SCCA celebrates Women's History Month, Part 1

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emailBy SCCA | March 1, 2022 9:00 AM ET

Join us this March as we introduce you to trailblazers, work horses, and speed demons who have left their marks on SCCA or are watchable role models for kids right now.

Follow along as we honor the women at your track, behind the wheel and behind the scenes, and appreciate and thank them for their impact and passion in all areas of the SCCA.

Daily posts will be made on the SCCA Women on Track Facebook Page, and here’s a sneak peak of the upcoming posts!

Cheryl Babbe
Arctic Alaska Region
Road Rally
33-year member

“It’s my parents’ fault!” Cheryl Babbe may have started her rally career in the backseat of their first rally car in 1974, but has now moved to the front seat. She also credits Ramona “Noni” Bordwell, a local Rallymaster as her first mentor, and the only female Rallymaster amongst a half-dozen males at the time. Crossing her path taught a young teen she could do it, and also led to Cheryl founding the SCCA Arctic Alaska Region in 1989 to have a home for her motorsport. Cheryl has served on the Board for over 25 years, as well as on the SCCA Hall of Fame committee, RoadRally Board and Regional Development Committees. Cheryl has chaired Solo Weekends, importing national champions from across the US for 21 years, supported co-sanctioned Club Racing events at PIR with the Oregon Region and held SCCA Fire & Rescue Schools (for non-SCCA local clubs). As Stewards of Rally, Gail Engblom and Cheryl started RallyCross in Alaska. She led as Rallymaster of the 2017 United States Road Rally Challenge in Alaska, which also raised funds to digitize the SCCA Historic Rally Archives. She has been the main producer of “Road Rally eNews” since 2013, servicing the North American Rally community. She is the recipient of the Robert V Ridges Memorial Award in 2010.

“SCCA has provided me a home for Road Rally in Alaska for many years and second family all across the United States. SCCA has brought motorsport adventures, opportunities to serve fellow members with common values, pure joy of serving on SCCA Hall of Fame Committees, and many life lessons!”

 

Lyn St James
Arizona Region
Driver
49-year member

An inductee of the SCCA Hall of Fame 2017 class, Lyn started her racing career in Showroom Stock and was the 1976 and 1977 Florida regional champion. She raced in 53 SCCA Trans Am events, finishing in the top-five seven times. She has competed all over the world, including 24 Hour races at LeMans and Nürburgring, had victories in the IMSA series at Watkins Glen, Road America, Daytona, and Sebring and is the only woman to win an IMSA GT race driving solo. Named one of the “Top 100 Female Athletes of the 20th Century” by Sports Illustrated, Lyn has set 21 national and international speed records. As a seven-time competitor in the Indianapolis 500, St. James earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1992 and competed in 15 IndyCar races. As recipient of the prestigious “Spirit of Ford” award, the “Guiding Woman in Sports Award”, the “Office Depot Visionary Sportswoman of the Year” and named on Automotive News list of the Top 100 Women in the Automotive Industry, she is an ideal speaker on women’s issues, gender and diversity. She serves on the board of ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee of the United States) and on their Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and represents North America on the FIA Women in Motorsports Commission. Lyn is passionate about mentoring young people in racing as well as women in automotive fields.

“SCCA is how I started my racing life, first as a spectator/fan, then as a SCCA member, then went to driver’s school and became a race car driver. I was active in the Florida Region, formerly Race Director, and learned about the importance of volunteering. Racing has become my forever home and family. Thank you SCCA!”

 

Linda Duncan
Central Florida Region
Solo Competitor
39-year member

Linda Duncan is the Executive Co-founder and Chairperson of SCCA Women On Track. She has held various leadership positions in the club, from chief of specialty to RE of Kansas Region. “I am primarily a Solo Competitor but have dabbled in Club Racing, RallyCross, Track Night in America and Rally over my 39 years as an SCCA member. Hopefully in the next year or so I will be able to compete in Time Trials. I have presented at National Convention as the Tire Rack Street Survival Coordinator for 3 years. As a retired teacher it brings me great joy to organize TRSS events to support kids as they learn to be safer on the road. I love introducing folks to the SCCA and especially showing women that there is a place for us to have #funwithcars.”

