The second of 2023’s Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Series came up all sevens at Las Vegas Motor Speedway just north of Las Vegas, NV, with 156 drivers recording runs at the Tire Rack SCCA Las Vegas ProSolo.
Wind on Saturday gave way to a breezy, but partly cloudy Sunday, and while temperatures that barely edged into the low 60s was cooler than ideal for standing in the paddock, it proved fantastic for grip and power.
The traditional site for the Las Vegas Region-hosted events is actually one of the most scenic. The large asphalt lot showed off two fun and flowing — yet completely different — Doug Rowse-designed courses. The speedway’s RV Hill provides an elevated viewing area like no other, showing off the full course with the Vegas Valley — and the lights of the strip at night — in the distance.
Forget the Super Bowl or the World Series, the Vegas ProSolo featured an F-16 flyover from one of SCCA’s own. Though maybe not coordinated down to the second, Jonathan Clements and four Air Force brethren took off from Nellis Air Force Base between Heats 1 and 2, providing a thrilling show for those on site — complete with a wing wave. Like the Clements family’s A Mod car, the F-16 is a single seater; unlike the A Mod car, and much to the chagrin of those on site, no tire warmer was necessary.
Drawing a royal flush in Vegas, Darren Mac and Alex Hironaka made their Tire Rack ProSolo debuts thanks to the help of the Howard Duncan ProSolo Greenlight Fund. Recipients of the fund receive free entry to their first ProSolo event, courtesy of the SCCA Foundation. Both made the most of their entries, with Hironaka running second in his A Street Corvette to take a trophy, with Mac taking the third trophy spot in the Bump Class in his C Street Mazda MX-5.
Donations made to the SCCA Foundation can be earmarked for the Greenlight Fund here.
Class Competition
When it comes to class competition, let’s start with Street 2, where 44 National Championship jackets were represented. That was especially heavy at the top, where seven-time Champ Jeff Wong topped 16-time champ Jeff Kiesel, with Wong’s Corvette power overcoming Kiesel’s Porsche 911 GT3 RS by just 0.065 seconds. Wong’s Sunday runs were enough to overcome Kiesel’s day-one advantage for the win.
Solo Spec Coupe is designed to offer close competition with good drivers in the cars — and in Vegas, there were many good drivers in those cars. Taylour Wargo looked to be in the catbird seat for the win, but coned a 0.521 second pickup allowing Kevin Dietz to take home a 0.021-second victory.
Brandon Davis and Jonathan Lugod went toe-to-toe like a title fight in Street 5, each driving (different generation) Honda Civics. At the end, it was Davis over Lugod in a TKO, by just 0.202 in the indexed class.
Challenge Results
Bonus Challenge: The Bonus Challenge in Vegas was a Ladies’ world, as both Jessica Yeung and Suzanne Segal came out of Ladies’ heats to meet in the finals. Segal, out of the L2 class in a Toyota Supra, topped Yeung’s Honda Civic Si for the Challenge win.
Ladies Challenge: Christine Grice put her name in lights, topping Shauna Rios in the semi-finals to meet Nicole Wong in the finals. Wong had already dispatched Kate Fisher, who topped Grice in the L3 index during class competition, to put the two champs in a match for the bracket win. Grice’s Mitsubishi Evo topped Wong’s Corvette to take the points for the Ladies Challenge win.
Super Challenge: After three knockout rounds and a quarterfinal duel in the new Super Challenge format, the semi-finals featured Steve O’Blenes vs Dave Schotz, and Jeff Stuart vs Matt Jones to reach the top two. Schotz’ CAM-winning Chevrolet Camaro SS and Stuart’s Street 3 index topping Porsche Cayman S each advanced, with Schotz taking the Vegas crown home with him at the end of the day.
Schotz, Grice, and Segal all collected trophies and sprayed Mazza Sparkling Wine at the conclusion of Sunday’s festivities.
Next Up
Las Vegas will once again be the place to be for the Tire Rack Solo program, as the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour makes its stop on the same surface this weekend.
The Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo Series, meanwhile, returns to action April 28-30 at Crows Landing, CA.
Track Night in America Driven by Tire Rack is the cure for a humdrum life. This SCCA® program puts drivers of any experience level on the best racetracks in America for around $170 – but while that’s a heck of a deal, there’s more to be saved. For Track Nights taking place this April, you can strip off an additional $25 from the entry thanks to Hagerty Motorsports when you enter the single-use “Hagerty2023” coupon code during online checkout.
What racetracks will Track Night be visiting in April? Do Pocono Raceway and Thunderhill Raceway Park ring any bells? How about Carolina Motorsports Park? There are more – way more – so head to Track Night’s event schedule to discover a world of possibilities near you.
But for now, keep reading, because that isn’t the only Hagerty Motorsports deal in town.
