As we look ahead to another new year, SCCA® is focused on improving the member experience, expanding access, and growing participation — while modernizing the tools that power the Club for the long haul.

Our 2026 Strategic Plan and Operating Budget, reviewed and approved by the SCCA Board of Directors, prioritizes continuing work on key initiatives already in motion — including a new SCCA.com and registration platform development — because the Club’s future depends on both the experiences we deliver and the infrastructure that supports them.

At the same time, we’re operating in a reality everyone recognizes: costs keep climbing. Inflationary pressure and rising operating costs affect not only every part of our lives, but every part of Club operations — from platforms and services to the staff required to deliver programs and support members.

“Our focus for 2026 is about progress members can feel and see — continuing to level up the experiences we deliver, widening access, and working to grow participation,” said Mike Cobb, President and CEO. “We’ve worked to control costs where we could — including through staffing — but some measured fee adjustments are necessary to keep moving forward responsibly as costs continue to rise.”

Effective January 1, 2026, for new joins and renewals processed on/after that date:

SCCA last adjusted membership fees heading into 2023. While inflation has eased over the past 12 months, the hangover from the COVID-era spike in costs remains — particularly in areas that directly affect Club operations, like airfare, auto rental, energy, and track rentals. Those realities, combined with continued investment in core priorities, are reflected in the fee adjustments taking effect in 2026.

A Note on Family Memberships

Family memberships are designed to serve households and provide strong value for multiple members under one membership type. The 2026 adjustment helps bring that option back into better balance with today’s broader membership costs — while still preserving meaningful value for families.

How this Supports the Club

The 2026 plan emphasizes staying focused and finishing what we’ve started — strengthening the member experience and supporting growth through improved access and participation. Membership revenue supports core operations and continued progress on priorities such as:

“We have a clear plan ahead of us,” Cobb said. “These changes keep us gaining ground, not just coasting.”

Full details of 2026 fee adjustments will be available soon to members through the Member Account Portal.

Photo by Michael Berchak

It’s time to level up your knowledge when it comes to the SCCA® National Convention. First, though, let’s review what we know. The Convention takes place Jan. 15-23, 2026, is COMPLETELY FREE(!), and is virtual, meaning SCCA members can participate pretty much anywhere in the world. It’s also home to SCCA’s Annual Meeting and the SCCA Hall of Fame ceremony, where the Club will be inducting these five deserving members into the SCCA Hall of Fame.

Since the National Convention’s theme is “Level Up” — and we’re one month away from the Convention’s kick off, now’s the perfect time to unleash more information to level up what you know…something we’ll do by highlighting a handful of Convention sessions you won’t want to miss.

For example…

Lyn St. James Leads the Charge

You read that right — the 2026 SCCA National Convention takes the green flag with racing legend Lyn St. James up front.

OK, technically the Annual Meeting and SCCA Road Racing Awards come first, but at 7:30 p.m. Central Time on Jan. 15, Lyn St. James takes the virtual center stage. Those who have had the opportunity to hear Lyn St. James speak (like, perhaps, when she was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2017) know this is an opportunity no motorsports lover should miss. If you’ve never had the opportunity to hear her speak, it goes without saying that we know where you should be on Jan. 15.

TLDR, if you only attend one session at this year’s SCCA National Convention, this should be it.

But this shouldn’t be the only session you attend, and here’s why…

A Friday to Remember

The following day, SCCA President and CEO Mike Cobb takes the mic to discuss leveling up together, which involves collaboration across Regions and programs, reimagining how events are hosted, and what the future holds for the Club through evolving initiatives like virtual training programs and more.

Also taking place on Friday is the SCCA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where we’ll not only hear about (and in some cases, from) the class of 2026, but the next SCCA Member of Excellence and Woolf Barnato Award recipients will be announced.

Power Play of a Weekend

To make a bad pun, Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 17-18), bring the meet of the matter.

Town halls and program updates will come for Solo®, Road Racing, RoadRally, RallyCross®, the Electrified Vehicle Advisory Committee, Club Spec, SCCA Foundation, and more. In total, there are more than 15 sessions planned over the course of the weekend. Yet that’s not to say each one of those sessions fit that mold.

Saturday evening will bring celebrations, as the Club will celebrate Region success. From Small to Jumbo Regions and everything in between, this is where SCCA takes a moment to celebrate the year’s successes. What’s the Tom Burke Award? Tune in to find out!

Sunday evening, meanwhile, sees SCCA’s National Board of Directors (BoD) hosting a session that will cover a variety of topics that are Board related. Led by BoD Chair Bob Crawford, if you’ve ever wanted to know about the inner workings of the Club from a Board perspective, this is one you won’t want to miss.

A Week of Leveling Up

Monday through Friday, Jan. 19-23, continues the action, with sessions covering social media marketing, Region development conversations, the evolution of SCCA Drivers’ Schools, SCCA Women on Track, Timing & Scoring solutions, tech tips for various competition types, and more.

Do you need to attend every one of the more than 70 sessions taking place from Jan. 15-23? Heck no! To ensure you get to the ones you need, you’ll want to check out the SCCA National Convention schedule:

Convention Schedule

The SCCA National Convention runs via the Whova app, so while you can attend the Convention on a desktop via a web browser, it’s highly recommended that you also download the app (available for Android and iPhone). Through Whova, you can select the sessions you want to attend, adding them to your Whova calendar, ensuring you never miss a session.

As for those “other” Convention sessions that supposedly don’t apply to you…give some of them a shot. Turns out, there’s a lot that can be learned from other competition types, be it tech, marketing, and beyond.

Learn all about the Jan. 15-23, 2026, SCCA National Convention by clicking the link below. Once you’ve clicked that link, scroll down a bit and you’ll also learn about the upcoming SCCA Divisional Conventions that will be taking place starting Jan. 30 with the Southeast Division convention and wrapping on March 29 with Rocky Mountain Division’s convention.

SCCA Convention Homepage

Photo by Philip Royle