Lacie Edens isn’t one to sit on the sidelines or let someone tell her she “can’t.” Her very first runs in an autocross car came in the BSP MazdaSpeed Miata she currently co-drives with her husband, Chris Edens. In the wet. On Hoosier A7s. Lacie is also one of the three well-deserving 2019 Wendi Allen Scholarship recipients. She is the daughter of Wayne and Donna Barkley, and grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She played college basketball for Arkansas State University until she suffered a career-ending injury. She spent the following years traveling the country until she met her husband in 2014. The Edens currently reside in Little Rock, Arkansas.
JH: Straight away, congrats on being chosen as one of the recipients of the Wendi Allen Scholarship award. I imagine that was extremely exciting news to get. How did you find out, and what was your initial reaction?
LE: I had received an email from Howard Duncan in which he made sure to mention that I wasn’t in trouble, but he was hoping I could call him back. I was a little nervous about the call, but once he had informed me of being a recipient, I was really excited and just super honored to be nominated by all the women I look up to!
JH: How did you first get into autocrossing? Were motorsports, or cars in general, something you were into beforehand?
LE: Yes, I was into cars and racing. Both my parents raced oval dirt tracks when I was growing up, and my brother started autocrossing about 15 years ago, so I was already around it. In 2014, I became a member of the SCCA with the intention of learning how to autocross, as I had grown tired of sitting on the sidelines watching while others participated. Not long after, I asked my then-boyfriend-now-husband, Chris, to let me drive his “little car.” His little car being his BSP MazdaSpeed Miata. That event happened to also be in the wet. And the car was on A7 Hoosiers. That day I had the time of my life! And in the fleeting moments of keeping the front of the car ahead of the rear, I knew that I wanted to become a competitive driver.
JH: Many of us often preach that the best way to start autocrossing is in a fairly stock car, and on street tires, as sticky tires and suspension mods can hide driver issues. Knowing what you know now, would you still elect to start off in a BSP car on sticky tires?
LE: I wouldn’t change it at all. Mainly because I am stubborn! There were quite a few folks locally saying that the BSP car was too much for me, and I wanted to prove them wrong! But I did get a Miata as a daily and decided to run it in ES locally for a while, which really helped me understand and work on momentum driving. Now, because of the experience of driving both the BSP car and the ES car, I feel I can hop in almost any car and be fairly quick right away. Starting with the BSP car was my path. But I am not sure I would recommend it to others.
JH: With the Wendi Allen Scholarship being for new or up-and-coming women in autocross, talk to me about being a woman in our sport.
LE: Locally it was a bit more difficult to be taken seriously. Whenever I would beat the guys, especially in the ES car, there would always be a reason other than my talent, which is frustrating. But nationally, I always felt welcomed and embraced. And I think that is because of all the really great women drivers that have paved the way. So, locally I help teach novices now, which I feel continues to help change the perception of women in motorsports.
JH: With that thought in mind, is there anything you would tell the other ladies out there that are on the fence about trying autocross?
LE: Don’t be afraid to beat the guys!
We are pleased to announce that we will, once again, be offering 9 Region/Group tents for rental along with Group Paddock reservations for the 2019 Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals. As we announced last year, there will be a charge for Group Paddock this year due to the cost of the paddock system through MSR as well as the administrative time involved. The price for each member in a Paddock Group will be $10 per competitor. A maximum of 40 competitors per Paddock Group will be allowed. Just like the past couple of years, registration for Paddock Groups will be required. The registration page is currently in the process of being built, so please keep a look out for the link in the next couple of weeks. The planned group registration open is Thursday, May 2 at 6 pm central. Please start working with your groups to designate an organizer. Payment for the groups will be required up front upon registering.
There will be seven 20’X30′ pole tents and two 30’X30′ pole tents. There will be a separate registration for these (link below). Due to an increase in the tent prices, there will be an increase in tent rental fees. The 20’X30′ tents will be $1000 plus $10 per group member. The 30’X30’s will be $1500 plus $10 per group member. These tents are first come first serve and are non-transferable and non-refundable. Registration for tent reservations is set to open on Thursday, April 25 at 7 pm Central. Tent registration counts as group registration. Any group renting a tent will NOT need to register on the group registration page. Just like Group Paddock, payment will be required up front.
Click here to go to Motorsportsreg tent rental page.
“The location of the Tire Rack SCCA GLDIV ProSolo Series event has been listed on the SCCA web site as the Grissom Aeroplex near Peru, IN and when this was first published we indicated there was a chance the event might be able to be relocated to the traditional site at the Express Airport in Toledo, OH, although the chances of that seemed remote at the time. In recent weeks the chances of that relocation have improved, but a final determination cannot be concluded until May 10. By the close of business on Friday, May 10 we will announce the location of the event by posting it on the SCCA web site under “ProSolo”. Since registration for this event had been scheduled for May 1 and any potential change in location after that date would cause a LOT of confusion, we are delaying the opening of registration for the GLDIV ProSolo until Monday, May 13 to give everyone an opportunity to know the event location before registering.
We want to take this opportunity to thank the Indy Region for stepping up and volunteering to do this event, knowing it might be relocated. We also want to thank the Northwestern Ohio Region for their diligence in staying on top of determining site availability and their willingness to potentially host the event with only a few weeks of lead time. Whichever location is chosen, these two Regions have shown what is great about SCCA — the dedication to do what they can for the benefit of the members!”
– Howard Duncan
Each year, Club racers from across the country compete against one another at the SCCA® National Championship Runoffs®. To qualify for that year-end event, drivers have a few options — one of which is participation in the Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour. The Hoosier Super Tour consists of 11 race weekends at premier tracks across the United States, including Sebring International Raceway, Circuit of the Americas, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, VIRginia International Raceway, Road America, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen. Meet a few drivers with their eyes on the national championship in the video below. Then check out the full Hoosier Super Tour schedule and make plans today to come out and watch in person some of the most exciting amateur road racing in the United States!
Want to share the excitement with your friends? You can find this video on YouTube here.
Sports Car Club of America® has learned that R. David Jones, inducted into SCCA’s Hall of Fame in 2010, has passed away. A member of SCCA’s Texas Region, Jones joined the Club in 1959 after showing up at Eagle Mountain Air Base in Texas expecting to compete in a drag race. However, he discovered instead a sports car event going on. He stayed, learned more, and eventually became a volunteer worker, met drivers and later began crewing for them.
A lawyer and businessman specializing in security systems and automotive electronics, Jones’ participation in the sport led to an opportunity to begin driving while also becoming more heavily involved in helping run the local club. He rose through the ranks, raced successfully for years in several different classes, and held a variety of Divisional positions. He later served on the SCCA® Board of Directors where he was Chairman of the Board for a record seven years, helping the Club navigate through some tumultuous times.
Jones’ tenure as Chairman witnessed the creation of Spec Racer and the purchase of ProSolo by SCCA. In 1986, his efforts earned him SCCA’s Woolf Barnato Award — the Club’s highest honor presented to a member who has made the most outstanding long-term contribution.
Mike Cobb, SCCA President & CEO, was friends with Jones and said, “I was blessed to meet R. David early in my new assignment as President/CEO of Sports Car Club of America, and I received much valuable guidance from him. He was a strong leader, supporter and advocate of SCCA and someone who will be greatly missed both personally and professionally. Our collective thoughts and prayers go out to Sherri and the entire Jones family.”
While R. David’s presence will certainly be missed, his legacy certainly lives on thanks to his passion, dedication and willingness to share his experience with others coming up through the Club.
