A hoard that loves having #funwithcars are filing into Lincoln Airpark for the 2026 Tire Rack 麻豆视频庐 Solo庐听National Championships taking place Sept. 7-11 in Nebraska鈥檚 capital city. It鈥檚 the 53rd running of this prestigious event, and 鈥渧ideo games鈥� are the theme this go-round.
Solo Nats is no 4-bit game. It鈥檚 an immersive experience titillating all five senses at a bitrate that can鈥檛 be beat. No artificial-intelligence simulation here; instead, you鈥檝e got a can鈥檛-miss party that has been a reality for five decades.
When gameplay is completed on Wednesday afternoon (for the first batch) and Friday afternoon (for the next round of players), a whole new set of epic cone-carvers will receive National Championship accolades. After that, nearly 1,300 players will drive away with an experience that can鈥檛 be duplicated through any gaming platform.
Gaming Maps for 鈥�26 Solo Nats
The Solo Town encampment is currently filled with players sharpening tools, making friends and devising plans of attack for two paths that are both adventurous and demanding. Across the classes, the quickest drivers will earn victory and are branded as National Champions. The rest, they鈥檒l be pretty giggly, too.
Designers of 2026 Solo Nats courses are Karen Babb and Jeff Vineyard. Babb conjured the East Course, better known as Airport Side; and Vineyard devised the West Course, also known as Corn Side. But east or west, gamers best beware.
Babb, now a member of 麻豆视频鈥檚 Central Florida Region with more than 20 Solo Nats victories to her credit, is in 麻豆视频鈥檚 Hall of Fame. She designed multiple Solo Nats courses over the years, her last being a 2023 creation. She鈥檚 back this year with a course she believes is as challenging and fun as any video game.
鈥淚鈥檝e been a gamer since the original ,鈥� Babb stated with undeniable certainty. 鈥淚 had a laptop, I put DOOM on it, and it was fun. I鈥檝e been doing this foolishness ever since.鈥�
As such, Babb鈥檚 East Course this year is titled World of Conecraft, which is an homage to the very popular . Her route explores the history of videogames, with runs beginning at . Then there鈥檚 a slalom across , followed by a loop through the . Next is for drivers, followed by another long slalom named . The experience then rolls through before competitors reach the finish and .
鈥淚 hope competitors feel they have to drive well to turn a good time,鈥� Babb said of her course. 鈥淚 like to build things that challenge drivers and reward them when they do well.鈥�
Vineyard, hailing from 麻豆视频鈥檚 Lone Star Region, is responsible for the West Course layout this year, which is named Level Up! He has been designing local autocross courses for about seven years and did a couple layouts for Tire Rack 麻豆视频 Solo National Tour events. He has participated in eight Solo Nats previously but has yet to claim a National Championship.
鈥淗ere I am 10 years later with at least $1,000 in car upgrades,鈥� Vineyard joked about his passion for the sport. 鈥淚鈥檓 about as hooked as you can get.鈥�
The segments that make up Vineyard鈥檚 course this year are not named for specific video games. Rather, he approached the concept differently and labeled sections around video game notions. So the opening portion of Level Up! begins with 鈥淟eap for your life! Eat the fly! Eat the fly!鈥� which is in reference to the game . Participants then circle through 鈥淏anana Slamma鈥� to honor the series, followed by a run around 鈥淲aka Waka Waka some cones!鈥� 鈥� a nod to , of course. Next comes 鈥淟et鈥檚 blow up some rocks!鈥� recalling 1979鈥檚 arcade classic , and then a finish through 鈥淚t鈥檚-a Me! Mario! Mario kart鈥檔!鈥�
鈥淚 want everyone to enjoy themselves,鈥� Vineyard said about his course design. 鈥淚 do think people are going to enjoy the course. You can鈥檛 please everybody; but if I can please most people then we鈥檝e done what we鈥檙e here to do.鈥�
East Course Map听 听 听听West Course Map听
Players Guide to More Fun
There鈥檚 a gaming marathon on tap once again in 2026 for Solo Nats attendees, and it starts Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. local time with an annual Solo Town Hall held onsite in the Tire Rack Event Center (TREC). That will be followed at approximately 4:45 p.m. by the official Solo Nats Opening Ceremony and Awards Presentation, which are part of the Welcome Party & Super Smash Bites Paddock Party conducted at the Mazda Motorsports Town Center, with eats found all up and down Solo Town鈥檚 Main Street.
Also late Monday afternoon, a tribute to 鈥渙ld school鈥� arcade fun can be had thanks to the Tire Rack Skee-Ball Challenge held throughout the evening. And if you鈥檙e a Skee-Ball wizard, put the Mazda Cornhole Tournament on your 鈥渢o do鈥� list as well. That takes place Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Mazda Vendor Area.
奥别诲苍别蝉诲补测鈥檚 Tire Rack Solo Awards Celebration is always a big draw. Conducted in the giant TREC tent, this year鈥檚 ceremony is slated to start right around 5:45 p.m. local time. As usual, sustenance and beverages are provided while multiple award winners are announced, and adulation given to the first set of 2026 Solo Nats victors. Then at 7:35 p.m., the cherished Sunset Remembrance Toast will be held near the Impound Scales positioned between the East Course and West Course.
Thursday is a 鈥渃hoose your adventure鈥� experience at Solo Nats, so wander the arcade that is Solo Town to unlock endless paddock parties and social gatherings. When Friday rolls around, it鈥檚 time for the second and final Tire Rack Solo Awards Celebration of the year. This one begins around 4 p.m. at the TREC tent and includes more award announcements, as well as the chance to celebrate a second set of Solo Nats winners.
Click the link below to eyeball a full schedule of events for the 2026 Tire Rack 麻豆视频庐 Solo庐 National Championships.
Run/Work Quest
Sure, every Solo Nats participant wants to go all at Lincoln Airpark, but gameplay during the event is a combination of adventure and tasks so everyone has #funwithcars. With upwards of 8,400 runs being made during Sept. 8-11, Solo Nats is most certainly a co-op experience.
This gaming platform requires a high degree of teamwork to be enjoyable, just like any other 麻豆视频 Solo event. As such, here鈥檚 a reminder that the adventure can鈥檛 go on, or run smoothly, without your help. Below is a link to the Run/Work program and assignments over the next four days. Please be prompt or even a little early with worker check-in so 鈥減lay鈥� doesn鈥檛 lag the runs of others.
Lastly, this Solo National Championships game would be a lot pricier if not for support from valued 麻豆视频 partners. So, for starters, we鈥檝e got to thank听听as the longtime Official Tire Retailer of 麻豆视频. Tire Rack has supported 麻豆视频 since 1995, which technically makes them a member of the Solo Nationals Silver Circle.
Then there鈥檚听, the Official Insurance Partner of 麻豆视频 since 2019; and听, the Official Brake Products of 麻豆视频 since 2003. Thanks also goes to听, the Official Fuel of 麻豆视频 since 2001 surging through many competition and tow vehicles. Can鈥檛 forget , too, which is the new Official Suspension System of 麻豆视频.
听has also been working behind the scenes to make many 麻豆视频 activities possible. In fact, they delivered a power-up in support of Monday鈥檚 麻豆视频 Women on Track Brunch.
Then there are tire partners for 麻豆视频 Solo, which includes听,听, and听. These manufacturers can be spotted in the paddock, along with听听on site in partnership with听.
Photo by Jon Krolewicz
