STU National Champion Hugh Stewart

The 2026 Mission Foods SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® was four days of action, with some history-making races during the 63rd event held at Road America in Plymouth, WI, on Sept. 28-Oct. 4. For example, the Prototype battle for the win came down to a photo finish at 0.007sec, with Prototype 2 being decided by just 0.340sec. Yet those weren’t the craziest runs to the checker, because in Formula Vee® and Spec MX-5, you’ll find the winners of those races actually started last, while a Runoffs rookie claimed Spec Miata glory.

Speaking of Runoffs rookies, in Formula F, SCCA had its youngest Runoffs winner ever, with this driver not even being 15 years old.

Of the 14 drivers hailing from the New England Region, Hugh Stewart claimed his first National Championship title in STU on his 10th Runoffs appearance. Stephen Blethen ran a great race in T4, narrowly missing the podium and finishing in 4th. Elivan Goulart was battling for the lead in SM until an incident in Canada Corner on the final lap took him out of contention.

Over the course of two Hagerty Race Days, 23 SCCA National Champions were crowned at Road America, as the Runoffs took to the historic 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit one last time before the event moves to Road Atlanta for 2027 and 2028. Each race can be relived on the official SCCA YouTube channel to catch all of the side-by-side battles and races to the checker.

STU Race Was an NER Battle

Richard Astacio, NER driver in the #80 yellow Krugspeed Lotus was the Tire Rack Polesitter who led the STU field to the green flag at the start of the race. A dominating qualifying with a time more than 1.5 seconds faster than the 2nd place Lotus driven by Anthony Geraci behind him. Astacio was looking primed for a great race. NER’s Hugh Stewart started in the third position.

6 laps into the race, the two Lotus’s were working together to build the gap on Stewart and Jose Pena in his 4th place starting Honda. But the two cars came together making side-by-side contact in Kettle Bottoms, causing Astacio to spin, sending him back to the 4th position behind Pena, allowing Stewart to advance into 2nd place.oes Here

Astacio and Pena continued to battle until the penultimate lap where Astacio pulled off, likely due to damage caused during the previous incident. While Stewart turned faster lap times in an attempt to catch Geraci’s leading Lotus, he ultimately crossed the finish line 2nd. A review by stewards later assessed Geraci a 2-position penalty, awarding Stewart the 1st place position.

“I finished third last year really trying hard,” said an emotional Stewart. “This year, I came back with a new car, had a good run and thought I could pull it off in the end.”

Stewart then pulled out photos he kept with him during the race. “I have a picture of my dad on one side, and a picture of my mom on the other side. My dad died in 2007; my mom’s been bedridden all of 2026. Hopefully she’s at home watching with her nurse.”

NER Driver Results

T3 – Edward Karabec – 8th

STU – Hugh Stewart – 1st

Michal Kuna – 7th

Richard Astacio – DNF

FV – Jeffery Valeo – 7th

Robert Detrick – 14th

T4 – Stephen Blethen – 4th

Raymond Blethen – 9th

EP – Anthony Parker – DNF

SM – Elivan Goulet – 13th

Nick Leverone – 17th

John Solemo – DNF

FP – Chris Kopley – 15th

SRF3 – Kennethy Reilly – 28th

Workers of the Year

Without SCCA workers, the hundreds of road races the we bring to tracks across the United States each year simply wouldn’t happen. These volunteers are the sole reason Regional racing, Divisional racing, U.S. Majors Tour®, Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour, and the Mission Foods SCCA® National Championship Runoffs® occur. They are, without a doubt, the heartbeat of the SCCA Road Racing program.

That commitment is why Mazda Motorsports continues to support the SCCA Worker of the Year Awards. Each year, the awards recognize volunteers whose dedication and performance stand out among the many people who give their time to make SCCA racing possible.

For 2026, two New England Region volunteers were recognized for their dedication, countless hours, hard work, and the passion they bring to sport. Join us in congratulating Linda Capullo and Tom Kirchman.

Registration: Linda Capullo, New England Region

“Linda has worked hard to train new people to work in the specialty, solve problems for participants, and to be the first stop at every event, creating a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. Always open earlier than posted, she works hard to accommodate people when they are having problems, and that makes such a difference.”

“Linda has made registration a place where people are welcome, their questions get answered, and problems are solved. She has been such a support to me in various Steward roles, whether it is providing information for Safety Stewards, crew, and entrant information for the Chief Steward or information about workers, the registration room is my first stop when I need help.”

“She shows outstanding dedication, accuracy, and good cheer. What more could you ask for in a Registrar?”

Stewarding: Tom Kirchman, New England Region

“Tom has worked across the country this year from Buttonwillow to New Hampshire, and from Portland to Road Atlanta. He has worked Super Tours, Majors, Divisionals, and Regionals. He has even worked the New England Region Track Experience recruiting program.”

“Tom has likely worked more weekends than any Steward in the country. And when he works, he makes genuine contributions that make that weekend better for the participants. He is dependable and willing to do anything. He is always well prepared and even makes his own entrant lists with his exceptional computer database skills, affectionately known as the ‘Kirchman list.’ I don’t know anyone that puts in the effort that Tom does.”

“Tom is a licensed competitor, Scrutineer, and Divisional Steward (and destined to be National). If you need something, Tom is there to provide it in all of the specialties he’s enrolled in. Plus, he volunteers to shuttle around New England Region’s equipment trailer, even making multiple trips to and from so that he could bring his race car to the track as well.”

“Often, we stick to familiar routines and methods, but Tom challenges these norms, which I appreciate. His thoughtful approach to Stewarding, willingness to take on different roles, and efforts to develop tools have all strengthened our program and improved event operations.”