A hoard that loves having #funwithcars are filing into Lincoln Airpark for the 2026 Tire Rack SCCA® Solo® National Championships taking place Sept. 7-11 in Nebraska’s capital city. It’s the 53rd running of this prestigious event, and “video games” are the theme this go-round.
Solo Nats is no 4-bit Pong game. It’s an immersive experience titillating all five senses at a bitrate that can’t be beat. No artificial-intelligence simulation here; instead, you’ve got a can’t-miss party that has been a reality for five decades.
When gameplay is completed on Wednesday afternoon (for the first batch) and Friday afternoon (for the next round of players), a whole new set of epic cone-carvers will receive National Championship accolades. After that, nearly 1,300 players will drive away with an experience that can’t be duplicated through any gaming platform.
Gaming Maps for ’26 Solo Nats
The Solo Town encampment is currently filled with players sharpening tools, making friends and devising plans of attack for two paths that are both adventurous and demanding. Across the classes, the quickest drivers will earn victory and are branded as National Champions. The rest, they’ll be pretty giggly, too.
Designers of 2026 Solo Nats courses are Karen Babb and Jeff Vineyard. Babb conjured the East Course, better known as Airport Side; and Vineyard devised the West Course, also known as Corn Side. But east or west, gamers best beware.
Babb, now a member of SCCA’s Central Florida Region with more than 20 Solo Nats victories to her credit, is in SCCA’s Hall of Fame. She designed multiple Solo Nats courses over the years, her last being a 2023 creation. She’s back this year with a course she believes is as challenging and fun as any video game.
“I’ve been a gamer since the original DOOM,” Babb stated with undeniable certainty. “I had a laptop, I put DOOM on it, and it was fun. I’ve been doing this foolishness ever since.”
As such, Babb’s East Course this year is titled World of Conecraft, which is an homage to the very popular World of Warcraft. Her route explores the history of videogames, with runs beginning at Fallout. Then there’s a slalom across Resident Evil, followed by a loop through the Borderlands. Next is Mass Effect 2 for drivers, followed by another long slalom named Centipede. The experience then rolls through Final Fantasy before competitors reach the finish and Destiny.
“I hope competitors feel they have to drive well to turn a good time,” Babb said of her course. “I like to build things that challenge drivers and reward them when they do well.”
Vineyard, hailing from SCCA’s Lone Star Region, is responsible for the West Course layout this year, which is named Level Up! He has been designing local autocross courses for about seven years and did a couple layouts for Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour events. He has participated in eight Solo Nats previously but has yet to claim a National Championship.
“Here I am 10 years later with at least $1,000 in car upgrades,” Vineyard joked about his passion for the sport. “I’m about as hooked as you can get.”
The segments that make up Vineyard’s course this year are not named for specific video games. Rather, he approached the concept differently and labeled sections around video game notions. So the opening portion of Level Up! begins with “Leap for your life! Eat the fly! Eat the fly!” which is in reference to the game Frogger. Participants then circle through “Banana Slamma” to honor the Donkey Kong series, followed by a run around “Waka Waka Waka some cones!” – a nod to Pac-Man, of course. Next comes “Let’s blow up some rocks!” recalling 1979’s arcade classic Asteroids, and then a finish through “It’s-a Me! Mario! Mario kart’n!”
“I want everyone to enjoy themselves,” Vineyard said about his course design. “I do think people are going to enjoy the course. You can’t please everybody; but if I can please most people then we’ve done what we’re here to do.”
East Course Map West Course Map
Players Guide to More Fun
There’s a gaming marathon on tap once again in 2026 for Solo Nats attendees, and it starts Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. local time with an annual Solo Town Hall held onsite in the Tire Rack Event Center (TREC). That will be followed at approximately 4:45 p.m. by the official Solo Nats Opening Ceremony and Awards Presentation, which are part of the Welcome Party & Super Smash Bites Paddock Party conducted at the Mazda Motorsports Town Center, with eats found all up and down Solo Town’s Main Street.
Also late Monday afternoon, a tribute to “old school” arcade fun can be had thanks to the Tire Rack Skee-Ball Challenge held throughout the evening. And if you’re a Skee-Ball wizard, put the Mazda Cornhole Tournament on your “to do” list as well. That takes place Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Mazda Vendor Area.
Wednesday’s Tire Rack Solo Awards Celebration is always a big draw. Conducted in the giant TREC tent, this year’s ceremony is slated to start right around 5:45 p.m. local time. As usual, sustenance and beverages are provided while multiple award winners are announced, and adulation given to the first set of 2026 Solo Nats victors. Then at 7:35 p.m., the cherished Sunset Remembrance Toast will be held near the Impound Scales positioned between the East Course and West Course.
Thursday is a “choose your adventure” experience at Solo Nats, so wander the arcade that is Solo Town to unlock endless paddock parties and social gatherings. When Friday rolls around, it’s time for the second and final Tire Rack Solo Awards Celebration of the year. This one begins around 4 p.m. at the TREC tent and includes more award announcements, as well as the chance to celebrate a second set of Solo Nats winners.
Click the link below to eyeball a full schedule of events for the 2026 Tire Rack SCCA® Solo® National Championships.
Run/Work Quest
Sure, every Solo Nats participant wants to go all Leeroy Jenkins at Lincoln Airpark, but gameplay during the event is a combination of adventure and tasks so everyone has #funwithcars. With upwards of 8,400 runs being made during Sept. 8-11, Solo Nats is most certainly a co-op experience.
This gaming platform requires a high degree of teamwork to be enjoyable, just like any other SCCA Solo event. As such, here’s a reminder that the adventure can’t go on, or run smoothly, without your help. Below is a link to the Run/Work program and assignments over the next four days. Please be prompt or even a little early with worker check-in so “play” doesn’t lag the runs of others.
Lastly, this Solo National Championships game would be a lot pricier if not for support from valued SCCA partners. So, for starters, we’ve got to thank 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 surging through many competition and tow vehicles. Can’t forget Öhlins, too, which is the new Official Suspension System of SCCA.
Mazda Motorsports has also been working behind the scenes to make many SCCA activities possible. In fact, they delivered a power-up in support of Monday’s SCCA Women on Track Brunch.
Then there are tire partners for SCCA Solo, which includes Goodyear, Falken, and Hoosier. These manufacturers can be spotted in the paddock, along with Solo Performance Specialties on site in partnership with R&S Racing.
Photo by Jon Krolewicz
