SCCA Convention Closes With Top Awards, Hall of Fame Inductees

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Jan. 31, 2010) – Sports Car Club of America concluded its 2010 National Convention Presented by Gumout at the South Point Hotel and Casino Saturday with the annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Awards Banquet Presented by Honda.

Five members were inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame, including former president Nick Craw, road racing legend Briggs Cunningham, longtime leader R. David Jones, former staff member and FIA steward Burdette “Berdie” Martin and rally pioneer Wayne Zitkus.

Additionally, the top awards for 2009 were presented, including:

• Woolf Barnato Award (longtime organization contributions): Andy Porterfield
• Member of Excellence (Club-wide contributions for 2009): Dave Deborde
• President's Cup (Top Club Racing Runoffs Performance): Sam Halkias
• John McGill Award (Top Club Racing Contribution): Fred Cummings
• Solo Cup (Top Solo Contribution): Sandi Brown
• Robert Ridges Award (Top RoadRally Contribution): Ron Ferris

The Saturday evening function capped three days of seminars and celebrations for SCCA. For the first time, the event included a series of seminars specifically for drivers and crew, including sessions on car construction, testing, shock absorbers, engines and fuel system additives. Speakers included famed SCCA members Joe Huffaker Jr. and Dan Binks.

SCCA President and CEO Jeff Dahnert closed the event, declaring it a success to the 455 attendees.

For more information about SCCA, please visit http://www.scca.com.

Photo: Andy Porterfield (left) with SCCA President Jeff Dahnert after accepting the Woolf Barnato Award (Prill/SCCA Image)

SCCA Convention Rolls On, Solo and Rally Awards Presented

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Jan. 29, 2010) – Sports Car Club of America’s annual National Convention Presented by Gumout completed its second day on Friday at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, highlighted by a series of racer-related seminars and the Tire Rack Rally/Solo Awards Luncheon.

Hosted by Hall of Fame member Roger Johnson, the awards ceremony honored excellence in RallyCross, RoadRally and Solo competition and organization in the 2009 season.

The winners were:

RoadRally
Arthur Gervais Award: Steve Gaddy’s Lobster Traps Rally, DC Region
Manufacturer of the Year: Subaru
Divisional Achievement Award: Northeast Division
Regional Achievement Award: Indianapolis Region
RoadRally Photo Contest 1st Place: Dave Head
RoadRally Photo Contest 2nd Place: Betsy Edwards
RoadRally Photo Contest 3rd Place: Dave Head

RallyCross
Divisional Achievement Award: Rocky Mountain Division
Regional Achievement Award: New England Region
RallyCross Photo Contest 1st Place: Marnie Soom
RallyCross Photo Contest 2nd Place: Candy Gerber
RallyCross Photo Contest 3rd Place: Mark Walker

Solo
Driver of Eminence: Tom Berry, Cal Club
Johnson Spirit of the Sport: Mike McClintock, Detroit Region
Driver of the Year: Clemens Berger, Indianapolis Region
Rookie of the Year: Katie Nicholls, San Diego Region
Divisional of the Year: Central Division

More than 450 members have registered for the 2010 SCCA National Convention Presented by Gumout—the annual gathering of the Club’s leadership.

For more information, please visit http://www.scca.com/convention.

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Photo: SCCA President Jeff Dahnert (left) presents the Solo Driver of the Year award to Clemens Berger. Eric Prill/SCCA

Solo News from Howard Duncan (Jan. 2010)

As posted, on the St. Louis Region's Web site:

Howard Duncan, SCCA VP Rally/Solo
Hduncan@scca.com

• I will keep this issue of Solo News short as we here in the National Office are crunching to finalize things for the SCCA National Convention, however, there are a few things we wanted to pass along.
  
• Speaking of the Convention, the SEB will be holding their traditional Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, January 30. While we would hope that all of the Solo Community could be there, we realize that is a pipe dream. So, if you have a question you would like to ask the SEB, please send it along to me (email address above) and we will try to work it in amongst the “live” questions at the Town Hall. If time does not allow for it, we will use it as the basis for a Q&A section of the coming e-newsletter.
  
• “Solo News” is NOT the name of the coming e-newsletter, but merely a generic moniker for the short term. In December we asked for your suggestions for a name of the newsletter, and while we got some good suggestions, to be honest we were not overwhelmed with the number of suggestions. Remember, the first person to send in the name selected will win a free entry into the 2010 Tire Rack Solo National Championship.
  
• In the last issue, I mentioned that one of the ways we were going to replace some of the revenue lost from no longer requiring a National Solo Rules book at Divisional and National events was by offering a new and improved optional Solo “license”. While the crunch of the Convention has prevented us from completing all the details to formally launch this, we can give you more details.
  
  
  • It is not actually a license, but an optional benefits card that will be called the Solo Passport, as it will provide the means of access to some special services offered on an optional basis for the serious National Solo competitor.
    
  • The Solo Passport will cost $45 for an individual member and $50 for a family membership (spouse or spouse and kids) and will be valid for the calendar year of purchase.
    
  • Those who purchased a Solo License in 2009 will be able to take advantage of some Solo Passport benefits, such as early registration, until that license expires. This will allow you to delay the purchase of the new card until a later date, but if you want the full benefits for the entire year, at some point you will need to purchase a Solo Passport.
    
  • Quick snapshot of benefits:
    
    
    • Annual Waiver photo card; “hard card”
      
    • Early online registration access for Tire Rack National Tour and ProSolo events; 2 weeks prior to access by general SCCA membership.
      
