Competition Update - Tuesday Afternoon
Some midday leaders from the opening day of competition include: Ryan Clark, in a Porsche Cayman S, is leading in BS; Alex Muresan, in a Porsche GT3, leads SSR; Jennifer Bedell, in a Toyota MR2 Spyder, is ahead in ESL; Kim Whitener, driving a Mazda Miata, is leading STSL; and Lacey Otis, in a Chevrolet Camaro, is ahead in STPL.
Food Truck Review - Day 1
On Tuesday, a humble SCCA.com reporter took one for the team and began a tour of the food trucks on site at Tire Rack Solo Nationals. Up first is Heoya, the traditional Korean barbecue stop here at Lincoln Airpark.
For the money, participants can’t go wrong with any of the choices – the rice bowl with a side salad or the Banh Mi are great choices. Grab a side of egg rolls or crab Rangoon to go with it.
But, if there’s only one meal to eat, the choice is easy. Grab an order of Korean Tacos (you pick: pork, chicken or tofu if you’re one of “them.” But a couple tacos and some spicy crab rangoons will mean your taste buds will finish in a trophy position.
Cone Wars Landspeeder
The Tire Rack Solo Nats occupy a huge amount of Lincoln Airpark in Nebraska. There’s a practice course, two competition layouts, and 25 rows of paddock space. To cover all that ground, participants need a comfortable pair of shoes, or maybe a bike or skateboard. Perhaps it’s no surprise, but there are a lot of golf karts, too.
This year, one golf kart that stands out is that of Kevin Dietz, of the Northwest Region. The STR driver, who has been coming to Solo Nats for 18 years, went out of his way to turn his ride into Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, keeping with the “Cone War” theme of this year’s Solo Nats.
“If you come to Nationals to have fun, you’re guaranteed to have a good time. But if you come here only to win, you might not have a good week,” Dietz said. “So, I always enjoy the Solo Nats theme every year and try to match my golf kart accordingly.”
“Luke’s Landspeeder flashed right into my head this year,” Dietz continued. “I have less than $45 into the whole thing, including the engine’s flashing lights that glow and strobe at night. In all, it only took us about an hour and a half to put the thing together.”
Whether Dietz takes home a championship this year is yet to be seen. But he certainly finished first in the creativity competition.
Photo: Kevin Dietz hovers along at Solo Nats with his Landspeeder kart.
