The 2026 virtual (and free to attend!) SCCA® National Convention squeezed the throttle on Jan. 16 with some of the highest achievements the Club has to offer. After kicking things off the prior day with the Annual Meeting and Road Racing Awards, the Convention entered elite territory – unlocking honors reserved for members who truly mastered the game. To borrow 2026 National Convention’s theme to further the purposes of this article’s introduction, it would be no hyperbole to say the members honored helped the Club Level Up.
The spotlight shone bright during SCCA’s annual Hall of Fame & Awards Presentation, where five of the Club’s best were recognized for their accomplishments. The evening also featured the presentation of the 2025 Member of Excellence Award and Woolf Barnato Award, recognizing individuals whose impact raised the bar for the entire Club.
SCCA President and CEO Mike Cobb opened the ceremony, setting the tone for the night’s achievements. “We’re honored to bring you this celebration featuring your Sports Car Club of America™ 2026 Hall of Fame inductees, along with the Member of Excellence and the Woolf Barnato Award winners,” he said. “Tonight, we’re all going to level up, we’re going to recognize and celebrate some of our finest. These members have made incredible contributions to the Club, to the broader world of motorsports, and have over 150 years of combined SCCA leadership.”
Missed the live event or want to replay the highlights? The entire Hall of Fame & Awards Presentation is now available on-demand on SCCA’s YouTube channel – press play below and watch these members officially Level Up, or keep reading for the highlights.
SCCA Hall of Fame Ceremony
The evening was led by the Club’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring videos celebrating the accomplishments of George Bovis, John Doonan, Don Knowles, Frank Schultheis, and Jerry Wannarka.
John Doonan and Don Knowles gave heartfelt acceptance speeches; George Bovis’s daughter Beth and multi-time SCCA National Champion son Chris accepted the award in their father’s memory; the son of Frank Schultheis, Ken, recalled his late father’s legacy; and Jerry Wannarka was represented by his daughter Sarah.
Click here to read all about these new SCCA Hall of Fame members.
Member of Excellence Award
The Member of Excellence award followed the Hall of Fame ceremony, with Cobb introducing the 2025 winner, Tennessee Valley Region member Leon Drake.
“This award hit me out of the blue – I am overwhelmed and honored,” Drake said in his acceptance speech. “I certainly didn’t expect this. I always thought it was for people way further up the ladder than I.
“I don’t know how I would manage my motorsport addiction if it weren’t for the SCCA. It made my racing affordable, which I think is number one on all of our lists, and fun (because racing), and also safe, so that you get to keep coming back and doing this on and on.”
Drake earned this honor in part for his dedication to the RallyCross program, going so far as to purchase a grader and maintain the site that hosted the 2024 and 2025 RallyCross National Championship.
This entertaining acceptance speech concluded on brand for the enthusiastic Drake: “I’ve been called a fanatic, but hey, I’ll wear that badge gladly, because if there’s a race going on, I’m all in,” he smiled.
Woolf Barnato Award
Closing out the evening, the 2023 Woolf Barnato recipient Paul Pfanner introduced the 2025 recipient of SCCA’s highest honor, South Bend Region member Bruce Foss.
Foss is best known for his time at Hoosier Racing Tire, where he pushed the sport forward through the competition tires, technical support, and contingency programs offered by the company. Yet this was far more than a job to him. His enthusiastic dedication and passion for the sport, the drivers, and the teams elevated the entire amateur motorsport industry.
This marked the second appearance for Foss in the SCCA Hall of Fame & Awards Presentation in recent years, as he was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2024.
“I’m extremely honored and humbled to be selected as the … Woolf Barnato Award recipient,” Foss said. “It’s an award of honor, and I can’t say enough about SCCA selecting me for this honor.
“I met a lot of people along the way – it’s an extremely cool industry where business relationships usually turn into friendships, and long-term friendships. I’m grateful for all of the SCCA people and racing competitors I’ve met, their suppliers, and other parts of the industry – the list goes on and on. It’s like a big family. To be presented with [the Woolf Barnato Award] is just truly, truly an honor. A highlight in my career, for sure.”
(Photo caption: Hall of Fame inductees (clockwise from top left) Frank Schultheis, John Doonan, Don Knowles, George Bovis, and Jerry Wannarka. Woolf Barnato Award winner Bruce Foss. Member of Excellence recipient Leon Drake.)
