It’s SCCA National Championship week, and that means it’s time for the annual Runoffs competition. I have fond memories of this event: I participated at the Runoffs early in my career on a couple of occasions and, in more recent years, I’ve been there as a complimentary coach on behalf of Mazda. I act as an on-hand coach for all Mazda competitors.
This year’s Runoffs is at Road America, and what a fantastic facility for hosting such a grand event! We had absolutely gorgeous fall weather, with no rain in the forecast for the entire week. It’s always good to see so many familiar faces and folks that I only get the opportunity to see once a year at this event. It truly becomes more than just a competition: it’s also a homecoming for many participants.
I also really enjoyed getting to meet and coach new drivers that are working their way up the motorsport ranks and seeing a new crop of talent that is eagerly pursuing a career in the sport. Returning drivers are also eager to sign up for coaching so they can continue working on things they’ve built on since I saw them the previous year. It’s a great chance for new and returning drivers to get some feedback.
With a short, specified amount of time for each Mazda driver who signs up for coaching, it’s fun to quickly analyze through video and/or data in order to give each driver some tips and feedback they can implement for their next run. I’m dealing with a variety of cars, personalities, and experience levels, which keeps it really interesting as I have to quickly assess where the driver is and what type of finer points they can work on.
Wishing all the competitors the best of luck this weekend as the championship races unfold! I always enjoyed my time at the Runoffs, and this was another spectacular experience for me.