A Club member since 2006, Mark Scroggs consistently gave more to the SCCA® Solo® community than he ever took. With his passing over the weekend following an extended battle with cancer, he leaves the Club a far better place than he found it.
After discovering autocross in 1992 while living in the Sacramento, CA, area, Mark jumped in with both feet. As his passion grew, so did his competitiveness, and in 2014, his driving reached a turning point. That year, he swept the West Coast National Solo events and was hoping to attend the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships for the first time – an adventure that very nearly didn’t happen.
“I … told my wife, Julie, that yeah, I think I should forget about Nationals – we’ve got too much going on and money’s tight,” he told SCCA’s SportsCar magazine in a 2019 interview. “She looked me in the eye, and she said ‘Nope, you’re going.’”
That year, he won his class and earned the Solo Rookie of the Year title because of it. He backed up that win in 2015 and claimed the Solo Triad award as well. In all, he’d go on to win five Solo National Championship titles, the ProSolo JCJ Cup, three Solo Triads, and be named SCCA’s Solo Driver of Eminence in 2024.
His on-course success was second to none, but it was the friendships he forged and the lives he touched in the Solo community that left the greatest mark. Adding to that legacy was his dedication to the work he did on the Solo Events Board (SEB).
During the Stock-to-Street transition, Mark wrote letters to the SEB, and it wasn’t long before he was asked to join an advisory committee. That led to him taking a seat on the SEB (where he served starting in 2018) and, in turn, that led to him serving as the SEB chair from 2022-2023.
From his time on the Street Advisory Committee to updating tire eligibility requirements and integrating EVs into autocross, he worked tirelessly on projects that made a genuine difference for the betterment of the Solo community.
His secret to autocross success was simple. As he explained during his interview with SportsCar, the power is yours. “I believe that confidence is huge,” he said. “You are a little bit of confidence away from being that next step better. Believe it and believe that you can do it. Yes, you still need to execute the run, and yes, you still need to do all of the things you know how to do, but you’ve got to believe it first.”
“Mark was a true enthusiast who loved the Solo community and did everything he could to set it on the path to success,” said SCCA President and CEO Mike Cobb. “From pushing himself as a driver, to taking the time to help those in the paddock, to serving on the SEB and more, Mark’s legacy extends to all aspects of autocross and its community. His contributions will affect the Club for years to come, and he will be forever missed by his SCCA friends.”
