SCCA® explains that Stewards are kind of like referees. “They're responsible for keeping the event on schedule, making sure the rules are followed both on- and off-track, and calling the shots if something at the event goes a little sideways,” it states on the volunteer section of SCCA.com. Needless to say, a Steward needs to have special interpersonal skills, since some of the things they may have to resolve can involve racers who are often (and for good reason) pumped with adrenaline.
New England Region member Joe Stadelmann joined the SCCA in 1990 when a college friend asked him to crew at his Drivers’ School in New Hampshire. Apparently, the experience was contagious, because, Joe explains, “shortly after that, I started building a car and racing in ITA.”
His time behind the wheel then led to time behind the scenes – although that doesn’t mean he’s given up driving.
Joe has been a Steward for about eight years. It began when some Steward friends must have seen those special interpersonal skills in him and thought Joe would be a good fit, so they applied friendly peer pressure and got him to enroll in the Steward in Training program. His first event as a Steward was in 2020. “It has been very rewarding,” Joe admits.
His commitment to the role has shined through, with fellow members nominating him for SCCA’s Steward of the Year award presented by Mazda – he was presented with the honor at the 2024 SCCA National Championship Runoffs®.
Those same members are the reason Joe sticks around, too. “I continue to be a member because I have a lot of friends in SCCA now,” he says. “I continue to enjoy the racing, too, now in Spec Miata.”
Steward training includes exposure to other specialties, although one he’d tried prior to his Stewarding adventure. “I was fortunate to get to try the other specialties as part of my Steward training,” Joes says. “And I have a bit of F&C experience from before I started training as a Steward.”
A Steward must be well rounded, and from crewing to Flagging & Communications to Spec Miata racer, Joe Stadelmann certainly fits that bill.
Want to be a Steward like Joe? Get started here.
Photo courtesy Joe Stadelmann
