A Ferrari, a Corvette and an Alfa lead after first 2024 NATA round

Yes, this sounds like one of those bar jokes. However, a Ferrari, a Corvette and an Alfa all drove onto Road America and came home as class winners for the first round of the NATA Championship Presented by Grassroots Motorsports. They'll start the year on top of the point standings of a contest that seeks to determine the best of the best among three time trial sanctions–Global Time Attack, Gridlife and SCCA.

Anthony Leclerc set the fastest time for the class with an Alfa Romeo 4C. He bought it “slightly used” in 2017 and did his first time trial event in 2018. Since then, he’s slowly built up his Alfa with items such as Nitron coil-overs, upgraded intercooler, high-flow catted downpipe, dyno tune and a carbon fiber rear hood and wing from GaleMotorSport (GMS).

Anthony says he intends to make a run for the NATA Championship, with the Gridlife Chicagoland and SCCA Time Trials Nationals at NCM Motorsports Park on his schedule.

In his first time at Road America, Nick Hendrix topped the charts in his class with a C6 Corvette Grand Spot. Nick says he’s only did minor mods to it. Long-tube headers, a tune, Borg Motorsports Delrin bushings, LG G2 coil-overs, Strano front sway bar, AMT Motorsport camber kit, AMT Motorsport two-piece rotors with Hawk DTC-60 pads. He rides on Falken RT-660 315/30R19 tires in the rear and “some 3-year-old 275/35R18 BFG Rivals I had been storing my basement.”

“The car started out as just a stock Grand Sport because I wanted something that I could track reliably,” Nick adds. “I never thought I’d be doing SCCA national tour or Gridlife events. I did this event at Road America because I love how well the SCCA national tour team runs events and I wanted to shakedown the car after doing a bunch of maintenance over the winter. I never thought I would end up first in the Large 200tw segment and second overall.”

Yes, a 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista led the way. Yes, it sold for $350,000 new, has 710 horsepower stock and weighed 3250 pounds from Maranello. However, the guy behind the wheel may have also made a difference. Steve Forrer has five National championships at the SCCA Runoffs, including in Formula Atlantic in the 1990s and three in a row for C Sports Racer.

Miss the first round? No worries. The NATA Championship awards points to the best three point showings among six events. Global Time Attack hosts the second round of the NATA Championship Presented by Grassroots Motorsports. It takes place on May 10-11 at Road Atlanta. For more information on NATA, visit natachampionship.com.

Unlimited
Pos. | Driver | Car | Time | NATA Points Earned
1. Steve Forrer, 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista, 02:22.467, 100.000
2. Brian Black, 2006 Chevrolet Corvette, 02:28.017, 96.250
3. Chris Johnson, 2023 Exomotive Exocet, 03:00.340, 78.999

Large Tire 200tw
Pos. | Driver | Car | Time | NATA Points
1. Nick Hendrix, 2013 Chevrolet Corvette, 02:25.438, 97.957
2. Keenan Prusank, 2020 Chevrolet Camaro, 02:26.731, 97.094
3. David Feighner, 2015 Ford Mustang, 02:28.495, 95.941
4. Jeff Tucker, 2018 Chevrolet Camaro, 02:29.379, 95.373
5. Robert Smithson, 2017 Chevrolet Camaro, 02:29.425, 95.343
6. Michael Barnes, 2018 Ford Mustang, 02:29.559, 95.258
7. John Li, 2021 Ford Mustang, 02:29.737, 95.145
8. Michael Young, 2023 Chevrolet Corvette, 02:31.176, 94.239
9. Paul Ough, 2021 Ford Mustang, 02:31.409, 94.094
10. Dallas Reed, 2023 Chevrolet Corvette, 02:31.629, 93.958
11. Jesse Plant, 2017 Ford Mustang, 02:33.334, 92.913
12. Jeffrey Craig, 1999 Chevrolet Corvette, 02:34.414, 92.263
13. Phillip Jue, 2003 Nissan 350Z, 02:34.879, 91.986
14. Greg van Dalen, 2020 Ford Mustang, 02:35.928, 91.367
15. Josiah Douglas, 2014 Nissan 370Z, 02:36.523, 91.020
16. Rick Bentson, 2020 Ford Mustang, 02:37.8 02, 90.282
17. Sean Heneghan, 2024 Acura Integra, 02:40.795, 88.602
18. Chris Wheatley, 2018 Chevrolet Camaro, 02:43.044, 87.379
19. Chad Culver, 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, 02:43.766, 86.994
20. Nate Kindlon, 2005 Mazda RX-8, 02:44.217, 86.755
21. Norman Currey, 2005 Nissan 350Z, 02:56.838, 80.564
22. Mike Groothuis, 2001 Mazda Miata, 03:05.992, 76.598

