Four New Triple Crown Recipients
With the conclusion of the 2020 SCCA Runoffs, four new names have been added to the exclusive list of winners of the Chicago Region Triple Crown ®.
Mark Boden won both Touring 1 and Touring 2 at the SCCA Runoffs, but only the T2 win filled the full list of qualifications for the Triple Crown. An extra reward for winning the T2 race was the opportunity to share the podium with his son, Joe Boden! Mark also shared the podium with second place finisher Charlie Peter, son of previous Triple Crown winner Hans Peter. Mark was running in third, inheriting the top position when mishaps remove the cars in front. To finish first, first you need to finish! Consistent fast laps kept him in the top position to the end. Mark adds the Runoffs win to a win in the same class at the 2020 June Sprints and the 2020 Northern Conference SCCA Majors championship to bring home the coveted and exclusive Chicago Region Triple Crown.
Jesse Prather is well known at the Runoffs. So well known, in fact, he has a street named after him in the paddock. Jesse added his fourth national championship to his resume this year in E Production, and his first Chicago Region Triple Crown. He gapped the second place car of John Hainsworth at the start and never looked back. A string of super consistent and flawless laps kept him in the lead from flag to flag. Grabbing a Super Sweep title in the process, Prather was also happily the engine builder for many of the top finishing cars in the race. Twelve years after his last Runoffs win he completed the four-peat, as well as cemented his name in the annals of the Triple Crown. Jesse won the June Sprints as well as being the 2020 SCCA U.S. Majors Tour® Mid-States Conference champion and Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour EP champion to leave no doubt about his qualifications for the rarified air in the Triple Crown crowd.
Joe Moser can add the Triple Crown to his SCCA Super Sweep title after winning Super Touring Light. Joe first qualified for the Triple Crown by winning STL at the June Sprints, then won the 2020 Northern Conference SCCA Majors championship to seal the deal. His run at the Runoffs saw him battling pole sitter and former two time Triple Crown winner Danny Steyn after a difficult week of extensive repairs. On his way to the win he set a new lap record at Road America, clocking in at 2:32.115. A late race full course caution gathered up the group and gave Steyn an opportunity. He successfully pulled away again, and lead the race from flag to flag! Joe is now in the company of only 48 other racers to win the Triple Crown in the last 20 years.
Michael Borden was running in the top four of the Touring 4 race, and graduated to third when Chi Ho spun on lap 4. The remaining top three were spaced out for much of the race, but that all changed as they dove into turn 5 three wide on lap 11. Borden came out first and held on for the remainder of the 13 lap race to put the final jewel in the Triple Crown and win the 2020 SCCA Runoffs. Leading up to the Runoffs Michael won the June Sprints and the 2020 Northern Conference SCCA Majors championship for the other two jewels. He was also the Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour class champion! Did I mention this was his first Runoffs? That’s how to come out strong!