“SCCA means a lot to me. The best retirement ever!!! And, thanks to (husband) Howard, I was given a voice to share my enthusiasm for all SCCA programs.”

Velma Boreen
Indianapolis Region
Solo, Club Volunteer, Rallyist
45-year member

Velma Boreen is the co-founder and Chairperson of SCCA Women On Track. Her leadership and dedication to her sport makes her a stand-out and exemplary member to follow. “My involvement with SCCA began in 1970 working road races in Timing and Scoring. A move to Ohio in 1980 exposed us to Solo with Northwestern Ohio Region. Our final move was to Indianapolis in 2000, where we continue to Solo and are very active with the Indianapolis Region. I currently serve as the treasurer for Great Lakes Division.”

“SCCA and the many moves that we have made for work have given us the opportunity to meet so many great people from all over the country. We see many of these people far more often during the year than we do our biological families. They see us in our good times and our not so good times and still are there to support us. SCCA is definitely a family to us. And it’s good to know that no matter where we travel, we probably know someone wherever we go.”

 

Cherie Storms
Northwest Region
Road Racer
10-year member

Cherie has been a Road Racer in the BSpec class since 2012, competing both in Canada and the USA with the SCCA Majors Tour, and lots experience in many other types of cars and series. Along with many on track achievements she also volunteers for many women on track initiatives, including our very own SCCA Women In Motorsport Committee, enjoys encouraging confidence and courage in women, and most recently was involved with filming a documentary soon to launch in 2022 focusing on women in motorsports.

“SCCA is where amateurs begin their journey, where professional racers come from,” Storms said. “This is where America’s best amateur drivers race.”

Carrie Goetz
Western New York
Autocross
16-year member

Autocrosser Carrie Goetz has been seen driving as fast as she can in a 2009 Mini Cooper S, 2004 Subaru STI, 1993 Civic hatchback, or 1989 Mustang notchback. Most recently, she made her first appearance co-driving Chris Kunkel’s D-Mod Del Long YC-3 car, tackling the 2021 SCCA Tire Rack Solo Nationals held in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she had an impressive second-place finish. Shifting her gears, Carrie loves to leave positive marks on all who encounter her, especially when instructing novice drivers. She enjoys driving their cars to give them an idea of what their car can do and takes them for rides in her own vehicle. Watching the novices get better and better at each event has ignited her to expand her role within her region. She does everything from course setup, to timing, to even driving the timing van. What makes her extraordinary is that she helps guide Western New York Region’s Solo Program and has a say in the decisions with a female perspective as their Assistant Regional Executive and membership contact. She is paving the way for upcoming drivers by being a visible role model, and we appreciate all she is doing for motorsports. Accelerating forward, Carrie plans to continue her club involvement and help it grow. Higher on her list of goals is to one day win a Solo National Championship. With her lifelong love of cars and the support of her autocross family, we wish her much success!

“SCCA means a great deal to me. The automotive world has been near and dear to me since I was 15, probably even earlier. After finding Autocross, I realized that our group is like one family of like-minded people who enjoy cars and going fast. I enjoy the camaraderie with all my fellow racers. I enjoy watching the novices get all excited when they get better and better each event, knowing that our group has helped them get there. I love the excitement of racing and getting better myself. I believe it has really helped in my everyday driving skills, especially living in the snow belt of Buffalo. I have met so many new people that have become some really great friendships. I enjoy being a part of a group that consistently helps people to do better in the sport. I look forward to every season and this year will be no exception.”

