Mazda brings more fun and games to the SCCA Solo National Championships
Mazda drivers brought home plenty of hardware from the Sept. 5-8, 2017, SCCA Tire Rack Solo National Championships in Lincoln, Neb., but it wasn’t just fun and games on the autocross courses – there was also fun and games off course as well, much of which came courtesy of Mazda.
Making sure all Mazda drivers had a place to get out of the sun while catching up on rest and nourishment, Mazda offered several hospitality options, including a tented lounge, and on hand a couple of those days were barbecued hot dogs and burgers to satisfy many hungry drivers. Mazda also made sure competition wasn’t limited to the autocross course alone. A fiercely competed cornhole tournament saw Marc Sarcevicz and Brian Levesque take the $500 Mazda parts credit in a win over Deana Kelley and Dave Ogburn in a contest that saw several drivers exchanging time slots on the Solo Nationals test course in order to make it to Mazda’s tent. In all, 32 teams competed.
“Mazda team members make up one big family, so we’re happy to provide more than just parts and contingency support,” says Mazda Motorsports Manger of Business Development David Cook. “Autocross is a lot of fun, but it’s also serious competition and a lot of hard work. If we can help keep everyone fresh and relaxed, perhaps it helps to keep them at the top of their game behind the wheel.”
A particular highlight of the week, beyond winning 12 Solo championship classes and nine ProSolo titles, was Tuesday night’s dinner banquet. Linda Duncan was a featured speaker on the topic of the Women’s Initiative to get more women involved in Solo competition.
Also at the event, Tara Johns spoke about the Wendi Allen Scholarship to support women advancing as autocrossers and SCCA members, and Mazda was pleased to announce additional support for the scholarship, enabling a third recipient in the coming year. Julian Garfield spoke about his year after winning the 2017 Mazda Solo Advancement Scholarship, plus BFGoodrich and Mazda raffled off plenty of prizes, including a complete set of BFG tires.
It goes to show that there is more to racing than cars and parts, though that is part of it; there’s a lot of team spirit, too.