Live thread: 2023 SCCA Solo Nationals

J.G.
By J.G. Pasterjak
Sep 7, 2023 | SCCA, Solo Nationals, SCCA Solo Nationals, Solo Nats

Photography Credit: Rupert Berrington

Where can you find the fastest autocrossers around? Look no further than the SCCA Solo Nationals.

Now in its 50th running, the 2023 SCCA Solo Nationals kicked off on September 5 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

While GRM Production Manager and Art Director J.G. Pasterjak is unable to attend this year’s festivities, GRM has numerous friends on the ground whom we’ve been living vicariously through for the last few days.

Now you get to play, too: Follow this thread for live updates on everything we’re seeing from Solo Nats as SCCA crowns its 50th set of national autocross champions.

Join Free Join our community to easily find more SCCA, Solo Nationals, SCCA Solo Nationals and Solo Nats news.
Comments
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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
9/5/23 2:59 p.m.

I've been seeing a lot of cool machines popping up on my social feeds, does anybody have any favorites so far?

bobzilla
bobzilla MegaDork
9/5/23 4:01 p.m.

where's the live scoring link?

sjd
sjd New Reader
9/5/23 4:06 p.m.
bobzilla said:

where's the live scoring link?

Here it is:

http://sololive.scca.com/Nats/

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/5/23 4:13 p.m.

Impound was a focus this year for a couple divisions, and competitors were required to present two bare corners for inspection to all after their final runs each day. 

Whaddya think? good way to keep people honest or needless inconvenience?

sjd
sjd New Reader
9/5/23 4:17 p.m.

Both?

Hopefully it works as intended but I know those with cars who don't have a ton of cargo space for a jack/stands aren't thrilled.

 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/5/23 4:31 p.m.

Man I'm so bummed my trip got derailed this year because it looks like everyone is having a blast.

bobzilla
bobzilla MegaDork
9/5/23 4:34 p.m.

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

We did the same in 15 and 16 for STF. It was a bit of an inconvenience IMO but I was never a front runner so YMMV

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/5/23 4:54 p.m.
bobzilla said:

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

We did the same in 15 and 16 for STF. It was a bit of an inconvenience IMO but I was never a front runner so YMMV

I guess ultimately it's a minor inconvenience for everyone in hopes of preventing a major inconvenience for just a few folks having to face a Runoffs-style teardown. 

Javelin
Javelin GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/5/23 5:15 p.m.
Colin Wood said:

I've been seeing a lot of cool machines popping up on my social feeds, does anybody have any favorites so far?

Jay Bullington's Audi S4 is *nutters*. It's a twin turbo 4.0 V8 swap from the new RS6, rear cooling, custom diffs in all 3 positions, and a handmade carbon widebody.

alfadriver
alfadriver MegaDork
9/5/23 5:29 p.m.

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Any chance that George and Dee Schweikle are still going?  If they are, and you see them, say hi for us.  

Carl Heideman
Carl Heideman
9/5/23 7:35 p.m.

It was 97 yesterday and some people coped with it well. 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/5/23 7:57 p.m.
Javelin said:
Colin Wood said:

I've been seeing a lot of cool machines popping up on my social feeds, does anybody have any favorites so far?

Jay Bullington's Audi S4 is *nutters*. It's a twin turbo 4.0 V8 swap from the new RS6, rear cooling, custom diffs in all 3 positions, and a handmade carbon widebody.

Yeah I ran that car on day 1 last year in XA when Justin Peachey's Vette that I was supposed to be driving blew the clutch up. Still a little surprised I managed to not kill myself doing it. Basically you just ease it around a corner as gently as you cam, then when you see daylight squeeze the throttle and it just warps to the next corner. 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/5/23 7:58 p.m.
Carl Heideman said:

It was 97 yesterday and some people coped with it well. 

Man that filter is going to be working overtime by Thursday

Carl Heideman
Carl Heideman
9/5/23 8:50 p.m.

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Just went past and there are two used filters sitting next to the pump. 

rob_lewis
rob_lewis UberDork
9/5/23 10:40 p.m.
JG Pasterjak said:

Impound was a focus this year for a couple divisions, and competitors were required to present two bare corners for inspection to all after their final runs each day.

For those of us who've never attended a solo race, what does "required to present two bare corners for inspection"?

I assume from the photos that you basically have to have it jacked up with two wheels removed.  If so, are they able to check the legality of anything but brakes and suspension?

-Rob

dps214
dps214 SuperDork
9/5/23 11:14 p.m.

That's basically it. I don't believe anything is specifically being checked. It's a competitor enforced sport, the wheel removal is just giving everyone a better opportunity to check everything over.

Related, wandering through the SS grid during impound, I'm astounded that there aren't more cases of centerlock wheels falling off randomly.

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/6/23 10:21 a.m.

The new BRZ/86 has been competitive but not dominant in DS all year, but for some reason they're strong at Lincoln. Ken Roller leads the class with a bunch of twins in the trophies, displacing the usual pack of Type Rs. A Hyundai Elantra N in the top 5 is the wildcard in the mix. 

 

FMod cars make great pillows

rob_lewis
rob_lewis UberDork
9/6/23 11:47 a.m.
dps214 said:

It's a competitor enforced sport, the wheel removal is just giving everyone a better opportunity to check everything over.

That makes sense, I assumed that at a huge event like Solo Nats, the top 2 or 3 cars in every class were automatically pulled for a post run inspection.  I assume because of the huge combinations of setups/vehicles it would be a nightmare to manage and have the knowledge of everything to know what to look for.
The competitor enforced makes more sense in that regard, because the people competing in a specific class are probably the experts and know what to look for.  Furthermore, it sounds like cheating isn't "common", which is very impressive for an event of this size.

I need to figure out how to attend one year.


-Rob
 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/6/23 3:28 p.m.

With one run to go for some of the principles, the top five in BStreet is mostly set. It represents five fairly different cars, and a podium spot for a Toyota GRCorolla.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
9/6/23 5:16 p.m.

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Hey, do I spy another SCCA Solo title for a $2000 Challenge Pro Driver? 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/6/23 5:21 p.m.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Yep. Third one for David Marcus. 

bludroptop
bludroptop UltraDork
9/6/23 7:13 p.m.

BS is not a spec class, that's for sure.

Note that BS, CS and DS top 5 basically ran the same times.  BS and DS same course/same day.

 

bmw88rider
bmw88rider GRM+ Memberand UberDork
9/6/23 10:59 p.m.

In reply to Carl Heideman :

Of course it comes from the RTRT crew. You would think they would think it's a bit cool. 

pinchvalve (Forum Supporter)
pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/7/23 10:18 a.m.
JG Pasterjak said:

Man I'm so bummed my trip got derailed this year because it looks like everyone is having a blast.

jg

Cameron always has fun.

pinchvalve (Forum Supporter)
pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/7/23 10:28 a.m.

Very excited to see the Elantra N doing well in DS, the same car and driver took the Pro Solo win over the weekend. The DSG has an advantage launching in ProSolo, my 60ft and 200ft times were ahead of most of the twins, and I definetly and not a national-caliber driver. 

I hear the Solo courses have a few digs where the LSD and DSG might offer a real advantage over the twins. Of course, the driving has a lot to do with it, Mark Scroggs just plain killed it. 

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/7/23 4:54 p.m.

You might be cool, but are you "flat tow your AMod car with an 8020 tire rack without even taking the wing off behind your Tesla" cool?

Didn't think so.

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
9/7/23 4:56 p.m.

Rare photo OF Perry Bennett instead of BY Perry Bennett.

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