 

Jojo Corrales
New England Region
Autocross, rallycross
10-year member

Jojo Corrales-Kean got her first taste of Autocross in 2010, after buying a MINI Cooper S, despite her brother PJ’s suggestion to buy an S2000. “I’m not going to buy a car just for Autocross,” she said. After doing just a handful of events, Jojo jumped into a full season of

Autocross in 2012. Ten years later, she is on her second car trailer, second tow vehicle, and has competed in a countless number of cars in Autocross and Rallycross. She is fortunate to have access to her brother’s competitive cars, including the ESP Infiniti G35 and the SM Nissan

240SX (fondly known as “Panda”). Anyone who has competed in SM knows about the trials and tribulations that haunt competitors, but for Jojo, it was the “easy” strategy. In 2014, she brought her four-month-old baby to Nationals to watch her hop in the driver seat of Panda, the same car

that her husband Todd also happened to be competing in. In response to her brother’s suggestion to drive Panda, she commented: “I’m more street momma-fied than street modified”—and #streetmommafied was born. In 2017, you may have seen her at Nationals toting

a 2-month-old baby on her back. People often ask Jojo how “she can do it all.” In addition to racing, she parents two kids and works a demanding job as a Senior VP at a medical communications agency. She acknowledges that she relies heavily on her “village,” which

includes the “G-fab” crew, as well as the New England Region (NER). “It’s impossible to give 100% of your energy to multiple things at the same time,” she shared. ”It was a struggle to autocross when I needed to devote most of my energy to my kids. But I’m seeing myself grow

as an autocrosser as the kids (now ages 4 and 7) get to be more independent.” Jojo was recently recognized by her region with a Gold Pass Award for being an amazing cheerleader and organizer for the club. For many years, she has been a leading presence on social media

platforms, welcoming new members, and positively reinforcing member input. Every year, Jojo leads the planning for the region’s trip to Nationals. This planning includes designing and creating NER t-shirts to unify members at the event and organizing the region paddock to

encourage camaraderie. She has been known to consistently bring a solidly themed team to the region’s annual Team Challenge Event, showing her spirit for the club. Her friendly personality contributes to her popularity as a Novice coach.

Jojo is grateful to be part of the SCCA autocross community and also enjoys having something she can legitimately blame on her brother (who also introduced her to her husband).

“My family is literally a result of autocross, and I got into autocross because of my family. Now my autocross family is my family.”

 

SCCA celebrates Women's History Month, Part 2

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emailBy SCCA | March 7, 2022 12:55 PM ET

We are continuing to introduce you to trailblazers, work horses, and speed demons who have left their marks on SCCA or are watchable role models for kids right now.

The daily posts are continuing on the https://www.facebook.com/SCCAWomenonTrack, and here’s a sneak peak of this week’s upcoming posts!



Aubrie Nuckles
Ohio Region
Road Race
17-year member

She’s works with Alliance Autosport as a mechanic, leveraging her degree in engineering. She’s a kind and very funny soul! Passion for racing runs in the family, grandpa was a season ticket holder at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.

“SCCA means tradition to me, and it’s something I can share and enjoy with friends and family.”



Dee Duncan
Neohio Region
Pro/Club Registrar
50-year member

“I joined SCCA after purchase of my first car, it was a beautiful little (pale primrose) MG Midget and when I went to pick it up I realized it had three pedals and I had no idea how to drive a standard transmission! Lucky for me a racing member was there at the dealership and he taught me how to drive the car and I was able to get it home, I quickly became involved in the Misery Bay Region serving as a registrar for a pro rally (Misery Loves Company) and tried my hand at other specialties. Registration was my niche and I worked with Ann McHugh on the Longest Day race at Nelson Ledges after my marriage to Don and my move to Ohio. That morphed into my stint as a Pro Racing Registrar in 1986 and I served as Chief Registrar for Pro until my retirement in 2018 working for multiple pro series including Trans-Am, Escort Endurance Series (World Challenge), Pro Spec Racer, F2000, Race Truck Challenge, Formula E and many others. I’ve served as the Cen-Div Scheduling rep as well as the Pro Racing Trans-Am Manager of Marketing Services and the Pro Racing Event Coordinator and I was elected into the Cen-Div Hall of Fame in 2018.”

“If I had to pick one thing that SCCA has meant to me I would say it is the lifelong friendships I have made over the years, many of the people I’ve met in SCCA I count as my dearest and closest friends.”