Small Tire 200tw
Pos. | Driver | Car | Time | NATA Points
1. Anthony Leclerc, 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C, 02:31.472, 94.055
2. Colin Swanger, 1997 BMW Z3, 02:33.213, 92.986
3. Tony Machi, 2018 Honda Civic, 02:36.186, 91.216
4. Nicholas Zelisko, 2010 Mazda RX-8, 02:38.087, 90.119
5. Trevor Kindlon, 2006 Ford Mustang, 02:38.241, 90.032
6. Miroslav Knava, 2021 Mini Cooper, 02:39.378, 89.389
7. Romana Smela, 2021 Mini Cooper, 02:40.095, 88.989
8. Sarin Kodappully, 2014 Subaru BRZ, 02:40.968, 88.506
9. Liam Parkes, 2013 Renault FR-S, 02:41.316, 88.315
10. Josh Murphy, 2007 Mazda RX-8, 02:43.019, 87.393
11. Brian Zelisko, 2011 BMW 128i, 02:44.669, 86.517
12. Sage Wallace, 2003 Honda S2000, 02:44.876, 86.409
13. Michael Lara, 2019 Volkswagen Golf, 02:47.249, 85.183
14. Christopher Heideman, 1989 Honda CRX, 02:47.479, 85.066
15. Larry MacLeod, 2019 Mazda MX-5, 02:47.722, 84.942
16. Justin Vandergriff, 2010 Mazda MX-5, 02:49.624, 83.990
17. Jeremy Wilson, 1999 Mazda Miata, 02:49.825, 83.890
18. Samuel Groothuis, 2014 Subaru BRZ, 02:51.068, 83.281
19. Maxim Livchak, 2003 Mazda Miata, 02:51.440, 83.100
20. Tanya Kemp, 2014 Ford Focus, 02:52.186, 82.740
21. Aldrin Natividad, 2020 Subaru BRZ, 02:55.245, 81.296
22. Hiroshi Witt, 2011 Audi A3, 02:55.582, 81.140
23. Chris Hauenstein, 1999 Mazda MX-5, 02:55.919, 80.984
24. Heather Ingraham, 2016 Subaru BRZ, 02:57.459, 80.282
25. Solomon Rosa, 2000 Mazda Miata, 02:58.883, 79.643
26. Galen Wilson, 1999 Mazda Miata, 02:59.863, 79.209
27. Noah Kreis, 1990 Mazda Miata, 03:04.466, 77.232
28. Matthew Leus, 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, 03:05.712, 76.714
29. Arthur Partyka, 2002 Subaru Impreza, 03:07.915, 75.815
30. Kurt Seeman, 2004 Mazda RX-8, 03:08.011, 75.776
31. Keith Wilkening, 1994 Mazda Miata, 03:16.135, 72.637
32. Michael Terry, 1993 Mazda Miata, 03:17.483, 72.141
33. Carl Swanson, 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, 03:34.910, 66.291

Comments

Colin Wood Associate Editor
4/26/24 11:53 a.m.

It's always cool to see a Ferrari getting used to its potential. Love the color, too.

Rob New Reader
4/27/24 2:36 p.m.

As a Alfa Romeo 4C owner, it is great to see someone driving it the way it should be driven. Mine is mostly a garage queen that occasionally gets driven to a C&C .

J.A. Ackley Senior Editor
4/29/24 9:29 a.m.

Yeah, it was nice to see two cars that typically get kept as garage queens get their time in the sun in a competitive event. Expect to see more of the Alfa 4C as the NATA season continues.