Back-to-back for Rezzetano in T2 to close out 2023 Runoffs

Kurt Rezzetano led flag to flag from the Tire Rack Pole for his fifth SCCA National Championship Runoffs win and third in a row in the Touring 2 class, closing out the Hagerty Race Days from VIRginia International Raceway.

Pulling his No. 37 Phoenix Performance/Hoosier/Hawk Ford Mustang GT away from the field in the early stages, the newly crowned gold medalist saw his entire lead wiped out during a full-course caution just inside the halfway point of the race.

That didn’t change the running order, at least for long, but it at least changed the race dynamic. Scotty White drove his No. 0 Knight Transport/Goodyear/Hawk Dodge Viper past Rezzetano on the lap 11 restart, diving to the inside in Turn 1. Rezzetano gave it right back, whipping back into the lead in Turn 4 to get in position to use his strength in the run up the hill through the Climbing Esses.

For the remaining four laps, the same scenario repeated. White’s Viper would close up to the rear of Rezzetano down the back straight and on the way to the flag; Rezzetano’s Mustang would ease away in the tighter sections of the track.

At the end of 15 laps, it was the Mustang and Kurt Rezzetano in front of White by 2.867s.

“You can’t take it lightly, no matter what you think you’ve got,” Rezzetano said. “Look at the qualifying days — it started out with a little gap and every day it got closer and closer. There’s no games played, because we’ve all been there. You’ve got to have your head on straight when you’re racing guys like this.

“When I saw the full course [caution], I knew I was in a little bit of trouble. We started on stickers [tires] … and I was doing everything I could to cool them off. Luckily, this place is huge and I could do a little bit of straight line driving and keep the heat out of the tires. Scotty’s car has a big steamroller of a rear tire on it, so I knew I had to be delicate with it. Luckily, I could get out of Oak Tree just good enough to keep him behind me and it worked out that I could stay ahead.”

White scored his seventh career podium finish, leaving third-place finisher Mark Boden seven seconds behind.

“I think Kurt had his hands full a little bit, we just didn’t quite have enough to get there,” White said. “Kurt is a hell of a shoe. I’ve seen Kurt’s data, I know what it takes to keep up with him, and it ain’t easy.