Autocross is all about looking ahead – but when it comes to prepping for competition events, don’t get ahead of yourself. While many are already sporting #SoloNatsHasStarted on social media, the reality is that the 2024 Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour is still roaring. That includes the July 26-28, 2024, Tire Rack SCCA Chicago Solo National Tour at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL, where warm summer days greeted 151 competitors.
Chicago Region welcomed everyone on Friday evening with pizza and a course walk (not Chicago-style, that would be ridiculous). And while a few showers speckled Sunday morning, it cleared up quickly to let the fun play out.
Space in the grippy asphalt parking lot was utilized by Ian Berman to design the courses, complete with a fun mix of speed and slower sections on each day to include something for everyone.
One driver who took full advantage of the weekend was Cassie Storbeck, who was selected as part of SCCA Women on Track’s Driver Development Program. Thanks to Women on Track, Storbeck received expert coaching from fellow autocrosser Rob Clark, assisting her competition in the Ladies Street Tire Bump class.
Classy Competition
While the umbrellas and the rain jackets were out on Sunday morning, Aytinc Akad and his Porsche 911 Carrera S whipped out an absolute riot of a final run to take the Super Street Touring® class win. Akad trailed by more than two seconds – you read that correctly – after the first day, though he did not record a clean run. Even so, his Sunday run was fast enough to win by 1.007sec when the times were combined.
The course was beginning to dry on Sunday by the time Sean Greer and the Street Touring Roadster field lined up for their runs, but he needed his day-one advantage to hold off a hard-charging Andrew Salazar and his Honda S2000. Salazar was quickest on Sunday, but Greer had done enough with his Mazda Miata to preserve a 0.045sec Solo National Tour victory.
Dan Simms, in a 2009 Corvette, kept the rest of the A Street Corvettes and Teslas behind him, gaining a 1.144sec class win. How quick was he? His total was also good enough for top PAX of the event, making him the quickest driver of the entire field.
Though many Club Spec Mustang builders and drivers are still dialing in their car’s potential during Club Spec’s first season of autocross, it’s fair to say Joe Tharpe has got his setup nailed. Tharpe took the seven-entry field by 2.690sec for a Solo National Tour victory.
That’s just a taste of what went on at Route 66 Raceway. All of the action can be seen in the event’s results.
Lincoln? Not Yet
Yes, the Sept. 3-6, 2024, Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships is not far off, but don’t discount August, as SCCA’s Solo National Tour heads to upstate New York for the Tire Rack SCCA Romulus Solo National Tour at the Seneca Army Depot on Aug. 2-4. But wait, that’s only the penultimate round.
After Romulus, the Solo National Tour heads to Bunker Hill, IN, for the Tire Rack SCCA Grissom Solo National Tour at Grissom Aeroplex – this is the final stop on the calendar prior to the Solo National Championships, with Grissom taking place Aug. 9-11.
Romulus entries are flirting with the entry cap, but there’s still plenty of space available at Grissom.
The 2024 Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships, meanwhile, sold out a while ago.
Photo by Richard Verret
