TOPEKA, Kan. (Sept. 10, 2014) – The 2014 edition of the Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals featured two professional-level racers who faced off against one another in the same class. Both drivers have Pirelli World Championship race wins to their names, but, confirming the strength of the competition in Lincoln, neither was able to take home the winner’s hardware.
In 2009, Tony Rivera, of Vista, California, took home two wins in the GT class while piloting a Porsche 911 GT3, and this year has driven the No. 08 Brass Monkey Racing Scion FR-S Coupe in the Touring Car class. Last week, as part of the Nationals, Rivera was driving his No. 133 Hoosier/Penske Nissan 350Z in the B Street Prepared class. He ended two days of competition in the trophies, finishing fifth out of 17 other drivers.
“To be honest with you, this [the Solo Nationals] is the place where I have the most fun,” Rivera said. “It’s the least amount of stress. You’re not dealing with the logistics of a team. You’re also not dealing with the personalities that you can run into at the professional level. You can see your friends every year and just have some fun.
Robert Thorne, of Littleton, Colorado, also took part in the Nationals, competing in his BSP-classed No. 180 3RAuto.com/CorsportUSA.com Honda S2000. Like Rivera, Thorne is also a race winner in Pirelli World Challenge, and the current driver of the No. 6 K-PAX Racing McLaren 12C GT3. Thorne’s Pirelli World Challenge win came in 2011. At this year’s National Championships, Thorne was unable to defend his BSP title from last year. Instead Thorne finished this year in second, 0.038-second behind his co-driver Christopher Mayfield.
“Not just for the Solo world is this the largest event,” Thorne said. “But, this is the largest motorsports event in the United States. Having a track this size, plus the drivers who have as much experience as some of these guys and gals puts a whole new perspective on how quickly one can learn a new course and put down a quick time.”
While it may see like Solo and professional road racing are worlds apart, these two veteran drivers say things aren’t so different. While Solo courses are smaller and the top speeds are lower, many pivotal skills needed to go fast at a famous road course like Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca can be developed on the autocross course.
“In Solo, having three runs per day is a very different situation than what we have at the race track where we have many laps to figure things out,” Thorne said. “It’s a great mind training device and has really helped my qualifying out in the Pirelli World Challenge this year.
“Of course, there are certain things that translate between Solo and professional racing and others that don’t. Car control and learning to be on line all the time are two important things on which one can draw. The tradeoff of distance versus speed when going through a corner can also be transferred, and that’s a big lessons that most in road racing don’t see.”
“Solo is challenging,” Rivera said. “It’s a great place to hone your skills. A lot of people compare autocrossing to road racing. Others say one is better than the other. I’m not going to compare them, because they are completely different. But, both are a lot of fun.”
While bench racers could debate the merits of Solo competition helping to make a road racer better, the ferocity of the competition cannot be overlooked. In fact, that is one thing that keeps Rivera returning to the Solo Nationals year after year.
“It’s challenging to go against such top drivers,” Rivera said. “That’s why a bunch of guys who have gone pro racing come back. Any one driver can be beaten on any given day. When you’re coming down to the 0.001-second, locking the brakes while entering a corner can be the difference between winning and losing. There’s no way to make up for that little mistake.
“As a driver, you have to be on your ‘A’ game and I really like things that challenge my mind. I’ll continue to be back. This year, running with my fiancé, has made the experience that much better.”
For Thorne, it wasn’t until returning to the sport that he gained a greater appreciation for Solo racing.
“At 18 years old, I got out of the sport for a while. When I got back into it, after buying and competing in my own car, and re-learning how to drive I had a greater appreciation for autocross than I did when I was young. So, I’d have to say that Solo racing is my first love.”
National Champions have been crowed in 70 classes, the Tire Rack National Solo program has one remaining event on the schedule. The St. George Match Tour is slated for Oct. 18-19, at the St. George (Utah) Airport. This will also serve as the final opportunity for eligible drivers to complete the requirements for the prestigious Solo Triad.
Additional information on the Tire Rack SCCA National Solo program can be found at www.scca.com/solo.
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2014 Solo National Championship
