When Sharon and Hank Brillhart started dating, they found they had a few things in common.
For one: “We like to drive fast,” Sharon said. But not recklessly.
Today, the Brillharts are regulars in the Sports Car Club of America’s Autocrossing events. In Autocross, drivers compete to see who can complete an obstacle course in the fastest time.
“We just have a lot of fun doing it and have met so many good people.”
But competition is definitely part of the appeal.
“We have a lot of young kids that think they can drive,” Sharon said. “Then you have somebody like me and Hank come along and beat them. Then they want to come ride with us and see how it’s done.”
The Brillharts met through a dating app after both lost their spouses to cancer. Hank spent his career at Beech Aircraft, and Sharon is the former owner of the Yoder Market. They’ve been married 11 years.
Hank has been a car guy his whole life, with an affinity for British sports cars. Sharon’s first husband rebuilt and showed American hot rods.
The Brillharts belong to SCAA’s Wichita region, which holds its events at the former Hutchinson Naval Air Station south of Yoder (the old runway is also leased by glider and parachuting enthusiasts), as well as the Salina region.
Autocrossing course are typically one-half to one-mile long, with the twists, turns and straightaways marked by orange rubber traffic pylons. The half-mile-long Yoder course takes most competitors about 45 to 60 seconds to complete, depending on how it’s been arranged. Knocking over a cone adds two seconds to a driver’s time, so control is important since many wins are decided by a second or less. Drivers get between three and six attempts at the course to post their best time.
Vehicles used in autocrossing don’t have to be race cars. Cars are divided into classes with similar abilities. For instance, a stock Camaro would be matched against stock Firebirds and Mustangs. There are other classes for modified cars.
The SCAA emphasizes both safety and a welcoming attitude. Vehicles must undergo a technical inspection checking such things as their brakes, steering, seatbelts and tires before racing, and drivers must wear helmets (loaners are available for people who don’t own one). Drivers must sign an insurance waiver, and rules are in place to keep the track clear of anyone not driving.
There’s no training required for first-time participants but they must sign up ahead of time at wichitascca.org. The cost of a meet is $30 for SCAA members and $50 for non-members. There’s no charge for audience members, and drivers are known to take onlookers for non-timed rides.
Since SCAA is an all-volunteer organization, participants are required to help out in some way, whether it’s collecting cones at the end of the day or working the registration table. Meets are held one weekend a month March through November, and there’s an awards banquet in January. SCAA claims more than 50,000 members and 100 regions nationwide.
The Wichita region also sponsors Street Survival, a defensive driving course for young drivers that teaches them how to brake, change lanes and do some basic car maintenance. The next one is set for Saturday, Sept. 28.
The speeds reached in autocrossing aren’t dangerously high, topping out at about 60 miles per hour due to the slalom-like course. The goal, Hank said, is to “get back into acceleration as soon as you can” after each turn and anticipate the next set of cones, and the ones after that. “If you look right in front of you, you’re going to miss your next turn,” Sharon said.
The Brillharts have also taken part in SCAA meets in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri. “Every time we go, the course is set up differently, so it is a new experience each week,” Sharon said.
The Brillharts say autcrossing also helps them do a better job at everyday driving. Hank recalled being run off the road onto the shoulder by the errant driver of a pickup truck coming back from Salina one day. He brought his vehicle back safely onto the highway.
“It keeps you altert to what’s going on,” he said.
“I think it helps you be more in tune to the situation so you don’t panic,” Sharon added.
Sharon currently holds family honors for fastest driver. “She’s beaten me for the last few years,” Hank said. “I’m just the mechanic.”
That may be an understatement. In addition to the 1999 Miata (Hank’s) and 2003 Toyota MR2 Spider (Sharon’s) they drive in autocross, he maintains six other family cars. “Our insurance and our tag office love us,” Sharon said.
Upcoming meets
The Wichita region Sports Car Club of America has several more autocrossing meets scheduled this year near Yoder: Aug. 23-24, Sept. 21; Oct. 5; and Oct. 25-26. For more information, visit wichitascca.org.
