The Formula Continental (FC) race Saturday afternoon at VIRginia International Raceway during the 60th running of SCCA’s National Championship Runoffs ended up being a family affair featuring Nolan Allaer and his father, Robert Allaer, who are both from Grosse Pointe, MI.
Nolan, the reigning FC National Champion and 2023 Tire Rack Pole Award winner in the No. 11 Martini/Chandon/LTD Motorsports Van Diemen RF02, got a great start during the second of three Runoffs Hagerty Race Days. He immediately scurried away from the field, and managed to develop a nearly 10-second lead after 10 laps around VIR’s 18-turn, 3.27-mile circuit. During that run he completed a lap in 1:51.169, which reset the SCCA® race record for FC around the course.
Things behind Nolan were interesting as multi-time National Champion Michael Varacins, driving a Van Diemen F2000, slotted into second with Tim Minor following third in the No. 88 Hoosier/Quicksilver/Carbotech Citation US2000 car. Then Robert Allaer, wielding the No. 52 Martini/Chandon/LTD Motorsports Van Diemen RF02, was fourth.
Varacins was unable to keep Minor behind him for more than one lap, and fell further back to fourth after Robert got by on the third lap. Pushing hard, Robert also demoted Minor to third by the seventh lap. But all three looked to have no shot at leader Nolan, until a full-course yellow came out on the 10th of what was a 15-lap race.
While his massive lead had vanished, Nolan was not at all fazed. When the race started again for what would be a three-lap sprint, Nolan sped away once again to ultimately stand atop the Runoffs podium and spray Mazza Sparkling Wine, the Official Sparkling Wine of SCCA’s Runoffs, as a two-time FC National Champion.
“That is incredible,” said Nolan, who is also on pole for Sunday’s Hagerty Race Day Formula F contest. “The SCCA Runoffs is so important to our family. The Club has just been so good to us over the years. It means everything to have a result like this.”
Behind Nolan, his father was able to maintain his runner-up position for a sixth Runoffs podium appearance.
“This is better than I could’ve ever expected. It’s unbelievable,” a beaming Robert said. “This is the happiest I’ve ever been to finish second. My son is the real deal. He’s so fast. And Tim Minor, he’s the class of our Formula Continental class. For me to finish in front of him, I never thought it would happen.”
Minor never quit, and made things interesting for Robert throughout the race. However, he had to settle for a third-place finish, which earned him a fourth trip to the Runoffs victory podium.