If you were a Formula 1 driver and had an opportunity to drive the streets of Monaco months before the actual race in the same car you would be using to compete for the championship, would you skip it? Of course you wouldn't.
If you were in IRL and got to lap the Brickyard in March instead of waiting until May to start testing your car, would you stay home and watch video of the last race? Never.
If you were in a horrible wreck and lost your edge before your lifelong enemy, but new found friend, Rowdy Burns, asks you to drive his car for the Daytona 500 potentially saving his family and your career, would you be day dreaming about Days of Thunder? Probably.
The Lincoln Championship Tour is your opportunity to run your car on the exact same surface and a similar course as the Solo National Championships, the pinnacle of our sport. In 2015 over two-thirds of the drivers who competed in the Lincoln Champ Tour also competed in the National Championships, including twelve 2015 National Champions.
What they come for is one of the largest expanses of pristine concrete in the United States and perhaps the world. The tarmac the event uses on the west side of the airport was once occupied by Strategic Air Command B-47s when the airport was Lincoln Air Force Base. The grip at Lincoln will be the highest most people will witness in autocross. And there is a reason the #lincongripdidthis hashtag was created, cars (especially on R-compounds or slicks) have been known to break axles, differentials, etc. on this surface. But don't worry, the smile on your face will be worth it (I have a cracked RX-7 differential case to make a nice lamp base as evidence).
If you think Lincoln is inconvenient for you, it is only 121 miles from the Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States, so it is equally inconvenient for both coasts. And consider that in 2015 drivers came from 35 different states and provinces (Washington, California, Alberta, Florida, and Massachusetts being some of the farthest) for what is most likely the best autocross surface in the country.
If it is too far for you to drive, Lincoln is one of the best sites to "Arrive and Drive". Lincoln Air Force Base became joint use in 1963 and the civilian terminal is just a 5 minute drive around the airport perimeter. Direct flights arrive daily from Atlanta, Minneapolis, Chicago and Denver. If you want more options you can fly into Omaha an hour drive away.
Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska and the home of the University of Nebraska. As a result it boasts a quality restaurant and bar scene, focused mainly around the Haymarket district. For those of us not from Nebraska, being offered cottage cheese as a side may seem strange, but follow my lead and go with it.
Unlike Solo Nationals, camping is not allowed on site during Spring Nationals (although SCCA is looking into getting permission to camp in an area outside of the gates, so watch the website if you are looking to rough it). There are only a few hotels close to the site, most are couple exits east on I-70. Downtown Lincoln and the Haymarket district are a 15-20 min drive from the site.
Be sure to spend your Memorial Day weekend with your autocross brethren, by attending the Lincoln ProSolo (May 27-28) and the Lincoln Championship Tour (May 29-30).