2025 / 2026 Racing Updates

OK, lots of updates.

2024/2025

So for those of you who followed, I went to my first SCCA National Tour in Packwood, WA in 2024. On the trip home from Packwood, the #5 cylinder intake valve spring broke on the Corvette’s LS3. This took the Corvette down for a while until I could get a proper solution sorted out. I finished up the year in both Oregon Region SCCA and Bridge City Autosports in the 350Z - unfortunately, not getting any points in B Street (S1, regionally) but finishing out NS2 with points to win the superclass in the 350Z.

Corvette got a new GM crate LS3 (430hp, engine that came in the car) and I started the 2025 season focusing only on the Corvette. I ran the car in both Bridge City Autosports and Oregon Region SCCA as I wanted to focus on getting better as a driver, and seat time in the Corvette was the best option I had. Jeff @ Kaioti Motorsport Dynamics hooked me up with Dan Bullis’ take-off Koni Yellow shocks to replace my extremely blown magride units and I bought a Chinese knock-off GM Tech2 programmer to turn off the Adaptive Ride Control feature so I could drive faster than 80mph.

Season started really good, running on a fresh set of Bridgestone RE71RS tires and decent shocks. Surprisingly in most events, I came out on top in S1 in both BCA and ORSCCA, with Steven Savas, Jeff Reece and Dom Stone being my biggest rivals. At Packwood just before Packwood tour, Stephen Hilbert showed up in a Toyota Supra and was definitely nipping at my heels, taking second spot in the ORSCCA even just behind me.

At Packwood Tour, there were twelve of us in B Street and after a disasterous Saturday due to a very fresh set of RE71RS that were not broken in (“stickers”, as they say), I managed to claw my way back to fifth place. Even though I was one place out of trophies, I was happy with my performance. At my first tour, I was so slow I came in tenth out of ten drivers. So fifth out of twelve is an improvement.

Immediately after Packwood Tour, we had the Packwood Pro Solo the next weekend. This was my first Pro Solo event and I learned a lot about how different the event was from regular autocross. It’s still an autocross, but you have a sixty foot drag race start. That sixty foot time, combined with your course time AND your reaction time (which can’t be faster than one half second) gets you your final time. I ended up doing OK and I had a lot of fun. The Corvette performed well and got me home both times, which is a huge improvement over 2024!

The 2025 season finished out with me taking first in the S1 superclass in the ORSCCA, cementing my win there which the original goal I had set for myself. I took third in BCA S1, mostly due to missing several events and having a points deficit. BCA includes TrackCross, which is sort of an autocross on track. After doing a couple of track days in the Corvette, I discovered it didn’t like getting pushed hard on the track due to oil temperature management, so I opted to avoid the trackcross events. If I ever move the car to CAM-S, I’ll be able to run on the track again, but without an oil cooler in current trim, I’m really at a significant disadvantage.

2026

This season, my goal was to do more national SCCA events. I wanted to run both of the ProSolo events in Las Vegas in the Corvette, National Tour at Crows Landing and of course National Tour and ProSolo in Packwood, with Solo Nationals in Lincoln being a stretch goal (and ProSolo Finale the weekend before Solo Nats as a stretchier-goal). So far this year, I managed to make it to Crows Landing, Las Vegas (the Corvette radiator burst after my afternoon runs on Saturday of the second event!), Packwood Tour and ProSolo.

George Emery had approached me after the end of the 2025 season and had asked me if I was going to Las Vegas for the ProSolo events. I immediately decided that yes, I was, and he was welcome to co-drive. In return, he offered me a seat in Pepper, George’s Street Touring-prepped 2018 Ford Focus ST, at the National Tours as a way for me to get familiar with front-wheel drive cars, as I have no autocross experience with FWD. So far, I think it’s been educational for me and hopefully for George, but I have a lot to learn about FWD still. While I feel at home in the 350Z and Corvette, I have a lot of confidence issues in throttle application in Pepper. I think I’m an effective tire warmer for George, though!

I do have to mention the 2026 Packwood ProSolo, though. I was able to take first place on Saturday afternoon. I had zero expectation that I’d be able to maintain that position on Sunday morning, but somehow I managed to drop even more time to stay ahead of Piotr Szarcovicz by six-tenths of a second. This landed me my first trophy AND first win at an SCCA National Event. This got me into the Super Challenge. In the Super Challenge, you’re put into one of two groups: Knockout 1 or Knockout 2. 16 drivers in each knockout group, 8 drivers in each group go on to form Knockout 3. After Knockout 3, you enter a sudden death bracket system with the remaining drivers. I made it into Knockout 3, where I hit a cone on the left side course, ending my time in the Super Challenge. I got farther than I ever thought I could, and I got to experience how hectic it is so I won’t be surprised for next time, if a next time happens.

The last major event this year will be the 2026 SCCA Solo Nationals in Lincoln, Nebraska. I’ll be co-driving Pepper with George, and while I don’t expect to win, I will be getting the experience that I wanted to have this year: I went to 2 more National Tours (and Crows Landing was my first trip!), 3 more ProSolos (and a B Street Pro Solo victory at Packwood!) and Solo Nats. I am definitely having fun with both Pepper and the Corvette.

Thanks to George Emery for taking me under his wing and giving me insight both at national events and for my driving of Pepper. Having experienced drivers take time to teach you things is a privilege and opportunity I’m extremely fortunate to have.