Autocrossers have long lamented the dwindling number of Solo® playgrounds. But fear not, cone crushers. With help from Solo Department staff at SCCA’s National Office, some local Regions have managed to christen new sites just this year.
“Sites are the lifeblood of SCCA autocross,” said Rick Myers, SCCA’s Director of Rally/Solo. “Without venues, we don’t have a program. Continuing to look for sites, and being successful in securing sites, is vital to our program’s health. Site acquisition should be a year-round endeavor for Regions, because everywhere we play is technically temporary and could go away due to new property ownership or risk management changes.”
Locking down quality locales is no small task as it requires a commitment of time and energy from Regions and SCCA® staff alike. Exploration of individual sites can take upwards of 80 hours or more of work, and conversations with site owners often stretch several months. With all that work, there’s also always the chance things just won’t work out.
The first step in the process is to find a suitable location. Myers said the goal is to discover a site with a smooth surface, be it concrete or asphalt. A big, open space measuring at least 400x400 feet is best with few obstructions such as light poles, trees, abutments, or curbs. Preferably, the site should be in a non-populated area with no nearby homes – so commercial areas and airports are usually a good place to start the search. That being said, sites located not too far from towns or cities are desirable because they offer access to amenities such as hotels, restaurants, and gas stations.
Generally, Regions do some research on their own before reaching out to the SCCA National Office and requesting assistance. That includes spending quality time with online map apps to scope out viable spaces within a community, and even driving by a possible spot to see what it looks like in reality.
From there, the SCCA Staff can draw from previous experience and help with ideas to connect with appropriate decision makers at the property. For instance, a venue’s operations manager may not be the logical first contact, mostly because establishing a relationship with SCCA just means more work for that person. So, connecting with the property’s actual owner from the get-go may be more fruitful. And for airport properties, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) often has a say in what goes on alongside runways. Luckily, however, SCCA’s Solo staff has plenty of great experience working with FAA and can offer good guidance to Regions.
One major hurdle often encountered is differentiating SCCA Solo activities from other types of motorsports, especially drag racing. Accentuating the fact that Solo is a precision driving exercise rather than a speed event is often crucial. Risk management concerns are also often a major issue, so Regions need to be ready to prove they have good insurance policies in place to cover participants, spectators, and commercial properties.
It’s safe to say acquiring new Solo sites can be tricky, with each site being a little bit different in terms of ownership, conversation protocols, and more. And as the saying goes, you’ve only got one chance to make a good first impression. If your Region needs help navigating these waters, SCCA’s Solo Department can help. Just fill out the Site Acquisition Support form to get the ball rolling.
Stories of Success
Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority
Burns Flat, OK, is a little more than an hour’s drive west of Oklahoma City, and that’s where you’ll find the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) now occupying the old Clinton Sherman Airport. In 2024, that site also became a brand-new autocross venue for SCCA’s Oklahoma Region.
Brian Fipps, Solo Chair for Oklahoma Region, said Remington Park has been the Region’s Solo playground for about 15 years. However, the parking lot of that horse track in Oklahoma City is showing its age. So, it was time to explore options.
“Google Maps is always fun,” Fipps said about beginning the search online. “Just get on and roam the land. If I find something I like, I zoom in, I start doing measurements … then look at what obstacles are around such as light poles. I also check if there is a ‘street view’ that allows me to zoom in on the parking lot and see if there are barricades, curbs, or if the parking lot is not level. Seeing what’s around the lot is also very helpful, such as a secondary parking lot for grid or paddock.”
OSIDA, one of only 14 space ports in the country, is a site Oklahoma Region has had its eye on for some time. They’d previously reached out to the facility about a dozen years ago to see if they’d be open to having an event there, but the concept was shot down. This time, however, Fipps made contact with the site controller, who seemed amenable to the concept and noted that a driver training academy for police and sheriffs was already using the venue.
Fipps was told to reach out to the head of the driving academy, who then introduced him to the facility’s executive director. A meeting was set up, and Fipps worked with SCCA’s Myers to get the proper paperwork in order.
A site visit revealed the space used by the driving academy wasn’t quite right for Solo competition. Not too far away, however, was a beautiful concrete apron that was simply perfect. The executive director was happy to grant Oklahoma Region access to that area, and graciously helped navigate FAA requirements. Phone calls were made, and discussions conducted, with the end result being the Region securing a new site after less than three months of negotiations.
There’s Hope in Arkansas
Municipal maneuvering was needed by SCCA’s Arkansas Region to lock down their new playpen in Hope, AR, which sits only 10 minutes away from the city’s charming downtown district.
As its name indicates, Hope Municipal Airport is run by the city. That requires a whole distinct set of communications if you want to gain access to such a facility, but having friends in the right places can help a lot.
Stuttgart Municipal Airport, located an hour east of Little Rock, has been the focus of Solo activities for Arkansas Region for a handful of years. Arkansas Aeroplex in Blytheville, AR, was also a popular spot for some time until that facility’s runways were filled with aircraft, leaving no space for SCCA to play.
