The June 28-29, 2025, SCCA® Southern Sweet Tea Classic Southeastern Divisional RallyCross® Challenge began with threats of rain and an ever-changing forecast for Hollytree, AL, in the weeks leading up to the event. Still, Mother Nature was unable to put a damper on the Tennessee Valley Region SCCA-hosted competition weekend, and 71 drivers showed up to the beautiful northern Alabama Hollytree Off Road site – a location, it should be added, that’s also home to this year’s RallyCross National Championship.
Drivers arrived just as a sweltering heat wave broke across the southeast, leaving humid conditions around Northern Alabama. This, combined with unseasonably large amounts of rain, left the hills surrounding the site lusciously green.
On course, meanwhile, competition was fierce across the board with many close class battles.
Action Packed
Evan Williams held his day-one lead to win the event in the UTV class over Timmy Luporini while defending National Champion Andrew Surprenant suffered a heartbreaking mechanical DNF on his third run, taking him out of competition for the weekend.
The TVRSCCA local “Truck Mod” class had a healthy showing, with six drivers represented in class. Steve Cerqueira ended up with the class win after overcoming mechanical difficulties on the first day, which included a mad rush to reassemble the truck that he shares with his wife, Meagan. Ashley Roper and Eli Drennan rounded out the podium for Truck Mod, with a mere 1.495sec separating second and third place.
In the Stock classes, defending National Champion Shelton Wright took first place in Stock All Wheel Drive with an eight second lead over his dad, Charles Wright. Ryan Finch finished first in Stock Front Wheel Drive with a 15 second lead over second place, with all drivers in class piloting various trims of the eighth generation Honda Civic Si.
Logan Altmyer defended his Stock Rear Wheel Drive National Championship in a different car for this year, driving his Nissan 350Z to a first-place finish.
Prepared Front Wheel Drive was a close battle between Ed Cunill, Matt Thompson, and Christian Retterer, with Retterer having to charge his cars battery after every run due to a dead alternator. Cunill took the win in his 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS, Thompson took second place, and Retterer rounded out the podium with his car completing all competition runs under its own power.
2024’s Prepared Rear Wheel Drive National Champion Shawn Roberts took first place in PR, driving his unicorn themed Mazda Miata to the win, with Jeremiah Hemphill and Casey Tolbert rounding out the podium.
Prepared All Wheel Drive was a battle of the WRX, with Zachary O’Hare taking the top spot.
Modified Rear Wheel Drive was a nail biter all weekend, but especially on day two. Kent Hamilton took the win driving last year’s MR champion car, the 1976 Posche 914 “Porscharu,” for most of the event. A broken axle on day two left Kent with a DNF for Run 2, but he was able to finish the event in Lee Reynolds’s 1993 Volvo to barely squeak by Bob White for a first-place finish. Bob White and Lee Renolds rounded out the MR podium.
Kent Hamilton also had the distinction of longest distance traveled to attend the event, flying in from Alaska the day prior.
The Modified All Wheel Drive victor was last year’s PF National Champion, Jason Fuller, driving his STI-swapped Subaru Impreza to victory, while Alan Rodriguez and Leon Drake rounded out the podium in their wildly different 1995 Subaru Imprezas – one a right-hand drive import and the other with V-6 Chevrolet power.
In Modified Front Wheel Drive, Jarrod Barlow took the win in his Ford Focus, besting the two Chevrolet Cavaliers driven by Brian Peel and Colin Kilby.
Drill down further with the event results.
(Note: If "Event Results" link doesn't work, click here)
Missed it By That Much…
Somehow, all the event runs were managed without having to drive in the rain that threatened all weekend. The trophy ceremony, however, wasn’t as fortunate – it was abruptly cut short as mother nature brought what seemed like never ending rain to the site.
Thankfully, this was after competition, but loading up left everyone soaked and maybe helped wash a bit of the dirt off the cars.
If you missed this RallyCross Divisional Challenge, don’t panic, as there are more National-level RallyCross events you can jump at before the year ends.
Next up for the 2025 RallyCross Divisional Challenge is the Southern West Virginia Region-hosted Great Lakes RallyCross Divisional Challenge, taking place Aug. 30-31, 2025, at Jackson County Junior Fairgrounds in Cottageville, WV.
After that comes the big one: the Oct. 17-19, 2025, RallyCross National Championship at Hollytree Off Road.
The RallyCross Divisional Challenge then returns on Nov. 8-9, 2025, for Iowa Region’s Central RallyCross Divisional Challenge at Wiegel Farm in Shullsburg, WI.
And remember: Class winners from a RallyCross Divisional Challenge qualify for Tier 1 registration at the next RallyCross National Championship.
Check out the 2025 RallyCross Divisional Challenge schedule by clicking here.
Photos by Thomas Morris
