Great horny-toads, it’s the fourth and final day of competition at the Wild Wild West-themed 51st Tire Rack SCCA® Solo® National Championships. We await this roundup all year, then it slips away faster than a prairie dog down its burrow.
But don’t get all misty eyed yet. There are a few hours left in this year’s jamboree that has taken place Sept. 3-6, 2024, at Lincoln Airpark in Nebraska’s capital. That leaves lots of time for riders to brand themselves a Champion before today’s sunset.
Follow the rodeo online at sololive.scca.com where you’ll find live timing/scoring, as well as audio coverage. Throughout the day, be sure to monitor the Tire Rack SCCA National Solo and SCCA Official Facebook pages, too, for updates and photos.
If you’ve missed any of the Solo Nationals Morning Show segments, that daily video broadcast is archived at the SCCA Official Facebook page and includes expert hosts interviewing special guests.
While cowpokes conduct trail walks Friday, use that downtime to check out what journalist Brian Bielanski has been posting to The Racing Network YouTube page. He’s been chatting with autocrossers around the Solo Nats paddock to uncover slice-of-life stories for special segments. And if that YouTube channel gets to 1,100 subscribers by Sept. 25, Bielanski will give away a free entry to next year’s Solo Nats experience.
Kickin’ the Tires with Club Spec Test Drives at Solo Nats
Many, many competitors took an opportunity Thursday, Sept. 5, to check out Club Spec Mustangs (CSM) and Club Spec MX-5s (CSX) during the free Club Spec Demo Day test session opened up to everyone at Lincoln Airpark during the Solo Nats.
A bunch of enthusiasts made their way over to the short, twisty Test-n-Tune circuit to strap into one of the S197 Ford Mustangs or NC Mazda MX-5s made available by their owners and fully equipped with Club Spec’s go-fast goodies. Representatives from Mazda Motorsports, Falken, and Strano Parts were in attendance as well to answer questions.
Brian Garfield, who currently drives a Stalker AXR Honda in the Xtreme Street Unlimited class, was on hand to take a turn in both the CSM and CSX cars.
“I hadn’t driven either of the Club Spec cars before,” Garfield said. “The Mustang I’m interested in because, generally, they’re a little ‘boaty’ and I wanted to see how they put down power with the Goodyear tires.”
After discovering for himself that the CSM car is fun to drive, Garfield moved on to the CSX car.
“The MX-5 I jumped into was super comfortable and very responsive,” he said. “It was a ton of fun, easy to drive, it set up really well, and you can definitely tell the shocks are good. It was a great car.”
David Graver, a Toyota Supra driver competing in the B Street class, also took full advantage of Thursday morning’s Club Spec Demo Day test session.
“The Mustang was going to be my 2025 car … but I’d never driven a Mustang on course,” Graver said. “So, I wanted to give it a shot.”
During his in-car experience, Graver found the CSM vehicle to be a lot of fun. It put down the power wonderfully, and the on-throttle response at corner exit was better than he anticipated. As for the CSX car, it was a nice ride, and the car performed as he expected.
“For me … if I needed a car to go home comfortably in after an autocross, I’d get a Mustang,” Graver said in conclusion.
It was June 2023 when SCCA announced its exploration of Club Spec. The philosophy behind the concept is that anyone should be able to build a single car along common rulesets that supplies both performance and competitiveness at SCCA Solo and Tire Rack SCCA Time Trials National Tour Powered by Hagerty events, as well as offer the reliability needed for Track Night in America® Driven by Tire Rack and SCCA HillClimb outings. Since its unveiling, Club Spec’s ascension into various SCCA activities has been swift.
Of course, personal preference is very much at play when choosing whether to participate in CSX or CSM. But those who took advantage of the Club Spec Demo Day can now make a more informed decision after a little seat time in both cars.
If you want to learn more about the two Club Spec vehicles, take a moment and click the links below.
Club Spec Mustang Club Spec MX-5
Nats Stats That Count
The Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships is one of the largest motorsports events in the world when it comes to participation. Case in point, over the event’s 51 years there have been a total of 42,224 entries, which includes the nearly 1,300 added to the tally this year.
But hearing that Solo Nats is a big deal is old hat now. Truth is, the scope of the event is actually lost on many of us, possibly because it’s hard to comprehend the scale. So let’s break it down.
How about the fact this is the 15th year SCCA has been at Lincoln Airpark in Nebraska? That ties a record with when the event was held in Salina, KS – and we’ve already blasted past the “most consecutive years” mark (Salina was 12 in a row).
As for participants, there are some standouts. Ken Hurd is the only person from Vermont this year, so that state’s motto of “Freedom and Unity” is a little misleading in this case. Contrast that to the 58 competitors from Nebraska Region, although it makes sense that they’d have the highest total, since the event is in their backyard. Remove “home field advantage” and the Lone Star Region is the leader with 49 riders hoofin’ it this week at the Wild West-themed Solo Nats.
And what’s old is new again. Though there are 51 model year 2024 cars on the entry list, there’s also one 1927 Ford Model T competing in CAM-S – the original American muscle car.
So whether you’re one of the 37 John/Jon/Jonathans, or the only Bartek competing this year, every competitor is adding to the storied history of the event.
Thank Ya, Partners
This year’s Solo Nats autocross rodeo couldn’t happen without partners. That’s why we gotta give a giant gold-nugget of praise to some wranglers who have lent a hand. That starts with Tire Rack – the longtime Official Tire Retailer of SCCA. Tire Rack has supported SCCA since 1995, which technically makes them a member of the Solo Nationals Silver Circle.
Western adventures come with hazards, which is why Hagerty has been the Official Insurance Partner of SCCA since 2019. Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products of SCCA since 2003, also brings the ‘whoa’ to ponies; and fueling the fun is Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA since 2001.
Mazda Motorsports has been part of this roundup as well, sponsoring Monday’s Women on Track Brunch and supporting Mazda competitors all year – year after year.
We can’t forget about Solo Performance Specialties, who have been hangin’ out in camp all week with R&S Racing Hoosier support and tire service. Falken Tires helped out, too, with the Club Spec Demo Day. And SCCA’s newest partner, Malco Products, was also on hand showing off the company’s professional quality automotive detailing products and supplies.
A few VIP visitors also stopped by Solo Nats to check things out. That included George Silbermann, President of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS). Michael Good and Tom Deery from Performance Racing Industry also took time to visit SCCA in Lincoln, along with representatives from Maxxis Tire.
When you make purchase decisions throughout the year concerning your vehicles, your hobby, or yourself, please keep in mind these wonderful partners who make Solo Nats happen.
We Ain’t Done Yet
This mule still got some kick in it as Solo Nats has a full afternoon of on-course action remaining. After that, the second set of winners for 2024 will be recognized during the end-of-event awards celebration in the Tire Rack Event Center (TREC) Tavern.
Follow what remains of the competition at sololive.scca.com. That’s your online stop for live timing/scoring, as well as audio coverage during each day. Be sure to monitor the Tire Rack SCCA National Solo and SCCA Official Facebook pages, too, for updates and photos.
Photo: Club Spec MX-5s and Club Spec Mustangs queued up as part of the Club Spec Demo Day held at Lincoln Airpark during the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships in Nebraska.
Photo by Philip Royle
