More Mazda drivers claim Solo National Championships in the second half of the 2015 title fight for autocrossers.
The 2015 Tire Rack Solo Nationals Presented by Garmin Virb has come to a close, and Mazda and Mazda-powered drivers added five more championships to the ones won in the first half.
In F Street Prepared Ladies, Brittany Edwards captured her first National Championship in only her second trip to the event, and she did it in a car that many felt was not the car to have for the class, a Mazda 323. Edwards said she tried to push too hard on her first attempt at the East Course. She backed it off a bit and put down a killer second run. She then went out and put an even better lap together on her third run to take home the title.
Two previous winners took home more trophies. Rachel Kerswill claimed her second consecutive National Championship in C Street Ladies driving an RX-8. Kyung Wootton drove a Miata to the Street Touring R title, her 10th championship.
In E Modified, Jeff Kiesel did not have the Tire Rack Solo Nationals week he was expecting in his mighty 13B rotary-powered Sprite. The rain that fell in the early part of Thursday’s first runs of heat five left Kiesel and many other front-running drivers in the lurch. Kiesel was only able to get a single dry run in the books, and that included a one-cone penalty. On Friday, under clear skies, Kiesel showed why he has become such an institution in the class by running a best lap that was more than once second faster than the next closest driver. With top times from Thursday and Friday added together, Kiesel finished ahead of day-one leader Jason Minehart by 0.431-second. Shawn Kiesel took home the title in E Mod Ladies.
The next championship event for SCCA and amateur competitors will be the National Championship Runoffs at Daytona International Speedway on Sept. 21-27.
43rd Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals Presented by Garmin Virb
Lincoln Airpark
Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 8-11, 2015
Mazda Champions
| Class | Driver | Hometown | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSL | Rachel Kerswill | Reno., Nev. | RX-8 |
| STRL | Kyung Wootton | Austin, Texas | Miata |
| BSP | Steve O’Blenes | Garden Grove, Calif. | MAZDASPEED Miata |
| BSPL | Jodi Fordahl | Bremerton, Wash. | Miata |
| CSP | Billy Davis | New Haven, Conn. | Miata |
| CSPL | Tamra Hunt | Shelton, Conn. | Miata |
| FSPL | Brittany Edwards | Thomasville, N.C. | 323 |
| SSM | Jake Namer | Brooklyn, N.Y. | RX-7 |
| SSML | Tara Johns | Murfreesboro, Tenn. | RX-7 |
| EM | Jeff Kiesel | Poway, Calif. | Mazda-powered Sprite |
| EML | Shawn Kiesel | Poway, Calif. | Mazda-powered Sprite |