E30 M3 racer Eric Heinrich is SCCA rookie of the year
The Sports Car Club of America has honored BMW E30 M3 racer Eric Heinrich with its Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year award. Heinrich was given the award on Saturday, March 3 at the SCCA national convention in Las Vegas.
The award is presented to the SCCA club racing driver showing the greatest promise; it is based on driving ability demonstrated during the first season of national competition. The winner is selected by the club racing board based on nominations submitted by the executive stewards.
Heinrich capped his award-winning season with a third-place finish in the STU class race at the 2011 SCCA runoffs at Road America. On his way to the runoffs he scored two wins and two third place finishes, qualifying on the pole and setting track records at New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt circuit, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Watkins Glen.
Heinrich was the 2010 BMW CCA Club Racing national championship in M3GT; it was the first season for the new spec E30 M3 class.
Heinrich says that “The plan for 2012 is to continue racing in STU with the SCCA and win the runoffs and the SCCA Super Sweep Award, and participate in some BMW Club races as time permits.”
To win the Super Sweep Award a driver must win one of nine key national races, win a divisional points championship, win the nationwide point standings and win the national championship runoffs, all in a single class.—Brian S. Morgan, motorsports editor, bmwcca.org