Cat Kizer
Neohio Region
Driver, Crew
50-year member

Cat Kizer was a recent Inductee to the 2020 SCCA Hall of Fame, as well as the 2019 NEOhio Hall of Fame class. She spent most of her career as a driver and is the 1979 H-prod National Champion. She is the 1980 Nelson Ledges Longest Day overall winner (first woman to be part of a team that won overall) and the 1980 H-prod 3rd place Runoffs National Championship. She is also has the honor of being the recipient of the 1979 President’s Cup.

“Most racers are competitive and I am no exception. Besides being an activity that my husband, David, and I could do together as fairly young marrieds, SCCA Club Racing allowed me to compete against the very best amateur racers out there, honing my racing skills and feeding my competitive nature. Involvement with SCCA Club Racing often helped me in my professional career. Public speaking? No problem! I would just picture myself racing at some track somewhere and realize that speaking in front of 400 people was a piece of cake. In this latest chapter of our involvement with SCCA, David and I are crewing for Brian Linn as he races in GTL. We have more time to visit with old racing buddies, bench racing with stories that get better with each telling. The older we get, the faster we were!”

 

Maia Kirk
Cal Club
Autocross
2-year member

Maia Kirk was nominated by multiple people because of her willingness to dive into both the sport and the community. During her first year in the region, she took on the incredibly tough job of organizing the annual awards banquet, despite never having attended one! Her nominators emphasized her great attitude and excitement to learn more and improve her driving skills. According to Maia, her husband had been racing Autocross for 4 years before he finally convinced her to give it a try in their 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder. Despite spinning out multiple times and not fitting in the seat made for her husband, she was hooked to autocrossing and had a new “quest for speed”. She now races a 2013 Scion FRS, which she coincidently got for Valentine’s Day last year. Most women want earrings for Valentine’s Day, but Maia says she was lucky enough to get both! Maia shows us that Women On Track is more than just getting rough like one of the boys. With her Tiffany blue car wrap and pink Tsurikawa hanging inside, her car brings pizazz and personality to an often male-dominated sport. It’s also notable that she and her husband applied the wrap on their car at the car enhancement company they own together. For her, sharing this sport with her husband has been one of the biggest joys of learning Autocross. Maia has been running in the very challenging ladies indexed class with an SSC index at local autocross events. This class is no joke, with multiple SCCA Nationals ladies running each event. Maia combines her can-do attitude and competitive background in Taekwondo/Olympic Style weightlifting to improve her autocrossing skills. She works regularly with a racing coach, studies race-theory concepts in her spare time, and analyzes her runs after each event. She is learning to improve her cornering speeds and brake points and is looking forward to her first time at Solo Nationals in Nebraska in 2022. As many of us relate, Maia sees the racing community as family. She pointed out that despite being new to the community, multiple people opened their homes to her, Austin, and their dogs when they had to evacuate their home during a wildfire. Maia in turn gives back to the community in many ways. She has learned every work position, even some of the toughest ones, and continues to volunteer her time to give back however she can. She is not only dedicated to becoming a better driver, but also to helping however she can. As her husband states, “I believe she is a good example for all current and future female racers!”

“It is especially admirable when the core values SCCA includes in their mission statement are demonstrated by the amazing women in this community, as it can be very difficult to navigate the challenges generated by such a heavily male – dominated sport. Therefore, SCCA has held a special place in my heart as it honors and appreciates those who give 110% of their efforts every single day, both on and off the track!”

 