    • Early online registration access for the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championship (TBA on time frame)
      
    • Early “Express Registration Check-in” at all National Solo events, which will include one free Test and Tune run or practice start (ProSolo).
      
    • Decal packet that includes all SCCA required decals. This does not include contingency decals (see below)
      
    • Additional benefits under consideration.
  • The Solo Passport will be available soon, so look for an announcement on the SCCA web site.
• Also coming soon is online sign up for National Solo contingency programs that are SCCA supported. This will allow not only online initial sign up, but will allow you to edit your “contingency profile” as you change cars or components at various National Solo events. It will be the responsibility of each competitor to keep their profile up to date, as we will use that profile to award contingencies. Look for an announcement VERY soon on the SCCA web site.
  
• Regarding contingency programs and responsibility, it is the competitor’s responsibility to read, understand, and comply with the requirements of any contingency program. This includes the required decals and how to obtain them. We carry many of them with us to Tire Rack National Solo events, but there are many contingency providers that do not provide them to us and require them to be obtained directly by the competitor from the provider. Again, please read about the details for each program.
  
• The 2010 ProSolo Rules, including indexes will be posted on Monday, January 25th.
  
• One last item. We recently received a copy of a new book published for the Lincoln Nebraska airport titled “Journey Through the First 50 Years”, which captures the key historical moments of the first 50 years of the Lincoln airport, 1959-2009. The last page (2009) features photos of the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships under the heading of “Air Park Hosts the World’s Largest Motorsports Competition” and mentions the multi-million dollar impact on the local economy. I just thought the Solo Community would like to know how appreciated you are in Lincoln and they want us to keep coming back. If you did not attend in 2009, definitely make plans for this year as it really is Solo Nirvana.
  

That is all for now. Thanks for your support of the Solo program and your Club.

Solo Contingency Programs and Online Registration Now Available

TOPEKA, Kan. (Jan. 25, 2010) – While the first event of the 2010 Tire Rack SCCA National Solo program is still a month and a half away, participants can register to be eligible for thousands of dollars in contingency payouts today, with SCCA’s new online contingency registration program.

Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo National Series

As part of its across-the-board Platinum SCCA contingency program, Volkswagen offers both event and year-end prizes for drivers finishing in the top three in either class or Super Challenge competition. Drivers taking a class win in one of 16 eligible classes earn $200. Should they take the Super Challenge, they win $500.

Honda also pays $500 for a Super, Ladies or Honda Tuner Challenge win in each event, and $150 for a class win.

In eight classes, Bridgestone will post $500 to the winner of the Super Challenge, as well as a top three finish in class. Win a season-long class or Super Challenge title, and take home another $1,000.

Toyo Tires matches Bridgestone’s posting for Tire Rack ProSolo Street Touring® participants with its Silver level Contingency program.

iRacing.com Motorsports Simulations continues to pay the top three finishers in every class of ProSolo and National Tour competition a $15 iRacing credit.

Longtime SCCA supporter Hawk Performance offers up $100 in product credit to any class or Super Challenge winner using Hawk brake pads.

Hoosier, Mazdaspeed and TRD each post Bronze level programs, meaning registration and redemption are handled through those companies directly.

Hoosier offers two tires for a class win and one for a second-place finish. Event Super Challenge, year-end point Champions and Finale class winners each take four tires with a win.

Mazdaspeed will again pay out class, Challenge and year-end awards ranging from $200 for a class event win to $800 for a point championship. Likewise, TRD will pay class and year-end awards ranging from $200 to $1,000 for competitors in Toyota vehicles.

Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour

In Tire Rack Solo National Tour competition, Volkswagen will pay $200 for a class win and $100 for second place for VW drivers in any of 34 eligible classes.

Bridgestone, Toyo and Yokohama will each pay out top three finishes in the ST classes, with $300 going to the winner.

AST Suspension is a new contingency sponsor, offering first and fifth-place finishers in eligible classes product certificates, with a $750 award going to class winners.

Like AST, Hoosier and Mazdaspeed also offer Bronze packages. Winners on Hoosier tires win a pair of tires, with a single tire going to second-place finishers. Mazda will pay a Tour class winner $200 for a win and $100 for a second place finish.

In addition to the National program contingencies, Bridgestone and Toyo Tires have also posted programs for the Tire Rack SCCA Divisional Solo Championships.

For complete details on all of these contingency programs, visit http://www.scca.com/solo and click the “contingencies” link. A link for online registration is available there as well.

The 2010 Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour begins March 13, in Cecil, Ga. The Tire Rack SCCA ProSolo National Series begins April 17, in El Toro, Calif.

2010 Divisional Championships

The Tire Rack® SCCA Northeast Divisional Solo Championships will be held May 28-30, 2010 at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. This year's hosts are the Washington DC Region and the event chairman is Craig Garfield.

Information will be posted as it becomes available.

Bookmark: http://www.nedivsolo.org/10divisional/.

Northeast Division (NeDiv) Roundtable, Mar. 12-14

Northern New Jersey Region is hosting the NEDiv Roundtable on March 12 - 14 at the Hamilton Park Hotel and Conference Center in Florham Park, New Jersey.

This is the place to make your concerns about the 2010 season and beyond heard by the decision makers.
Saturday lunch will feature the NARRC awards.

On Saturday night, March 13th, will be the NNJR 60th Anniversary party. Come celebrate 60 years of SCCA Motorsports in New Jersey.

Flyer:
http://www.scca-nnjr.org/NNJR_Mgmt/2010NEDivRoundTableRegistration_2.pdf