Words by Samuel Hitchcock, photos by Doug Patterson

The 2017 Kansas City Region SCCA Solo season got off to a wet start at Event One on Sunday, April 2nd. But the foul weather couldn’t stop 144 regional autocrossers — including a lot of first-time drivers. Event chair Al Hermans and his crew did a tremendous job handling the big crowd and dealing with adverse conditions.

Nine Formula Junior drivers were the first to run, facing the coolest, wettest conditions of the day. Nearly all the kids spun out or DNF’d, some spinning multiple times on just one run. But they had a blast! Congratulations to Bradley Livingston on his first-ever win in FJA, with Ethan Hill winning FJB, and Trevor Watts taking FJC. The Kansas City Region is becoming known for its strong FJ program, and this season promises more of the same, with speedy new drivers providing spirited competition among our “kart babies.” Amelie Beets joined Jana Hitchcock as the only female FJ drivers in the region.

The weather messed with the big kids too. For instance, STX national champion driver Craig Wilcox found himself in an uncharacteristic 4th place, and he was just one victim of the grip-challenged first heat. Second-heat drivers got at least one mostly dry run, while third heat enjoyed the best track conditions of the day.
STU driver Mark Hill took first place PAX for the day, while the rest of the top ten was dominated by shifter karts, STX and CAM-C.

As always, the new season brought out new cars and builds galore. But one stood out, Patrick Darling’s 1968 CAM-C class Chevrolet Camaro. Patrick bought the classic car in February of 2013 and spent more than four years restoring and prepping it for autocross. The car is a heavily reengineered restomod, featuring a SpeedTech coilover suspension, big brakes, and an LS engine swap. It’s wonderfully crafted, loud and fast.

Official Results

Next up is the Midwest Division Solo Championship Events #1 and #2 at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, KS on April 22nd and 23rd followed by our Novice Solo School and Regional Solo Event #2 at the Providence Medical Center Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, KS on April 29th and 30th. All three events are open for registration at MotorsportsReg.com.


Editor’s Note: Throughout the entire 2017 season, we will be providing an event recap article, similar to this one, providing some of the unique flavor of each event and a run-down of some of the tighter class battles. Be on the lookout for Sam at Event #2 as he seeks out the stories that make our events so amazing.

SHARE YOUR STORIES
Have a story that you’d like to share with the rest of the Club? Send your articles, photos, or videos to mikemcginley50@gmail.com.

Join SCCA & Start Racing

Stop spectating and start racing! Join the Kansas City Region SCCA now and get involved immediately through Autocross, TSD Road Rallies, and Rallycross. You can also volunteer at our Road Racing events while you work toward your competition license.

Support the SCCA Foundation

The SCCA Foundation supports hands-on education and safety programs, recognizes excellence in automotive engineering education and promotes the SCCA’s heritage and club history. The goal of the SCCA Foundation is to give back to our communities. To successfully achieve this mission, the Foundation seeks support from a variety of sources, including the members of the Sports Car Club of America as well as corporate sponsors. The SCCA Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation under the section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Gifts to the SCCA Foundation are tax deductible to the donor as allowable by law. You can donate directly through PayPal.

Donate to the SCCA Foundation through PayPal

©2024 Kansas City Region SCCA
NOTE: All photos used on this site are property of the Kansas City Region of the Sports Car Club of America and the respective photographers. They may not be reused commercially without the express written consent of the KCRSCCA – please contact us if you have questions