Created to help women push further, drive harder, and fully stake their claim in SCCA® competition, the Wendi Allen Scholarship Fund continues to open doors at every level of Solo® – from Regional and Divisional events all the way to the National stage. Named in honor of multi-time SCCA Solo National Champion Wendi Allen, the scholarship celebrates her legacy by investing in women who wish to elevate their skills and their impact within the Club.

Backed by the SCCA Foundation and Mazda Motorsports and administered by SCCA Women on Track, the annual program awards three $1,500 scholarships to support travel to Tire Rack National Solo events as well as the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships. This year’s recipients – Jennifer Brown, Sue Anne Rische, and Audra Paradie – aren’t just receiving funding; they’re gearing up for a season that promises to be unforgettable, filled with seat time, growth, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities made possible by this scholarship.

As part of the scholarship, Brown, Rische, and Paradie will also receive waived entry fees for all Tire Rack National Solo events they attend throughout the year, along with additional backing from the SCCA, the Solo community, and commercial partners. That support may include driver coaching, mentoring, products, and logistical assistance – everything needed to help these drivers make the most of a standout year on course and beyond.

Scholarship funding for Sue Anne Rische and Audra Paradie was made possible thanks to SCCA Foundation. Funding for Jennifer Brown’s Wendi Allen Scholarship came courtesy of Mazda Motorsports.

What does receiving this scholarship mean for the recipients? Brown, Rische, and Paradie tackled that topic in their applications for the Wendi Allen Scholarship.

“It would allow me to gain more experience with National-tier autocrossers (some of which compete within our Region, while others do not), improve my racing skills, and continue contributing to the Atlanta Region Team Solo program with my time and expertise,” Brown, who competes in a C Street Mazda MX-5, said in her scholarship application. “The scholarship would also reinforce my commitment to SCCA and its community, enabling me to focus on growing my autocross and leadership skills and engage more in community building. Personally, it would validate my efforts to be a better autocrosser with my desire to engage in more leadership and community-building responsibilities within the Region.”

For Rische, she said receiving the scholarship would increase her focus.

“National events are humbling, and the pressure of that stage rattles me,” she admitted in her scholarship application. “Receiving this scholarship would provide a necessary reprieve from some of the external stresses that surround a trip to Lincoln [for the Solo National Championships], allowing me to focus on the competition. As a 54-year-old woman, I recognize that I am an underdog, but I am fiercely determined and tenaciously hanging onto my goals. People often find it shocking when they hear I race cars, but they quickly realize it fits my personality perfectly. This scholarship would be a validation of that tenacity and honor the commitment I have made to this sport.”

In applying for the Wendi Allen Scholarship, Paradie was hoping for the opportunity to grow, dipping into great possibilities for her future.

“Receiving this scholarship would mean recognition of my accomplishments thus far, as well as my future potential,” Paradie wrote in her application. “It would mean I can definitely make it out to Solo Nats [in 2026], as well as the most National events I have ever been able to do in a single year. I had tremendous improvement [in 2025] and want to keep the momentum going. I am so thankful to be welcomed into such a supportive and helpful community, and I am hoping to be able to pay it forward for new members and competitors. I would love to promote SCCA Women on Track, which is a program I strongly believe in. It would be incredible to share this experience and what I have gone through with other women. It would be awesome to see more of us out there!”

As part of Women’s History Month, Jennifer Brown, Sue Anne Rische, Audra Paradie, and other SCCA women will have their stories told on SCCA.com during the month of March.

If you would like to help support the Wendi Allen Scholarship Fund, donations can be earmarked specifically for this program through SCCA Foundation’s website.

The SCCA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that is a supporting organization of the Sports Car Club of America™. The Foundation supports charitable and educational programs in furtherance of the SCCA’s purposes and for the benefit of the community as a whole served by the Club.

Photo caption: (from left to right) Jennifer Brown, Sue Anne Rische, and Audra Paradie are the 2026 recipients of the Wendi Allen Scholarship.