If You Like That, You’ll Love This
Hagerty, SCCA’s official insurance partner since 2019, doesn’t want you to miss out, so even if you’re not able to capitalize on Hagerty’s April Track Night discount deal, there’s still a way to save money at Track Night events.
Members of the Hagerty Driver’s Club receive a $25 discount on all Track Nights they register for – that’s $25 off any Track Night you enter, with no limit to the number of events. The only caveat is you can’t combine the Hagerty Drivers Club discount with Hagerty’s April Track Night deal. You can, however, add the $20 discount you get for being an SCCA member, making Track Night in America events something you can’t miss.
Plus, Hagerty Drivers Club offers more than just discounts to Track Night in America – it gives you access to excellent Hagerty content, special events, and much more.
Learn more about Hagerty Drivers Club by clicking here.
Before You Do That, Do This
We all know that Hagerty Motorsports insures cars on the street and in your garage, but did you know the company also insures your car while it’s on track at a Track Night in America event? Hagerty offers 30-percent off any policy covering cars at Track Night events for most SCCA members. Obtain a quote in 30 seconds and get your policy in only five minutes.
Follow this link to get your Hagerty high performance track day insurance quote today.
Be sure to select “yes” for the “Track Night in America” dropdown at the Hagerty website when requesting a quote.
Furthermore, Hagerty’s entire suite of products is available to many SCCA members at a 5-percent discount on annual off-track policies (some states have specific restrictions). Hagerty insures classic cars, sports cars, race cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, military vehicles, and even some modern vehicles, as well as car hauling trailers, spare parts, tools, and more, like damage from loading and offloading from a trailer.
You Read That, Now Go Here
You made it to the end of this story! Congratulations! All that’s left is to click the button below to find a Track Night in America Driven by Tire Rack event, complete a new registration for the month of April using the “Hagerty2023” coupon code, and then go live your best life!
Find A Track Near You
The Tire Rack Street Survival program is now more rewarding than ever. We already know how fulfilling it is to see the huge gains in confidence and skills by teen drivers over the course of an afternoon. And now, SCCA Regions will be financially rewarded when they host a school in 2023. If an SCCA Region opts to host a Tire Rack Street Survival school in conjunction with an already-planned autocross, they can receive a break on their event expenses.
First things first — what is the Tire Rack Street Survival Program?
As we all intuitively know — and statistics back up — driving is one of the most dangerous activities young people can participate in. Case in point, car accidents for teen drivers is the second leading cause of death. The Tire Rack Street Survival school is a teen driving program designed to go beyond any required driver education, offering teens across the U.S. the driving tools and hands-on experience they need to become safer, smarter drivers. The Street Survival school provides trained and qualified in-car driving instructors as well as valuable classroom experience as students are put through defensive driving drills designed to simulate (and prepare the driver for) difficult but too-often-encountered real world scenarios.
While the SCCA Foundation is a large supporter of the program, this is part of a consortium of car enthusiasts. In conjunction with Tire Rack, the SCCA, BMW Car Club of America, Porsche Club of America, and National Corvette Museum all host Street Survival schools.
The classes hosted by SCCA Regions are instructed by Club members trained on the program curriculum online, meaning each school, no matter where in the country you attend, lives up to the same high standard. Street Survival schools are a fantastic way for SCCA Regions and members to give back to the community, offering a lifesaving driver education course with immeasurable value.
What’s The New Deal in 2023?
Thanks to the SCCA Solo Program, SCCA Regions hoping to help teen drivers in their area (which, in turn, helps everyone in the area) can get additional financial assistance. For any SCCA-sanctioned Tire Rack Street Survival School hosted on a Saturday, followed by a Region autocross on Sunday, SCCA Regions will get a 50 percent reduction in fees associated with hosting Sunday’s autocross, with this discount being available once per year.
On top of that, FCP Euro will help offset the cost of refreshments up to $200 for every SCCA-sanctioned Tire Rack Street Survival event.
In short, there’s no reason for young drivers not to participate in a Street Survival school, and there’s also no reason for SCCA Regions to pass on hosting one.
Participants can learn more about the Tire Rack Street Survival program on the school’s website, while SCCA Regions should reach out to Melanie Murray at [email protected] for more information.
How You Can Help
A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, SCCA Foundation’s mission is to support the Sports Car Club of America by providing inclusive opportunities for motorsports competition, safety, education, and historical preservation.
Donations from Club members empower SCCA Foundation to continue efforts such as the Tire Rack Street Survival program, which offers life-saving advanced driver training for teens. Your donation will help the Foundation grow this crucial and life-saving program. There are also opportunities for additional corporate sponsor participation.
Head to the SCCA Foundation’s website to learn more about the organization, and to make a donation.
