April 1, 2014, was no ordinary April Fool’s Day – it marked the first day of employment for Heyward Wagner as part of the Sports Car Club of America® staff. A decade later, Wagner has now been promoted to Vice President, Rally/Solo® and Experiential, recognizing his accomplishments in bringing #funwithcars to all automotive enthusiasts.

Prior to joining the national staff, Wagner was a lifetime member, a Region leader, and a member of the National Solo field staff. Once on board, and with the support of current Sr Manager of Experiential Programs, Jennifer McAbee, he led the team that launched the Track Night in America Driven by Tire Rack (TNiA) program, which has since seen more than 80,000 entries hit the racetrack. Developments through Track Night proved a new SCCA model for motorsports events with a focus on teamwork, coaching, and fun. Those elements were then instrumental in the relaunch of SCCA’s Time Trials program, where Wagner partnered with Jon Krolewicz to create the Tire Rack SCCA Time Trials National Tour Powered by Hagerty competition series.

In addition to leading the Experiential Department, Wagner also led the Marketing Department from 2017 through 2020, including the hiring of Kristen Poole. With Poole assuming leadership of the Club’s Marketing Department in 2021, Wagner returned focus to programs, accepting the role of Senior Director, Rally/Solo and Experiential Programs.

In the marketing role, Wagner pushed the ease of access and fun mindset born from Track Night to the Club’s overall image, ultimately leading to the “#funwithcars” hashtag being adopted as the primary tagline for the Club. This hashtag – which is still used by the Club today – sets the tone for enjoyment alongside competition results when it comes to entering SCCA events.

Since becoming the Club’s Senior Director, Rally/Solo and Experiential Programs, in 2020, Wagner has faced challenges head-on, including a reset of the ProSolo series and the COVID-19 forced cancellation of the 2020 Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships. In addition, Wagner recruited Brian Mason to lead the National Solo Series and transitioned Rick Myers into the Director of Solo role.

“To continue to grow the Club and achieve our mission, all of us must work toward lowering barriers of entry and creating more access while delivering great experiences through SCCA programs, SCCA President and CEO Mike Cobb said. “Through efforts like TNiA, the reinvigorated Time Trials program, and many others, Heyward has demonstrated that he understands how to solve for these challenges – and importantly, the participation and experience scores from these efforts certainly back this up. At the end of the day, leadership is about making something happen with and through others that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Heyward definitely makes things happen, understands the power of Team, and the need to engage key partners in support of core initiatives. These are just three of the reasons he is being promoted to Vice President, Rally/Solo and Experiential Programs"

Wagner’s vision for the future of the programs he oversees does not prioritize sweeping changes. Rather, he feels the more important work to be done should be focused on incremental improvements.

“We have worked really hard over the last decade to build the foundations for strong programs in the Club,” Wagner said. “As we look toward the future, I’m most interested in making improvements to the overall experience for our members, both current and future. The next changes will be gradual but meaningful.”

He also plans to continue a personal trend that began this year. “I’ve been doing more driving at SCCA events than in the past,” he said. “I look forward to continuing that.”