LINCOLN, Neb. (Sept. 4, 2014) – The world’s largest motorsports event is even larger in 2014 as the second wave began competition at the 42nd Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships on Thursday at the Lincoln (Neb.) Airpark. A total of 1,185 drivers have taken runs in the week-long event to crown the country’s best autocrossers.
The mark, set when an additional 44 classes began their first day of competition on Thursday, bests the previous high water mark of 1,157 at Heartland Park Topeka in 2007.
On the West course, A Street and A Street R both set up tight competitions for Friday’s final. Mark Daddio, of Beacon Falls, Connecticut, set the pace in the No. 27 Chevrolet Corvette on his third run, and leads Ryan Otis’ No. 80 LocketsByLacey.OrigamiOwl.com Chevrolet Corvette by just 0.085-second.
Paul Kolzak (No. 97 Redhaus Racing Chevrolet Corvette), of Litchfield, Maine, and Tony Savani (No. 132 StranoParts.com/Hoosier Tire Chevrolet Corvette), of Cochranville, Pennsylvania, are even closer in A Street R, separated by just 0.015-second on the opening day.
Laura Harbour, of Stamping Ground, Kentucky, is locked in a duel of her own with Omaha’s Julie Heaton in G Street Ladies. Harbour’s No. 96 Secondhand Celica Accessories and Such Toyota Celica is just 0.023-second ahead of Heaton’s No. 98 MAZDASPEED Protege, with Harbour taking the lead on her final run of the day. Each of the two are looking for their second National Championship.
Ron Williams, of Topeka, Kan., leads Street Touring Compact in the No. 98 Toyo Tires/Southwest Auto Service/Honda Racing Honda Civic with a 0.076-second margin over David Whitener, of Fort Worth, Texas, in the No. 199 Black Armor Helmets/Texas Track Works Honda Civic. A championship for Williams would be his fifth; Whitener is searching for his third.
The less technical East Course played heavily into the hands of drivers with plenty of horsepower at their disposal. In Super Street R, G.J. Dixon, of Scarsdale, N.Y., finished his opening day of competition in the class lead. Driving the No. 186 Monticello Motor Club/Grand Prix New York Porsche GT3, Dixon’s fastest run was his final of the day and proved to be the class-leading lap. Heading into the overnight break, Dixon holds a 0.073-second lead over Josh Luster in the No. 92 G-Fab/Stranoparts.com/SJF Performance Chevrolet Corvette.
Carter Thompson, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., stopped the timing clocks with the quickest time in Super Street Modified. Carter, the two-time defending SSM champion who drives the No. 116 KAAZ USA/LMS-EFI.com/HPP Mazda RX-7, built himself a 0.254-second gap to Brian Johns in the Tweakit Racing/1220 Exhibits/Run Cool Mazda RX-7. Both drivers wasted little time in going fast, as Johns’ quick time was a result of his first run and Thompson’s class-leading time was a result of his second run.
After the dust settled from Thursday’s racing, Ian Baker found himself as the leader in Street Touring Sport by a razor-thin margin of 0.007-second over Andrew Canak. Driving his No. 177 Toyo Tires/Strano Parts/SSC Tint Honda CRX Si, Baker is in the best possible position to complete his first National Championship run.
Follow the action through live timing at www.sololive.scca.com, live audio from the east course at www.ustream.tv/channel/solo-nationals-east and from the west course at www.ustream.tv/channel/solo-nationals-west, on the SCCA Facebook page at Facebook.com/SCCAOfficial, or on Twitter @SCCAOfficial.
More information on the Tire Rack SCCA National Championship is available at www.scca.com/solo.
2014 Solo National Championship
