[coverattach=1]The Street Car Super Nationals (SCSN) has undoubtedly become the West Coast’s premier drag racing event with seemingly overnight success. Now in its 5th year, SCSN V is set to run November 19-22, 2009 at "The Strip" at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event will draw a who's who of top names and the fastest cars from the U.S, Puerto Rico and Canada, but who created it and why?
I got a chance to catch up with race promoter Mel Roth recently in Las Vegas, who is the man behind the scenes and creator of the now famed and prestigious SCSN. Roth started out years ago like many racers tired of promising racing associations that did not last. With necessity or in this case need to race being the mother of invention, Roth took action. In 1999, he created the Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA), which proved to be the West Coast’s first stable and long lasting street car racing association now in its eleventh year.
Roth traveled the country often, seeking information and ideas to expand and improve the PSCA. He attended the Orlando World Street Nationals, Shakedown at E-Town, and the NMCA/NMRA Superbowl. This is when he realized that the West Coast was ready for a bigger race and that Las Vegas would offer a prime location for a National event. Roth worked with potential sponsors and took much of the money out of his own pocket. He realized that big payouts would be a key first strategy to draw participation. This year SCSN will offer $20,000 to win Pro Street, $10,000 to win Outlaw 10.5, $5,000 to win XDR/TT-5 and over $300,000.00 in posted contingency and bonus awards. Roth took an ambitious leap of faith putting on the first SCSN event in 2005 only 6 years after the inception of the PSCA with a better than expected outcome. The SCSN proved a success in its first year with every bit of promise for growth.
Today the SCSN V will host eleven classes ranging from Pro Street and Outlaw 10.5 to Bracket and Super Index Classes, offering something for everyone. More than 200 contenders have sent public profiles and many more have sent a private RSVP. Roth said, he expects to have top teams associated with the ADRL, NMRA, NMCA, NPSA and NHRA show up to compete. Roth further stated that the SCSN really has gained in racer participation and that he will focus attention on gaining spectators to fill the stands as one of this year’s marketing goals. Certainly anyone living with in 500 miles should make plans to attend the SCSN V event. You just never know who is going to show up. In years past, we have seen the Gliddens, Shannon Jenkins, Mike Moran, the Goforths, Vinny Budano, Spiro Pappas, Jay Payne, Steve Kirk, Todd Moyer, Brad Personett, Mike Murillo, Scott Palmer and Dennis Radford. Many more top names can also be found wandering the pit area as West Coast racers hungry to go faster have started to recruit help from experienced racers like Charles Carpenter, Job Spetter, Kenny Dutweiller, Pat Musi, Chris Patrick, and O’Bannon Racing.
All said and done, the SCSN was born from one racers dream to simply create a place for himself and fellow racers to race. Roth probably never dreamed that one day racers from all corners of North America would show up.
This year’s SCSN title sponsor is Chris Alston’s Chassis Works. Class sponsors include Mickey Thompson Tires, Edelbrock, Hughes Performance, Magna Fuel, Ross Racing Pistons and Caramba Tequila. For more information on attending SCSN V, contact Mel Roth at 661-917-3078 or visit Street Car Super Nationals on the web.
I got a chance to catch up with race promoter Mel Roth recently in Las Vegas, who is the man behind the scenes and creator of the now famed and prestigious SCSN. Roth started out years ago like many racers tired of promising racing associations that did not last. With necessity or in this case need to race being the mother of invention, Roth took action. In 1999, he created the Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA), which proved to be the West Coast’s first stable and long lasting street car racing association now in its eleventh year.
Roth traveled the country often, seeking information and ideas to expand and improve the PSCA. He attended the Orlando World Street Nationals, Shakedown at E-Town, and the NMCA/NMRA Superbowl. This is when he realized that the West Coast was ready for a bigger race and that Las Vegas would offer a prime location for a National event. Roth worked with potential sponsors and took much of the money out of his own pocket. He realized that big payouts would be a key first strategy to draw participation. This year SCSN will offer $20,000 to win Pro Street, $10,000 to win Outlaw 10.5, $5,000 to win XDR/TT-5 and over $300,000.00 in posted contingency and bonus awards. Roth took an ambitious leap of faith putting on the first SCSN event in 2005 only 6 years after the inception of the PSCA with a better than expected outcome. The SCSN proved a success in its first year with every bit of promise for growth.
Today the SCSN V will host eleven classes ranging from Pro Street and Outlaw 10.5 to Bracket and Super Index Classes, offering something for everyone. More than 200 contenders have sent public profiles and many more have sent a private RSVP. Roth said, he expects to have top teams associated with the ADRL, NMRA, NMCA, NPSA and NHRA show up to compete. Roth further stated that the SCSN really has gained in racer participation and that he will focus attention on gaining spectators to fill the stands as one of this year’s marketing goals. Certainly anyone living with in 500 miles should make plans to attend the SCSN V event. You just never know who is going to show up. In years past, we have seen the Gliddens, Shannon Jenkins, Mike Moran, the Goforths, Vinny Budano, Spiro Pappas, Jay Payne, Steve Kirk, Todd Moyer, Brad Personett, Mike Murillo, Scott Palmer and Dennis Radford. Many more top names can also be found wandering the pit area as West Coast racers hungry to go faster have started to recruit help from experienced racers like Charles Carpenter, Job Spetter, Kenny Dutweiller, Pat Musi, Chris Patrick, and O’Bannon Racing.
All said and done, the SCSN was born from one racers dream to simply create a place for himself and fellow racers to race. Roth probably never dreamed that one day racers from all corners of North America would show up.
This year’s SCSN title sponsor is Chris Alston’s Chassis Works. Class sponsors include Mickey Thompson Tires, Edelbrock, Hughes Performance, Magna Fuel, Ross Racing Pistons and Caramba Tequila. For more information on attending SCSN V, contact Mel Roth at 661-917-3078 or visit Street Car Super Nationals on the web.
