It’s Tuesday, and opening runs are underway at the 49th Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals Championships being held at Lincoln Airpark, Sept. 6-9, 2022, in Nebraska’s capital city. Follow Solo Nationals live online at sololive.scca.com where you’ll find current timing/scoring and event audio coverage.
Be sure to check out @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 beginning around 7:10 a.m. CDT where hosts keep everyone up to speed on the competition and interview special guests.
Partying to the Max on Monday
Back to the Eighties is the Solo Nationals theme this year, and Monday night’s Welcome Party dripped with ‘80s nostalgia more than Slimer oozed in 1984’s Ghostbusters. The night’s DJ did justice to the theme, rockin’ the Tire Rack Event Center (TREC) tent into the evening.
One of the featured activities of the evening was an ‘80s trivia contest. Some of the goodies up for grabs were a Casio calculator watch, a flux capacitor lamp, a Hoverboard, and lots more. Kings and Queens of the Welcome Party were also crowned, with the duo of Shawn and Kaila Kiesel sharing the Queen’s crown thanks to their flashy, neon ‘80s workout getup. Jason Felty and Rob Springer teamed up to claim the King’s crown thanks to their homage to 1986’s Crocodile Dundee.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a party without food and libations. The masses on hand gobbled up pulled-pork sliders, sweet-and-sour meatballs, pizza slices, and more. To wash it down, the crowd went through nearly 2,500 cans of soda and 2,500 cans of beer. And to top it off, the throng walked away with more then 2,000 party favors that included miniature Rubik's Cubes, Troll Dolls, and a selection of ‘80s candies.
Impressive Machinery on Display
Competition cars at Solo Nationals come in all shapes and sizes, and there sure are a lot of them at Lincoln Airpark this week. But some other pretty cool machines were on display Monday, too. For instance, the U.S. Air Force pulled out a fully functional TC-135 for Solo Nats attendees to walk through.
A fantastic car show, put on by Lincoln’s own Rebels Auto Club and Midwest Rollers, featured nearly 275 sweet rides that included everything from a 1928 Ford Model A to a modern Lamborghini, plus an immaculate Ford Pinto, and Yenko Chevy Nova, and much more. The ‘80s were also well represented with lots of popular automotive metal from that period.
This particular meetup of the two clubs at Solo Nationals actually served as a fundraiser. The groups are working to raise money to help two teens who were innocent bystanders injured in an auto accident. Monies raised will help with medical bills, and you can learn more here.
Solo Awards Be Jamming
Bob Marley’s hit song Jamming was part of the 1984 Legend compilation, which remains one of the best-selling reggae albums of all time. Four Solo drivers will be jamming, too, thanks to Kiesel Custom Guitars again presenting gorgeous guitars to top-performing competitors.
Jeff Kiesel, co-owner of Kiesel Custom Guitars and a multi-time SCCA Nationals Champion, said that in 2022 there will be five, ‘80s-themed Aries series guitars given out. Two of those guitars will be awarded to the top PAXing drivers at Solo Nationals, one going to a Tuesday/Wednesday driver and the other destined for a Thursday/Friday competitor. The ProSolo Super Challenge, Ladies Challenge, and CAM Challenge points champions will also receive guitars, each of which is valued around $3,800 each.
Known for high-quality workmanship, industry leading craftsmanship, and the use of exotic woods, Kiesel Custom Guitars has been building the highest quality guitars, basses, and pickups since 1946 for pro and hobbyist musicians alike. Made exclusively in the USA, Kiesel offers countless combinations of custom options so that you can design your own custom shop instrument at an affordable price-point. That said, the guitars given away to SCCA members this year had to be won.
Photo: Shawn and Kaila Kiesel, who will be competing against each other in EML, shared top honors as Queens of the Welcome Party.
Photo by Philip Royle/SCCA Staff
