The first of three autocross-only Tire Rack SCCA Shootout events took place during the May 3-4, 2025, weekend at the St. Charles Family Center in St. Charles, MO, and it didn’t disappoint. Once called the St. Louis CAM Challenge, this event has continued to grow and mature, bringing competition that had to be seen to be believed.
Inviting more than CAM cars, the Shootout was also open to SCCA Solo’s Street Touring, Xtreme Street, Club Spec classes, Solo Spec Coupe, Ladies Index (drivers running in Street Touring, CAM, Xtreme Street, Club Spec, SSC), and yes, of course, the CAM classes.
Furthermore, an Index class existed for, well, just about everything else.
As for the battles – let’s just say not all of them were driver vs. driver.
It Came from the Sky
The only thing more challenging than Sean Greer’s course design was Mother Nature on Saturday. Saturday’s first heat was the only heat to see a dry course, while everyone else ran in the rain all day. Despite this, competition remained fierce, with only a few opting not to run the afternoon sessions.
Those afternoon sessions were reduced from three to two runs each due to weather, but competitors still received a minimum of eight runs for the weekend.
The weather broke on Sunday, dried out, and the full field got an enjoyable look at the challenging course in much better conditions.
As part of the Shootout format, six categories ran Shootouts after class competition had concluded on Sunday (CAM, Xtreme Street, Club Spec, Street Touring, Index (Race Tire and Street Tire), and Ladies).
Beyond that, all the drivers ate well. Emily and Jacob Meuth provided a well-attended BBQ dinner Friday night at their house – now that’s team spirit! Keeping the party going, St. Louis Region hosted an on-site pasta dinner Saturday night.
Class Competition
Class competition in a Shootout weekend can be all over the place as drivers try to earn their way into Sunday’s Shootout. Add in Saturday’s rain, and that was doubly true in St. Charles.
CAM classes were won by Nikhil Khopkar (CAM-Sport), Mike Leeder (CAM-Contemporary), and Patrick Darling (CAM-Traditional). Each driver topped the class to earn their position on the Shootout field. Michael Kopec (Xtreme Street A) and Christian Patrick (Xtreme Street B) did the same in their respective classes to lock into the field on the wild side.
The Ladies Index also drew plenty of attention – because it drew plenty of competition. As usual, though, there wasn’t a need to travel far to find a winner. Carla Russo, right at home in St. Charles, topped the field and the index in her Club Spec Mustang to earn the big trophy.
Want to know more? Check out the class results below.
Shootout Stars
If the CAM Shootout was the spiritual beginning of this event, it also is the bracket Shootout to begin this coverage with.
Mike Leeder and his CAM-C Chevrolet Camaro took four rounds to top the CAM field, with Evan Williams and JJ Mallrich advancing to the final round with him.
Carla Russo is the queen of St. Charles, venturing out of her home across town to win both the class and the Ladies Shootout. She was quicker than Emily Skoglund in the second round to win the top prize.
The Race/Street Shootout began with 12, and in the third round was down to three. Sean Greer’s F Street Camaro was king of the hill, bettering Michael Ball and Conrad Adams.
Solo Spec Coupe was tops in the Club Spec Shootout, driven by Chris Hammond. He topped Club Spec Mustang and Club Spec Miata qualifiers for the win.
Two rounds of the Street Touring Shootout were close, but David Piel got the win over Will Fox and Chris Armstrong in that category’s final rounds.
Finally, after three rounds of Xtreme Street Shootout, there were two XA cars left to duke it out. Michael Kopec and his Porsche Cayman bounced Andrew Salazar and his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo to end the weekend and earn the final trophy.
Want to see exactly how the Shootout rounds progressed? For that, check out the Shootout results.
Try One for Yourself
While the Tire Rack SCCA St. Louis Shootout at St. Charles Family Arena is over, there are still two more opportunities to tackle the Shootout.
Next up is the Aug. 8-10 Tire Rack SCCA Grissom Shootout at Grissom Aeroplex in Bunker Hill, IN. This is a tried-and-true facility, meaning thrills are all but guaranteed. Registration for this event opens June 11.
After Grissom comes the Aug. 30 Lincoln Invitational at Lincoln Airpark in Lincoln, NE. Registration for this one opens July 9 for the masses – and note that those who competed in St. Louis or at Grissom get priority registration for the Invitational, which begins July 2. Priority registration all but guarantees you a spot in the Invitational – an event that’s expected to sell out.
For more information, click the link.
Photos by Andie Albin
