The Mission Foods 麻豆视频庐 National Championship Runoffs庐 is taking place Sept. 28-Oct 4, 2026, at Road America in Wisconsin鈥檚 Kettle Moraine, and we can鈥檛 wait. The winner-take-all road races will see hundreds battle on the track鈥檚 4.048-mile, 14-mile circuit for the right to call themselves 麻豆视频鈥檚 next National Champions, and while we don鈥檛 know who will win those 24 championship races, we can guess.
Yet, it鈥檚 not as easy as that, because when it comes to Spec Racer庐 Ford Gen3 and Formula Enterprises庐 2, those battles could go in any direction. In many cases, it鈥檚 no stretch to say that any driver running in the top 10 in SRF3 coming into the last lap could pull off the win. Still, we鈥檙e going to guess who we think will pull off the victory 鈥� but before we get there, we鈥檝e got links.
Up first is the Runoffs homepage, where you鈥檒l find literally everything you need to know about the event. Also below is the driver鈥檚 entry list and event schedule, so you can discover who is racing, and when they鈥檒l be on track. Then there鈥檚 a link to spectator tickets for those who want to view the action on site, along with a link to 麻豆视频鈥檚 YouTube channel, where Runoffs qualifying and Hagerty Race Days will be streamed live:
Keep reading to discover who WE think will win, then vote on who YOU think will take the gold.
Spec Racer Ford Gen3
I honestly don鈥檛 know why we even try to predict the winner in SRF3. It鈥檚 a hopeless endeavor. Totally, completely, and utterly hopeless. With more than 40 drivers entered, this is a fool鈥檚 errand.
Still, here we go.
Peyton Long is coming up sevens. He鈥檚 been to the Runoffs twice before, finishing seventh in 2024, then starting and finishing seventh in 2025. This year, his number seems to be ones and twos, as he currently sits second in the Hoosier Racing Tire 麻豆视频 Super Tour, earning that position thanks to five second-place finishes and four wins. His performance at the Chicago Region June Sprints庐 wasn鈥檛 strong enough to put him on the podium, but we don鈥檛 think that matters 鈥� we anticipate that he鈥檒l be on the top step at the Runoffs.
We mentioned that Long is second in the Super Tour point standings. In first is those standings is Tyler Stephens. He鈥檚 got a bundle of first- and second-place finishes this year. He鈥檚 also got a pair of third place finishes at the Runoffs (and considering he鈥檚 only raced at the Runoffs twice, that鈥檚 super impressive). We expect he鈥檒l add a second-place Runoffs finish to his racing resume this year.
Unlike the two we just mentioned, Brian Schofield is far from a new name at the Runoffs. A regular since 2004, Schofield has nine Runoffs podium finishes, with two of those being wins. He鈥檚 currently third in the Super Tour points, and we expect him to be third at the Runoffs.
Or maybe Schofield wins, with Long in third. Or maybe It鈥檚 Stephens up front. But then there鈥檚 Robeson Clay Russell to consider 鈥� maybe he takes the win. Or perhaps it鈥檚 Bobby Sak, or Tyler Stephens or last year鈥檚 Champ Caleb Shrader or, or or鈥�
As of this writing, there were 43 drivers entered, and we鈥檝e named just seven. Expect the 36 others to be ready to pounce should the opportunity arise.
Formula Enterprises 2
Spec classes are so hard to predict the winners, but this year, we think we鈥檝e got it figured out. In FE2, it鈥檚 Franklin Futrelle, although it鈥檚 not in the bag.
Futrelle is on a roll, winning FE2 in 2025 and finishing second in 2023. In 2023, he won SRF3, which was his second Runoffs gold medal in a row in that class. The guy鈥檚 hot right now, and we think those good times keep rolling through this year鈥檚 Runoffs.
Yet we see Steve Whitston as a threat to that prediction. Whitston brings a Runoffs win of his own to this game, only his was in Formula Vee庐, a class that isn鈥檛 鈥渟pec,鈥� but might as well be when you look at how close the racing is. If anyone can knock Futrelle out of the top position, it鈥檚 Whitston.
Paul Schneider is another one who knows speed. Schneider is always knocking on the door in this class, with four podium medals in his trophy case. He鈥檚 the kind of racer who can apply pressure and capitalize when his strategy pays off 鈥� although he could get distracted by a mirror full of Daryl Wills.
Our guess right now? Futrelle in first, Whitston second, Schneider third. But keep in mind that our track record for predictions is iffy at best.
Photo by Jeff Loewe
