Story by Steven Cole Smith • Photography as Credited
Precisely 30 years ago, in 1989, sports car enthusiasts Jerry Kunzman and Ali Arsham began discussing a different kind of automobile racing club, one that was perhaps less rigid and a little more inclusive than the Sports Car Club of America of the day.
In 1991, talking gave way to action. The National Auto Sport Association was born in the Bay Area.
Yes, NASA. Of course, there was already another NASA. That NASA was quite busy in 1991, launching six space shuttles and dozens of other unmanned missions that year. After all, 1991 was the final year of the Soviet Union: The space Cold War had suddenly melted, and the U.S. and Russia were forging a lasting period of cooperation in space exploration.
And when the other NASA launched, the space agency wasn’t amused. There were discussions, but the racers were allowed to keep the name. And so the National Auto Sport Association began to prod the sleeping motorsports giant, the SCCA, which had cornered the sports car racing market for so long that it arguably developed some bad habits. Now it would face some competition.
The fledgling NASA–which, at the bottom of its website, admits is “Not affiliated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration”–was viewed more as an amusement than a serious competitor for the SCCA. After all, how many sports car organizations had come and gone in the decades prior?
But as NASA approaches its 30th birthday, the organization–it isn’t a club, like theSCCA, it’s a for-profit business–is stronger than ever. That said, the SCCA has become more relevant than ever, a gradual process begun by SCCA President Jeff Dahnert, then Lisa Noble, and currently Mike Cobb.
Leaders of the SCCA and NASA aren’t much interested in comparing the two sanctioning bodies, with one executive commenting, “That’s a dangerous question.” But when pressed, both sides admit the other is doing a lot of things well. “I see them as helping create a higher tide of opportunity for enthusiasts across thecountry,” says the SCCA’s Cobb.
“In life, business and in motorsports, a little healthy competition often serves to create new opportunities and drive growth,” Cobb continues. “While we are competing motorsports sanctioning bodies, we’re both focused on serving enthusiasts and delivering the best experience possible–and in the end, we believe this creates more opportunity for all. This said, if we get a shot at getting to that next apex before them, we’re going to do all we can to own it.”
The consensus: that a rising tide floats all race cars. That there’s room for both groups, along with the plethora of other clubs and businesses offering track time, driving schools, and low-buck endurance racing. The important thing is to get new enthusiasts into the tent. Where they go from there is their decision. But until they turn that first wheel in competition or find a place to help out a program they like, no one stands to benefit.