Realizing sites can sometimes just go away, Arkansas Region got proactive. During one Region board meeting, a member suggested they look into Hope Municipal Airport. It just so happened that member knew the airport’s manager, too, and heard the city’s mayor was a “car guy.” So, a meeting was set up and the process began.
Working with city government, any city government, can be a very involved process. There are forms to fill out, documents to provide, plenty of conversations to have, and sometimes a vote is required for approval. Understanding a need for help, Arkansas Region Executive Brady Loretz reached out to SCCA’s Myers for help.
“I really leaned on Rick Myers a lot to help get everything ironed out that would seal the deal,” Loretz said. “Everyone should know that the SCCA National Office is there to help, and you don’t have to try to do everything on your own.”
To generate an official proposal, plenty of time was spent on the phone with airport management and the FAA, because you want to make sure pilots using the facility are kept happy. The fact that Arkansas Region has a fantastic relationship with Stuttgart Municipal Airport officials certainly helped with those conversations.
“Once Hope Municipal Airport was satisfied, they reached out to their FAA rep to look at the proposal,” Loretz said. “The FAA was satisfied with it, then the proposal went before the city board of directors for a vote.”
Loretz attended that city meeting and made a presentation talking about the Club, and he came prepared with lots of documentation. After a few questions, the board of directors voted and approved usage of the airport.
“They were all super excited about it,” Loretz added. “We had our first event in July, and the mayor along with two or three people from the city board of directors came out to see what we were all about. They were asking what they could do to help us even more. They seemed really excited to have us there.
“People in the area are very interested in having an event like ours at the airport,” Loretz continued. “We had a lot of spectators come out to watch. That first weekend was a great event and huge success all around.”
Gaining Independence in Kansas
A quaint town named Independence is nestled in the southeast quadrant of Kansas. About two hours east of Wichita or 90 minutes north of Tulsa, OK, it’s home to autocross fanatics Greg and Lori Kelley, who are technically part of SCCA’s Northeast Oklahoma Region. The couple, however, are very much diehard members of the Solo community at large.
The duo has traveled long distances to participate in autocross experiences, but thought it’d be a lot nicer if there was a Solo site in their backyard. So, they looked at Independence Municipal Airport just a stone’s throw from their hometown’s business district.
As pilots, the Kelleys were very familiar with the facility. In fact, Lori once sat on the airport’s guiding board. That made initial outreach a no-brainer as far as connecting with decision makers. The Kelleys also knew there were other stakeholders to persuade. In particular, Textron Aviation – which conducts Cessna operations at the north end of Independence field.
“We are pretty comfortable with how things roll out there at the airport,” Lori said. “We just reached out to city staff, as well as Main Street, the chamber of commerce, and other people who are really good about bringing events into the community.”
It was fall of 2023 when the serious business of site acquisition commenced after learning the city would entertain the idea. The Kelleys worked with SCCA’s Rick Myers to pull together a helpful presentation with lots of salient documents, then everyone met at the airport to tour the facility and gather for a meeting. Those involved included airport staff, the city engineer in charge of airport oversight, the chamber of commerce, and a Textron representative was briefed as part of the process, too.
“They didn’t have any idea what autocross is,” Greg said. “We had to explain it to them, show them pictures of a course, and they were a bit leery at first because they thought they’d have to close a runway.”
Wisely, the Kelleys noted during discussions that SCCA activities would take advantage of a previously unutilized economic asset found at the airport’s south end. Stakeholders also learned SCCA gatherings would not interfere at all with Textron and there’d be no need to cease normal aircraft operations – a fact FAA always likes to hear.
Innovative usage of a municipal facility anywhere in the U.S. almost always requires approval from a city council, and Independence was no different. But after the Kelleys made another presentation to the local city commission, they got the thumbs-up to hold an SCCA Autocross.
It was May 2024 when the first SCCA Autocross was held at Independence Municipal Airport, and it was one helluva shindig. A car show in the town’s entertainment district, featuring SCCA Solo vehicles, kicked off the party and electrified both participants and the community. The fact that Independence has a generous “open container” law, allowing folks to grab an adult beverage and roam festivities, certainly didn’t hurt the vibe one bit.
“When we had our first event, everyone in town got super excited about it,” Greg noted. “It was really cool and really fun. There were SCCA cars and lots of local people, too. It was kind of a neat night.”
For others around the country seeking new Solo playgrounds, Lori advised that “autocross events don’t need to be in a big, metropolitan area. Everyone probably needs to approach the search pretty openminded. There really are quite a few places around the country where you can have an event.”
When it comes to a first meeting with stakeholders about a possible Solo site, Greg also offered a piece of solid advice: “Be excited about it!”
Lead photo by Laura Harber
Maps copyright Google Earth / AirbusLandsat / Copernicus
