On Wednesday, Sept. 13, Sports Car Club of America® President and CEO Mike Cobb hosted a virtual address to keep SCCA® members up to speed on 2023 developments. He also offered insight on what is ahead in the coming months as the Club and its 115 Regions continue to fuel a safe, fun, and exciting motorsports experience for enthusiasts while delivering the best customer experience for drivers and volunteers alike.
Members who missed the 60-minute videoconference can access the presentation through their Member Account Portal (MAP) at my.scca.com by clicking My Learning > Member Content > Annual Meetings and Updates.
Proud Moments for SCCA
The 50th running of the Tire Rack SCCA® Solo® National Championships was a smashing success Sept. 5-8, 2023, at Lincoln Airpark in Nebraska’s capital city. Officially, the Homecoming event had 1,297 entrants. And when you add in the sold out Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo® Finale field of 275, you’ve got six days of shuttling through more than 12,000 – yes, 12,000 – course runs.
“We had an absolutely fantastic ProSolo Finale and Solo Nationals event,” Cobb said. “SCCA history was all over the place, and it was really great.”
Cobb also reminded the SCCA family that Championship season continues through the next month with:
- 60th SCCA Runoffs at VIRginia International Raceway (Sept. 23-Oct. 1)
- SCCA RallyCross Nationals (Oct. 6-8)
- Tire Rack SCCA Time Trials Nationals Powered by Hagerty (Oct. 12-15)
- The 2023 United States RoadRally® Challenge (Oct. 20-22)
Another item discussed was the fact that 2024 brings with it SCCA’s 80th anniversary, with special activities ahead.
Cobb also shared a multitude of membership and financial data with Club members. Most of those 2023 numbers from January to August fell within predictable parameters, and an explanation can be heard during the full archived presentation. The one data point of intrigue centers on participation, which is trending a bit soft for the year.
“There are a lot of variables possibly driving that,” Cobb said during a post-presentation interview. “Inhouse, we’re currently working on doing a program-by-program analysis of this information, and the National Staff looks forward to sharing some educated insight later this year so Regions can learn more.”
On the Topic of Learning
The online SCCA Academy training and development initiative is advancing incredibly well, Cobb explained. The Corner Marshal/Flagging & Communication coursework rolled out in the middle of July, and currently boasts more than 100 SCCA members who have digested the online tutorial and received certification.
But that’s not all. Right around 100 people also finished the online Solo Safety Steward process at SCCA Academy, and the online RoadRally Safety Steward program completion is right around 200 persons. Coming next online is a RallyCross Safety Steward tutorial to be rolled out before year’s end.
What has also been learned is SCCA’s members appreciate the MAP system. “Eighty-four percent of all joins and Club renewals are coming through the Member Account Portal at this point in time,” Cobb noted. “This is very good news for the Club because it is very efficient, very effective, and we get good, clean data out of it so we can better serve the Club going forward.”
Keep on Learning
During Wednesday’s presentation, Cobb let it be known registration will open in early December for the virtual 2024 SCCA National Convention. That will take place Jan. 18-24, 2024, and again be an online presentation. A schedule of sessions will be published in the middle of December.
Acknowledging the need for in-person interaction, Cobb also announced that SCCA Staff and others will again be part of 2024 SCCA Divisional Conventions. A partial list of Division Convention dates can be viewed during the online videoconference presentation.
“Building on last year’s message, the 2024 SCCA National Convention theme will focus on fostering community growth, and celebrating the Club’s 80th anniversary,” Cobb said. “We’re exploring concepts and premises around ‘Grow,’ and look forward to bringing the fully realized 2024 SCCA National Convention concept to you shortly.”
SportsCar Magazine News
Cobb shared news about SportsCar magazine, produced for SCCA by RACER Media & Marketing. After 40 years and 11 amended agreements, SCCA and RACER Media & Marketing will take different paths heading into 2024 with RMM no longer publishing SportsCar Magazine for the SCCA.
“This is a mutual decision by RACER Media and by Sports Car Club of America,” said Cobb. “We’ve come to this [decision] through much deliberation and much conversation and much careful consideration by both parties. The bottom line is … this means that SportsCar magazine will no longer be a print publication that members receive bimonthly [beyond the January/February 2024 issue].”
Cobb shared that the plan going forward includes consideration of the change in media consumption habits across the past 40 years, and data that indicates that SCCA members are spending less time with SportsCar today than they have previously, while publishing costs have continued to soar.
Cobb went on to explain that there’s an opportunity to reinvest in other Club communication channels, which could include website upgrades, expanding SCCA’s digital outreach, and improving online capabilities – and that this redirected investment may include having SportsCar come to life in the future as both an analog and digital presentation.
Much more was addressed during the video presentation. SCCA members should watch the full video accessible through their SCCA Member Access Portal.
