Last Day for 2018 Solo Nats -- SCCA® members wait all year for this week of motorsport competition and fun in Lincoln, Nebraska. And each year, the week goes by so fast (pun intended). Alas, today is the final day of the 2018 Tire Rack Solo® Nationals. On Wednesday, the first batch of more than 40 champions were crowned. By Friday night, the second and last batch of champions will emerge after displaying hard work, dedication and talent. Be sure to follow the final day of Solo Nats action online with live timing and audio at http://sololive.scca.com/. And check for frequent updates at https://www.facebook.com/sccaofficial/ and https://www.facebook.com/solomatters/.
Mazda’s Support for Solo Community -- At nearly any Sports Car Club of America autocross event throughout the country, be it a Regional or National event, you’ll find someone carving through orange cones in a Mazda. The Tire Rack Solo Nationals are certainly no different. But because the Solo Nats is such a big deal, Mazda Motorsports decided some years ago to have a strong presence at the event and find a way to enhance the overall experience for competitors.
David Cook, Business Development Manager for Mazda Motorsports, and a team of Mazda technical specialists where onsite at Lincoln AirPark all week again this year. Mazda sponsored the Women’s Luncheon on Monday, and had a special dinner for Mazda drivers in the Big Fun Tent Tuesday night. The automaker had its own hospitality tent in the paddock all week where Mazda drivers could stop by for a bite to eat, ask for advice, or pass some time on a racing simulator. The Mazda hub was even the site of a Cornhole Tournament at one point.
“Autocrossers have a wonderful passion for cars, for community, for competition and for racing, all of which is very much part of Mazda’s DNA,” Cook explained. “Solo Nationals being the premier autocross event, there are some of the most talented, competitive Mazda racers in the country all right here, together, in Lincoln. It’s only appropriate that Mazda Motorsports is here to support them and show them our appreciation.”
Mazda also arrived in Nebraska with some machinery in the form of a new 2019 Mazda MX-5, which ran during Solo Nats to establish a benchmark in the Street Touring Roadster class. Cook said data gained during testing of the new MX-5 will be provided to the SCCA for review later. More can be learned about the 2019 Mazda MX-5 test run, as well as everything else Mazda does at Solo Nats, by reading up on the company’s involvement at MazdaMotorsports.com.
This Place is for the Dogs -- Autocross is a family sport, and a lot of times that includes the pets of the family. For the first time this year, the Tire Rack Solo National Championship includes a fenced dog park for competitors’ four-legged friends to have just as much fun as their owners. Throughout the week, dogs have enjoyed the safety of the fenced area, directly behind the Big Fun Tent, and had a chance to stretch their legs. That’s a big deal for dogs that have spent a week on the concrete beach and is just a small thing to help them feel at home.
Photo: The new 2019 Mazda MX-5 making test runs at Solo Nationals
