Shelby Robbins is an amazing young woman. How many 20-year-old women do you see in the Tech shed at SCCA® Road Racing events? Shelby might be it. So, how did Shelby become an Eastern Tennessee Region member and scrutineer for the SCCA – not to mention SCCA’s 2024 Scrutineer Worker of the Year presented by Mazda award winner? Her story begins with her grandfather – he was into racing cars, so she watched races with him. Meanwhile, her stepfather was into restoring cars. As she got more involved with them, she realized it was something she’d like to do professionally. This is where SCCA came in.

Shelby learned about the SCCA from friends who recently moved to Tennessee and whose father had been an SCCA member. She joined the Club in early 2024, and within the year became involved in scrutineering, since it looked like the closest to what she liked to do. “It gets you up close and personal with all the cars,” she explains.

Not all jobs are always rosy, however, and there can be some trying times in the Tech shed, but Shelby notes that most drivers are understanding when something irregular is found.

Dedication is also something Shelby doesn’t lack. Case in point, she worked 11 races in 2024, including the Chicago Region® June Sprints®, which she says is her favorite race. Unfortunately, there are very few tracks that are considered close to east Tennessee, so working races means a lot of travel; she was also working at a job that required her to be online from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., so her involvement at races meant she got little sleep.

Shelby’s professional goal is to obtain a degree in Motorsports Technology, so she’s planning to transfer to Lanier Technical College in Gainesville, GA. Pursuing a career in Motorsports Technology is challenging, however, since there are few schools with “shop” classes. If you don’t learn about it at home, you’re not likely to learn about cars – thus scrutineering has become a way for her to hone her skills. The SCCA is providing her with experience that is invaluable, and she enjoys it. “I really love it,” she says. “It’s a fun place to be and everybody’s great to be around.”

She intends to be with the SCCA for the long haul, which is great for the Club and her Region, since the impact she’s had so far has been incredible. That said, she may also try her hand at another specialty at some point; Flagging & Communications, she explains, gets you close to the racing.

Like with many volunteers and racers on the East Coast, the 2025 season began early for Shelby, with her leaving on New Year's Day to work Tech at the U.S. Majors Tour race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in southern Florida.

This is a dedicated young woman, and the SCCA is lucky to have her.