunker‡Porsche	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	Charles WallaceJaguar	Paul O'SheaMercedes-Benz	Gaston Andrey Morgan	Bengt SöderströmPorsche	George ValentineMG	–	–	–
1956	–	–	Harry CarterJaguar	Paul O'SheaMercedes-Benz	Bengt SöderströmPorsche	Lake Underwood Porsche	Emil PupulidyPorsche	–	–	–
1957	–	Dick Thompson Chevrolet	Harry CarterMercedes-Benz	Fred MooreAustin-Healey	Bob KuhnAC	Lake Underwood Porsche	Templeton BriggsAlfa Romeo	–	–	–
1958	–	Jim JeffordsChevrolet	George ReedFerrari	Dick Thompson Austin-Healey	Harry CarterAC	Emil PupulidyPorsche	Bob GrossmanAlfa Romeo	Howard HannaD.B. Panhard	–	–
1959	–	Jim JeffordsChevrolet	Bob GrossmanFerrari	Fred SprossAustin-Healey	Pierre MionAC	Harry Blanchard Porsche	Chuck StoddardAlfa Romeo	Ray Heppenstall D.B. Panhard	Paul RichardsFiat-Abarth	Ed WrightBerkeley
1960	–	Bob JohnsonChevrolet	Bruce JenningsPorsche	Elliott PewAC	Duncan BlackDaimler	Douglas DiffenderferSiata	Vince TamburoSunbeam	Chandler LawrenceFiat-Abarth	–	–
1961	Bob HathawayFerrari	Dick Thompson Chevrolet	Pierre MionAC	Chuck StoddardAlfa Romeo	Mark Donohue Elva	Howard HannaD.B. Panhard	Al WeaverAlfa Romeo	Rod HarmonAustin-Healey	–	–
1962	Dick Thompson Chevrolet	Don Yenko Chevrolet	Dave ClarkLotus	Bert EverettPorsche	Bob Tullius Triumph	Howard HannaD.B.	Lynn BlanchardAlfa Romeo	Ed AstriFiat-Abarth	–	–
1963	Bob JohnsonFord	Don Yenko Chevrolet	Duncan BlackDaimler	Bob Tullius Triumph	Lake Underwood Porsche	Robert ShawAlfa Romeo	Pete Van der VateAustin-Healey	Donna Mae Mims Austin-Healey	–	–
1964	Bob JohnsonFord	Frank DominianniChevrolet	Bruce JenningsPorsche	Bob Tullius Triumph	Hans ZereisPorsche	Don SesslarSunbeam	Pete Van der VateMorgan	Carl TruittAustin-Healey	–	–
1965	Ford	Jerry Titus Ford [4]

‡Tie

References

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

External links

[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.