Mällinen’s Next Stop is the Runoffs

Liberty Lake, WA – Max Mällinen, the recently-crowned 2014 National Formula F SCCA Majors Champion, will now set his sights on one of the biggest prizes in American road racing: a victory at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs taking place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in October.

The driver of the No. 10 Swan Motorsports Spectrum/Honda is just 16 years of age, and one of the youngest ever to win the SCCA Majors crown. Now, after a season that included going wheel to wheel in Formula F competition with IndyCar star Josef Newgarden, Mällinen is headed to one of the most famous tracks in the world for a shot at a Runoffs victory.

“I am firmly focused on winning this year’s Runoffs. It would be great to win another championship this year,” said Mällinen. “”We have had a great season and our Spectrum chassis suits the circuit well. Our team is one of the best and I am well prepared to fight for the win.”

Accumulating points after a late decision to shoot for an entry to the Runoffs, Mällinen turned a shot at just racing in the event into being a talked-about contender for the win based on a string of SCCA Majors wins and track records.

After seven SCCA Majors events, Mällinen stole the show with six front row starts including two poles, four wins, two second place finishes and two track records – all while beating some savvy veteran competitors and going to school fulltime.

Among the tracks conquered include Road America’s Elkhart Lake, Barber Motorsports Park, Grattan and Topeka, plus one-off F1600 Series events at Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio.

The venue is as noted as any in racing as Laguna Seca offers 11 turns over 2.238 miles, and includes the famous “corkscrew” turn, with a massive drop in elevation with a blind crest and apex on a steep, uphill approach.

Mällinen’s Swan Motorsports team will test the Formula F Spectrum at Laguna Seca this coming week, and Mällinen has some experience at the track after a small SCCA Regional event earlier in the month.

The 2014 national championship Runoffs race takes place Friday, October 10 at 10:30 am local, Pacific time in Monterey, California.