Throughout Women’s History Month, we’re going to bring you a series of articles covering the involvement of women within the Sports Car Club of America®. From autocross to road racing, rally, volunteering, and beyond, women have played an integral role in this Club –without women in motorsports, SCCA would not be as great as it is today.
Today, we look at Solo®.
SCCA Autocross is by far the largest SCCA program by participation – it’s also the Club's leading program for women's participation. That's been true for decades, with many of the Club's leading females building their motorsports careers in Solo.
"I was a high school athlete before Title IX guaranteed equal funding," recalls Kathy Barnes, former Chair of the Solo Events Board (SEB) and SCCA Hall of Fame member. "I started working road races and then a boyfriend said, 'Oh, you should try out autocross. It's really fun.' So I did. We had a Ladies class, and I found it was really fun racing against these other women. It meant that more people could drive the car."
One unique feature of Solo is that there are dedicated classes for women to choose to participate in, which helps break down barriers to entry and success in the sport. Of course, women are not limited to the Ladies classes, but the classes are available and provide a valuable community.
"It was such a community; the women who raced against each other," Barnes says. " Within a few years, a woman named Ginette Jordan started showing up and she has been a lifelong friend and competitor, and I have had the honor of being her tire warmer to help her win a few Championships.
"The thing I love is watching the evolution of the Ladies classes," Barnes states. "There continues to be very strong competitors and continues to build a sense of community."
Numerous women have opted to participate in the Open classes, with seven shattering “The Glass Pylon.” The list of women who have claimed a National Championship title or supplemental class win at the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships includes Shauna Marinus (ASP, 1998), Rita Wilsey (BSP, 2005), Brianne Corn (BM, 2011), Mary Pozzi (CAM-T, 2015), Tamra Hunt Krystinik (DSP, 2019), Olivia Hammac (JB, 2019), and Kencey Christopher (FSAE, 2022).
Other veterans of the Solo program who have made a substantial mark on SCCA history include SCCA Hall of Fame member Karen Babb, who has won 20 National Championships and also served on the SEB. Over her substantial career, Karen has also been a Solo course designer, specialty chief, and program administrator.
Patty Tunnell is another woman whose achievements landed her in the SCCA Hall of Fame. The winner of the Johnson Spirit of the Sport award and Driver of Eminence in 2002, Patty is a 15-time Solo National Champion spanning 11 different classes – no other woman has won more than her 26 career trophies. Toss in another four ProSolo Championships, and her accomplishments are hard to beat.
Today, Patty is active in not only autocross, but also Track Night in America Driven by Tire Rack and Time Trials.
Velma Boreen won the Solo Cup in 2008 together with her husband Raleigh, and she's one of the newest members of the SCCA Hall of Fame, being inducted this year. Velma is the co-founder and co-chair of SCCA Women on Track. Through that program, Velma has developed a well-defined community of women that has resulted in significantly more women participating at an involved and engaged level. Today, there are SCCA Women on Track programs in all of SCCA’s competition areas.
Put simply, the contribution of women in SCCA's Solo program cannot be overstated.
"Here's the thing I've learned," Barnes concludes. "I've seen women come into the Solo program to work on their skills and compete. That's one aspect of the impact of Ladies classes on SCCA. But the other aspect is the number of those women who go on to lead Regions, lead racing programs, and take on other leadership roles across SCCA."
Keep an eye out for more Women’s History Month articles on SCCA.com in the coming weeks as we dive into road racing, pro racing, volunteering, and more. And while you’re at it, check out SCCA’s Women on Track Facebook page.
Photo caption: Shauna Marinus shattered The Glass Pylon when she won the ASP title during the 1998 SCCA Solo National Championships.
Photo courtesy SportsCar archive
