Ocean breezes and California sunshine greeted competitors at the July 31-Aug. 2, 2026, SCCA® Southern Pacific RallyCross® Divisional Challenge at the NICU Amphitheater Chula Vista near beautiful San Diego. Throw in a pinch of dirt, add water, bring along an eclectic group of friends from close and afar, and this Divisional Challenge proved to be one fantastic party.
With Nima Abrahim at the helm with an esteemed crew carving out a sensational weekend, this event set quite the bar.
Friday saw folks arriving promptly, quickly filing through registration and tech from 3-6 p.m., allowing them time to drop their equipment in the paddock and head to the beach. RallyCross Board secretary Nigel Mott was found enjoying some coastal solidarity at a fancy Italian restaurant after his 700-mile drive down, while Gonzo San Miguel, the RallyCross Board chair, opted to explore local attractions – he’d driven nearly 1,000 miles to get there.
Saturday Unfolds the Action
This RallyCross Divisional Challenge began with Stock class cars on course. Stock Front saw Taylor Wargo leading with Jonathan Wardlow 0.219sec behind. Gonzo San Miguel was a close third. Stock Rear saw Hank Yamfang unleash a blistering lead over Gavin Souttere and Charles Graham. In Stock All, Casey Weeks built a comfortable lead, with Paul Chominski battling for second with Samuel Weeks.
The day continued with Prepared in the second heat and Modified in the third, with drivers swapping positions and leaders sitting within seconds of their competition at the end of the day.
The evening social brought competitor’s together at the Novo Brazil Brewery for easy sauce and banter. Hanging out with like-minded folks is easily the best part of these kinds of events.
Final Day’s Action
Sunday got off to a fierce start with the Stock Front battle beginning to scorch. Jonathan Wardlow lost his lead early as Gonzo San Miguel and Taylor Wargo both put in hot laps. Jonathan finished his runs with all fast and clean runs, so Taylor, needing to maintain his lead, put on a lightening last run for the lead time – but at the very end, he clipped a cone that sent him back to second.
Gonzo was up next with an absolutely bonkers run – quick enough to have the fastest run of the group. With the finish line in his crosshairs and a win within grasp, he decided caressing cones felt better than winning, and that penalty put him back to third place for the event. That left Jonathan with the win.
All classes were well represented with heated competition, with finishes in close margin throughout the heats. There was also drama, with cars braking and being quickly fixed – few retired.
Somewhere in all the craziness, a muffler fell off and was never found.
Who won all the classes? We’ve got a list:
Pulling it Together
It’s also important to point out that the event couldn’t have taken place without the event officials who worked tirelessly in what is a labor of love. That’s not to say the list below is complete – with RallyCross, every entrant plays a key role in the success of the event. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t recognize some of the event’s Stewards and Chiefs.
Onto the Championship
The event wrapped with shiny awards and plenty of smiles, with many competitors setting their sights on the Oct. 16-18, 2026, SCCA RallyCross National Championship Presented by Bingham Equipment Company at the Camp Verde Equestrian Center just north of Phoenix, AZ.
Want to join the fun? This link contains everything you need to know.
Photo of the Stock Front podium by Sanjay Singh
