Illinois is the “Land of Lincoln.” For SCCA autocrossers, however, any reference to “land” and “Lincoln” alludes to nearly 100 acres of cement at Lincoln Airpark, site of the Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals Championships.
The paddock is filling up right now for the 49th running of Solo National Championships, taking place Sept. 6-9, 2022, in Nebraska’s capital. Over the next four days, more than 1,100 SCCA partygoers who love having #funwithcars will rekindle friendships while also crowning champions in more than 70 car classes.
Good Times
Teetering on the precipice of a golden anniversary, the Solo National Championships experienced its teenage years during the 1980s. To commemorate those youthful days, “Back to the Eighties” is the theme in play at this year’s event. What does that entail? Well, that rests on the creativity of Solo Nats attendees – a group with a history of embracing themes with much gusto.
If you can’t be at the Solo Nationals, you can follow live action from Lincoln Airpark online at sololive.scca.com. That’s where you’ll find current timing/scoring and audio coverage from the event. And monitor @SoloMatters and @sccaofficial on social media for updates and photos. The SCCA Inc. Facebook page is also where you’ll find the Solo Nationals Morning Show, a daily video presentation where hosts keep everyone up to speed on the competition and interview special guests.
Oh – and if you’re at the Solo Nats, tag your social media posts with #SoloNatsHasStarted and #funwithcars so others can enjoy the SCCA experience from afar.
Course Maps to Walk This Way
The ’80s saw Aerosmith and Run-DMC collaborate on a revamped and very popular version of Walk This Way. Now that both Solo Nats courses are open for strolling at Lincoln Airpark, maps of the two layouts can be accessed below for those who want to ‘walk this way’ through the cones.
Alex Jones and John Hunter were bestowed the honor of designing Solo Nats courses this year. Jones, a member of SCCA’s Northwestern Ohio Region, fashioned the East Course (aka: AutoX@Twin Pines Mall). Hunter, a member of SCCA’s Nebraska Region, designed the West Course (aka: Take On Me).
It was 2015 when Jones and Hunter created their first and only previous Solo Nats courses. It should be noted they got to label segments with ’80s references this year – a challenge they stuck as skillfully as the Fat Boys’ human beat box.
West Course Map East Course Map
Solo Nats Time Traveling
Monday evening’s Welcome Party, slated to begin around 5:30 p.m. local time in the huge Tire Rack Event Center (TREC) tent, will certainly incorporate an ’80s theme. There will be a car show along with copious amounts of entertainment, contests, prizes, beverages, and hors d'oeuvres to devour. To quote Lionel Richie, we're going to party, karamu, fiesta, forever – or at least until it’s time to get some sleep before the first day of Solo Nationals competition begins at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday.
Another gathering that can’t be skipped is the Tire Rack Solo Awards Celebration, beginning around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7, in the TREC tent. That’s where major awards for the 2022 Solo season are announced, including the Driver of Eminence, Johnson Spirit of the Sport Award, Solo Cup, and Dick Berger Perseverance Award winners. The catered event includes a buffet, beverages of all sorts, and plenty more ’80s silliness.
The TREC tent will host a multitude of other groups and gatherings throughout the week. Check out the full activity schedule here.
The other schedule to be aware of is the Solo Nats Run/Work order, which can be found here.
Keep an eye on SCCA.com as well as social media for regular updates on the 2022 Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships.
Photo by Rupert Berrington