Cindy Duncan
Central Kentucky Region
Autocross, Pro Solo, Time Trials
19 years

Cindy Duncan is described as kindhearted, a great driver and a true ambassador for the sport. One nominator shared, “If anyone is in need of a ride, driving help, a self-esteem boost, a place to stay at events, help with their car, or even a kick in the ass, she’s the one to ask because she will drop everything and jump into action.” Another mentioned that “Cindy knows her stuff and not just about her own car. She can throw down with information as good as any of the other gearheads. She will load/unload her car and trailer it around… will change tires, adjust shocks, anything that needs to be done to make her drive the best possible it can be. What makes this more amazing is that she does it while living with an autoimmune disease which brings her daily pain and that will make her body pay for days afterward. She knows this, and gives it her all anyway.” Cindy also runs the Novice program for her region, despite an 80-mile drive each way, and goes out of her way to coach women at local events. One woman said, “She helped me go from DFL to fourth on my last run that day. She is truly an inspiration.” Cindy first started Autocross in 2001 in a 1998 Ford Contour SVT. Her natural competitiveness with other sports (basketball, track) carried to Autocross, and she was soon traveling to events, signing up for driving schools, and ultimately attending Solo Nationals in 2003. Fast forward nearly 20 years, with a break from 2007-2014 to raise a family, Cindy owns and drives a 2016 Mustang GT affectionately named “Sameen” (after a TV character that was a sarcastic assassin), when she’s not hopping into a variety of other co-drives, spanning from GT500 Mustangs to RX8s to BRZs. Cindy is also a decorated driver, having won multiple SCCA Solo National Championships, SCCA Driver of the Year honors, and a Triad award; a combination that very few can claim. She was also a Wendi Allen Scholarship recipient. In short, she is an excellent racer who has shown dedication, unselfishness, and sportsmanship, all while overcoming major obstacles.

“By far, the best part of Autocross is the friends I have made… real, true friendships that have made my life remarkably better. SCCA has been a vital part of making my life fuller. I have always loved cars since I was a toddler. Having someone invite me to an autocross where I could enjoy my car opened a new world for me and gave me something fun to look forward to on weekends. Most importantly, it introduced me to some of the most generous people in the country and abroad (looking at my Canadian friends). I struggled to fit in for most of my adult life and find my place on a social level. And here, I found many like-minded individuals willing to share their time, talent, tools and cars in the name of fun with cars. Most importantly, I finally connected with other women, and have enjoyed having those friendships in my everyday life ups and downs.”

Cindy also shared a story about her favorite trip to Solo Nationals in 2015. “My longtime friend Carol Kolk had returned to autocross herself after a long recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Carol asked if I wanted to co-drive a 2007 Mustang in ESPL, and of course I said yes. The best part about it was helping my friend make the greatest comeback of all time. I got a front row seat to watching someone that had to learn to walk again just a few years before make an amazing run to be a Champion. Still gives me goosebumps and happy tears to this day! Carol won Driver of the Year for that feat.”

 

Betsy Speed
Central Carolinas Region
Registration and T&S
44-year member

Betsy Speed has the perfect name for her sport. While she has chosen to participate off the track, she has been actively involved in SCCA since 1972 and is a well-respected leader in SCCA. She has served as Secretary and newsletter editor for Kentucky Region and as a Board Member in Central Carolinas Region. She has been Chief Registrar for Kentucky Region, Central Carolinas Region, Atlanta Region and South Carolina Region. She is the current Divisional Administrator for Registration for the SE Division, a position that she had held for a number of years and has returned to. In 2021, she was awarded SCCA Worker of the Year for registration and has also had that honor, among others, for SEDIV.

“SCCA has meant friendships, comradery and fun to me. It has been a glue in my life for so many years. It was something my family did together. After my husband passed, I really wanted to maintain my friendships, so his passing (and subsequent life events) did not deter me from SCCA. I am grateful for all it has meant to me.”



Wanda Cecil
South Carolina & Buccaneer Regions
Registrar, Pit & Grid, F&C, Tech, Club Racing Driver
46+ year member

Wanda Cecil is a well-known name in Club Racing, especially when it comes to Registration. She has been a National Administrator, special administration for the National Office in Registration and Divisional Administration in Registration for Southeast Division. What many might not know is that she holds a record at the Chimney Rock Hillclimb in F440 and is the only female to get under 2 minutes at Chimney Rock in FC. She did her driver’s schools at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Roebling Road and was Pace Car Driver at Roebling Road Raceway for years. She has traveled all over the country and has even worked in Puerto Rico where she was Chief Registrar and then Pit & Grid and Splitter for races. She was Chief of the National Runoffs at Hartland Park and Road America and Assistant Chief at Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, Road America, Heartland Park and Virginia International Raceway. In 2007, Wanda was named Worker of the year for Registration.

“SCCA is my other family…the one you choose.”