Varco’s record-breaking rookie season, recapped
12 December, 2022
Leaving a tough 2021 long behind, Austin Varco hopped into a new car against new competitors, joining the competitive Sportscar Club of America (SCCA) field for the first time this January at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. The U.S. Majors Tour season started with a 2-hour fog delay and consequently, race officials decided to do away with the usual practice to stay on schedule. When the Spec Miatas buzzed onto the track, visibility was low and frost had to be scraped off the windshields to see at all. His first outing in the car, Varco qualified on pole by 3-tenths of a second. The track was much warmer for the race, and a relatively mistake free performance earned him his first podium of the year, and an official race lap record. Sunday’s race meant defending and beating his record, and another podium. Marking a double-pole, double-podium, double-lap record weekend to start the season.
Results for the 2022 season can be found at www.calclub.com
February’s Buttonwillow Hoosier Super Tour was Austin’s first national race. After qualifying on pole and leading the first half of the race, a mistake from the pressure behind pushed Austin back into the chase for his first win. Varco and the second-place car of Ryan Gutile battling led to spoils for Joey Jordan and an ultimate finish of 4th for Varco on Saturday. On Sunday for the 35-minute feature, Varco led flag-to-flag for his first win in Spec Miata at the Hoosier Super Tour.
To wrap up the Majors’ season, Varco had a 6th and 2nd place finish at Willow Springs battling adversity with mechanical problems, and two Hoosier Super Tour podiums at Portland International Raceway — again plagued by mechanical issues. Races in April gave way to a DNF leading on the last lap, running out of fuel in the last corner, and a harrowing 2nd place finishing narrowly behind championship rival Evan Jacobs, with yet another Buttonwillow lap record; the only Spec Miata to ever lap sub-2 minutes at Buttonwillow.
Capping off the year, Varco had mixed performances in September and October due to contact earlier in the year. In November, with double points on the line for 2022 and 2023, Varco dominated both regional races — winning on Saturday by half a second and Sunday with a final corner photo-finish over the line. A strong ending to the season locked him in as second in the 2022 Spec Miata Championship.
Austin Varco’s 2022 Season can be summarized sweetly by 3 wins, 11 podiums, 14 top-5s, 3 official lap records, 4 poles, and 3 fastest laps in 16 starts. A heck of a rookie season!