It may be the fourth and final day of the 52nd Tire Rack SCCA® Solo® National Championships in Lincoln, NE; but It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me is what many individual Soloist are thinking as they perform on the two main stages (aka: East Course and West Course) at Lincoln Airpark.
A second set of National Champions will be crowned at day’s end. That means there are several hours of action yet to come. Tune in online to sololive.scca.com so you don’t miss the remaining riffs playing out at this show. That’s where you’ll find live timing/scoring, results, and audio coverage of all Heats on both courses.
Don’t forget to monitor the Tire Rack SCCA National Solo and SCCA Official Facebook pages, too, for updates and photos of autocross rockstars having #funwithcars. Even more Solo tunes are being spun by Brian Bielanski with special Inside the SCCA segments posting to The Racing Network YouTube page. Those deep cuts feature slice-of-life stories from the paddock at Lincoln Airpark.
Rubber Meets the Road at Lincoln Airpark
The Nationals Test ‘N’ Tune Presented by Vitour course is always a hotbed of activity the first three days of Solo Nats. Located mid-paddock on the western edge of the property, the short circuit is abuzz from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, with a short break early in afternoons. Competitors from all classes, in nearly every make and model car imaginable, sign up for specific times to use the Test ‘N’ Tune circuit managed by SCCA’s Nebraska Region. It gives drivers a chance to get reacquainted with their cars, Lincoln Airpark’s cement surface, or new setups before jam sessions go down on the main courses to decide the year’s SCCA National Champions.
On Thursday, however, the time for testing was over as the last set of participants had begun official efforts to claim Solo Nats trophies. Instead of letting that plot of land lay fallow, the course’s presenting sponsor took it over and Let the Good Times Roll during the Vitour Test ‘N’ Tune Challenge.
Dallas Reed, Vitour’s U.S. Market Director, said drivers whose cars were fitted with Vitour rubber got four timed runs on the course to see who could turn the quickest time. Those who showed up on other rubber were given the option to borrow loaner wheels equipped with Vitour products so they could join the fun. They could also run the course on their current tires to see the difference between those and the Vitours, but only the Vitour laps counted toward the competition.
Up for grabs was a five-foot trophy topped with a miniature swordfish. Why so tall? “I just wanted to get a comically big trophy because, well, why not?” Reed laughed. “We’re here to have fun!”
The fastest time went to a ’67 Chevrolet Camaro built and owned by Mark Sawatsky. However, the driver of the car for this outing was 12-time National Champion Jeff Cashmore, who was looking for an excuse to give the beautiful, classic muscle car a go around cones.
Beyond having fun, the Thursday session was also used by Vitour to test two of its new semi-slick products under development. Two representatives from Vitour headquarters in China were in Lincoln to witness the testing and take in the whole Solo Nats experience.
While a Vitour product was available for Solo use in 2023, it’s really just this year that the tire manufacturer has made a major push into SCCA Solo, with another product under development that caters to short-run events such as autocrosses or hill climbs.
Vitour sponsored Challenges during Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo® Series events held this year. Of course, there are lots of tire manufacturers who support SCCA Soloists throughout the year and at Solo Nats. Along with Vitour, a Whole Lotta Love also goes to SCCA tire partners Goodyear, Falken, and Hoosier. These manufacturers could be spotted in the paddock this week, with Solo Performance Specialties on site in partnership with R&S Racing to support service for both Vitour and Hoosier.
Speaking of Rock ‘N’ Roll Dance Partners
Like any huge rock ‘n’ roll concert, there are lots of people needed to make it happen. For the SCCA that list includes its valued partners. As such, a giant ‘thank you’ goes to Tire Rack as the longtime Official Tire Retailer of SCCA. Tire Rack has supported SCCA since 1995, which technically makes them a member of the Solo Nationals Silver Circle.
Then there’s Hagerty, the Official Insurance Partner of SCCA since 2019; and Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products of SCCA since 2003. Thanks also goes to Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA since 2001, which is coursing through the systems of many competition and tow vehicles throughout the paddock.
Mazda Motorsports is part of this rock ‘n’ roll experience, too, with support for competitors in many ways, including sponsorship of Monday’s SCCA Women on Track Brunch.
And of course, none of this happens without all the passionate SCCA members that pull off this amazing event each year, not to mention the members who come to compete at the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships. Thank you one and all!
Photo: This ’67 Chevrolet Camaro, built and owned by Mark Sawatsky (right), was driven to victory by Mark Cashmore (left) during the Vitour Test ‘N’ Tune Challenge on Thursday.
Photo by SCCA Staff
